Anet
Newsletterfromthe Anatidae Site Networkin the East Asian Flyway
No.3

November 2002

Contents

Conservation of Swan Goose and Baikal Teal

1

The two species
are among globallythreantened
Anatidae in the
flyway (IUCN
2000). In the
Action Plan for theConservation of
Anatidae in the
East Asian
Flyway: 2001-2005,
the Action 5
indentified themas the first two
species to enhance
the consevation© 2001 RGG & JAWGP
with developmentof single species
action plans. In August 2002, a meeting was held in Beijing, China,
where relevant experts and government officers gathered fromcountries in the range of these two species -- Russia, Mongolia, China,
Korea, R., and Japan. They discussed and agreed establishment of
Task Forces for two species with membership from each country forthe development and implementation of action plans. The
membership has been nominated or in the process of nomination

Swan Goose &Baikal Teal
3 Reports from
Network Site & project
7 NewsPublished byAnatidae Working Group
Asia PacificMigratory Waterbird
Conservation Committee,

Official website
http://www.jawgp.org/anetWith financial support by
Ministry of the Environment,
Japan

Anatidae Action Plan &Anatidae Site Networkin the East Asian Flyway
is co-ordinated byunder the Asia-PacificMigratory Waterbird
Conservation Strategy.

© 2002 Baikal Teal Task ForceAnatidae Working GroupMr. Masayuki KURECHI (Chair)
JAWGP, Minamimachi 16,
Wakayanagi, 989-5502 Japan.
TEL +81-228-32-2004
FAX +81-228-32-3294
son_goose@mva.biglobe.ne.jp
Mr. Robert R. LEEDY
Migratory Bird Management,
US Fish & Wildlife Service,1101 E. Tudor Road,
Anchorage, AK 99503 USA.
TEL +1-907-786-3446
FAX +1-907-786-3641
robert_leedy@mail.fws.gov
Dr. SYROECHKOVSKI Jr, Evgeny E.
Institute of Ecology and Evolution,
Leninski prospect 33,
Moscow, 117071 Russia.
TEL&FAX +7-095-246-7154
rgg@eesjr.msk.ru
Mr. WANG, Wei
Department of Wild Fauna andFlora Conservation
State Administration of Forestry
No. 18 Heipingli Dongjie,
Beijing, 100714 China.
TEL +86-10 8423 8532
FAX +86-10 8423 8540
wildlife@public.east.cn.net
Dr. PARK, Jin-Young
National Institute ofEnvironmental Research
2-1, Kyungseo-dong,
Seo-gu, Inchon,404-170 Republic of Korea.
TEL +82-32-560-7086
FAX +82-32-560-7068
turnstone@hanmail.net
Ms. Marlynn M. MENDOZA
Protected Areas and Wildlife
Bureau (PAWB)
NAPWNC Compound,
North Avenue, Diliman,
Quezon City, 1101 Philippines.
TEL +63-2 924-6031
FAX +63-2 924-0109
mendoza@psdn.org.ph
Mr. Uthai TREESUCON
Bird Conservation Society ofThailandc/o 69/12 Ramindra 24
Jarakheebua, Larprao,
Bangkok, 10230 Thailand.
TEL +66-2-519-3385/2-943-5965
FAX +66-2-519-3385
utree@loxinfo.co.th
Anet Newsletter No.3, Nov 2002

from each country in and after the meeting. The coordination of each
Task Force is led by Dr. Nikolay POYARKOV for Swan Goose and Dr.
Hansoo LEE for Baikal Teal, respectively. The activities on these two
species will be reported in our website.
The Baikal Teal Task Force produced an awareness sticker in 4
languages in the region – in Russian, Korean, Chinese and Japanese.
English edition is only an image file on the website. Task Forcemembers are the contacts for the use of the stickers in their own
countries. The sticker for Swan Goose currently has only Russian
edition but will be produced in other languages in future.
Swan Goose Task Forcecorespondance address:
c/o Dr. Nikolay D. POYARKOV
Lomonosov Moscow
State University,
Dept. Vertebrate Zoology,
Moscow 119899 Russia
TEL +(7) 095 939 2757
poyarkov@soil.msu.ru
http://www.jawgp.org/
anet/anscy.htm

