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Subject: Fw: Tidal flat reclamation in Korea halted! Please sign  
petition.
Date: Wed, 23 Jul 2003 09:19:55 +1000
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   Many of you will be aware that the South Korean government has been =
reclaiming the Saemangeum area on the west coast of South Korea since =
1991.  It is planning to build a 33 km long seawall to enclose 40 100  
ha =
of intertidal flat and shallows.  This area (containing the Mangyeung =
and Dongjin estuaries) is the single most important site for waders in =
South Korea, and possibly the Yellow Sea.  Daily peak counts reach 155 =
000 waders, and perhaps 500 000 birds use the area through the year.   
27 =
species of bird use the area in internationally important numbers, =
including Spoon-billed Sandpiper (max count 280, out of perhaps 2 000  
in =
the world), Spotted Greenshank (>100, out of 1 000) and Great Knot (119  
=
000, out of 380 000).
   
   Last week, a court ruling halted the entire project, and demanded a =
re-evaluation of the aims of the project.  This provides an unexpected =
opportunity to intensify public opposition to the project.  =
Coincidentally, the New Zealand Prime Minister, Helen Clark, is  
visiting =
South Korea and hopefully the NZ government will raise the issue =
formally with the South Korean government.  Both NZ and South Korea are  
=
signatories on the Ramsar Convention and the Convention on Biological =
Diversity.  NZ is also a member on the Bonn Convention on Migratory =
Species.  A final decision on the project is expected within the next =
2-3 months; equally so, a decision within the next 2-3 weeks is =
possible.  This may be our ONLY chance to shift opinion on this =
appalling habitat destruction.  I encourage EVERY WADEROLOGIST to read =
the information below (provided by Nial Moores, a conservationist =
working on waterbirds in South Korea) and to check out the Saemangeum =
website (http://www.wbkenglish.com/saemref.asp).  If your computer is  
up =
to it, watch the BBC documentary "Dike Hard".  It will give you a very =
good idea of what is happening.
   
   An on-line petition is being run by WBKEnglish, and will be forwarded  
=
to the Korean Ministry of Trade and Affairs.  To add your name to the =
petition, go to http://www.wbkenglish.com/petition01.asp and enter your  
=
details.  Your name will be added to the list.
   
   Please send this e-mail around to anyone who may be interested.
   
   Many thanks, Phil Battley
   

------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
-=
-----

   
   From Nial Moores, WBKEnglish, South Korea
   
   Dear All,
   
   Thank you in advance for any support you can offer us here in South =
Korea.
   
   I am writing in relation to the Saemangeum reclamation project on the  
=
South Korean west coast: the world's largest ongoing reclamation =
project, originally aiming to convert 40 100 ha of tidal-flats and =
shallows into rice-field and agricultural reservoir =
(http://www.wbkenglish.com/saemank.asp).
   
   Although all of us as environmentalists are prone to see every battle  
=
as the most significant, issues could not come much bigger than this =
project.
   
   The Saemangeum area comprises two free-flowing estuaries (the =
Mangyeung and the Dongjin), extensive salt-marsh, tidal-flats (up to 25  
=
km wide) and extensive shallows. The area supports the largest =
concentrations of shorebirds known at present in the whole of the  
Yellow =
Sea - with a peak day count of ca 150 000 individuals. These include =
maximum day counts of 3 350 and 8 430 Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa  
lapponica =
(Kuaka) at the Mangyeung and Dongjin estuaries respectively (Barter, =
2001: "Shorebirds of the Yellow Sea: Importance, Threats and =
Conservation Status"; Wetlands International Global Series 9, =
International Wader Studies 12). In total, ca 30 species of waterbird =
(including 8 globally threatened species) are found there regularly in =
internationally important concentrations.
   
   With the visit of New Zealand Prime Minister Clark to South Korea =
between July 24th and July 28th, there is a real chance to influence  
the =
future of this reclamation project: especially after a historic court =
ruling passed on July 15th 2003 (see Press release: =
http://english.kfem.or.kr).
   
   The project has long been mired in controversy. Designed by the =
military government of the 1980s, construction of a 33 km long outer  
sea =
dyke was started in 1991. Increasingly opposed by a large percentage of  
=
the Korean people, by all the leading environmental organisations and  
by =
the two major ministries charged with wetland conservation here, the =
project was even suspended for 1 -year (in 2000) due to environmental =
concerns and protests (including letters sent by Birdlife  
International, =
Wetlands International, FOE-International, WWF-International etc). =
However, it was re-launched for political reasons in 2001, and the =
newly-elected president Roh also reaffirmed his decision to continue =
with the reclamation on June 5th 2003 (despite his admitting that there  
=
is now no clear end-use for any land created).   A surprise court  
ruling =
on July 15 however, happily again threatens the project's continuation,  
=
as it found that the reservoirs created by the project will be too =
polluted to use as proposed and the expense of resolving water  
pollution =
issues too high. In a very positive move, the Court demanded that =
construction on the outer dyke (already 80% completed) must stop =
immediately, while a higher court decides how to proceed.
   
   The domestic media has covered the court's ruling, and the nation is =
again plunged into debate. The Ministry of Agriculture, the proponents =
of the project, insist it must continue; while others worry about the =
waste of money involved in either stopping or continuing on with the =
project.  As conservationists we must raise the issue of South Korea's =
responsibility to both the Ramsar Convention and the Convention on =
Biological Diversity; we must alert and inform media and other =
governments of the costly impacts of this reclamation - to coastal =
fisheries, migratory bird populations and South Korea's international =
image.
   
   Although last week the reclamation project was aired (and slammed) on  
=
BBC World's Earth Report (see: =
http://www.tve.org/news/doc.cfm?aid=3D1190, and =
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3046368.stm ) international involvement in  
=
the issue has been surprisingly sporadic. with the court's ruling, we =
believe the visit by New Zealand's Prime Minister could really help to =
tip the balance in favor of canceling the Saemangeum project..
   
   We ask your help in taking this chance, to kill off the last of the =
massive reclamation projects in South Korea, and to help turn the tide =
in the Yellow Sea towards conservation.
   
   For more information and images please refer to the media-friendly =
reference page:
   http://www.wbkenglish.com/saemref.asp
   
   Nial Moores
   Wetlands and Bird Conservation Specialist
   South Korea
   
   Http://www.WBKEnglish.com
   82-11-9303 1963
   
   ------------------------------------------------------------
   Phil Battley
   533A Ruahine St
   Palmerston North
   New Zealand
   ---------------------------------------------------------
   
   ------------------------------------------------------------
   Phil Battley
   533A Ruahine St
   Palmerston North
   New Zealand
   ---------------------------------------------------------
   

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