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Welcoming a new Partner, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
We are very pleased to announce that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPR Korea) became the 36th Partner of the East Asian – Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP) on 11 April 2018 and has nominated Kumya Wetland Reserve [EAAF044] and Mundok Migratory Bird Reserve [EAAF045] as their first two East Asian – Australasian Flyway Network Sites. In recent years, the DPR Korea has been increasingly active in collaborating with international organizations to identify priority areas for the conservation of migratory waterbirds through survey and monitoring projects along their coastal and inland wetlands. The country has also initiated an inventory of their countries’ wetlands which will yield important information on the biodiversity of those areas and the services that they provide for people. Please warmly welcome their official accession to EAAFP. Below is the Press release . Title: The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPR Korea) to become the 36th Partner of East Asian – Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP) The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPR Korea) has become the 36th Partner of East Asian – Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP, https://eaaflyway.net/). EAAFP is a network of Partners within the East Asian – Australasian Flyway (EAAF) with the aims to protect migratory waterbirds, their habitat and the livelihoods of people dependent upon them. There are currently 36 Partners including countries, intergovernmental agencies, international non-governmental organizations and international private enterprise. The DPR Korea submitted the application in December 2016 and after the consultation with Partners and host country – Republic of Korea, it was officially accepted by the EAAFP Management Committee on 11 April 2018. The Mundok Migratory Bird Reserve and Kumya Wetland Reserve have been nominated as their first two East Asian – Australasian Flyway Network Sites. In recent years, the DPRK has been increasingly active in collaborating with international organizations to identify priority areas for the conservation of migratory waterbirds through survey and monitoring projects along their coastal and inland wetlands. The country has also initiated an inventory of their countries’ wetlands which will yield important information on the biodiversity of those areas and the services that they provide for people. DPR Korea has also designated the Mundok Migratory Bird Reserve and Rason Migratory Bird Reserve as its first two Ramsar Sites and will become a member of the 170th Contracting Party to the Convention on Wetlands on 16 May 2018. The Mundok Migratory Bird Reserve is an internationally important for supporting globally threatened migratory birds, of which it hosts some 50% of the world population. It supports more than 1% of the population of a number of other shorebird species on the East Asian – Australasian Flyway (EAAF) Through this accession, with the cooperation with the Republic of Korea and China, the EAAFP will support to implement and guide programmes, monitoring and activities to strengthen habitat and species protection along the EAAF, especially the Yellow Sea region. On 16 May 2018, as the Chief Executive of EAAFP, Dr. Lew Young will attend the “National Workshop on the Conservation and Wise Use of Wetland” and “World Migratory Bird Day Ceremony” to celebrate the accession of the DPR Korea to EAAFP and the Ramsar Convention on Wetland that is planned to be held in Pyongyang. About East Asian – Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP) Adopted in the list of the World Summit on Sustainable Development as a Type II initiative which is informal and voluntary, the EAAFP Partnership was launched on 6 November 2006 and aims to protect migratory waterbirds, their habitat and the livelihoods of people dependent upon them. There are currently 36 Partners including 17 countries, 6 intergovernmental agencies, 11 international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and 1 international private enterprise. There are nine major migratory routes around the world, of which the East Asian-Australasian Migratory Bird Flyway (EAAF) encompasses 22 countries, from the Russia Far East and Alaska, southwards through East Asia and South-east Asia, to Australia and New Zealand. The EAAF is home to over 50 million migratory waterbirds from over 250 different populations, including 32 globally threatened species and 19 Near Threatened species.