Baikal Teal Task Forcecorrespondance address:
c/o Dr. Hansoo LEE
ECOTECH Institute ofEnvironmental Ecology,
1004 New Hanjin Officetel,535-5 Bongmyoung-dong,
Yusung-gu, Daejeon
305-301 Korea
TEL +(82) 42 825 6477
FAX +(82) 42 825 6478
oystercatcher@hanmail.net
http://www.jawgp.org/
anet/anafo.htm

Baikal Teal Symposium, Seosan City, Republic of Korea
Cheonsu Bay in Chungcheongnam-do
is one of the largest wintering sites of
Baikal Teal in Korea. The area has
been nominated to the Anatidae Site
Network at its launch withparticipation of local authorities of
Chungcheongnam-do Provincial
Government and Seosan City
Government. The City Government
will hold a sympsium in earlyNovember 2002 to provide an
opportunity for researches, nongovernmental organisation members
and environment administrators
relevant to the species and theirwetland habitats to get together andshare valuable information forenhancement of the conservation ofthem. Task Force members from therange countries are to join there.

Awareness brochure of Cheonsu Bay,
published in Korean and in English©2001 Seosan City Government.

For more information contact:
Environmental Protection Department, Seosan-shi Official,
492 Upnae-dong, Sosan-shi, Chungcheongnam-do, 356-020, Republic of Korea.
TEL +82-41-660-3330 / FAX +82-41-660-3748 / http://www.seosan.chungnam.kr

2

Reports and information from the Network Sites and projects

For more information contact:
Lena-Delta State Reserve
Contact: Dr.Diana Solovieva,
Ornithologist,
Fiodorova Street, 28, Tiksi,
Yakutia, 678400, Russia
TEL +7 41167 53939
diana@ds3902.spb.edu

Anet Newsletter No.3, Nov 2002

Scaly-Sided, Chinese, Merganser: sensitive spots
Ongoing research projectDr. Diana SOLOVIEVA, Lena-Delta Reserve, andValery SHOKHRIN, Lazo Reserve
The Scaly-sided, or Chinese, Merganser Mergus squamatus is amongrarest seaducks of Asia. The species is considered as "vulnerable"
under the IUCN legislation. The estimation of world population varies
from pessimistic 2,000 to the optimistic 10,000 birds, which are both
based on the indirect data. Population trend is uncertain withexpressed decline during decades of 60-80th. Most of the breeding area
is situated in the South of Russian Far East and the North of China.
Present project have been started in 2000 and aims to investigate factors,
affecting Scaly-sided Merganser population in Russia, in order toimprove conservation efforts. Project team worked on the both slopesof Sikhote-Alin Range, Primorye, Russia. Forty nine of artificial nest
boxes were placed on the banks of following rivers, Avvakumovka,
Kievka, Krasnaya, Iman (Bol'shaya Ussurka), Lazovka, Margaritovka,
and Mineral'naya. Artificial nests program aims to investigate theinfluence of rivers' deforestation on breeding density and distribution ofthis rare duck. The results of the survey seemingly
indicated an increasing of Scaly-sided Merganser
population. Maximum breeding pair densities were0,3 -- 0,4 pairs/km of river, with more than twenty
rivers have been surveyed. For some rivers thebreeding density of Scaly-sided Merganser was 3 -- 4times higher, than in 1980s. Disturbance by humanwas found to affect the time budget of breeding pairsof Scaly-sided Merganser, what was resulted in extra
flights and alerting. The best method to catchbreeding Scaly-sided Merganser is seemingly themist net trapping in twilights. A pair was ringed
for the first time in the world.
Project wassponsored by Lundi Co, Verl, Germany and WWT,
Slimbridge, UK.

