• How did the EAAFP Secretariat celebrate WMBD in May 2018?

    The East Asian – Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP) has been celebrating the World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) from 2006 to raise awareness of the importance of the conservation of migratory waterbirds and the sustainable management of their habitats. This year, 2018, the EAAFP Secretariat held two major events under the global WMBD theme of “Unifying Our Voices for Bird Conservation” in the Republic of Korea (ROK) where the Secretariat office is located. The first was a WMBD Student Seminar at the War Memorial of Korea, and the second was a WMBD Reception at the Grand Hyatt Seoul. Additionally, WMBD Small Grants were provided to 5 country Partners of the EAAFP, and posters were distributed to more than 40 national wetland centers in the ROK. WMBD Student Seminar On 11 May 2018, with the sponsorship of National Geographic Society-Asia, a WMBD Student Seminar was organized in very fine weather at the War Memorial, Seoul. The young enthusiastic students and local citizens from 1 middle school, 8 high schools and 6 universities gathered at the seminar to learn about the wonder of waterbirds migration and the importance of the conservation of the birds and their habitats through talks, multimedia, and the group discussion. Four active bird conservationists in East Asia were invited to give inspirational lectures on the occasion of the World Migratory Bird Day and National Geographic’s Year of the Bird Campaign. The event began with the participants taking a tour of the National Geographic Photo Ark Exhibition, before being divided into six groups for group discussions on the EAAFP’s key species and the Year of Knots (2017-2018): Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Baer’s Pochard, Black-faced Spoonbill, Scaly-sided Merganser, Saunders’s Gull and Red Knot and Great Knot. Under the guidance of the invited speakers and facilitators, each bird named groups learnt about the characteristics (appearance, ecology, migration and conservation) of the key species. After a short discussion, the representatives of each group presented their birds and even suggested creative conservation method based on the birds’ ecology and migration. It was a great chance for young future conservationists to realize the importance of people’s interest in conserving the waterbirds with different measures. WMBD seminar group discussion ⓒEAAFP The last part of the Student Seminar was civil science lectures from the four speakers. Before the speech, a new EAAFP Introduction video was shown to convey the importance of flyways and the achievements of the EAAFP. Dr. Lew Young, Chief Executive of the EAAFP Secretariat and Mr. Jay Lee, Executive Director of National Geographic Society – Asia delivered welcome speeches. After that, Dr. Youngmin Moon, a Korea project coordinator of Birdlife International, delivered a talk entitled “Why birds matter” and emphasized on stopping the human-induced rapid decline of avian population. Mr. Terry Townshend, a passionate conservationist based in China, shared his experience in tagging GPS device on swifts and cuckoos in Beijing, and showed the amazing migratory routes of these birds through the tracking results. Ms. Emilia Lai, a young shorebird conservationist, introduced the Great Knot and Red Knot including their migration and talked about the importance of mudflats. Finally, Dr. Changyong Choi, a Senior Researcher in Seoul National University, focused on the threats facing murrelets in the R.O. Korea, such as from exotic predators such as cats, gillnet bycatch and oil contamination. However, more studies are needed to understand murrelets and to implement adequate conservation actions. WMBD seminar group photo ⓒEAAFP More pictures and result papers of the group discussion can be found in the EAAFP Flickr account. WMBD Reception In the evening of the same day, the EAAFP Secretariat organized a reception to celebrate WMBD in Seoul Grand Hyatt Hotel. The objective of the event was to raise awareness on the need for international cooperation to conserve migratory waterbirds and their habitats in East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF). Approximately 70 participants gathered at the reception to celebrate the WMBD, including representatives from the Embassies of the EAAF Country Partner, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, National Institute of Biological Research (NIBR), other governmental organizations, international and multi-lateral organizations, NGOs, universities, research institutes, and private companies. The diplomatic representatives included H.E. Mr. Wei Kiat Yip, the Ambassador of Singapore, H.E. Mr. Andrew Yamanea, the Ambassador of Papua New Guinea, as well as representatives from the Embassies of Australia, Cambodia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar and the United States of America. The reception began at 17:30 in Namsan III hall with an opening remark by Dr. Lew Young, the Chief Executive of the EAAFP Secretariat. He welcomed the guests and opened the floor by explaining the significance of the EAA Flyway. He said “East Asian-Australian Flyway is used by some 50 million waterbirds from 200 species. These birds are now flying to their breeding grounds as far north as the Russian Far East and Alaska and along the way, many will stop off to rest and refuel at one of many sites, including the critically important tidal-flat sites around the Yellow Sea.” He thanked for the strong cooperation made by EAAF Partners, government of Korea, international organizations, NGOs, research institutes and the private sector while urging continuous support. “More needs to be done to conserve these wonderful migratory waterbirds and their habitats, and one of the important steps is to raise greater awareness, such as through events like the WMBD” he added. Dr. Lew Young, the Chief Executive of the EAAFP Secretariat ⓒEAAFP Following the opening remark, Dr. Minhwan Suh, the Acting President of the National Institute of Biological Resources(NIBR), delivered a congratulatory remark, stating the role of the Korean Peninsula in conserving migratory waterbirds and biodiversity in the region. “The Korean Peninsula, located on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, plays an important role as a stopover of many migratory birds along the flyway,” he said. After the remarks, two videos regarding East Asian and Australasian Flyway by EAAFP and Birdwatchers by Sony Korea were played. Sony Korea provided sponsorship cameras (model: RX10 IV) to EAAFP in celebration of 2018 WMBD. These will be used for bird watching and wildlife photography. Ceremony with Sony ⓒEAAFP Group photographs were taken, firstly with the diplomatic representatives and then secondly with all the participants. Afterwards, a light buffet dinner was served over the scenic view of central Seoul. The participants freely mingled and networked with other participants. WMBD reception group photo ⓒEAAFP More pictures can be found on the EAAFP Flickr account. EAAFP WMBD Small Grants & Social Media Campaign To encourage developing countries in EAAF to celebrate 2018 WMBD, the EAAFP Secretariat supported WMBD events in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Mongolia and Vietnam through 2018 EAAFP WMBD Small Grants Programme. Ranging from government body to local citizen of the EAAF sites, each country came up with national and regional plans for WMBD celebrations. The Secretariat is very grateful for the active support by EAAFP Partners for the global WMBD campaign along the EAAF. Click here to see different languages of the 2018 WMBD theme and posters.  Click here for more information on WMBD 2018.  In parallel, the EAAFP Secretariat coordinated a national Instagram campaign which distributed the Korean language version of the WMBD Poster to national wetland/bird/ecology centers, NGOs, etc., and if people take photos with the posters in a creative way, they would win a small gift prepared by the EAAFP Secretariat. As from 2018, the WMBD will be twice a year, on the second Saturday in May and in October. The EAAFP Secretariat will continue supporting 2018 WMBD theme by encouraging Partners to organize events and campaigns to conserve migratory waterbirds and their habitats in our Flyway! 


