Defending migratory birds is a cross-border, multinational effort of ornithologists, activists and diplomats. It’s also a problem for science: our information of hen migration nonetheless has many gaps, although scientists throughout the globe, and in addition across the East Asian Australasian Flyway, which encompasses Korea, try to fill these gaps. One effort to take action was the institution of the EAAFP Science Unit at Beijing Forestry College. For a number of years now the science unit works, however because of the pandemic bigger outreach actions haven’t but been potential. This modified with the 1st East Asian Australasian Science Symposium held in Beijing from October 16-18, 2024. Round 200 individuals, largely scientists, but additionally wetland managers, activists and others, participated within the which means. For 2 days, problems with hen migration within the East Asian Australasian Flyway had been mentioned. The Korean Peninsula is situated very centrally within the flyway, forming the one facet of the Yellow Sea shoreline, with China forming the opposite. Thousands and thousands of birds depend upon the tidal flat habitats within the Yellow Sea for migration, however as a result of extreme tidal flat reclamation prior to now this has develop into a problem for a lot of of them. That is the rationale why the variety of endangered birds within the EAAF is increased than in all different flyways.
Sadly, the participation of Korea was slightly poor – beside a staff from Ghent College in Songdo, which gave an attention-grabbing discuss tidal flats and local weather change, solely the Hanns-Seidel-Basis Korea staff (together with me as a Birds Korea member) was there, not one of the ornithologists or hen specialists in Korea. North Korea, although invited, was equally absent. That is deplorable, since there have been quite a few extremely related points mentioned: cross-cutting points like local weather change and migration, Avian influenza and so on., finest practices, e.g. in rehabilitation of tidal flat websites, species particular discussions, like these on Spoonbilled Sandpiper, Nordmann´s Greenshank and Blackfaced Spoonbill and problems with the administration of protected areas, from giant areas just like the Yellow Sea (Yancheng course of) to smaller protected wetlands.
The convention was an ideal alternative to rebuild outdated connections and begin new ones, alternate views and study new issues about hen migration. However a very powerful consequence was most likely the rekindling of the spirit of cooperation among the many scientists collaborating. Beijing Forestry College, which organized the convention, has a grand technique to foster new expertise in hen science, constructing a big worldwide platform for scientific exchanges and higher defend wetlands in China and alongside the flyway. Much more cooperation will surely additionally profit scientists on the Korean Peninsula.
Lastly, the convention additionally made clear the overlapping nature of flyways: China is included in 4 of the world´s 9 flyways (Western Pacific, EAAF, Central Asian Flyway and the West Asia- Japanese African flyway). In acknowledgement of that, Hanns-Seidel-Basis organized a particular session on China and the Central Asian Flyway, which not too long ago grew to become extra organized below the Conference of Migratory Species.
