Dr Nial Moores, Nationwide Director, Birds Korea
The headline information…
Following our web site go to on February 21st, three main considerations concerning the Blue Carbon Venture within the Hwaseong Maehyang-Ri Wetlands Protected Space throughout the Hwaseong Wetlands FNS had been set out in an authentic publish on February twenty sixth:
- The direct impacts on tidal flat well being from use of heavy equipment;
- Discount of sight traces for shorebirds brought on by all the additional constructions on the tidal flat inside the principle roost space;
- The unhealthy instance that one of these building would possibly set for different essential wetlands.
These considerations, with extra particulars and opinions, have been conveyed by Mr Jung Hanchul, a Birds Korea member and present “Hwaseong Wetlands Conservation Researcher & Campaigner”, working along with Hwaseong KFEM and others, to related officers.
Apparently in consequence, additional building of the low sea wall, and the additional pile-driving of lengthy poles into the higher tidal flat space within the Hwaseong Maehyang-Ri Tidal Flat, has been stopped – no less than for now.
Sadly, nevertheless, there doesn’t look like any settlement to take away the tallest poles or to scale back the peak of elements of the wall. There doesn’t even appear to be any program in place to watch the impacts of the work that has been carried out to date on shorebirds.
Extra positively, nevertheless, we’ve been instructed that central authorities final yr prohibited any comparable work being carried out in tidal flats which have been designated as Wetland Protected Space. This specific undertaking in Hwaseong slipped by way of the cracks, because the planning course of and approval passed off earlier than that call was made. Whether it is true that no comparable initiatives will likely be allowed elsewhere, we applaud this choice. The third of our considerations is assuaged for now.
However why was this specific undertaking ever given the inexperienced mild? The ROK’s fifth Nationwide Biodiversity Technique and Motion Plan frames biodiversity conservation by way of Nature Primarily based Options. Does anybody consider that the development of a low seawall and rows of fencing in an higher tidal flat space depended upon by tens of 1000’s of shorebirds and different waterbirds is a “Nature Primarily based Answer”?
Venture Rationale
Based on Mr Jung Hanchul, a number of conferences have been held straight prior to now two weeks with related officers, and NGOs’ considerations have additionally been delivered by way of the workplace of Consultant Tune Okay-Joo, together with in a letter despatched to the Korea Marine Setting Administration Company on about March 12th.
Venture supplies shared to date point out that a lot of the development work has been funded by Kia as a honest dedication to e.g., their ESG targets, with the strategies justified by tried-and-tested approaches used within the Wadden Sea.
We’ll due to this fact attempt to search clarification and opinions from waterbird and restoration specialists within the Wadden Sea.
Primarily based on our present understanding, the strategies utilized in Hwaseong look to be a really poor imitation of such approaches – and had been determined upon with none detailed understanding of the particular worldwide significance of this specific tidal flat to populations of migratory waterbirds.
Two examples to help such an assertion ought to suffice:
- Shared supplies supplied to Consultant Tune Okay-Ju’s workplace by the Marine Setting Company (해양환경공단) embody photographs, presumably from the Wadden Sea, of worldwide Least Concern Frequent Redshanks 붉은발도요 and globally Least Concern Frequent Terns 제비갈매기 (with two extralimital Sandwich Terns) roosting on poles out within the tidal flat (Determine 6). Each Frequent Redshank and Frequent Tern have been recorded within the Hwaseong Wetlands. Nonetheless, neither of them have been recorded there in internationally essential concentrations. Species that do depend upon the Hwaseong Maehyang-Ri Wetland Protected Space in Ramsar-defined internationally essential concentrations as a substitute embody Globally Endangered Far Jap Curlew, and Globally Endangered Nice Knot. Primarily based on our one-year survey there, higher analysis would very seemingly verify this tidal flat additionally yearly helps internationally essential concentrations of worldwide Endangered Nordmann’s Greenshank too. All three of those species are likely to roost in very open areas of tidal flat, both standing in or subsequent to the water (Far Jap Curlews – see Fig. 5 under, and Nordmann’s Greenshanks) or on close to flat floor roughly half method between the water’s edge and the shoreline (Nice Knots). Is there anyplace on our Flyway the place 1000’s of Far Jap Curlew and Nice Knot can commonly be seen roosting on fence tops? Though a handful of curlew and knot have been documented roosting on synthetic floating roosts, and small numbers of godwits roost on poles within the Nakdong Estuary, we’re unaware of any such roost in Korea. Use of Determine 6 to elucidate the worth of the poles to roosting shorebirds is at greatest deeply misinformed.
