> Message-ID: <>
> From: "Joyce Harding" <>
> To: "birding-aus" <>
> Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2003 18:48:26 +1000
>
> If you enjoy watching waders as they migrate along the Australia's =
> coasts, please take a few minutes to read this. Saemangeum is a link
> in =
> the chain of important sites in the Flyway.
> Joyce Harding
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> --=
> ----------------
> ACTION ALERT! THE WAR ON THE ENVIRONMENT HAS NEVER STOPPED
>
> Letter-writing Campaign to Save Saemangeum, a Huge Korean Wetland
>
> Korea's New President Supports Land Reclamation that will kill 40,000 =
> Hectares of Tidal Flat Wetlands
>
> Please take a few minutes to send an email or fax to the president of =
> South Korea. On June 5, he is expected to announce whether his =
> government will permit the destruction of one of the world's most =
> ecologically important tidal flats. Most South Korean citizens oppose =
> this project, and it has been condemned by environmental organizations
> =
> worldwide.
>
> Please add your voice at this crucial moment in the campaign to
> protect =
> Saemangeum.
>
> Saemangeum is a huge tidal flat wetland on Korea's west coast. Maximum
> =
> tidal differences of 9 meters meet the estuaries of two rivers to form
> =
> an immense, complex ecosystem. A government project will completely =
> destroy about 20,000 hectares (ha) of tidal flats and another 20,000
> ha =
> of adjacent marine area by cutting it off with a 33 kilometre long =
> dike/dam, in order to undertake the largest land reclamation project
> in =
> the world. The project started in 1991 and aims for completion in
> 2011. =
> The wetland is still alive.
>
> Intertidal zones are the most productive and among the most diverse =
> ecosystems on Earth. Saemangeum wetland supports rich fisheries and =
> myriad wildlife, such as migratory shorebirds that stop over on their =
> migrations between Australia & Siberia. Saemangeum hosts the greatest =
> number of these birds in the RoK. The project has already forced tens
> of =
> thousands of fishermen off their fishing grounds.
>
> Polls show that over 80% of the Korean people oppose the project, but
> so =
> far President Roo Moo Hyun, despite his progressive image, has
> supported =
> its continuation.
>
> Four religious leaders opposed to the destruction of wildlife and the =
> local economy & culture for a poorly-conceived project started a 350 =
> kilometre protest march from Saemangeum to Seoul in late March. Every =
> third step they fall to their knees and bow their heads to the ground.
> =
> One monk collapsed and was stopped by doctors. They will reach Seoul
> on =
> May 31st, to be joined by a massive rally.
>
> June 5th is Environment Day in Korea, and many expect President Roo
> Moo =
> Hyun to say something about Saemangeum, the most controversial =
> environmental issue in Korea. You can help turn the balance in favour
> of =
> life for Saemangeum by writing to him before that date. Just ask the =
> President to cancel the Saemangeum Land Reclamation Project. In the =
> words of E.A. Mainland of the Sierra Club, "Not to conserve Saemangeum
> =
> would be a terrible ecological mistake. ... Mistakes on this scale,
> once =
> made, cannot be undone."
>
> The Honourable ROH Moo Hyun, President of the Republic of Korea
>
> Email:
>
> If the email doesn't work, please try one of the fax numbers below.
>
> Fax Nos: Int'l cod +82 2 770 2405, 82 2 770 2209, 82 2 770 2229, 82
> 2770 =
> 2529, 82 2 770 2509
>
> Please send a copy to:
>
> For more information, contact:
>
> KIM Yeonji
>
> International Coordinator
>
> Korean Federation of Environmental Movement
>
> 251 Nooha-dong Chongro-gu
>
> Seoul, South Korea 110-806
>
> T: 82-2-735-7000 F:82-2-730-1240
>
> KFEM Website http://english.kfem.or.kr/
>
> LETTER-WRITING GUIDE
>
> 1. Please call for an immediate stop to work on the dike that will
> cut =
> off Saemangeum's tidal flats from the sea.
>
> 2. Saemangeum is a world-class wetland in terms of size and biological
> =
> diversity, and is one of the most important sites on the East =
> Asian-Australasian Migratory Bird Flyway.
>
> 3. It supports the economic, cultural and social lives of the local =
> people, and holds out the promise for future modes of economic and =
> social development compatible with conservation of cultural and =
> biological diversity.
