|
Update on shorebird conservation
in the East Asia - Australasian Flyway
Apart from being a Ramsar Site, the Mai Po Inner
Deep Bay wetlands has also been listed as a Shorebird Network Site
in recognition of its importance as a stopping over site for migratory
shorebirds in the East Asia - Australasian Flyway. As part of the work
of conserving these shorebirds which migrate as far as the Russian
Far East and Australia, a Shorebird Working Group has been formed
JANUARY 2004 --- QUARTERLY
UPDATE
Development of the Network:
The 7th Shorebird
Working Group Meeting (16, 17th Dec 2003) followed immediately
after the 4th Australasian Shorebird Conference (14, 15th Dec) in
Canberra, so that southern hemisphere (Australian and New Zealand)
participants had greater opportunity to share with their northern
hemisphere counterparts on a range of flyway-scale research and planning
issues. These meetings have opened more opportunities for AWSG members
to participate in conservation activities in other countries of the
flyway. The Shorebird Working Group meeting also assigned 52 new
tasks for 2004 and commenced implementation of a formal review of
the Shorebird Action Plan 2001-2005. Contact Warren Lee Long (Shorebird
Flyway Officer) for more details on the meeting outcomes.
Appropriate Management of Network Sites:
The 2nd China National
Waterbirds Workshop held in November at Dafeng National Nature
Reserve, Jiangsu Province, included 58 participants from nature reserves,
government agencies, universities, national and international NGO's.
Waterbird managers at this workshop recommended strengthening the
level of networking between waterbird sites and suggested several
specific actions for enhancing the capacity for waterbird conservation
in China.
"Feathers,
Flyways and Friends Program" (FFFP) :
[http://www.wetlands.org.au/shorebirds/index.htm]
This is an excellent new website being developed by The Wetlands Centre,
Australia, that is now open for peer review. The Australian Government
Department of the Environment and Heritage has funded this project
to help fulfill Australia's obligations under the Asia-Pacific Migratory
Waterbird Conservation Strategy: 2001-2005. The website will build
on the work already achieved by key shorebird organisations and continue
to promote shorebird conservation and community education and public
awareness in the East-Asian Australasian Flyway. Please send your review
suggestions to Helen Aitchison CHRISTINE.PRIETTO@det.nsw.edu.au
"A Year on the Wing" will
appear for 4 more years at the ABC website: [http://www.abc.net.au/wing],
but with no funding for updating the site with new information.
[Back
to top]
Children's Shorebird Information Network
Website:
This new website [http://www.shorebirds.org]
was developed in 2003 as part of the Sister Wetlands Agreement between
Boondall Wetlands (Brisbane) and Yatsu Higata (Narashino City, Japan).
It was funded by a grant from Brisbane City Council and is run by senior
school students in the Information Technology Department of Earnshaw
State College, but will also help in sharing between school students
along the whole East Asian-Australasian Flyway
The 4th Australasian Shorebird Conference (14,
15th Dec) in Canberra provided a strong Flyway-scale perspective on
migratory shorebird issues. With support from the Australian Government
Department of the Environment and Heritage, this conference and workshop
sessions enabled plenty of interaction between Australasian Wader Studies
Group members and representatives from other countries of the flyway.
The participants identified several priority actions for improving
collaborative research and conservation efforts across the Flyway.
The AWSG will publish the conference proceedings will be published
in early 2004.
The Waterbird
Strategy Calendar 2004
Available at http://www.wetlands.org/IWC/awc/waterbirdstrategy/Calendar.htm If
you are aware of other events appropriate to the Flyway, please send
information to Dr. Taej Mundkur (Asia Pacific Waterbird Strategy Coordination
Officer) taej@wiap.nasionet.net
A potential Sister
Site relationship is developing through the liaisons between
indigenous peoples at the Firth of Thames, New Zealand and the Yukon
Delta, Alaska. These groups have begun to share cultural information
and stories on shorebirds that fly between the 2 sites. If successful,
this could develop into a formal sister site partnership and the
basis for cooperation on shorebird conservation.
[Back
to top]
Increasing
the Information Base:
Singapore commenced
colour leg flagging at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve in August
this year, following participation in the North-west Expedition by
James Gan and Khrisna. Singapore colours are Green above White. To
report sightings of colour leg flags, please refer to the AWSG website: http://www.tasweb.com.au/awsg/index.htm
"Migratory Shorebirds
of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway: Population estimates and Important
Sites" by M. Bamford, D. Watkins, W. Bancroft, G. Tischler
and J Wahl. The Consultation draft of this report is available for
peer review at http://www.wetlands-oceania.org Please
forward the information about the consulation draft to everybody
who might be able to contribute in some way. All review contributions
will be acknowledged in the final report and contributors will receive
a printed as well as a CD-Rom version of the report. So it's definitely
worth having a look at the draft. Contact: Doug Watkins, Email: doug.watkins@deh.gov.au
"Maps of Internationally
Important Sites for Shorebirds in Australia" is also available
as a consultation draft at [http://www.wetlands-oceania.org].
Your input is particularly needed to refine the boundaries of the
internationally important sites, and collect some key ecological
information on the sites such as key feeding and roosting areas.
Upcoming Activities:
The Global Flyways
Conference to be held in Edinburgh this April is our opportunity
to highlight shorebird conservation projects of the East Asian-Australasian
Flyway to a global audience. Applications for assistance to attend "Waterbirds
Around the World Global Flyways Conference" have now closed. For
details on the conference, go to: www.wetlands.org/gfc
A waterbird survey
of the lower Yangtze River basin will be conducted in February,
coordinated by WWF China. Mark Barter, who contributed significantly
to the project design, will lead one of the 6 survey teams. World
Wetlands Day each year is on February 2nd. See the Ramsar Site http://www.ramsar.org/wwd2004_reports.htm for
details.
[Back
to top]
|