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  • State of the Worlds’ Birds 2018

    Birdlife International has just released their ‘State of the World’s Birds 2018’ report [link]. This provides statistics showing that at least 40% of bird species worldwide (3,967) have declining populations, compared with 44% that are stable (4,393). The cause of the decline was put on agricultural expansion, logging, overexploitation, urbanisation, pollution, disturbance and the effects of invasive alien species. Longer term, human-induced climate change may prove to be the most serious threat of all. Most species are impacted by multiple threats and many threats are interrelated. In the EAAF region, unsustainable and poorly planned infrastructure development is highlighted as one of the main causes of the decline of bird numbers. The intertidal habitats around the Yellow Sea is one of the most important stopover sites along the EAAF, used by tens of millions of long-distance migratory shorebirds to rest and refuel. Unfortunately, the area’s mudflats have been progressively lost to land reclamation for agriculture, ports, industrial developments and urbanisation. Two-thirds of the Yellow Sea’s intertidal habitat has been reclaimed since the 1950s. In China, nearly 40% has been lost since the 1980s. Shorebird population declines have been estimated at 43-78% over the last 15 years, with Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris populations having declined by over 80%. Ultimately, human overconsumption lies behind the global biodiversity crisis and efforts to identify, conserve and restore critical habitats for birds is already showing that the decline can be slowed. Education and awareness raising is another important tool to convince the wider community of the importance of bird conservation and to take appropriate action.


