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"Save Coastal Wetlands"
International Symposium on
East Asian Coastal Wetlands
Changwon,
Korea,
27th and 29th October 2008
Hosted by the
Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs and the County
of Gyeongnam.
Organized by
the Korean Tidal Flat Forum (Getbol Forum), the Common Wadden
Sea Secretariat (CWSS), BirdLife International and the UNDP/GEF
Yellow Sea Project, Tidal Flat Research Center of NFRDI.
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Intertidal wetlands in the Yellow Sea – to be or not to be?
The 10th
Conference of Parties of the RAMSAR convention on wetlands was held in
Changwon, Korea, on 29 October – 4 November 2008 under the motto
“Healthy wetlands – healthy people”. As a preparatory event, an
international symposium on intertidal wetlands was jointly organized by
the Korean Tidal Flat Forum (Getbol Forum), the Common Wadden Sea
Secretariat, BirdLife International, the UNDP/GEF Yellow Sea Project and
the Tidal Flat Research Center of NFRDI the day before, on 27 October,
hosted by the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs and the
County of Gyeongnam.
.JPG)
In four
sessions with 16 talks, speakers from Korea, China, Japan, Australia,
India, and the Wadden Sea Countries highlighted the global importance of
intertidal wetlands of the Yellow Sea Region. As the Wadden Sea, the
Yellow Sea tidal flats, especially at the Korean west coast are an
essential hub for birds of the East-Asian-Australasian flyway, as could
be shown by Mr. Doug Watkins (Wetland International).
The
Yellow Sea is also of outstanding socio-economic value especially for
many thousands of artisanal fishers. At the same time, the Yellow Sea is
facing a multitude of threats – in particular from ongoing and planned
land reclamation.
The
world’s largest land reclamation project – severe impacts
The
tidal flats of South Korea cover an area of about 2,500 km² mainly at
the west coast. In addition, about 2,200 km² are located in North Korea
and another 1,000 km² can be found at the Chinese coast of the Korean
Bay. However, 40% of the original size of the tidal area has already
been embanked, mainly over the last 50 years.
One of
the largest land reclamation is the Seamangeum project which covers
about 40,000 ha. Despite of a massive national and international protest against this project by
local inhabitants, conservationists, scientists and many other groups, the 33 km long
seawall was closed in 2006. The Seamangeum bay supported the livelihoods
of over 20,000 people and the disastrous results on local societies were
impressively presented by Ms. Han-hee Ham (Chonbuk National University,
Korea). While men’s work in sea fishery was decreasing, women’s work on
the tidal flat was getting more important. As a result, many families
depend on the income from tidal flat fishery, and land reclamation
directly affects them by leaving them without any further perspective.
The
Seamangeum area is also a critical habitat for about 500,000 shorebirds.
The severe impacts of this land reclamation have now been documented.
Mr. Nial Moore (Birds Korea) and Mr. Danny Rogers (Australasian Wader
Study Group) presented the “2006 – 2008 Seamangeum Shorebird Monitoring
Program Report” which clearly indicated that birds did not move to
adjacent areas, as often argued by the government.
The
monitoring program, initiated by Birds Korea and the Australasian Wader
Study Group, documented a decline of 137,000 shorebirds, including a
decrease of 90,000 Great Knots. Nine other species showed declines of
more than 30% including the endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper. Data from
the Australian-Australasian Flyway showed also declines in other areas.
Analysis suggests the possibility that the global population of the
Great Knot already declined by 20% due to this single reclamation.
Sharing
the experiences from the Wadden Sea
With
this first joint symposium, experts form the Wadden and the Yellow Sea
exchanged their experiences in conservation and sustainable use of
wetland. The 30-year experience of trilateral cooperation in the Wadden
Sea of coherent conservation of tidal flats at an ecosystem scale was
regarded as valuable input for a better protection of Yellow Sea tidal
flats.
Mr.
Nobert Dankers (IMARES, Texel, NL) presented the Wadden Sea ecosystem,
its specific features and unique values. He regarded scientific research
and cooperation, as well as the access to scientific data and
information, as an inevitable precondition for good management and
conservation. On behalf of the trilateral Joint Monitoring Group on
Migratory Birds (JMMB, Mr. Klaus Günther (Schutzstation Wattenmeer,
Husum, FRG), presented long term trends of migratory waterbird
population in the Wadden Sea and discussed how trends, which for some
species vary between the different Wadden Sea regions, can be explained
taking into account the whole flyway. Mr. Harald Marencic (Common Wadden
Sea Secretariat) presented the results of the LancewadPlan project which
prepared an inventory of cultural assets in the Wadden Sea region and a
draft strategy on how to protect and develop the cultural heritage on a
transboundary scale. In another talk, he presented the experiences of 30
years of trilateral cooperation, which has resulted in a protection
level on a transboundary and ecosystem scale supported by a broad number
of stakeholders.
Conclusion from the symposium included into the Ramsar Flyway Resolution
The
conclusions from the symposium were discussed at a Ramsar side event on
29 October, in a panel discussion with participation of Mr. Tamotsu
Sugenami (Ariake Sea Network of Fishermen and Sitizens, Japan), Hitoshi
Akutso (Wild Bird Society Japan), Ms. Hee-Ja Lim (Federation of Environmental Movement,
Korea), Mr. Jong-Gil Je (City and Nature Institute, Korea), Mr.
Chul-hwan Koh (Getbol Forum), Mr. Ken Gosbell (Birds Australia), Mr. Harald Marencic (Common
Wadden Sea Secretariat), Mr. Herman Verheij (Dutch Wadden Sea Society) and
Mr. Hyun Soo Yoon (Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs,
Korea) (see photo from left to right) The panel discussion underlined the importance of conservation
of intertidal wetlands, emphasizing to work on a transboundary and
ecosystem scale and to establish partnerships between all sectors.
.JPG)
The
conclusions were submitted to the Ramsar Conference by the organizers.
On proposal of Korea and China with support from Australia and the
Wadden Sea countries, the conclusions were included as an Annex to the
Ramsar Resolution X.22 “Promoting international cooperation for the
conservation of waterbird flyways” (www.ramsar.org).
Future
cooperation
At the
10th International Scientific Symposium in Groningen, 2000, it was
recommended “to initiate a co-operation with South Korea to foster the
transfer of knowledge and experience in the field of tidal flat ecology
and coastal zone management as gained in the European Wadden Sea area”.
The
symposium was a step toward such a more intensive exchange between the
trilateral cooperation and the Yellow Sea. It also illustrated the many
work themes which can be addressed, ranging from scientific aspects,
monitoring, eco-tourism, coastal protection, habitat restoration and
integrated coastal zone management (see also report by Mr. Henk de Vries
It Fryske Gea). The existing relationships between Korea and the
National Park Schleswig-Holstein, the GKSS Research Center Geesthacht
and the Alfred-Wegener-Institute for Polar and Marine Research, which
were established in the mid 1990s, have already shown mutual benefits of
such an intensive exchange.
DOWNLOAD:
Conclusions of the symposium
Symposium Program
For further information please contact:
Mr. Harald Marencic
Common Wadden Sea Secretariat (CWSS)
Virchowstr. 1
D-26382 Wilhelmshaven
Phone: +49 (0)4421 9108 15
marencic@waddensea-secretariat.org
