At the beginning of 2018, after receiving the application for the IUCN’s reviewing for the Chinese nomination of Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yello Sea-Bohai, Gulf of China, Zhou Jinfeng immediately read the application materials and found that the strip mud wetland in Tiaozini, Jiangsu Province was not within the range of the application, and immediately decided to focus on the reviewing report. When the reviewing report was completed to reply to IUCN, Zhou Jinfeng clearly pointed out that the Tiaozini Wetland must be included in the range of the application. Subsequently, Zhou Jinfeng once again sent a letter to IUCN, requesting to participate in further relevant meetings and discussions, and recommended that the IUCN expert group focus on the visit to the Tiaozini Wetland when visiting China.

Subsequently, Zhou Jinfeng took the lead, and the NGOs and experts who were concerned about Wetland Protection organized by CBCGDF discussed the relevant viewpoints and issues and asked the Tiaozini Wetland to be included in the first phase of the content of natural heritage nomination. At that time, it was promised that the Tiaozini wetland can be placed in the second and third phases of the natural heritage nom. However, the importance of the Tiaozini Wetland and the urgency of protection have made Zhou Jinfeng always insist that it should be placed in the first phase.

At the United Nations’ important Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, Zhou Jinfeng reiterated his point of view to the Secretary General of the Ramsar Convention, the CEO of the East Asian-Autralasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP), and the Chinese delegation, and stated clearly on the CBCGDF platforms, never give up without adding Tiaozini Wetland to the first phase of the nomination (See details: http://www.cbcgdf.org/NewsShow/4854/5459.html). Later after that, CBCGDF received words from relevant parties, promised to include the Tiaozini Wetland in the first phase of the nomination application, and asked CBCGDF not to continue to “messing around” at the Ramsar meeting. Now, we finally see that the Tiaozini Wetland was successfully included in the first phase of the nomination application for World Natural Heritage! The efforts CBCGDF put into it have yielded good results.

The Dongtai Tiaozini Wetland in Jiangsu Province. (Photo courtesy: Li Dongming)

The spoon-billed sandpipers in Tiaozini Wetland. (Photo courtesy: Li Dongming)

By / Niu Jingmei, Shuya