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  • Ten Countries Agree The “HENGSHUI DECLARATION” To Save Baer’s Pochard (Aythya baeri) From Extinction In The Wild

    21 MARCH 2018 ©Luo Jianhong On 19-20 March 2018, delegates from ten countries gathered at Hengshui Lake National Nature Reserve, in Hebei Province, China, for the first international workshop on the conservation of the Baer’s Pochard. This crucially important workshop was coordinated by the East Asian – Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP)’s Baer’s Pochard Task Force, which was launched in 2015 in response to the catastrophic (>90%) decline in the population of this migratory east Asian waterbird. Hengshui Lake National Nature Reserve provided the perfect setting given its status as the most important known site in the world for this ‘Critically Endangered’ duck, whose population is thought to be under 1,000 individuals, making it rarer than the Giant Panda. During the workshop, delegates from Bangladesh, China, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, India, Japan, Mongolia, Myanmar, Republic of Korea, Russia and Thailand heard from senior Chinese local and national government officials, academics and international experts, discussed urgent conservation priorities and agreed the “Hengshui Declaration”. Highlights from the declaration include: “Delegates: • Warmly welcome the State Forestry Administration’s recommendation that Baer’s Pochard be added to the list of species given first class protection in China; • Encourage all range states to strengthen the protection of all sites supporting Baer’s Pochard as a matter of urgency; • Recognise the importance of Hengshui Lake for breeding, migrating and wintering Baer’s Pochard, and suggest that the site is nominated as a wetland of international significance under the Ramsar Convention, and hereby nominate Hengshui Lake as the “Home of Baer’s Pochard”. Professor Ding Changqing, Chair of the Baer’s Pochard Task Force said: “The Baer’s Pochard is a jewel in the crown of East Asia’s natural heritage. And with a distribution concentrated in China, we have a unique responsibility to ensure its survival in the wild. I am delighted that the State Forestry Administration has recommended that Baer’s Pochard be added to the list of species with Class 1 protection in China. If approved, this will mean severe penalties for anyone killing or endangering this bird and will be a significant step forward towards ensuring the species’ long-term survival.” Mr Yuan Bo, Director of Hengshui Lake National Nature Reserve, said: “Hengshui Lake is the most important known site for Baer’s Pochard in the world. With that great honour comes a great responsibility. At Hengshui Lake National Nature Reserve, we are doing all we can to ensure the site is managed in a way that allows our Baer’s Pochards to flourish, thereby helping to reverse the decline in the wild population of this beautiful duck” Mr Richard Hearn, Head of Monitoring at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and Coordinator of the Baer’s Pochard Task Force, said: “This workshop has been a resounding success and it has been truly heartening to hear from so many people, from so many countries, who care about the future of this special duck. As well as helping hugely to shine a spotlight on its conservation needs, the workshop has also provided a clear understanding of what we need to do next to help ensure its survival.” Ms Hyeseon Do, Programme Officer of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership said: “Effective and continuous international collaboration is required to save this poorly-known species in the Flyway. The Baer’s Pochard Task Force is among the most active in EAAFP and the outcomes of the workshop in Hengshui form an excellent foundation for advancing positive conservation outcomes for this critically endangered species” Background Baer’s Pochard (Aythya baeri, ⻘头潜鸭) is a poorly known migratory diving duck that was formerly widespread in eastern Asia. Since the 1980s it has suffered a precipitous decline throughout its range and fewer than 1,000 birds now survive in the wild. The causes of this are largely unknown. Following uplisting to Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List in 2012, an International Single Species Action Plan (ISSAP) was prepared in 2014 and adopted by the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP) in 2015 and the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) in 2017. Based on the knowledge at the time, this emergency plan identified two key threats as having likely had the largest impact on Baer’s Pochard, particularly at breeding sites; (i) habitat loss and degradation; (ii) unsustainable harvesting as a result of poisoning, trapping and egg collection. Other potential threats identified were: (i) inadequate site protection and management; (ii) human disturbance and recreation; (iii) by-catch in fishing nets; (iv) lack of awareness; (v) policy obstacles. Possible