IUCN Publications new series No 12 The Commission on Ecology of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources International Council for International Wildfowl Bird Preservation (ICBP) Research Bureau (IWRB) Proceedings of a Technical Meeting on Wetland Conservation Ankara - Bursa - Istanbul 9 to 16 October 1967 Published with the assistance of UNESCO International Union Union Internationale for Conservation of Nature pour la Conservation de la Nature and Natural Resources et de ses Ressources Morges, Switzerland 1968 The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) was founded in 1948 and has its headquarters in Morges, Switzerland; it is an independent international body whose membership comprises states, irrespective of their political and social systems, government departments and private institutions as well as international organisations. It represents those who are concerned at man's modification of the natural environment through the rapidity of urban and industrial development and the excessive exploitation of the earth's natural resources, upon which rest the foundations of his survival. IUCN's main purpose is to promote or support action which will ensure the perpetuation of wild nature and natural resources on a world-wide basis, not only for their intrinsic cultural or scientific values but also for the long-term economic and social welfare of mankind. This objective can be achieved through active conservation prog- rammes for the wise use of natural resources in areas where the flora and fauna are of particular importance and where the landscape is especially beautiful or striking, or of historical, cultural or scien- tific significance. IUCN believes that its aims can be achieved most effectively by international effort in co-operation with other intern- national agencies such as UNESCO and FAO. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is an international charitable found- ation for saving the world's wildlife and wild places. It was established in 1961 under Swiss law and shares joint headquarters with the Internat- ional Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). Its aim is to support the conservation of nature in all its forms (landscape, soil, water, flora and fauna) by raising funds and allocating them to projects, by publicity and by education of the general public and young people in particular. For all these activities it takes scient- ific and technical advice from IUCN. Although WWF may occasionally conduct its own field operations, it tries as much as possible to work through competent specialists or local organisations. Among WWF projects financial support for IUCN and for the Internat- ional Council for Bird Preservation (ICBP), together with the Internat- ional Wildfowl Research Bureau (IWRB), have highest priority, in order to enable these bodies to build up the vital scientific and technical basis for world conservation and specific projects. Other projects cover a very wide range from education, ecological studies and surveys, to the establishment and management of areas as national parks and reser- ves and emergency programmes for the safeguarding of animal and plant species threatened with extinction. WWF fund-raising and publicity activities are mainly carried out by National Appeals in a number of countries, and its international governing body is made up of prominent personalities in many fields. IUCN Publications new series No. 12 The Commission on Ecology of the International Union for Conservation of Mature and Natural Resources. International Council for International Wildfowl Bird Preservation (ICBP) Research Bureau (IWRB) PROCEEDINGS OF A TECHNICAL MEETING ON WETLAND CONSERVATION Ankara - Bursa - Istanbul 9 to 16 October 1967 Published with the assistance of UNESCO. International Union Union Internationale for Conservation of pour la Conservation Nature and Natural de la Nature et de Resources ses Réssources Morges, Switzerland 1968. INTRODUCTORY NOTE This Volume in IUCN's New Series contains the Proceedings and Papers of a Technical Meeting organized by IUCN's Commission on Ecology under the programme approved by the Union's 9th General Assembly (1966). The aim of the Meeting was to promote an ecological approach to the conservation problems of the Near and Middle East Region, with special reference to the key role of wetlands and to the desirability of extend- ing to the Region the MAE Project for conservation and management of wetlands, launched by IUCN, ICBP and IWRB in 1962. The proposed venue for the Meeting was Turkey. At an early stage of the organization of the Meeting, the Commission learned that the Asiatic Wildfowl Working Group, which is conducting a long-term Wildfowl Survey in Asia under the auspices of IWRB and the Wildfowl Trust and with the financial assistance of the World Wildlife Fund, was also planning a meeting at the end of 1967, to be held in Iran. This would have been directed mainly to wildfowl conservation and man- agement, but would also clearly have involved