Implementing collaborative waterbirds conservation in the RO Korea and EAAF, 2018
Group Photo (c)Minshil Lee/EAAFP On 13 September 2018, a workshop titled “Implementing collaborative waterbird conservation in the Republic of Korea and the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF)” was held at G-tower, Songdo, RO Korea, which was co-organized by BirdLife International, BirdLife Australia and EAAFP Secretariat. The EAAF is the most threatened flyway in the world, playing host to 32 threatened species of migratory waterbirds. Increased collaborative efforts throughout the flyway are seeking to mitigate ongoing threats and ameliorate habitat loss and degradation. This workshop was to investigate opportunities to share habitat management strategies, facilitate standardised monitoring methods and increase national and international recognition of important waterbird areas in ROK. About 20 people from National Institutes, NGOs, professors and relevant parties participated in the workshop. There are three sessions consisting of the importance of secure roost sites for the conservation of migratory shorebirds, standardisation of waterbird monitoring and Introduction of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs). Dr. Lew Young, Chief Executive of EAAFP, took a lead on the first session by delivering a speech on global importance of EAAF for conserving migratory birds. The major theme of first session was how to secure and optimize roosts by conserving existing roosts and building new one in ROK, especially in Seocheon where the Geum Project was implemented. “As most of the habitats of birds have been lost, they are increasingly aerial roosting, wasting energy.” said Dr. Chris Purnell, Birdlife Australia and he proposed floating shorebird roosts trial in ROK as a one way of preventing loss of their habitats. In the second session, Dr. Youngmin Moon, Coordinator of BirdLife International and Mr. Hong-Tae Jeonof Culture and Tourism Team in Seocheon County Government introduced the current status of waterbirds monitoring system and schemes in ROK and Seocheon. By comparing the well-structed databased system for waterbirds counting in Australia, during the discussion session, many of participants raised the issue to develop a similar application and webpage to check the population of waterbirds and their migration lead by the government, together with NGOs. As a last session, the concept of IBAs and KBAs and importance of the expansion the Areas were presented by Mr. Mike Crosby, Birdlife International. Currently, in ROK, 33 IBAs were designated, but participants assumed more than 100 IBAs could be considered as of now. Various existing problems in ROK were raised with an emphasis on the national-wide cooperation between stakeholders to conserve migratory waterbirds and biodiversity.
Continue readingA tribute to Jim Harris
EAAFP has been lucky to have many committed individuals share their valuable…
Continue readingInterview with KyeungIn Daily News
On 10 September 2018, a reporter of the KyeungIn Daily News (a local newspaper) visited our office and had an interview with Dr. Lew Young,…
Continue reading“Great Flight of Shorebirds” Symposium, Hwaseong, RO Korea, 6 Sep 2018
On the occasion of World Shorebird Day 2018, an international symposium is being held in Hwaseong City (RO Korea) to highlight the importance of the Hwaseong tidal-flats for coastal…
Continue readingUijeongbu DMZ International Forum
On 6 September 2018, DMZ International Forum entitled ‘Connecting People and Nature for Peace Ecosystem Conservation and Sustainable Development in DMZ areas’ co-organized by Gyeonggi Province and Ecosystem Services Partnership (ESP) was held at Uijeongbu Arts Center in the Republic of Korea. In the discussion session, Dr. Lew Young, Chief Executive of EAAFP, mentioned that the DMZ is an important stopping-over area for migratory birds such as cranes while the small off-shore rocky islands are important places for breeding Chinese Egrets and Black-faced Spoonbills. He said, “to designate protected areas in the DMZ, we need to work with the local community and ensure that they also receive benefits from the designation.”At the forum, a few organizations were invited to promote their organization’s mission and activities that are related to Ecosystem Conservation and Sustainable Development in DMZ areas. The EAAFP Secretariat had a short briefing to introduce the Partnership, and the work of EAAFP to conserve migratory waterbirds and habitats. The participants were able to learn about key bird species in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, Flyway Site Network, Yellow Sea Conservation, and the Partnership’s cooperation with DPRK who recently joined the Partnership in April 2018. Photos by EAAFP Secretariat
Continue reading1st Asia Youth Green Leader Conference
1st Asia Youth Green Leader Conference ©Minshil Lee/EAAFP < 1st Asia Youth Green Leader Conference> organized by Gyeongsangnamdo Ramsar Environmental Foundation (GREF) and sponsored by the EAAFP, was held on7 - 10 August 2018 in Upo Wetland [EAAF096], Changnyeong, Republic of Korea. This conference is for students all around the world to gather and share their activities to conserve the environment, particularly wetland and wildlifein school. 