(DRAFT) PROJECT REPORT Conservation and Rehabilitation of Habitats for Key Migratory Birds in North-East Asia with special emphasis on Cranes and Black-faced Spoonbills Edited by Korean Society of Environment and Ecology (KSEE) Edited by Sunyoung Park (Ms.) [email protected] Conservation Programme Advisor, WWF-Korea Korean Society of Environment and Ecology (KSEE) The Korean Society of Environment and Ecology (KSEE) was founded in 1987 and is designed to make a significant contribution to a sustainable development of human being and an improved global environment by conducting research, providing and applying the research results in the areas of Ecosystem Management & Conservation, Environmental Education and Ecosystem Restoration. Address: (06130) #910, 22, Teheran-ro 7-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, 06130, Korea Tel: +82-70-4194-7488 Fax: 82-70-4145-7488 E-mail: [email protected] Homepage: http://www.enveco.org Disclaimer The views expressed in this report are those of editor and/or KSEE and do not necessarily reflect any opinion or policy of NEASPEC and/or UNESCAP-ENEA office. Cover image Copyright © KIM Yeonsoo Recommended Citation KSEE (ed.) 2016. Conservation and Rehabilitation of Key Habitats for Key Migratory Birds in North-East Asia with special emphasis on Cranes and Black-faced Spoonbills (2013-2016). Incheon: UNESCAP-ENEA and NEASPEC Acronyms and abbreviations BFS Black-faced Spoonbill CCZ Civilian Control Zone (ROK) DIPA Dauria International Protected Area DMZ De-militarized Zone DTMN Dauria Transboundary Monitoring Network EAAFP East-Asian Australasian Flyway Partnership ERF Environmental Ecosystem Research Foundation (ROK) HC Hooded Crane KNPS Korean National Park Service KSEE Korean Society of Environment and Ecology NBBC National Bird Banding Center (China) NNR National Nature Reserve (China) WNC White-naped Crane WSCC Wildlife Science and Conservation Center (Mongolia) WWF World Wide Fund for Nature 2 Acknowledgements Project supervisor and administration: NAM Sangmin, Gabrielle Ka Seen CHAN National Focal Points of the Project: ZHANG Guogang (China), Yutaka YAMAMOTO (Japan), Oleg GOROSHKO (Russia), Nyambayar BATBAYAR (Mongolia) Resource Person: Noritaka ICHIDA, Simba CHAN, James HARRIS, Lew YOUNG, Spike Millington, Sandra Hails-Downie, LEI Guangchun, LU Cai, Xianji WEN, KIM Jin-han, LEE Ki-sup, HEO Hak- young, Hiroko KOIKE, Bernhard J. SELIGER KSEE: PARK Sunyoung, KIM Kyungwon, KWAK Jeongin, CHOI Jinwoo, HAN Bongho, CHO Donggil, YOO Ki-jun, IM Dong-ok 3 Contents I. Overview of the Project ........................................................................................ 5 II. Scoping Survey on Key Migratory Birds’ Habitat in North-East Asia .................. 8 1. Black-faced Spoonbills (Platalea minor) .............................................................. 8 1.1 Current status of the bird .................................................................................. 8 1.2 Scoping Survey in China: Xingrentuo and Yuanbaotuo ................................... 10 1.3 Scoping Survey in Korea: Incheon ................................................................... 14 1.4 Scoping Survey in Japan: Hakata bay .............................................................. 34 2. Hooded Crane (Grus monacha) .......................................................................... 91 2.1 Current status of the bird ................................................................................ 91 2.2 Scoping Survey in China: Lindian ..................................................................... 92 2.3 Scoping Survey in Korea: Cheonsu Bay ........................................................... 94 2.4 Scoping Survey in Japan: Izumi ..................................................................... 114 3. White-naped Crane (Grus vipio) ...................................................................... 138 3.1 Current status of the bird .............................................................................. 138 3.2 Scoping Survey in China: Dalai Lake, Ergun River Basin, and the Huihe River ............................................................................................................................. 139 3.3 Scoping Survey in Mongolia: Khuiten River Valleys and Eastern Mongolia ... 147 III. Joint Study on the Transboundary Areas in North-East Asia ........................ 164 1. Korean DMZ area ............................................................................................. 164 2. Dauria International Protected Area (DIPA) ................................................... 197 IV. Summary and Conclusion ............................................................................... 