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        Discussion Area 討論區 >> General 一般問題 >>  Status of the migratory shorebirds
        
(Message started by: Project Officer on Jun 9^th, 2004, 8:54pm)

Title: Status of the migratory shorebirds
Post by Project Officer on Jun 9^th, 2004, 8:54pm

For members' interest. Message from Mr Simba Chan of WBSJ:

----- Original Message -----
From: "Simba Chan"
To: <Hong Kong Group :>
Sent: Wednesday, June 09, 2004 8:59 AM
Subject: Status of the migratory shorebirds in Africa and western Eurasia

> Dear friends,
>
> The International Wader Study Group has just published its major review of
> the status of 131 populations of 55 species of migratory waders
> (shorebirds) in Africa and Western Eurasia in its occasional series
> International Wader Studies. Details can be accessed at:
>
> http://web.uct.ac.za/depts/stats/adu/wsg/index.html
>
> Amongst the review's many conclusions are:
>
> * Of the 131 populations, 45 are of significant conservation concern
> because their populations are in decline and/or are small. Some of these
> are threatened with extinction. Others are in very rapid decline.
>
> * Of those populations for which there are definite or probable trends,
> nearly four times as many populations are in decline as are increasing.
>
> * Of the three major flyway systems, populations using the East Atlantic
> Flyway are the most well known - with little over a third in decline. In
> contrast, not only is knowledge of populations on the other two flyways
> worse, but their status is much poorer - of populations with known trends,
> 53% of those on the West Asian/East Africa Flyway are in decline, as are
> 55% of those on the Black Sea/Mediterranean Flyway.
>
> * Geographic analysis shows that the area with the largest number of
> declining waders is western Europe. As this is also the area with the
> greatest extent of international nature conservation legislation, this
> suggests there is an urgent need to refocus the implementation of this
> legislation.
>
> * Whilst there has been welcome improvement of knowledge of status and
> trends, there remain major gaps in our knowledge: for 60% of populations
> considered, monitoring is insufficient to provide even the most basic
> information on trends.
>
> * Recommendations are made as to future priorities for the development of
> wader monitoring in Africa and Western Eurasia.
>
>
> Simba Chan
> Wild Bird Society of Japan
>