3

For more information contact:
The Administration ofOgii Nuur Sum
Arkhangai Province, Mongolia.
The Administration of theKhangai Nuur Natural Parks
Tsetserleg, Arkhangai Province,
Mongolia.
International Cooperation
Department, Ministry of
Nature and Environment,
Government Building-3, Baga,
Toiruu-44, Ulaanbaatar-11, Mongolia.
TEL +(976) 1 312 269
FAX +(976) 1 312 401
Kushiro International
Wetland Centre (KIWC),
c/o Kushiro City Environmental
Policy Division,
Kuroganecho 7-5,
Kushiro, 085-8505 Japan.
TEL +81-154-31-4594
FAX +81-154-23-4651
kiwc@kiwc.net
http://www.kiwc.net

Ogii Nuur, by T. Shibuya.

Bar-headed Geese in Terhiyn
Tsaggan Nuur, by T. Shibuya.

Ruddy Shelduck in Terhiyn
Tsaggan Nuur, by T. Shibuya.

Anet Newsletter No.3, Nov 2002

Ogii Nuur and Terhiyn Tsaggan Nuur in Mongolia
Ramsar Sites and Anatidae Network Sites
Hisashi SHINSHO, Kushiro International Wetland Centre /Kushiro City Environmental Policy Division, andTatsuo SHIBUYA, Kushiro International Wetland Centre /Akkeshi Waterfowl Observation Centre,
Akkeshi Township Environmental Policy Division.
We had a chance to visit two sites in Mongolia from 22 July to 19
August 2002. It was under the Expert Dispatch Program of Japan
International Co-operation Agency (JICA). Here we report on our
visit and waterbirds in two sites.
Ogii Nuur locates in Ogii Nuur Sum (Village), Arkhangai Aimag(Province), c. 370km west of Ulaanbaatar. The village has an area of
161,780 ha and a population of 3,500 people who are engaged mainly
in livestock herding. Ogii Nuur is a mesotrophic, freshwater lake of
3,189 ha and 25.4 km coast line. It has extensive marshes in westernand south-western part. Indeed we visited limited area of the lakeand marshes, we counted > 1,700 Swan Geese Anser cygnoides, > 300
Bar-headed Geese A. indicus and > 300 Whooper Swans Cygnus
cygnus. We found first year birds of all these three species. Basedon our observation, it is clear that the lake is of international
importance for Anatidae. We also recorded a number of otherwaterbirds, e.g. Anthropoides virgo, Tadorna ferruginea, T. tadorna,
shorebirds, terns, gulls and egrets, and birds of prey.
Local people in this village has traditionally used the closed lakecarefully, but recently the circumstance of the lake has been getting
worse on various factors. Local people has decided to promote andmanage the ecotourism to the lake with enhancing the conservation
and wise use of the lake and showing their traditional knowledge.
In January 2002, the governor and a staff of the village, together withstaff of the Mongolia Ministry of Nature and Environment, joined in
the JICA training programme on ecotourism at Kushiro International
Wetland Centre in Hokkaido, Japan.
After their training
programme, Birdwatching Board was established in the village.
Our visit aimed at assisting in the establishment of Ecotourism
Council with main contribution from the Birdwatching Board.
Terhiyn Tsaggan Nuur locates in Tariat Sum, Arkhangai Aimag, c.
500 km west of Ulaanbaatar. It is a larger freshwater and oligotrphic
lake with 80 km coast line at the height of c. 2,000m above sea level.
We counted > 900 Bar-headed Geese and confirmed their breeding.
We also found other Anatidae species including Whooper Swans, aswell as a large breeding colony of cormorants, terns and gulls on asmall island in western part of the lake.
The shorter visit in the Terhiyn Tsaggan Nuur forced us to obtain
limited information but it suggested us various conservation needs inthis Ramsar Site and through the Anatidae Site Network. The JICA
project needs further assistance to the Ogii Nuur. We hope various
support and assistance from relevant agencies, organisations andexperts in co-operation in the flyway.

