The government entities and the airport held a regular meeting of the "Airport Wildlife Management Committee" on 28 February 2025 to review the occurrences of wildlife risk within the airport area in 2024 and assess the effectiveness of the preventive measures.
On 28 February 2025, the Macao SAR Government and Macau International Airport held a regular meeting of the Wildlife Management Committee to review the occurrences of wildlife risk within the airport area in 2024 and assess the effectiveness of the preventive measures.
The Wildlife Management Committee is chaired by CAM-Macau International Airport Company Ltd., and is also comprised of the Civil Aviation Authority (AACM), the Municipal Affairs Bureau, the Environmental Protection Bureau, the Fire Services Bureau and the airline representatives. The ornithologist contracted by the AACM also attends the meeting. The committee focuses on the wildlife hazards and the strategies to mitigate the risks posed by wildlife to aircraft. As birds are the most common wildlife species at the airport, the control plans and the monitoring measures adopted by the committee target birds primarily.
At today’s meeting, CAM reported on the bird strike occurrences in 2024 and the implementation of the preventive measures. They also shared the 2024 Bird Strike Assessment Report, prepared by AACM’s contracted ornithologist, which was concluded based on the bird strike reports, the bird remains examination, and the on-site inspection. The report has also recommended the additional bird strike preventive measures to be taken for ensuring aviation safety during the airport’s reclamation period.
Over the years, the AACM has urged CAM to implement the bird strike measures in accordance with the “Airport Wildlife Management Plan”, aiming to achieve the dual goals of ensuring flight safety while maintaining avian ecology.
In the environment aspect, CAM works with the Municipal Affairs Bureau to conduct joint inspections regularly to monitor the change in the bird activities at the airport; CAM also maintains the runway grass length to reduce the likelihood of birds hiding, performs pest control to eliminate the source of the avian food chain; the airport concessionaire has also installed the fence surrounding the runway’s artificial island to prevent wildlife intrusion.
In daily operations, CAMdeploys a bird control unit to patrol the runway area multiple times a day, and increases the patrol frequency in between takeoffs and landings when deemed necessary. When bird flocks are detected, the unit useslong-range acousticdevices and vehicle-mounted distress call generator to drive the birds away from the runway. Such devices function by making sounds, light, and smoke. The unit staff also record the species and the quantities of the birds and henceforth work on the analysis.
