Jonathmartinez

天津北大港湿地38只东方白鹳集体中毒

Dear All,

Please support the campaign "Tearing down the nets", to stopped illegal poaching and trading of birds in China at http://www.chinesecurrents.com/baohuniaolei.html

There is a Chinese-language news section at http://www.chinesecurrents.com/baodao.html

A TRANSLATED "pick of the day" has been added to the English-language Bird Protection News section at http://www.chinesecurrents.com/news.html


There you can read the Tianjin Daily News report of the authorites' crackdown on the trading of wild birds (dead and alive) in Qilihai and nearby towns and counties. You can also read about Mr Zhang, who was a poacher at Dongting Lake in Hunan province, before he turned game keeper.

The "huniao" (protect birds) meme on Sina Weibo continues to gather pace:  There are now 126,516 articles on the subject.   More than double that of 20 days ago.

You can leave your comments, or even send to the dedicated address your own experience about encoutering poaching in China....

Please forward this to as many peoples and organisations as possible, this is the only way to stop this butchery that is happening every days in China.

All the best,

Jonathan

[ Last edited by Jonathmartinez at 29/11/2012 21:58 ]

Jonathmartinez

Everything is on the tittle, as said by the author on the mail he send to me, today is a dark day for all of us, birdwatchers and nature lovers that we are, a resume of the story can be read here...

http://www.chinesecurrents.com/news.html
Please feel free to leave a message of support to the local volunteers who waded into the marsh to rescue the very sick birds.  Some of these local heroes are staying up all night tonight to nurse them.

Everybody is invited to leave a comments on this website as well, it takes 2 minutes and will show that not only a handle of peoples is worried about illegal lobbying and all this butchery that happens everedy days in China, just remember that a lot of the birds that everybody enjoy looking at HongKong pass throught this cut throat set every winter to migrant birds along the chinese coast... thanks for them.


I also invite everybody reading this post on birdingbeijing website : http://birdingbeijing.com/protect-chinas-wild-birds/

All the best,

Jonathan

[ Last edited by Jonathmartinez at 12/11/2012 01:31 ]

Jonathmartinez

I just changed the tittle, it is not 20 but 38 Oriental Stork that has been found poisoned, 11 already dead, 13 of them have been transfered to the Tianjin Wildlife Rescue Center and treated with antidote, 12 of these one are recovering and 1 is going not well.....

Jonathmartinez

Thanks to all have left a message on the site. I forward below some informations collected by Zhu Lei (Robbi) a local birdwatcher about the crisis situation with the Oriental Stork :

"Dear all,

Up to now, 15 dead storks been found (2 haven been found this morning), and 13 birds have been transported to the rescue center and are recovering well, 1 has already ate 6 fish yesterday afternoon; this morning only 5 storks were spoted (volunteer team is searching in the wetland right now), seems the large flock has mooved southward.

Besides the storks, over 20 other dead birds were found, including Mallard, Chinese Spot-billed Duck, Eurasian Teal, Gadwall, Common Shelduck, Larus spp., Gery Heron and Eurasian Spoonbill. Could be more victims of this poisoning incident. According to both the herbivores and fish or invertebrates-eating birds got poisoned, it sounds reasonable that the poachers put the toxic directly into the water. Usually, if they just mixed the toxic with corns or wheats in order to drug their main target species like ducks or geese, it would not likely also cause such tragedy to the storks, herons and spoonbills (of cause, poisoning to the waterfowls is also a critical tragedy).

The formal forensic tests report is under arranging.

Here is a links about a old news (in Chinese), 2 mens have been sentenced to 12 years in jail due to have committed a crime of poisoning 16 storks to death in Jilin province, 2001.
http://unn.people.com.cn/BIG5/ch ... 00104/20/55702.html

In last 2 days rescue campaign, more than 100 person-time were involved in the on site action, including volunteers and stuff from government agency. The police has blocked two main road leading to the wetland last night. And a patrol including police and volunteer is guarding the wetland now, especially during the chilly night.

Thanks for your concern!

Best regards,
Zhu Lei (Robbi)"

Here is a link of thread on the ChinaBirdNet
http://www.chinabirdnet.org/BBS/ ... o=lastpost#lastpost

Another link to a paper published on latest "Goose Bulletin", I encourage everybody to read it, very interesting article that resume the situation very well :
Geese and ducks killed by poison and analysis of poaching cases in China
http://www.geese.org/gsg/goose_b ... letin%20issue15.pdf

All the best,

Jonathan

Jonathmartinez

As I was writting the above post, I received this new email from Robbi...Really amazing what is happening there actually, with all this peoples from so varied background offering their time and ressources to help facing this critical situation...a good lesson of what people can do, this tragedy really deserves to be heard from the most remote area in China and let people understand that there is no place anymore in this country for peoples who are destroying the beautiful nature China has, for their own profits and selfishness...

"Dear all,

There is heart-breaking news. 6 more dead storks been found today, which raise the total number of lose up to 21 !  No news from rescue center.

The ground team located 3 evidently man-made small water pools (around diameter of 1m, depth of 0.3m), one of them contained a big empty packing bag (900 g × 20 packets, although the scene is absolutely terrified, it not necessary means the whole bag of toxic was been used there) of pesticide. We suspect that the poachers have whether put toxic chemical directly into the water in these pools or used the same methods of those 2 Jilin guys (filled the fish with toxic, then put into the pools) to poisoning the birds.