4For more information contact:
Bibai City Government,
Planning & Finance Division,
Planning Section
Nishi 3 Minami 1-1-1,
Bibai, 072-0026 Japan
TEL +81-1266-2-3131 ext.2114+81-1266-2-3137
FAX +81-1266-2-1088
kikaku@mail.city.bibai.
hokkaido.jp
http://www.city.bibai.
hokkaido.jp/

Plan of Conservation and Wise Use of Miyajimanuma
Nobutaka HAYASHI, Bibai City Government, Planning & Finance
Division
Lake Miyajimanuma is a permanent freshwater lake of 41ha in the middle
basin of a river Ishikari-gawa, central Hokkaido, Japan (43˚20'N, 141˚43'E).
Every spring and autumn, up to 50,000 White-fronted Geese Anser albifrons
stay the lake during their migration, and it is 33-50% of its East Asian
population, largest in the country. A number of swans and ducks also stay
the lake, including 8,600 Bewick's Swan Cygnus bewickii (c 20%) and 7.190
Pintail Anas acuta (c. 1% of East Asian population, respectively). The lakesupports c. 70,000 Anatidae individuals.
The lake is surrounded chiefly by rice fields and the goose flocks use thefields for their food during their stay in the lake. Main food of them are ricegrains and leaves of weed plants on the stubble fields but they also takes
young shoot of wheat fields in limited period in spring. It has caused
conflict with farmers for many years. The local authority, Bibai City has
made efforts to harmonise the local people and the conservation ofwaterbirds and the wetland of international importance. Some nongovernmental organisations and scientists has assisted in the efforts.

©2001 Miyajimanuma-no Kai

It is after joining to the Anatidae Site Network in 1999 that the City organised aforum where the relevant people have an opportunity to discuss on theharmonisation of people and nature in the city in March 2000. Other
Network Site also joined and reported its own efforts and experiences to theforum. Some study tours jointly by local farmers, scientists and city officials
were organised to learn experiences in other wetlands in the country and inforeign countries such as the Netherlands and Britain. In the fiscal year of
2001, a series of workshops were organised with local people including not
only farmers but also tourism groups and educators in the city. They had 5times of discussions and built a concept towards conservation and wise useof the lake, with assistance from a non-government organisation, research
institutions, and a consultant. The City incorporated the concept andproposals from the workshops into the Bibai City Plan of Conservation and Wise
Use of Miyajimanuma, established in March 2002.
The Plan is for the next 10 years of FY2002-2011 with monitoring its
achievement and revising within the period. It analysed historical andcurrent situations and identified objectives in the four fields of nature,
agriculture, tourism and awareness. The 12 objectives identified wereincorporated into 11 operational objectives and
18 actions.

In early October 2002, the Miyajimanuma
National Wildlife Protection Area wasdesignated. The nomination to Ramsar List
was declared in the national official gazette in
middle October. The City organised the second
Miyajimanuma Forum in late October to report
the nomination to the local communities, as wellas to provide an opportunity to learn
experiences from other Ramsar Sites and
The second Miyajiamnuma Forum Network Sites. The forum built Miyajimanuma© 2002 Bibai City
Declaration for their future efforts with the Plan.

Anet Newsletter No.3, Nov 2002

Bibai City Plan of Conservationand Wise Use of Miyajimanuma

5For more information contact:

Importance of Torey Lakes for Swan Goose

Torey Lakes provides
a representative
example of natural
wetlands of theReferences
Mongol-Manzurian
ASIA PACIFIC MIGRATORY WATERBIRD
steppe with the
CONSERVATION COMMITTEE. 2001.
largest enclosed soda
Asia-Pacific Migratory Waterbird
Conservation Strategy: 2001-2005.
lakes in the TransWetlands International - Asia
Baikal area of Chita
Pacific, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia,
Oblast' in Russia,
67pp. [on-line] http://www.ea.
near the border with
gov.au/water/wetlands/mwp/
Mongolia. It
2001-2005/
from Ramsar Information SheetGOROSHKO, O.A. 2001. Swanconsists of two large
Goose in the eastern Transbaikalia
lakes of Barun-Torey and Zoon-Torey, and terrestrial steppe ecosystems.
and Mongolia. Casarca 7: 68-98.
It has been designated as Ramsar site since 1994 (172,500 ha, 49 55' - 50
in Russian with English summary
14'N, 115 05' - 115 58'E), as well as UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve
MIYABAYASHI, Y. & MUNDKUR, T.
1999. Atlas of Key Sites for Anatidae (1997), Crane Network Site (1997) and Anatidae Network Site (1999). It
in the East Asian Flyway. Wetlands important for staging Anatidae during their migration including c. 2,500
International - Japan, Tokyo, andgeese, 5,000 shelducks, 20,000 ducks, and Swan Goose and Baer's
Wetlands International - Asia
Pacific, Kuala Lumpur. 148pp. [on- Pochard in breeding and moulting, as well as other waterbird species
such as coots, cranes and gulls.
line] http://www.jawgp.org/
Daursky Nature Reserve
P.O.Box 23, Nizhni Tsasuchei,
Chita Region 674480, Russia

