Spike Millington, Chief Executive
Bar-tailed Godwits under assault. The plight of migrating shorebirds as a consequence of rapid shoreline habitat loss in the Yellow Sea is well illustrated by these staging Bar-tailed Godwits roosting on an active dredge-dumping site on 20 April 2012. The material was being excavated from a channel to improve access to the Donggang Fishing Port, Liaoning Province. The infilled area is planned to be part of an industrial park to be built on an area of intertidal mudflat that was excised from the Yalujiang National Nature Reserve by a boundary adjustment in 2012. Photo by David S. Melville.
To our Partners and Supporters,
One year ago, following the Eighth Meeting of EAAFP Partners (MOP8) in Kushiro, Japan, the EAAFP Secretariat sent out the first monthly newsletter. Generally the newsletter, along with web postings and social media messages, has been well-received, although we still lack contributions from partners and collaborators. The success of these communication tools is largely due to the untiring efforts of EAAFP’s Communication Officer, Ms. Tomoko Ichikawa, together with a succession of bright and enthusiastic interns.
Although MOP8 seems a long time ago, two important recommendations from that meeting are in full swing. The first is an independent review to assess the effectiveness of EAAFP structures and mechanisms in achieving our goals of conserving migratory waterbirds and their habitats in the Flyway. As EAAFP marks its tenth anniversary, this timely review will not only look at current structures, programs and processes but also draw lessons from other types of partnerships elsewhere that bring together diverse stakeholders to reach a common goal. The review, which will be forward-looking and participatory, has already begun and recommendations will be presented before MOP9 in a year’s time.
Also at MOP8, a Finance Committee, drawn from Partners, was established to come up with recommendations to increase and diversify funding sources for EAAFP and its operations, to provide a more sustainable basis for future activities. The Committee has met several times and come up with a series of draft options and recommendations papers. These still need to be distilled into concrete recommendations for MOP9. Due to the busy commitments of Committee members, we are a little behind schedule, but discussions have so far been very productive.
One of the major successes of MOP8 was the development of workplans by Partners, Working Groups and Task Forces, indicating concrete actions to be taken before MOP9. The Secretariat has consolidated these and will send out to enable the responsible parties to check on progress in implementing the plans. This will facilitate reporting at MOP9.
The EAAFP Secretariat had the benefit of continuity of staffing during 2015, as well as continued and greatly appreciated support from Incheon Metropolitan City and the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Korea, as well as others. We look forward to strengthening the activities of the Partnership and facilitating improved communication in the year leading up to MOP9 in January 2017.
Read the Latest Newsletter and access the archive here: EAAFP Newsletters