According to signs on the bag, the pesticide used in this massacre is nothing but Carbofuran. The bag were already taken by the police as potential evidence. Some tissue also been taken from the dead bird for further forensic test. The conclusion of cause lead to the massive death of birds would only be reach as the test report being release (although it very likely a poisoning from almost every aspect).

The volunteer team (mostly from the local community and nearby Tianjin city) should be applauding for their hard working. Among them, a bicycle enthusiasts team is worthy mentioned for they've took the duty of patrol the dam which surrounding the wetland in daytime, and at least 3 of them have try hard wading into muddy wetland searching birds for serveral times. Serveral local rich bird photographers (I think the guys who can afford the big Cannon or Nikon big lens and expensive camera could called as 'rich')  have provided financial support to cover spendings such as other volunteers' accommodation and food, etc.

People from government agency also contributed to the action. Today, even a team of firemen was called to the spot, due to lack of proper equipment (e.g. waders, boats) to deal the situation faced in the wetland, they just try what they can do over there.

24h on groud patrol has launched last night, and was been equiped with a night-vision goggles donate by a businessman from Tianjin tonighr.

Tomorrow, the team will focus on to locate more poisoning lure pool and destroy it. A plan to providing safe food (mainly of small fish) to the storks still hanging around in the wetland will be carry out tomorrow.

Special thanks to Nemo for his great devotion and efforts in saving those birds in on-site action, and kindly receiving my interview tonight. He is a real hero and deserve our highest respect.

Thanks for everyone's concern!

Best regards,
Zhu Lei (Robbi)"

Jonathmartinez

below some recent information from the Oriental Stork....


Dear all,

Here is the update up to 0010  Beijing Time, 15th Nov.

Good news: 13 storks are all doing well in the rescue center, all the birds can stand up and eat now.

News: 3 storks has been spotted and suspected to be poisoned, due to lack of self propelled vessel, the team can not reach to these birds by man-paddled rubber rafts in the strong north wind (force level of 3-4 ). Rescue action to the storks will carry out immediately as day light comes again today's moring.

A group of volunteers from Tianjin called Lantian Jiuyuan Dui (Blue Sky Searching & Rescuing Team) was gave their hand again to the ground team by providing a vessel (these experinced and skillful Blue Skyers has already been very helpful in rescue action on 12th).

Mrs Nie based in Beijing, has donated and sent 2 sets of tents for the ground team who staying on site in the wetland. Considering outside temperature is already below zero ℃, it's a really timely assistance.

Remain of a paper box which signed as Endosulfan was been found in the wetland, which seems provided another suspect of toxic used in this poisoing crime.

The lure pools found on 13th was been investigated by police, some water sample, dead fish in it was also taken for further testing.

Another volunteer should be mentioned is Mr. Ma, a local bird photogragher and a brave anti-poaching enthusiast (Anders was already met him in his visits to Beidagang). Here is the linke to one of his post of his anti-poaching action on the Niaowang (Bird Net, seems the biggest bird photograph Chinese websit in the world):
http://www.birdnet.cn/showtopic-32084.aspx

As a result of his brave personal actions and efforts since 2009  (mainly refers to cutting the mist nets set up by poachers and education to local people), Mr. Ma was been award by China Wildlife Conservation Association in 2011. Here is the link to the award-winners list (He is the only one from Tianjin):
http://www.cwca.org.cn/Article/ShowArticle.asp?ArticleID=24569

Nemo reported species of dead water birds they found on 13th: around 20 corpses been collected, including Common Coot, Mallard, Chinese Spot-billed Duck, Gadwall, Eurasian Teal, Gery Heron. 20 more dead birds were spotted but too far to collect.

CCTV (China Central Television, the largest TV station in China) was informed local authority, seems reporter from this station will be send to do some on-site report.

Thanks to the @Rang Houniao Fei (Let the migrants fly) for providing most of information from frontline which summary up here (also for the past 3 days). Nemo and Mr Ma also contributed their message.

All the best,
Zhu Lei (Robbi)"

Jonathmartinez

Dear All,

Below some recent news received from Zhu Lei (Robby).

"15 of the poisoned Storks have been release this morning.3 of them have been equiped with sattelite transmitters to track their migration route.
These 3 storks have been named as Binbin, Haihai (after Binhai district of Tianjin, or coastal area if translated into English directly) and Dagang (after Beidagang wetland).

More than 100 people from volunteers group, media and government agency have took part in the on-site releasing ceremony."

All the best,

Jonathan

Jonathmartinez

Hi all,

Below some fresh good news from Zhu Lei (Robbi) : after the release of the rescued Stork; 2 poachers have been caught on the site... Hope every noticed poaching case in the future will have such an happy ending...

"Dear all,

Two men have been caught for commiting poisoning birds in the fish pond where 22 storks killed in Beidagang ! They have confessed put 4 bugs of the Carbofuran （up to 4 ×18 kg）directly into the water, killed more than 80 birds.

Hope more crimals on this appalling chain of wildlife meat trade could be caught and punished !

It is noteworthy  that the CCTV has a special series reports which focus on the wildlife meat trade in Jiangxi (27th), Guangxi (28th) and Guangdong (29th). To my knowledge, this is the 1st time for CCTV been got such involved on this topic, which might means sth is changing? At least, those reports let more and more people awared of this disgusting and  uncivilized crime through the CCTV‘s very large coverage broadcasting in China.

Thanks for your concern!

Best regards,
Zhu Lei (Robbi)"

All the best,

Jonathan