anet/aaa1999/aaaendx.htm
POYARKOV, N.D. & KURECHI, M.
2001. Russian - Japanese swan
goose conservation programme.
TWSG News No.13: 74-76. [online] http://www.wwt.org.uk/
threatsp/twsg/bulletins/13/
f19.htm

The steppe consists of Festuca, Koeleria, Stipa vegetations; lakes
are dominated by Potamogeton and other water plants, withfreshwater wetlands with Phragmites etc. It also includes pine
forest and rangelands. The site has been monitored as
Terrestrial Ecosystem Monitoring Sites of FAO since 1997.
The Daursky Zapovednik (44,752 ha) has been establishedaround Lake Barun-Torey since 1987, and it composes theDauria International Protected Area with the Mongol-Daguur
Zapovednik (Mongolia) and the Dallay-Nor Nature Reserve(China).
The Daursky Zapovednik has joined in the Swan Goose survey
under the international cooperation of Russia and Japan since2001 (Poyarkov & Kurechi 2001, Goroshko 2001). In 2001,
500-700 individuals including c.100 pairs were counted inbreeding season in the Torey Lakes, and 1,840 birds gatheredin autumn before their southward migration in second half ofSeptember. In early September of 2002, 2,369 individuals
were counted (Goroshko, pers. comm. 2002). Part of large
flock in 2002 autumn was likely to have moved from breedingarea in north-eastern Mongolia. It suggests the international
importance of the Torey Lakes for the Swan Goose withsupporting 4.7-7.9% of the population proposed in the 1999
Anatidae Atlas (Miyabayashi & Mundkur 1999).

Survey 2002, Daursky Zapovednik
Anet Newsletter No.3, Nov 2002

The conservation efforts of this globally threatened species has
been initiated under the Anatidae Action Plan: 2001-2005 (Asia
Pacific Migratory Waterbird Conservation Committee 2001).
Mr. Oleg Goroshko in the Zapovednik was nominated to amember of the Swan Goose Task Force. It is anticipated that
the Zapovednik contributes to this international initiative.
6

News in the flyway
For more information contact:
Tomakomai City Government,
Public Health & Nature
Preservation Division
5-6, Asahi-machi 4-chome,
Tomakomai, 053-8722 Japan
TEL +81-144-32-6111
FAX 81-144-33-0474
Utonai-ko Wildlife
Conservation Centre
Uenae 156-26,
Tomakomai, 059-1365 Japan
TEL +81-144-58-2231
FAX +81-144-51-8600
utonaiko@pluto.plala.or.jp
Lake Utonai Sanctuary,
Wild Bird Society of Japan
Uenae 150-3,
Tomakomai, 059-1365 Japan
TEL +81-144-58-2505
http://www.be.wakwak.com/~wbsjsc/011/

For more information contact:
Management Bureau ofSanjiang National
Nature Reserve
Fuyuan County 156500,
Heilongjiang Province,
People's Republic of China.
TEL +86-454-2133077

For more information contact:
Wetlands International
PO Box 471, 6700 AL
Wargeningen, The Netherlands.
TEL +31-317 478854
FAX +31-317-478850
post@wetlands.agro.nl
http://www.wetlands.org