- Figures in the identical doc additionally point out that almost all of the waterbirds from the tidal flat (20,100) focus within the Hwaseong Reclamation Lake and solely 3,000 birds use the tidal flat itself, with one other 1,000 waterbirds within the adjoining “Space 13” (Determine 7). We’re not conscious of the variety of dates or the tidal state made throughout this or these counts. Nonetheless, our personal peer-reviewed analysis (Moores et al. 2022) reveals that it is a gross over-simplification – as use of the affected areas depend upon the excessive tide cycle. This roost is usually utilized by tens of 1000’s of birds. Furthermore, if central authorities our bodies consider that almost all birds focus within the Hwaseong Reclamation Lake throughout highest excessive tides then why are these identical authorities our bodies not expressing their considerations concerning the chicken strike threat related to the proposed airport – which if constructed could have a runway ending lower than 500m from this lake?
Some Knowledgeable Feedback…Extra feedback sought!
Following our authentic publish on February twenty sixth, we obtained feedback from a number of specialists in shorebird and tidal flat conservation, which have been integrated in follow-up communications with related officers.
Expressions of knowledgeable concern embody from:
- SBS-in-China, in Shanghai, who expressed their concern on March 5th that:
“The development is ruining the character habitat..(and) birds who’re utilizing the websites as stopover, or wintering websites from different a part of the Yellow Sea, could endure as effectively. Oystercatcher, Black confronted Spoonbill, Far Jap/Eurasian Curlew and Nice Knot from China could passing by in a big quantity. It’s value to contact extra researchers for monitoring information.”
- Katherine Leung, from Hong Kong, who participated within the 2019 Worldwide Shorebirds in Hwaseong, and is a member of the EAAFP Shorebird Working Group, wrote on March 4th:
“My area expertise alongside the EAAF reveals clearly that shorebirds want to roost and feed in open space with out infrastructure and vegetation. Constructing partitions and planting salt marsh won’t convey any profit to shorebirds, to not point out ruining an present good roosting space…Studying your weblog there doesn’t appear to be any affect evaluation carried out prior to start out of the undertaking nor native ecologist such as you and (Jung) Hanchul consulted for opinion, this appears completely incorrect to me particularly now that the wetlands have already been listed as a FNS for migratory shorebirds. This needs to be taken care of in accordance with worldwide/flyway commonplace. I help that the undertaking ought to stop till the affect might be absolutely assessed, if the undertaking deems to be inappropriate, the mudflat roost needs to be restored to its authentic state…From leg-flag sighting information I do know a few of my Hong Kong shorebirds use Hwaseong Wetlands as stop-over in spring, and I nonetheless have vivid reminiscence of observing the massive flock of shorebirds on the mudflats from my go to in spring 2019.”
“For now, I can add some notes on how saltmarsh restoration in Korea could not obtain its desired blue carbon advantages, so the restoration could in impact simply harming shorebirds..
The principle type of carbon inventory in intertidal habitats is soil natural carbon (SOC), buried by way of the sedimentation course of. Though there have been some international estimates on the SOC of salt marshes exhibiting some increased (however uncertain) values, newer area and overview research alongside China’s coast (two papers hooked up) have proven that: (1) the SOC of saltmarsh and SOC of tidal flats are typically comparable, and (2), much more related to the initiatives in Korea, Sueda just isn’t the best saltmarsh crops in time period of its potential carbon manufacturing/enter. Given China and Korea are in the identical basic space, I’ll belief these regional research greater than the worldwide common. Which means, though saltmarsh is considered a type of blue carbon, restoring saltmarsh on tidal flats received’t enhance the carbon worth of the habitat as a result of it received’t add any extra carbon than the tidal flats can already maintain/bury. Within the carbon crediting language, there isn’t a additionality related to the restoration undertaking, so if the crediting course of is finished rigorously, the restoration received’t get any worth within the carbon market. Nonetheless, the issue is that the carbon advantage of tidal flats is usually not correctly acknowledged, so individuals could usually suppose including some vegetation to the tidal flats will enhance the SOC. However actually it received’t.”
- Dr Danny Rogers, one of many Flyway’s main shorebird specialists who is predicated in Australia, and who has carried out analysis alongside a lot of the Flyway, together with right here within the ROK who, on March 5th, targeted on the discount in each roosting and foraging alternatives brought on by such building:
“Merely put shorebirds don’t like tall issues (presumably as a result of they might conceal the strategy of predators) they usually received’t go close to them. Conversion of open tidal flats to saltmarsh will power shorebirds to maneuver elsewhere.