threats include: (i) potential for hybridisation now Baer’s Pochard numbers are so low; (ii) excessive use of pesticides and fertilisers. Recent activities focused on Baer’s Pochard conservation have been carried out in six range states. This has included targeted surveys of breeding and wintering habitat in Russia (breeding), Myanmar (wintering) and China (both seasons). Efforts to improve management of key sites have also been conducted in Russia, China and Myanmar. General wetland monitoring and management activities in many other countries have also enhanced knowledge and conservation. Focused awareness raising has also been carried out in a number of countries and as a result the status of Baer’s Pochard and the need for its conservation is now much more widely understood. These efforts have been greatest in China, the most important country for this species, and significant new information is now available on its status, ecology and threats. About The East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP) The East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership is a network of partners within the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF). The East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP) aims to protect migratory waterbirds, their habitat and the livelihoods of people dependent upon them. The Flyway is one of 9 major migratory routes recognised globally. Partners include National Governments, Inter-Governmental Organisations, International Non-governmental Organisations, and international Private Enterprise, which agree to endorse the text and support the objectives and actions under this Partnership. There are 7 Working Groups and 8 Task Forces including several single-species Task Forces. (More information: https://eaaflyway.net/) Contact: For English-language enquiries about this press release or interview requests with any of the delegates, please contact Terry Townshend on +8615011289613 or on email at terry.townshend@gmail.com For Chinese-language enquiries, please contact Wu Dayong on +861340328091 or on email at dayongwu@hotmail.com or Wu Lan on +8613811194908 or on email at wulan.pku@gmail.com Annex A: Conservation Of Baer’s Pochard: “The Hengshui Declaration” On 19-20 March 2018, an international workshop on the conservation of Baer’s Pochard was held at Hengshui Lake Nature Reserve, hosted by Beijing Forestry University, Hengshui Municipal Government, organized by Hengshui Lake National Nature Reserve, School of Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University and Hengshui University and supported by State Forestry Administration of China, China Wildlife Conservation Association and the Forestry Department of Hebei Province. Co-organisers included the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP) Baer’s Pochard Task Force, the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and the China office of Wetlands International. Delegates included representatives from all key range states within the flyway - Bangladesh, China, DPRK, India, Japan, Mongolia, Myanmar, Russia, Republic of Korea and Thailand. The workshop focused on the EAAFP / CMS Baer’s Pochard International Single Species Action Plan as adopted by EAAFP Partners in 2015 and CMS Parties in 2017. Specifically, delegates discussed: • The status of Baer’s Pochard, its conservation needs and threats, from across the range countries, • The identification of information gaps, research and conservation priorities • The development of national action plans As delegates of the workshop, we: • Warmly welcome the State Forestry Administration’s recommendation that Baer’s Pochard be added to the list of species given first class protection in China; • Encourage all range states to strengthen the protection of all sites supporting Baer’s Pochard as a matter of urgency; • Identified priorities for research and monitoring, including the need for synchronous censuses across the wintering range, efforts to locate further key breeding areas and improved knowledge about the breeding ecology • Encourage the development of stronger collaboration between different stakeholders including national and regional governments, nature reserves, researchers, NGOs and the general public; • Highlight the urgent need to raise awareness of the conservation needs of Baer’s Pochard among key stakeholders, including national and regional decision-makers, nature reserve managers and the general public; and • Recognise the importance of Hengshui Hu for breeding, migrating and wintering Baer’s Pochard, suggest that the site is nominated as a wetland of international significance under the Ramsar Convention, and hereby nominate Hengshui Hu as the “Home of Baer’s Pochard”. Participants committed to further refining and implementing the International Single Species Action Plan with a view to slowing and reversing the population decline of Baer’s Pochard and urged everyone to support the achievement of this goal. Download Heungshui Declaration


