On 16 March, the Korea Federation of Environment Movement Incheon (KFEM Incheon) organised a Black-faced Spoonbill event to collect fallen woody branches and transport them to the artificial island in Namdong Reservoir to help the birds make their nests. It was also an opportunity to remove trash from the edges of the reservoir and the vicinity of the island.
Over 200 participants including students, their parents, Incheon NGOs and Incheon government officials took part in the half day program. There were brief talks from Dr.Kisup Lee from Korea Wetland Network, Ms.Seon-jeong Nam, Incheon Teachers Moim, Mr. Hyeong-moon Kim, Black-faced Spoonbill Island People and Mr.Joo-won Seo and Ms.Hyeo-kyeong Lee, KFEM Incheon on breeding and wintering status and main threats to birds. Since Namdong Reservoir is only 5 kms away from the Secretariat office, EAAFP Secretariat staff also attended to support the initiative– mostly young students- and Spike Millington made a short speech on how geographically important the Songdo and Incheon sites are for Black-faced Spoonbill as breeding areas in the East Asian – Australasian Flyway and how national and international collaboration is needed to protect birds and conserve their habitats.
The Black-faced Spoonbill is designated as a globally endangered species under IUCN and nationally Vulnerable under Ministry of Environment Korea. It breeds on islets off the west coast of the Korean peninsula and Liaoning province in China. The most important breeding areas in Incheon are Incheon-Geonggi Tidal Flat including Gaksi rack, Yo-do (Yeokseom), Suribong in the south of the Ganghwa and Namdong Reservior in Songdo. These areas support almost 500 pairs. Apart from other breeding areas, Namdong Reservoir supports an annually increasing number of pairs: from 6 pairs in 2009 to 120 pairs in 2012. The tidal flats of Ganghwa, Yeongjong and Songdo are the principal feeding grounds. The total world population is estimated at about 2,700 birds now, which indicates how important the Incheon area is, with more than one third of the total population resident here in the summer months.