44 students in total - 1 from Cambodia, 2 from Taiwan, 3 from Japan, 38 from Republic of Korea - participated in the conference. The event started with welcoming remark from Mr. Youngpa Jo, CEO of GREF, and introducing guests. He said it is a great honour to meet passionate students, teachers from different countries who are into nature and be green leaders. In the first session, Hyeseon Do, EAAFP Programme Officer, gave students a presentation about how important conserving migratory birds and their habitats . With the question of “What do you think why we meet here?”, she emphasized the importance of the role of the Youth on conservation activities. Besides, she told how young conservationists can protect birds. After the presentation, they had an ice-breaking time doing several activities. Students made own name cards and exchanged it with each other and stick a carp tattoo to their arm. After the lunch, Minshil Lee, EAAFP Programme Assistant, introduced an EAAFP interactive art project called ‘To Our Winged Travellers Project’ to students and They put their effort in a letter with beautiful painting wishing safe journey of migratory waterbirds. Students with letters to our winged travellers ©Minshil Lee/EAAFP Also, many posters - student club's conservation activities for Oriental Storks and natural environment like a wetland, were exhibited on the wall. Students had a presentation about those with Q&A session for each club. One of the student groups was from Yonago Waterbird Sanctuary which is EAAFP Site [EAAF060] – in the eastern end (edge) of Lake Nakami, the fifth largest lake in Japan. “There were many children who were active at the Ramsar club of Yonago waterbird Sanctuary during the elementary school days” Hiromi HAYASHI, the presenter, said. She introduced Junior Ranger Club activities like the investigation of water, raising sweet potato and make soup patty for children. For the better water quality, students also participated in the cleaning event of Lake Nakaumi and Lake Shinji as well. For all these activities, they received awards fromthe Ministry of the Environment of Japan. She wished to continue the activities in the future, and all listeners(participants) agreed with her and seemed passionate about conserving activities. After all sessions, students divided into 4 groups depending on the theme and announced Declaration of Practice to conserve the healthy geo-system and love lives. You can see the oaths bygroups like below. Group 1. Adaptation of Climate ChangeWe are going to use public transportations and electric car, if necessary. We try our best to recycle and use recyclable cups, chopsticks, and glass.Group 2. Biodiversity maintenanceWe pledge to recommend eating organic rice to at least one person for promoting an eco-friendly rice farming. We try to encourage teenagers, like ourselves, to participate this kind of activity to practice sustainable environmental preservation and protect creatures which are small, like endangered species.Group 3. A wise use of ecosystem servicesWe are trying not to use plastics We conserve and save natural resources to conserve ecosystem services and equivalent sharing with others.Group 4. Practice of love of natureWe only use a product which is free from animal testing and animal component. We reduce the usage of the plastic bag and use the environmentally-friendly product.You can see more photos on our Flickr.
Continue readingMeeting with POSCO E&C
On Monday 20th August 2018, the EAAFP Secretariat held a meeting with POSCO E&C in POSCO E&C Tower in Songdo, Republic of Korea….
Continue readingRaising Awareness about Biodiversity and the East Asian – Australasian Flyway, DPR Korea
Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) is active in Rason Special Economic Zone (SEZ) since 2009 and promotes the conservation of the area. In cooperation with the EAAFP Secretariat we created…
Continue readingField Trip to the Seocheon
On 26-27th of July 2018, EAAFP Secretariat went on a field trip to the Seocheon City area to review the current status of EAAFP’s Flyway Network Sites (FNS): EAAF100 Geum River Estuary and EAAF101 Yubu-do Tidal Flat with local experts. On the first day of the field trip, we visited the Geum River Estuary, Saemangeum Project Area, and Seocheongun Birds Eco Exhibition Hall (http://www.seocheon.go.kr/bird.do) where we met Dr. Joo Yong Ki, the active local conservator, and Mr. Hongtae Jeon, the site manager. On the first two floors of the exhibition hall, there were many birds-related exhibits – souvenirs, real-sized bird sculpture in the realistic environment, visitors’ works, and an explanation of birds’ habitat in Seocheon. The Exhibition Hall was well planned with many types of activities for visitors, including birdwatching with scope, wearing bird mask, the promotional video of migratory birds that visit Seocheon, and a 3-D experience of the life of a migratory bird. EAAFP staffs listening to curator's explanation at MABIK Dr. Joo guided us to some of the important high-tide roosting sites where there were many different species of waterbirds: Egrets, Far Eastern Curlew, Saunder’s Gull, and snipe. The sea Saemangeum was the last place we visited on the first day. Construction of Saemangeum was once even still the most controversial issue among environmental conservationists because it causes negative environmental changes within the area. For example, it contaminates water quality inside and outside of Saemangeum seawall. In addition to, it decreases marine biodiversity. Dr. Joo was also one of the opponents. In the second day of the Seocheon field trip, we visited the Marine Biodiversity Institution Korea (MABIK)(http://www.mabik.re.kr/html/kr/). There was a well-organized exhibition hall with which explained the ecology of marine life with specimens to look at. We were guided by a professional narrator who kindly explained each one of the exhibits. It was so impressive that there are amazingly many kinds of living things in marine environment than we normally expect. Before coming back to Songdo, we went to Yubu island with Dr. Young-Min Moon to review the current status of the mudflats and many waterbirds at high tide as well. We were so excited that we saw Common Greenshank and Nordmann’s Greenshank there. Furthermore, there were Kentish Plover, Saunders’ Gull, and Grey Heron. It was so impressive that a flock of Saunders’ Gull stands in a queue at the edge of mudflat where meets the sea. It was like fans waiting for the concert! EAAFP staffs watching birds in Yubu Island Actually, we did not expect to see this many birds in this season before visiting Seocheon, but we re-realized that this is the reason why EAAF100 Geum River Estuary and EAAF101 Yubu-do Tidal Flat are designated as EAAFP’s flyway sites. And, we decided once again to work hard for conserving migratory waterbirds and their habitats. You can look at more photos here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/eaafp/sets/72157670605646597 Photos credit to Hyeon Hee Do/EAAFP
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