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Yoo Jeong-bok, Incheon City Mayor, promised to strengthen the cooperation in natural environment conservation policies with EAAFP Chief Executive
Translated by EAAFP Secretariat Original article: 유정복 인천시장, EAAFP 사무국장과 자연환경보전 정책 협력 강화키로 Yoo Jeong-bok, Incheon City Mayor, had a conversation with EAAFP Chief Executive, Lew Young, in a reception room of City Hall. On 4 April, Yoo Jeong-bok, Incheon City Mayor, had a pleasant talk with EAAFP Chief Executive, Lew Young who recently started for his new post in Incheon. EAAFP was adopted in the list of the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002, and it is an international organization which aims to protect migratory waterbirds in East Asian-Australasian Flyway and use their habitat sustainably. In 2009, the Ministry of Environment, Korea, and Incheon City cooperated to host in Songdo. Lew Young was born in Hong Kong, where he received bachelor’s degree and master’s degrees in natural ecosystem from the University of Leeds and University of Aberdeen in UK, and he holds a doctorate degree in zoology from Hong Kong University. For 17 years from 1991 – 2008, he served as a manager of Hong Kong Mai Po Marshes Wildlife Education Center, which WWF (World Wildlife Fund) had been running. He had been active from 2008 in Ramsar Secretariat, Geneva, Switzerland, as a senior advisor for Asia-Oceania, and started to work for EAAFP Chief Executive from 26 March 2018. Lew Young said, “Both Incheon and Mai Po in Hong Kong hold the breeding and wintering habitat of Black-faced Spoonbill, which exists in only 3,900 individuals and is designated as internationally endangered species, and they are important partners for conserving and prospering the species. Our organization is willing to build a bridge for international exchanges and better understanding between the both cities.” During his term of office in Ramsar Secretariat, Lew Young conducted the joining the Mundok and Rason Migratory Bird Reserve of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to the Ramsar Convention, and will attend the ceremony for becoming a contracting party to the Convention in Pyongyang, DPRK. Incheon Mayor mentioned that, “EAAFP could play a role as an international organization located in Incheon for the cooperation between the provincial cities of China and DPRK and Incheon to conserve migratory waterbirds and wetlands.” He also requested, “to share experience on the plan of protecting the worthful tidal flats in Incheon area such as Southern Ganghwa-do, Yeongjong-do and Song-do and of protecting Black-faced Spoonbill and other endangered waterbirds.”
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Ten Countries Agree The “HENGSHUI DECLARATION” To Save Baer’s Pochard (Aythya baeri) From Extinction In The Wild
21 MARCH 2018 ©Luo Jianhong On 19-20 March 2018, delegates from ten countries gathered at Hengshui Lake National Nature Reserve, in Hebei Province, China, for the first international workshop on the conservation of the Baer’s Pochard. This crucially important workshop was coordinated by the East Asian – Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP)’s Baer’s Pochard Task Force, which was launched in 2015 in response to the catastrophic (>90%) decline in the population of this migratory east Asian waterbird. Hengshui Lake National Nature Reserve provided the perfect setting given its status as the most important known site in the world for this ‘Critically Endangered’ duck, whose population is thought to be under 1,000 individuals, making it rarer than the Giant Panda. During the workshop, delegates from Bangladesh, China, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, India, Japan, Mongolia, Myanmar, Republic of Korea, Russia and Thailand heard from senior Chinese local and national government officials, academics and international experts, discussed urgent conservation priorities and agreed the “Hengshui Declaration”. Highlights from the declaration include: “Delegates: • Warmly welcome the State Forestry Administration’s recommendation that Baer’s Pochard be added to the list of species given first class protection in China; • Encourage all range states to strengthen the protection of all sites supporting Baer’s Pochard as a matter of urgency; • Recognise the importance of Hengshui Lake for breeding, migrating and wintering Baer’s Pochard, and suggest that the site is nominated as a wetland of international significance under the Ramsar Convention, and hereby nominate Hengshui Lake as the “Home of Baer’s Pochard”. Professor Ding Changqing, Chair of the Baer’s Pochard Task Force said: “The Baer’s Pochard is a jewel in the crown of East Asia’s natural heritage. And with a distribution concentrated in China, we have a unique responsibility to ensure its survival in the wild. I am delighted that the State Forestry Administration has recommended that Baer’s Pochard be added to the list of species with Class 1 protection in China. If approved, this will mean severe penalties for anyone killing or endangering this bird and will be a significant step forward towards ensuring the species’ long-term survival.” Mr Yuan Bo, Director of Hengshui Lake National Nature Reserve, said: “Hengshui Lake is the most important known site for Baer’s Pochard in the world. With that great honour comes a great responsibility. At Hengshui Lake National Nature Reserve, we are doing all we can to ensure the site is managed in a way that allows our Baer’s Pochards to flourish, thereby helping to reverse the decline in the wild population of this beautiful duck” Mr Richard Hearn, Head of Monitoring at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and Coordinator of the Baer’s Pochard Task Force, said: “This workshop has been a resounding success and it has been truly heartening to hear from so many people, from so many countries, who care about the future of this special duck. As well as helping hugely to shine a spotlight on its conservation needs, the workshop has also provided a clear understanding of what we need to do next to help ensure its survival.” Ms Hyeseon Do, Programme Officer of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership said: “Effective and continuous international collaboration is required to save this poorly-known species in the Flyway. The Baer’s Pochard Task