EAAFP Secretariat

Spike Millington, Chief Executive of EAAFP, participated in the Launch Workshop of the China Coastal Wetland Conservation Network (CCWCN) held in Fuzhou, China from 16 to 18 June 2015. It was jointly organized by the State Forestry Administration (SFA), Paulson Institute and Fujian Province. There were around 200 participants mostly from coastal provinces of China. The aim of the network is to share best practices and information and promote coordinated efforts to improve the effectiveness of wetlands conservation management in China.

CCWCN was launched by the Vice-Governor of Fujian province and the Vice Minister for International Cooperation of SFA. Spike gave a presentation on international cooperation and followed up with individual meetings regarding EAAFP future role with CCWCN. Presentations at the workshop included prioritization of coastal wetlands in China, case study of Tianjin, proposed Blueprint program follow-up and several presentations on controlling invasive Spartina. At the closing, the “Fuzhou Declaration” was announced to emphasize the need for government, non-government organizations and the private sector to collaborate in their efforts for the protection of coastal wetlands. The declaration states that China’s coastal wetlands face four main challenges: reduction in area as a result of reclamation; pollution resulting from residential use and agricultural and industrial manufacturing; overfishing; and the spread of invasive species which destroys natural ecosystems. For more details of the workshop, please see Paulson Institute’s press release.

Publication:

• The Paulson Institute: Blueprint of Coastal Wetland Conservation and Management in China (2016)

Related links:

• Paulson Institute’s press release on the Launch Workshop
• Paulson Institute, SFA Launch First Coastal Wetland Protection Network