Since CBCGDF investigated the incident of Oriental storks starvation, and wrote to the Tianjin Municipal Government, one week later, China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) received feedback from volunteers in China Conservation Area (CCAfa) again: as of the evening of December 5, twelve Oriental storks died in Tianjin Binhai and Hebei Caofeidian. According to the feedback from the volunteers, the initial judgment was poisoning. In the early morning of December 5, CBCGDF staff rushed to Tianjin again to learn the situation on the ground. As the research progresses, CBCGDF social media platforms will release the latest news in a timely manner.

In late November, because the local nature reserve was not suitable for large numbers of Oriental storks migrating to Tianjin to find food, they starved or flew to private fishponds in groups to grab food. CBCGDF once conducted a three-day wetland investigation with volunteers from CCAfa, and at the same time wrote a letter to Tianjin Municipal Party Committee Secretary on the investigation. CBCGDF also put forward a letter of suggestion to strengthen scientific planning and do a good job of protecting the Oriental storks while feedbacking the investigation.

Tianjin is an important gas station on the migratory bird migration route, providing key energy supplies and safety guarantees for more than 100,000 migratory birds every year, including the state-level protected animal Oriental stork. In recent years, under the leadership of the Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government, Tianjin has achieved important and significant results in the construction of ecological civilization. However, the local nature reserves need to be further improved in terms of strengthening scientific planning and management.

In the investigation, CBCGDF found that there are three existing wetland reserves in Tianjin, one national nature reserve and two provincial nature reserves, with a total protected area of 697,000 mu. It was very adequate, and strict management of the protected area was implemented, which greatly reduced the artificial interference during the birds’ migrating. But at the same time, in terms of food supply to the Oriental storks, the wetlands in the reserve also lacked sophisticated scientific planning and management. At present, the water level in the range of the wetland reserve is generally high, and it is not suitable for Oriental storks that belong to wading birds to forage. Objectively, Oriental storks that have migrated there for a long time are facing a lack of foo d and have to snatch food in private fishponds. In addition, the Oriental storks scattered outside the protected area in this way also brought a very high risk of poaching.

With the development of modern society and the loss of wetland habitat, the survey data in 2009 showed that there were less than 3,000 wild Oriental storks in the world; the latest synchronized survey data in China in 2018 was nearly 4,000, including Tianjin Binhai Wetland is a key supply station for the Oriental storks to move south.

In response to the incident that the Oriental storks behaved abnormally and frequently crammed for food during the migration season this year, the CBCGDF recommended in the letter:

1. A special assessment of the wintering migration status of the Oriental stork, a national animal under protection, should be initiated immediately;

2. Tianjin Wetland Nature Reserves should start special rectification activities as soon as possible, according to actual problems, carry out scientific planning, classify and implement policies, and carry out targeted rectification to ensure that Oriental storks will not starve at least next year, makes Tianjin's wetlands still play an important ecological role for all migratory birds, including the Oriental stork.

3. It is suggested to take the living difficulties of Oriental storks as an opportunity to explore and implement an ecological compensation system, and to give appropriate economic compensation to some private fishponds outside the protected area that have suffered losses due to predation by Oriental storks. CBCGDF is willing to provide programmatic support in this regard.

4. Give certain support to the volunteers of China Conservation Area for Oriental stork at Tianjin (CCAfa), who are actively patrolling daily, explore long-term mechanisms for biodiversity conservation and restoration of natural wetlands; during the transition period support volunteers provide food for Oriental storks and other migratory birds in the migration season in a timely manner by contracting and managing some ecological fishponds, and actively support migratory bird protection actions of government departments to jointly protect migratory birds' southward migration.

Shortly after the letter was sent, CBCGDF received feedback about the Oriental storks poisoning. In response to this, CBCGDF hopes to further strengthen contact with the relevant Tianjin authorities and form a joint force while conducting in-depth investigations in order to quickly protect the migration of Oriental storks. At the same time, it is hoped that the relevant departments in Tianjin will pay attention to the recommendations of CBCGDF.

(Photo credit: CBCGDF)

Original Chinese article:

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/T09unor7klJA1UUtG1UNsA

By / Maggie