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  • Bako Buntal Bay–East Asian-Australasian Flyway Network Site Dossier

    Sarawak Forestry Bako Buntal Bay [EAAF112] as covered by this document is located on the coasts of Sarawak, East Malaysia. The Bay represents tidal influenced coastal habitats which stretches from the tip of Santubong peninsula to the mouth of Sadong River. Bako Buntal Bay remained quite significant a part of Sarawak’s coastline due to large numbers of migratory birds as well as species which are globally threatened being recorded here. The dossier is written with the aim of conserving migratory waterbirds and their habitat and the main thrust is conservation and tourism along the Bay. It is a desk-based conceptualization of opportunities for developing and managing the Bako Buntal Bay Flyway Network site to support: Conservation and wise use of globally important waterbird populations; Recreational needs of tourism along the coast north of Kuching City for visitors and residents; Needs of and opportunities for the local residents of the larger area (Kg Buntal, Kg Bako, Kg Moyan, Asajaya); Future expansion of existing tourism product which is the Damai/Santubong peninsula; and Long term maintenance of biodiversity values and ecosystem services of the two national parks (Santubong National Park and Bako National Park). Preparation of the dossier was fully funded by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Malaysia. Download Dossier Content Download Dossier Cover


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  • The Flyway’s CEPA Strategy and Action Plan

    CEPA Working Group Students giving a presentation © Eugene Cheah/EAAFP Some of you who have worked closely over many years with the flyway will know that a first CEPA Strategy was adopted in 2012. During 2017 this was replaced with a CEPA Strategy and Action Plan. What’s new about this document? A first obvious difference – it’s much longer since we have identified specific actions for the various implementers. Is it a more user-friendly document? We think so especially since we have also included a simple colour coding system so that implementers can easily ‘find themselves’ in the plan. With this system, all implementers – whether Government people at national or local levels, INGOs/NGOs, Site Managers and Visitor Centre Managers, Scientists, or people working for inter-governmental organisations etc. – can easily find their CEPA tasks to help in delivering CEPA actions. In turn this will contribute to the delivery of Objective 2 of the EAAFP’s Implementation Strategy. We hope all implementers will take some time to review this CEPA Strategy and Action Plan. Download Communication, Education, Participation and Awareness (CEPA) Strategy and Action Plan 2017-2021


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  • New initiative in the ASEAN, the heart of the EAAF

    How Choon Beng, Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve   Shorebirds in Bako Buntal Bay [EAAF 112] © Eugene Cheah The ASEAN region lies at the heart of the East - Asian Australasian Flyway and the cooperation of the member states is critical for the conservation of wetlands and migratory waterbirds. The ASEAN Working Group on Nature Conservation and Biodiversity has endorsed the establishment of an ASEAN Network on Wetlands and Migratory Waterbirds Conservation. The objectives of this network are to help improve knowledge, increase capacity and enhance communication on wetlands and migratory birds in the ASEAN member states. This is in line with the EAAFP Southeast Asia network that was approved at the Ninth Meeting of Partners of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Partnership in early 2017. The network will partner closely with the Secretariat of the EAAFP to achieve these objectives, with Singapore as the country lead for this network, and supported by the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity. The Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF) has stepped forward to support the network in a 2 year project to survey and improve management of sites of importance for migratory waterbirds within the region.  


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  • WORLD CURLEW DAY – APRIL 21

    World Curlew Day Logo There are eight species of curlew worldwide and two are assumed extinct. The Eskimo and the Slender-Billed have not been seen for decades. Out of the remaining six species, three - the Eurasian, the Bristle-thighed and the Far Eastern - are at risk of extinction according to the IUCN Red list of Threatened Species. It is no exaggeration to say that many parts of the earth will lose curlews over the next few decades. Curlews are iconic birds of wild, wet, evocative places – estuaries, mountain slopes, moorland, meadowland and coast. They have inspired poets, artists, musicians and writers for generations. They have given us so much, yet we are allowing them to slip away as we change their habitats and fail to protect them from predation, disturbance and in some places, hunting. April 21 is designated as World Curlew Day.  It is a grass-roots initiative, supported by major environmental organisations, to raise awareness of the plight of curlews and to encourage activities to help them. Please organise an event on April 21 and post it on the Twitter: @WCDApril21 or World Curlew Day Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WCDApril21/ Ideas: Hold a talk, organise a curlew walk, have a curlew coffee morning, hold a curlew-themed art show, create a curlew song or dance, hold a curlew-themed poetry evening, draw a curlew picture, have a Curlew Day at a local school, hold a ‘curlew conversation’ and record people’s memories of when curlew were common… Any monies raised can go towards local or national curlew projects. Thank you for supporting World Curlew Day. Collaborators Protection in Place for Curlew: For a summary of issues affecting all curlew species please see For information on the Hudsonian Whimbrel For the Long Billed Curlew For the Eurasian curlew For the Far Eastern Curlew


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  • EAAFP Secretariat Welcomes New Chief Executive

    Mr. Peter J. Probasco, Chair East Asian – Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP)


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