The International Workshop on Swans Conservation was held on 22-23 November in Rongcheng, China. It was organized by Rongcheng Municipal government, and co-organized by EAAFP Secretariat Science Unit, China Wildlife Conservation Association, and China National Bird Banding Centre. Around 150 people participated in the workshop, including representatives from governments, site managers in China, and experts from China, Russia, Japan, Mongolia and Pakistan. Ecological issues and conservation practices were widely discussed and shared, and Rongcheng Declaration was released to call for joint efforts and conservation actions for swans.

Participants of the International Workshop on Swans Conservation

Coordinator of EAAFP Anatidae Working Group, Katsumi Ushiyama gave a presentation on current status of Whooper Swans in Japan

Swans are widely distributed migratory birds in the Eurasian continent, which are loved by people around the world and become the flagship species of nature conservation. This is the first time that an International Workshop on Swan Conservation held in China. As one of the most important wintering sites for Whooper Swan in China, Rongcheng Nature Reserve is now positively on the way to be nominated as EAAFP Flyway Network Site. These internationally important sites are warmly welcomed to join in the Flyway Site Network to ensure sustainable management to support the long-term survival of migratory waterbirds within the East Asian – Australasian Flyway.

For more information about the EAAFP Anatidae Working Group visit https://www.eaaflyway.net/project/anatidae-working-group/