The recent posting about the affects of dog walking on bird populations
got me thinking about the affect on RAMSAR listed wetlands.
Does anyone know if there is anything regarding dogs in the RAMSAR
agreements?
Its concerning that many new residential developments are being built
adjoining RAMSAR-listed wetlands, and although the developments are
percieved not to impact the wetlands, they are magnets for dog walkers and
other recreational activities by the residence that live in close
proximity to them.
There seems to be pressure to put walking tracks past any bodies of water
these days.
A local example from Southern Victoria is a proposed walking track along
the Barwon River all the way to Barwon Heads, which includes through the
Lake Connewarre system. Lake Connewarre has always been a fairly isolated
and inaccessible lake, despite being a huge wetland close to a fairly
major city (Geelong). Even though its degraded due to silting problems,
its isolation still makes it a 'wild' refuge for birdlife. (including the
Orange-Bellied Parrot). A walking path will no doubt make people more
aware of the location and also about its problems that need addressing. A
500-lot residential development is also being proposed in Barwon Heads
adjoining another section of the ramsar listed wetlands. But will the
positive impacts of exposing the public to significant wetlands outway the
negatives???
Peter
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www.birding-aus.org
birding-aus.blogspot.com
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