Thanks Phil, if that isn't a call to arms to everyone who has ever enjoyed a
day looking at Shorebirds at Werribee, Stockton, Moreton Bay, Price
Saltfields or Broome BO then I don't know what is. Anyone who has been to
these places should feel some obligation to pay back for the experience,
these birds need your help now time is not on our side.
Cheers Jeff.
From: Phil Straw
Sent: Monday, 2 May 2011 4:15 PM
To: Jeff Davies
Cc: 'Birding Aus'
Subject: A gloomy message for World Migratory Bird Day
Dear Jeff,
I am delighted you wrote! I think the AWSG has been probably felt as a
droning in the ears of the Australian Government over the years, and our
presence is felt in at least one level of government in most of the
countries in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway through our continued
presence at EAAF Partnership meetings. Ken Gosbell and I have spent a lot of
time and money attending meetings and training workshops working with people
on the ground. Surveys and data collection are now being collected in many
Asian countries, but we still have a lot of work to do.
Things are slowly improving in the Asia Pacific as far as the environment
and migratory shorebirds are concerned, but obviously nowhere near fast
enough to stop the fast decline of species such as the Curlew Sandpiper and
more recently the Great Knot, now the Red Knot. Two species (Spoon-billed
Sandpiper and Nordmann's Greenshank) are headed for extinction, they don't
fly to Australia but we should be concerned about their loss and that other
species might head in the same direction.
The weight of public pressure does make a difference. It might result in a
standard form type letter (one attached to our past Secretary, Penny) but
the more people respond the better. It is being felt in Canberra but unless
a lot of people make their voices heard it only seems like the noisy
minority to the Government. The AWSG does not have the strength in numbers
to make demands by ourselves we need a few thousand to make their voices
heard.
Writing your letter has helped, thank you!
Phil
Phil Straw
Vice Chairman
Australasian Wader Studies Group
www.awsg.org.au
Tel: 61 2 9597 7765
Mob: 0411 249 075
Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail
On 02/05/2011, at 2:12 PM, Jeff Davies wrote:
G'day Phil,
I am wondering if the way the voice of concern is being transmitted needs to
be enhanced, lots of us have been responding to these requests with
increasing alarm for some time now, and Adrian Boyle's latest report/requiem
is a good description of where things are on the ground and an indicator
that this ridiculously serious issue just isn't on the radar politically
speaking or else is being handled deftly.
Maybe the AWSG needs to start thinking about a last stand approach with the
Australian Government on this issue, make some demands on Tony Bourke to
honour signed intergovernmental agreements to protect these birds by
engaging with China and Korea on the issue more seriously. The alternative
is that we may finish up with lots of protected areas in Australia and a
Shorebird aware public thanks to programmes funded by the Feds, but a
seriously reduced number of migratory Shorebirds left to inhabit our
wetlands. I don't want to give any reason for people not to respond to your
request for them to voice their concern, everyone on this forum should
respond, but it is starting to look very serious and heading into endgame
territory up there in the Yellow Sea could be time to be less polite with
the government, there isn't/won't be much left to lose, except the domestic
Federal funding for shorebird interpretation programmes. I probably
shouldn't have written this but it is a response to feeling somewhat
helpless at witnessing this unfolding ecological disaster.
Cheers Jeff.
-----Original Message-----
From:
On Behalf Of Phil Straw
Sent: Sunday, 1 May 2011 9:19 PM
To: Birding Aus
Subject: A gloomy message for World Migratory Bird Day
AWSG News Alert:
World Migratory Bird Day - is celebrated on the second weekend of may round
the world. Take part and register your activities.
<http://www.worldmigratorybirdday.org/2011/>
World Migratory Bird Day - Time is running out for Australia's migratory
shorebirds
While you are reading the article linked below another hectare of shorebird
habitat will have disappeared in the Yellow Sea!
Habitat that is essential for migratory shorebirds stopping to feed on their
way from Australia to their breeding grounds in Siberia and Alaska.
The AWSG urge you to voice your concern now, read more
<http://www.awsg.org.au/news.php>
Phil Straw
Vice Chairman
Australasian Wader Studies Group
www.awsg.org.au
Tel: 61 2 9597 7765
Mob: 0411 249 075
Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail
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