"Death trap": The horrific sight discovered alongside Highway 90
An ornithologist driving on Highway 90 discovered about 30 dead storks near the Tuvalan waste site. The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel warns that this is a recurring phenomenon and demands that power lines in the area be shielded or buried.
Yotam Bashan, a senior ornithologist at the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, was driving yesterday, Sunday, on Highway 90 near the Tuvalan waste site, north of the Petza'el junction in the Jordan Valley, when he encountered a shocking sight.
"While driving, I noticed white storks lying under the power poles. I pulled off the road and drove along the parallel dirt path, and in a relatively short section, I counted about 30 dead storks or their remains," he reported.
"Unfortunately, this is not a one-time phenomenon; every year, dozens of stork carcasses that were electrocuted are found in the area," says Bashan. "The Tuvalan waste site regularly attracts storks that stop in the area during their migration, as well as many that winter there, and the nearby power poles serve as resting points. The danger arises mainly from poles with exposed electrical components."
Due to their size and wide wingspan, storks landing on a pole or spreading their wings can simultaneously touch two points with different electrical voltage, or a conductive component and a grounded part of the pole. This closes the electrical circuit through the bird's body, usually resulting in death.
Dr. Yoav Perlman, director of the Ornithology Center at the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, states:
"The Tuvalan waste site and the adjacent compost site constitute a death trap for white storks and black kites. Over the last ten years, this line has killed many white storks during migration seasons and many black kites during the winter. There are several power lines in this area belonging to the Israel Electric Corporation."
Perlman noted that in recent years, at the request of the Nature and Parks Authority, several poles were shielded against electrocution, and other lines were buried underground. However, many poles remain unshielded, and they continue to electrocute birds. The problem is especially acute with transformer poles, where shielding solutions are more expensive.
"The Israel Electric Corporation must act immediately to shield or bury all power lines in the vicinity of the Tuvalan site, including transformer poles. The Jordan Valley Regional Council must ensure that such death traps are not created at the Tuvalan site and the adjacent compost site," adds Dr. Perlman. He explained that about half a million white storks pass through Israel every migration season, representing about half of the global population.
"Along migration routes, white storks are exposed to many dangers, including hunting in surrounding countries and damage from energy infrastructure. The State of Israel is a signatory to several international conventions for the protection of migratory birds. It would be appropriate for the state to fulfill its commitments and solve this recurring problem once and for all."