Force is among the most active in EAAFP and the outcomes of the workshop in Hengshui form an excellent foundation for advancing positive conservation outcomes for this critically endangered species” Background Baer’s Pochard (Aythya baeri, ⻘头潜鸭) is a poorly known migratory diving duck that was formerly widespread in eastern Asia. Since the 1980s it has suffered a precipitous decline throughout its range and fewer than 1,000 birds now survive in the wild. The causes of this are largely unknown. Following uplisting to Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List in 2012, an International Single Species Action Plan (ISSAP) was prepared in 2014 and adopted by the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP) in 2015 and the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) in 2017. Based on the knowledge at the time, this emergency plan identified two key threats as having likely had the largest impact on Baer’s Pochard, particularly at breeding sites; (i) habitat loss and degradation; (ii) unsustainable harvesting as a result of poisoning, trapping and egg collection. Other potential threats identified were: (i) inadequate site protection and management; (ii) human disturbance and recreation; (iii) by-catch in fishing nets; (iv) lack of awareness; (v) policy obstacles. Possible threats include: (i) potential for hybridisation now Baer’s Pochard numbers are so low; (ii) excessive use of pesticides and fertilisers. Recent activities focused on Baer’s Pochard conservation have been carried out in six range states. This has included targeted surveys of breeding and wintering habitat in Russia (breeding), Myanmar (wintering) and China (both seasons). Efforts to improve management of key sites have also been conducted in Russia, China and Myanmar. General wetland monitoring and management activities in many other countries have also enhanced knowledge and conservation. Focused awareness raising has also been carried out in a number of countries and as a result the status of Baer’s Pochard and the need for its conservation is now much more widely understood. These efforts have been greatest in China, the most important country for this species, and significant new information is now available on its status, ecology and threats. About The East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP) The East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership is a network of partners within the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF). The East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP) aims to protect migratory waterbirds, their habitat and the livelihoods of people dependent upon them. The Flyway is one of 9 major migratory routes recognised globally. Partners include National Governments, Inter-Governmental Organisations, International Non-governmental Organisations, and international Private Enterprise, which agree to endorse the text and support the objectives and actions under this Partnership. There are 7 Working Groups and 8 Task Forces including several single-species Task Forces. (More information: https://eaaflyway.net/) Contact: For English-language enquiries about this press release or interview requests with any of the delegates, please contact Terry Townshend on +8615011289613 or on email at [email protected] For Chinese-language enquiries, please contact Wu Dayong on +861340328091 or on email at [email protected] or Wu Lan on +8613811194908 or on email at [email protected] Annex A: Conservation Of Baer’s Pochard: “The Hengshui Declaration” On 19-20 March 2018, an international workshop on the conservation of Baer’s Pochard was held at Hengshui Lake Nature Reserve, hosted by Beijing Forestry University, Hengshui Municipal Government, organized by Hengshui Lake National Nature Reserve, School of Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University and Hengshui University and supported by State Forestry Administration of China, China Wildlife Conservation Association and the Forestry Department of Hebei Province. Co-organisers included the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP) Baer’s Pochard Task Force, the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and the China office of Wetlands International. Delegates included representatives from all key range states within the flyway - Bangladesh, China, DPRK, India, Japan, Mongolia, Myanmar, Russia, Republic of Korea and Thailand. The workshop focused on the EAAFP / CMS Baer’s Pochard International Single Species Action Plan as adopted by EAAFP Partners in 2015 and CMS Parties in 2017. Specifically, delegates discussed: • The status of Baer’s Pochard, its conservation needs and threats, from across the range countries, • The identification of information gaps, research and conservation priorities • The development of national action plans As delegates of the workshop, we: • Warmly welcome the State Forestry Administration’s recommendation that Baer’s Pochard be added to the list of species given first class protection in China; • Encourage all range states to strengthen the protection of all sites supporting Baer’s Pochard as a matter of urgency; • Identified priorities for research and monitoring, including the need for synchronous censuses across the wintering range, efforts to locate further key breeding areas and improved knowledge about the breeding ecology • Encourage the development of stronger collaboration between different stakeholders including national and regional governments, nature reserves, researchers, NGOs and the general public; • Highlight the urgent need to raise awareness of the conservation needs of Baer’s Pochard among key stakeholders, including national and regional decision-makers, nature reserve managers and the general public; and • Recognise the importance of Hengshui Hu for breeding, migrating and wintering Baer’s Pochard, suggest that the site is nominated as a wetland of international significance under the Ramsar Convention, and hereby nominate Hengshui Hu as the “Home of Baer’s Pochard”. Participants committed to further refining and implementing the International Single Species Action Plan with a view to slowing and reversing the population decline of Baer’s Pochard and urged everyone to support the achievement of this goal. Download Heungshui Declaration
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