Black-faced Spoonbill (Platalea minor), Spoon-billed Sandpiper (Eurynorhynchus pygmeus) and Chinese Crested Tern (Sterna bernsteini) are considered globally threatened by BirdLife International and the World Conservation Union (IUCN). Black-faced Spoonbill and Spoon-billed Sandpiper are classified as Endangered, and Chinese Crested Tern is Critically Endangered. The three species overlap in range and habitat requirements in East Asia, and are facing threats in both their breeding and non-breeding habitats. They are flagship species for their coastal wetland habitat that is fast disappearing in many parts of East Asia.
The Seventh Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), held in Bonn, Germany, in September 2002, added these three species to the Appendix I of the Convention.
BirdLife International is now preparing International Action Plans (IAPs) under the auspices of the CMS. The IPAs will:
- Review the conservation status of each species
- Review actions taken for these species to date
- Identify and propose the urgent actions that are now needed for these species to prevent their extinction.
The IPAs will be based on widespread consultation amongst expert from government and civil society organizations across the species' range states, in order to strengthen commitment for IPA implementation.
The IPAs are now under the final stage of consultation and are posted below. Comments should be sent to Mr Simba Chan, Senior Conservation Officer of BirdLife International Asia Division:
Mr Simba Chan,
BirdLife Asia, at simba@birdlife-asia.org (English only)
simba_panthera@hotmail.com (Simplified Chinese characters)
or
BirdLife Asia Division, 2F Toyo-shinjuku Building, 1-12-15 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan 160-0022 (Until 4 August 2007)
BirdLife Asia Division, 4F TM Suidobashi Bldg, 2-14-6 Misaki-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan 101-0061
Tel: (81)-3-5213-0461 Fax: (81)-3-5213-0462 (From 6 August 2007)
Please send your comments by 31 August 2007.
CMS Chinese Crested Tern Action Plan consultation draft
⇒ PDF Download
CMS Black-faced Spoonbill Action Plan consultation draft
⇒ PDF Download
CMS Spoon-billed Sandpiper Action Plan consultation draft
⇒ PDF Download
Chinese Crested Tern. Taken at Min Jiang Estuary, Fujian Province, China. (Photo credit: Carrie Ma)
Islands at the DMZ of Korean Peninsula, important breeding ground of Black-faced Spoonbills.
PC100557 - Workshop on the Spoon-billed Sandpiper IAP, Thailand, December 2006.