231 4 I. Overview of the Project 1. Project Background Between 2005 and 2007, government officials and experts from NEASPEC member countries jointly worked for developing the NEASPEC Nature Conservation Strategy (NEASPEC 2007) which was adopted by the 12th Senior Officials Meeting in 2007. The Strategy identified 6 flagship species of North-East Asia region: three species of feline animals, Snow Leopard, Amur Leopard and Amur Tiger and three species of migratory waterbirds, namely, White-naped Cranes (Grus vipio), Hooded Cranes (Grus monacha) and Black-faced Spoonbills (Platalea minor). Concerning the flagship species of migratory waterbirds, the Strategy recommended to 1) develop an action plan for collaborative monitoring and research in breeding or wintering sites using of habitat assessment and gap analysis, 2) research and monitoring on the breeding and wintering ecology, 3) support range countries to work together on capacity building for habitat management, population management, monitoring and research, related law enforcement, environmental education and community development. Meanwhile, the need for follow-up actions for key migratory waterbirds has been highlighted during several occasions including: the Training Workshop for Young Researchers on Conservation of Cranes and Black-faced Spoonbills in North-East Asia in November, 2006 which was held in Izumi and Fukuoka, Japan and the Expert Group Meeting and Review Meeting of NEASPEC Project on Nature Conservation in Transboundary Areas which was held in November, 2010 in Hunchun, China and July 2012 in Vladivostok, Russia, respectively. Among them, the International Workshop on the Conservation and Restoration of Endangered Species’ Habitats in North-East Asia, jointly organized by the Korean Society for Environment and Ecology (hereinafter KSEE) and NEASPEC as a side-event of the 5th IUCN World Conservation Congress (WCC) in September, 2012 in Jeju, Republic of Korea afforded a major opportunity to review the current status and protection measures for Cranes and Black-faced Spoonbills in North-east Asia. The Workshop discussed the need to improve the conservation status of key habitats for Cranes and Black-faced Spoonbills in North-East Asia and recommended to NESPEC member states establishing a more comprehensive conservation plan for key wetland habitats of the migratory waterbirds including Cranes and Black-faced Spoonbills. It was also proposed that improved conservation and management plan be achieved in part through habitat mapping as an effective tool for selection, conservation and restoration of key sites. Subsequent to the Workshop, the idea for cooperation and collaboration among of NEAPSEC member states for flagship migratory waterbirds had been discussed and developed among key participants of the workshop and the project proposal for migratory waterbirds was submitted to the 17th Senior Officials Meeting held on 20-21 December, 2012 in Chengdu, China. Recognizing the direct relevance of the Proposal with the implementation of the NEASPEC Nature Conservation Strategy, SOM-17 recommended seeking synergies with existing mechanisms such as the East- Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP), ensuring communication with experts in member States and reframing the initial project title and proposed activities. In accordance with the recommendations of SOM-17, consultation with relevant international organizations and programmes including EAAFP, Ramsar Convention Secretariat, International Crane Foundation, and the North-East Asian Crane Working Group had been undertaken to reflect their views and established a firm ground for effective project coordination during the project implementation. The refined proposal was finally adopted by the Chair of SOM-17 in August 2013 and its proposed implementation plan and budget reallocation were endorsed by SOM-18 with outcomes of the 1st Expert Group Meeting (EGM) of the Project which was held on 10-11October in Incheon, Republic of Korea. 5 2. Project Objectives The Project’s objectives are to improve the conservation status and promote international cooperation for key wetland habitats for the flagship waterbirds; to strengthen bilateral and multilateral, and multi-level cooperation for migratory birds conservation in North-East Asia; and to contribute the achieving the goals of the NEASPEC Nature Conservation Strategy, and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets of the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) as well as sustainable development in the subregion. Under these objectives, scoping surveys, joint studies and capacity building and public awareness programmes were carried out on the three NEASPEC flagship migratory bird species (Black-faced Spoonbill, Hooded Crane, and White-naped Crane) by national focal points and coordinating bodies. 3. Expected Outcomes