wildfowl habitats, including most of the wetlands of the Region with which IUCN's proposed meeting was concerned. In view of the common interests and objectives, IWRB readily agreed that one meeting only should be planned for 1967, more specialised consid- eration of wildfowl management problems being postponed for a future occasion. IWRB together with ICBP joined with the Ecology Commission in sponsoring a Technical Meeting in Turkey. An approach was accordingly made to the Government of the Turkish Republic, which generously offered to act as host and provide facilities for the Meeting, detailed arrangements being entrusted to the Turkish Association for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. The Meeting was attended by forty participants and seven observers, including eighteen nationals of the host country. In addition to the three sponsoring bodies, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the International Biological Programme, the Council of Europe and the Wildfowl Trust were officially represented. Twenty-nine papers were specially contributed for the Meeting and reprints of a further seven publications were tabled, as a basis for discussion. To the authors, publishers, participants and all those who contributed to the success of the Meeting the debt of IUCN's Commission on Ecology is gratefully acknowledged. Hugh. F.I. Elliott 16 February 1968 Secretary, Commission on Ecology. CONTENTS MIMES AND ADDRESSES OF PARTICIPANTS 9 OPENING SESSION: Part I Message from President Sunay 13 Formal opening by Minister of Agriculture 13 Address by Prof. Kemal Kurdaş 13 Replies on behalf of sponsoring organisations 14 Replies on behalf of participating organisations 14 Address by Mr. Hasan Asmaz 15 OPENING SESSION: Part II Keynote addresses Soil and Water Problems in Turkey from the standpoint of Nature Conservation - Mr. Naki Üner 17 Conservation of Natural Resources: the example of Forest Management in Turkey - Mr. Nurettin Türköz 23 The Theory and Practice of Conservation - Dr. J.B. Cragg 25 Project MAR: its principles, objectives and special significance for the Near and Middle East Region - Dr. L. Hoffmann 36 FIRST TECHNICAL SESSION The Turkish situation: Preface 41 (a)Introductory Papers: The Ecological Background of Land use in Turkey with special reference to wetlands - Dr. Hasan Selçuk 44 The over-all problems of wetlands in Turkey, with special reference to use and legislation - Mr. Ahmet Varışlıgil 51 (b)Turkish wetlands and wildfowl: Report of the first IWRB Mission to Turkey - Dr. Josef Szijj and Mr. H.H. Hoekstra 58 Notes on some western Anatolian wetlands in spring and summer -Mr. Richard Porter 69 Wetlands and wildfowl in south-central Turkey - Mr. Amotz Zahavi 75 Observations on the wetland and wildfowl situation in eastern Turkey - Mr. J. Vielliard 80 (c)Lake Manyas Bird Sanctuary National Park: General review of the Lake Manyas Sanctuary and its environment - Mr. Tansu Gürpinar 85 Special problems of the Manyas Bird Sanctuary (Manyas Kuş Cenneti National Park) - Mr. D. Lea 89 (d)Importance of wetlands and application of MAR Project to their conservation in Turkey: 5 wetlands and wildfowl in Turkey - Mr. Nihat Turan 92 A provisional check-list of Turkish wetlands - Messrs. C.D.W. Savage, R.F. Porter and W.H.N. Wilkinson 94 The importance of Turkey as a wintering ground for wildfowl - Mr. G.L. Atkinson-Willes 97 Problems of Turkey's wetlands and wildfowl: a ten-year perspective - Mr. W.H.N. Wilkinson 102 Discussion 109 SECOND TECHNICAL SESSION Situation elsewhere in the Region: Preface 113 The wildfowl and wetland situation in Iran Mr. C.D.W. Savage and Mr. Eskandar Firouz 115 The wildfowl and wetland situation in Afghanistan - Mr. C.D.W. Savage 119 The wildfowl and wetland situation in West Pakistan - Mr. C.D.W. Savage 122 The wildfowl and wetland situation in Iraq - Mr. C.D.W. Savage 128 The wildfowl and wetland situation in the Levant - Mr. C.D.W. Savage 134 Bibliography for the 'wildfowl and wetland' series 136 The Hydrobiology of Lake Niriz, Iran - Dr. H. Löffler 141 Some notes on the Wetlands of the Niriz Basin in S.W. Iran - Mr. Lindon Gornwallis 153 Discussion 161 THIRD TECHNICAL SESSION Wildfowl breeding areas and productivity: Preface 163 Interrelationship of Waterfowl Breeding and Wintering Areas in the Central Palaearctic - Dr. Y.U. Isakov and Miss T.P. Shevareva 165 The status of Waterfowl Populations breeding in the U.S.S.R. and wintering in S.W. Asia and Africa - Dr. Y.U. Isakov 175 Relevance of Wildfowl Breeding Populations of the Barabi Steppe to West Pakistan - Mr. C.D.W. Savage 187 Results of the Ringing of Breeding Species at Lake Manyas - Prof. Dr. C. Kosswig 188 Notes on secondary productivity in the Lake Rezaiyeh ecosystem in Iran - Mr. C.D.W. Savage 191 Discussion 196 FOURTH TECHNICAL SESSION Human influence on wetlands: Preface 199 6 (a)Wetland values: 'Liquid Assets' - IUCN Supplementary Paper No. 5 - G.L. Atkinson-Willes 200 Notes on the Economic Value of Wetlands based on experience in the Netherlands - Prof.