>
> 4. Korea's ambitious coastal development policy has already met with =
> serious setbacks, such as at Siwha Lake, where a similar project =
> resulted in grave pollution problems. Japan's Isahaya Bay Land =
> Reclamation Project, similar though smaller in scale to the Saemangeum
> =
> project, is thought by many to be the cause of fishery collapses in =
> nearby waters.
>
> 5. The project aims to create agricultural land, though the need for =
> more agricultural land has come into question - President Roh Moo Hyun
> =
> has said that the government may consider non-agricultural uses for
> the =
> land. This indicates that the project has taken on a life of its own
> and =
> is being pursued for its own sake, a common problem in both Japan and =
> Korea.
>
> 6. A decision to continue with the project despite massive wetland =
> destruction will help justify the Isahaya project, and encourage other
> =
> destructive projects in Japan, Korea and other countries, especially
> in =
> Asia.
>
> ADDRESSES:
>
> The Honourable ROH Moo Hyun, President of the Republic of Korea
> Cheongwadae, 1 Sejong-no, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-820,
> Republic of Korea
> email:
>
>
> The Honourable KIM Yoeng Jin, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry
> Minister's Room, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Central =
> Government Office,
>
> 1 Jungang-dong, Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi-do 429-719, Republic of Korea
> e-mail:
>
>
> The Honourable HAN Myung Suk, Minister of Environment,
> Minister's Room, Ministry of Environment
>
> Central Government Office, 1 Jungang-dong, Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi-do
> 429-719, Republic of Korea
> email:
>
> The Honourable HUH Sung Kwan, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fishery
> Minister's Room, Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fishery
>
> 139 Chungcheong-ro 3-ga, Seodaemun-gu,
> Seoul 120-715, Republic of Korea
> e-mail:
>
> Please Send Copies to:
>
> Prof. CHO Kyoung Mann
>
> Korean Society for the Life of Saemangeum, Mokpo National Univ.
>
> email
>
>
> Mr. MYOUNG Ho
> Korean Federation for Environmental Movement, KFEM)
>
> email
> Japan Wetlands
> Action Network
>
> Email:
>
>
> THANK YOU!!!!!
>
>
>
> Australasian Wader Studies Group concerns:
>
>
>
> Recent surveys have led to the discovery that the Yellow Sea is the
> most =
> important staging region for migratory shorebirds within the East =
> Asian-Australasian Flyway.
>
>
>
> An estimated 2 000 000 shorebirds use the wetlands around the Yellow =
> Sea's coastline during their northward migration to the breeding
> grounds =
> in Russia and Alaska, and at least 1 000 000 return through the region
> =
> on their way to the non-breeding areas in East and South-east Asia,
> and =
> Australasia.
>
>
>
> Saemangeum is truly the Jewel in the Yellow Sea crown -an amazing
> total =
> of 154 957 shorebirds were counted there on one day in early May 2001!
>
>
>
> Detailed survey activity during the last 10 years shows that
> Saemangeum =
> supports:
>
> =B7 Internationally important concentrations of 17 different =
> shorebird species (i.e. greater than 1% of each species flyway =
> population);
>
> =B7 at least 50% of the Great Knot breeding population on =
> northward migration;
>
> =B7 the highest numbers in the Yellow Sea of two globally =
> threatened shorebirds - the endangered Spotted Greenshank (estimated =
> world population: 700) and the vulnerable Spoon-billed Sandpiper =
> (estimated world population: 3 000);
>
> =B7 the highest recorded numbers in the Yellow Sea of Great
> Knot, =
> Terek Sandpiper and Lesser Sand Plover during northward migration, and
> =
> of Great Knot, Black-tailed Godwit, Bar-tailed Godwit, Dunlin, Grey =
> Plover, Kentish Plover and Lesser Sand Plover during southward =
> migration.
>
>
>
> Why do so many shorebirds use Saemangeum? The answer is simple - they
> =
> have identified these particular mudflats as the very best place for =
> them to rest and prepare for the next stages of their amazing journeys
> =
> to and from the breeding grounds. Successful completion of these =
> migrations is essential for long-term survival - shorebirds must reach
> =
> the nesting grounds in excellent condition to breed and then return =
> safely to the non-breeding areas.
>
>
>
> There is little doubt that the loss of the Saemangeum intertidal flats
> =
> will have very serious consequences for hundreds of thousands of =
> shorebirds and will lead to a decline in numbers.
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