In Australia I’ve additionally encountered conditions the place there may be strain to ascertain saltmarsh or mangroves for blue carbon storage in shorebird websites. The proponents have had good intentions, however haven’t understood the habitat necessities of shorebirds. At Avalon Saltworks we’ve discovered frequent floor after prolonged discussions – affected person clarification of shorebird ecology, backed up by scientific publications, has been efficient.
Simply to make clear the scenario at Hwaseong, are these websites solely of significance to shorebirds as roosts? I’m not aware of the location, however from the restricted data you despatched, I ponder if the websites in query are literally higher tidal flats the place birds can forage on ebbing and rising tides, and through neap tides, when no different foraging areas are uncovered. I believe these areas are disproportionately essential to shorebirds (much more essential than roosts), as a result of extent and publicity of tidal flats throughout neap sequence might be what limits shorebird numbers in an estuary. You might be in all probability aware of Mu (Tong’s) and Wilcove’s paper on higher tidal flats…”
- PhD Candidate Philipp Maleko, a number one researcher on the globally Endangered Nordmann’s Greenshank presently on the College of Wisconsin-Madison, who on March 5th addressed the anticipated impacts on biodiversity of this blue carbon undertaking, even when effectively intentioned, particularly when mixed with the specter of the boardwalk and the development of a serious airport within the FNS:
“Whereas saltmarshes are pure habitats for a lot of birds, they aren’t appropriate as both foraging or roosting areas for shorebirds given the vegetation is simply too dense for birds to entry the bottom substrate the place they feed and relaxation, thus excluding them from their wanted habitat. Constructing a boardwalk alongside the tidal flat may also have vital destructive penalties on the well being of the tidal system and additional cut back the foraging space obtainable for migrating shorebirds. Much more damaging can be the development of an airport, which might utterly destroy appropriate foraging and roosting habitat for a collection of birds all through the world. This isn’t to say the good disturbance the development would create for a collection of chicken species all through the world. All improvement actions are sure to scale back the abundance and variety of avian life all through the world for many years to come back.”
We thank all who’ve shared their considerations with us to date; and all those that have helped to ship these considerations to related authorities. Thanks.
We’d additionally wish to thank Kia for making an attempt to put money into conservation. We hope that they may proceed to help conservation, together with the conservation of shorebirds.
We’ll proceed to supply updates by way of our weblog as greatest we will; and proceed to repeat that harmful initiatives of this sort shouldn’t be thought-about as “restoration”.
We may also proceed to attempt to collect knowledgeable opinions from throughout the ROK, alongside the Flyway and in different key areas for shorebird conservation (together with the Wadden Sea), in help of higher decision-making at this web site.
We may also ship a follow-up letter to the EAAFP Secretariat and associated events, within the expectation that this data will likely be of worth each to the Secretariat and likewise to the point of interest within the Ministry of Setting for Flyway Community Websites within the ROK.
We may also attempt to discover methods to help any scientific initiative undertaken to watch the impacts of this building on shorebirds through the upcoming migration interval; and we may also do what we will to greatest present recommendation, supported by knowledgeable opinions, on methods to scale back these impacts as soon as a call has been taken to e.g., take away the poles and cut back the peak of the seawall manually (one rock at a time, reasonably than with mechanical diggers).
That is all as a result of, as Birds Koreans can agree, greater than ever we have to assist companies and decision-makers to conduct restoration of tidal flats and coastal wetlands in methods that may that profit biodiversity and ecosystem well being, utilizing Nature Primarily based Options. That is after all absolutely within the nationwide curiosity and within the curiosity of all people, from the enterprise group to dependent communities and city-based guests. We’d argue that, based mostly on all obtainable proof from world wide, the perfect, most economical and profitable method to restore tidal flats and coastal wetlands just isn’t by way of constructing in pure or near-natural websites. As an alternative, it requires the restoration of tidal circulation to already impounded bird-important areas (as e.g., at Sura in Saemangeum, and in elements of the Hwaseong Wetlands FNS). Tidal barrages additionally have to be held open as a lot as doable, solely closing briefly in response to extreme flooding occasions. And since wholesome estuaries depend upon wholesome seas and wholesome rivers, way more work additionally must be carried out for marine habitats and for the restoration of floodplain and riverine wetlands too.
This work after all wants many arms and lots of good minds. Please contemplate getting concerned and becoming a member of or supporting Birds Korea with a donation. Thanks.
