"*How can mankind fool around with nature then
call it gaining more natural habitat?*"
Often a very telling point but not what Phil
said.
We keep fooling around up here creating rainforest
habitat and linkages but how can you call it 'natural'? This of course raises
the issues of definition, resource allocation and ethics in
general.
I enjoy your witty and occasionally outrageous
contributions to this chat line.
Regards,
Alan
Cc:
Sent: Wednesday, May 07, 2003 12:39
PM
Subject: Re: [BIRDING-AUS] re Terrills
comments about Penrhyn estuary
G'day Phil, are you saying that they are in fact going to have to
dredge? the port expansion can't go ahead without dredging? is this
correct?
Perhaps someone should re-read THEE Ramsar agreement.
John A. Gamblin
please read on.
Phil Straw <>
wrote:
Re: Penrhyn estuary.
Those who have been visiting Penrhyn estuary over
the last ten to twenty years will be fully aware that wader numbers have
crashed dramatically over that time. The area is under constant change from
public activities including boat launching, jet skis, walking dogs off
leash, as well as natural changes such as encroachment of mangroves. This area
will continue to become degraded as habitat for waders unless someone is
prepared to spend a million or two on restoring the area. Fat chance of
that!
While the proposed port expansion is going to be
an eye sore and will partly encircle Penrhyn the compensatory work proposed by
Sydney Ports Authority will result in a much larger area of wader feeding
habitat and roosting sites. The result will be an area totally out of bounds
for any people, dogs, boats and jet skis.
Some may ask whether the birds will continue to
use the site once the port expansion goes ahead. I had the same question in
mind when I specifically visited similar sites in Japan. The Yatsu-higata
shorebird site is a totally enclosed area of mudflats with buildings on most
sites and a freeway viaduct cutting across one corner. The wetland is about 40
ha but only about 35 ha is totally open due to the freeway. Yatsu has two
small channels connecting it to Tokyo Bay, which is about 1km away.
Yatsu-higata is so important for birds it has been listed as a wetland of
international importance for waterbirds under the Ramsar convention because it
attracts up to 10 000 waterbirds including regular counts of between 2000 and
4000 waders during migration. We are lucky to
get 100 or 200 waders at Penrhyn estuary these days.
*Already stuffed eh? mind you perhaps? those 100 or 200 waders have a
very specific reason for returning?*
The proposed new wader habitat at Penrhyn will be
a little smaller than Yatsu-higata but will most likely have a channel 130m
wide connecting it to Botany Bay.
*Dredging eh?*
While I am not in favour of habitat loss from
landfilling or as a result of disturbance, I am in favour of gaining more
habitat as a result of development if this is possible and wherever there is
an opportunity.o one who is objecting to the
port expansion has come up with a way to enhance Penrhyn (or any
money).
*WHY does the port have to expand? where's thee
stressor?*
I suggest that anyone responding to the EIS when
it comes out push for as much habitat as possible as well as a quality
all-weather viewing area for bird watchers and members of the public. I am of
course assuming that the port expansion will go ahead. The NSW Wader Study Group will have a lot more information about
Penrhyn and what we should be asking for in its next newsletter due out in a
week or two.
Phil Straw,
Chairman NSW Wader Study Group
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