WWT plays key role in Asia
WWT’s Chief Executive has been re-appointed to a group managing conservation efforts along the most threatened bird migration route on the planet.
Martin Spray CBE will be one of only two NGO representatives on the Management Committee for the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP). The Partnership brings together 37 nations and organisations working to save wetland wildlife and habitats along the Asia-Pacific coast, from Alaska and Russia in the north all the way to Australia and New Zealand in the south.
New statistics published at the meeting include an estimate that up to 83% of migratory shorebirds could lose their Arctic nesting grounds due to climate change and rising sea levels. Further south, an Australian study estimates up to 70% declines in migratory waterbirds due to coastal feeding areas disappearing under rising seas.
The Partnership is currently meeting on China’s Hainan Island, in the South China Sea, to decide future conservation efforts.
Recent successes in the region include new Partnership member, the Paulson Institute’s, report on coastal wetlands which helped influence the Chinese government to halt the destruction of many miles of coastal mudflats. These are stopover sites for some of the 50 million birds migrating along the flyway, and also contribute USD200 billion to China in terms of natural water management.
WWT’s Head of Monitoring Richard Hearn is also at the meeting to report on efforts to save Asia’s Baer’s pochard from extinction. In 2012, fewer than 300 survivors of this once commonplace duck were spotted, so WWT has been working on monitoring and conservation efforts in the wild, including writing a Species Action Plan, and preparing back-up captive breeding options if necessary to save the species from extinction (you can see them at our Castle Espie, Washington, Martin Mere and Slimbridge wetland centres).
WWT’s work along this flyway, including Baer’s pochard and spoon-billed sandpiper (main photo), is part of our 2017-2022 strategy.
Group shot of the EAAFP meeting of parties (Martin Spray is 18th from the right!)