Anet Newsletter No.3, Nov 2002

Utonai-ko, the 27th Anatidae Network Site
A Ramsar Site in Hokkaido(northern island) of Japan joined our
Anatidae Site Network, with theparticipation of its local governmentof Tomakomai City as amanagement authority, as of 18
April 2002. It regularly supports
over 20,000 migratory Anatidae
populations and more than 1% of theEast Asian population of Bewick's
Swan Cygnus bewickii, Taiga Bean
Goose Anser fabalis middendorfi and White-fronted Goose A. albifrons during
their migration. It is famous with the first "Sanctuary" of the Wild Bird
Society of Japan in the country, established in 1979. The Minstry of theEnvironment built a wildlife centre beside the lake. It is managed by
Tomakomai City. A ceremony was held in late July 2002 with celebrating
the opening of the wildlife centre, as well as 10th anniversary of Ramsar site
designation of the lake and joining Anatidae Site Network. The Chair of
Anatidae Working Group presented its Certificate of Anatidae Site Network to
the Mayor of the City in the ceremony. It is anticipated that the cooperation of these two facilities and relevant organisations will enhance theconservation activities in and around the site, and will contribute to thedevelopment of activities in the flyway in the Anatidae Site Network.
Sanjiang National Nature Reserve, Heilongjiang Province, China
The Nature Reserve locates in a low lying alluvial floodplain of Sanjiang.
It is important for Anatidae species in their breeding season and during
their migration. The Nature Reserve was designated as the Wetlands ofInternational Importance to the Ramsar List, among 14 new Ramsar Sitefrom the country in celebration of World Wetlands Day, February 2002. It
further joined in the Crane Site Network in June 2002. The conservation
activities in the Nature Reserve has been enhanced in the joint project of
GEF, UNDP and State Forestry Administration "Wetland Biodiversity
Conservation and Sustainable Use in China" (http://www.wetland-gefcpr98.org).
Waterfowl Population Estimates, 3rd edition
Wetlands International has supported the compilation of population
estimates of all waterbird species for the implementation of Convention on
Wetlands (Ramsar, 1971), Convention on Migratory Species (Bonn, 1979)
and other international initiatives. The 3rd edition will be published in the
Ramsar CoP8, Novemeber 2002. The criteria for our Network Site is also
based on the population estimates, and will be revised following the 3rdedition.

7

Updated contacts of
Network Sites
since Anet Newsletter No.2
Akkeshi-ko & Bekambeushishitsugen: Akkeshi Waterfowl
Observation Centre (Akkeshi
Township Government, Division ofEnvironmental Policy), Ohbetsu 2-3,
Ohtamura, Akkeshi, 088-1136 Japan.
TEL +81-153-52-5988 / FAX +81-15353-2121 / E-mail: bekan@marimo.or.jp/ URL <English>: http://www.
marimo.or.jp/AWOC/
Welcome_eg.html
Kabukuri-numa: Tajiri Township
Government, Division ofAgriculture, Commerce andIndustry, Tomioka 183-3, Numabe,Tajiri, 989-4308 Japan. TEL +81-22939-1111 / FAX +81-229-39-3100 / Email: noushou@town.tajiri.miyagi.jp/ URL <Japanese> http://www.
town.tajiri.miyagi.jp/
Annotated list of Network Sites with
updated contacts is available on theofficial website or by post from
Anatidae Working Group upon request.

Lena Delta
Zapovednik"Taimyrski"

Chazy
Zapovednik

Selenga
Delta

TerhiynTsaggan
Nuur

Torey
Lakes

Kutcharo-ko
Miyajima-numa
Sanjiang Nature Reserve

Ogii
Nuur

Lake Khanka
Fukushimagata
Hyouko-suikin-koen
SakataCheonsu Bay

Akkeshi-ko andBekambeushishitsugen
Biwase-wan
Kushiroshitsugen
Utonai-ko
Otomo-numa
Kabukuri-numa
Shiroishigawa
Katano-kamoike
Biwa-ko
Yonago-Mizudori-koen

Mai Po andInner Deep Bay

Naujan Lake
National Park

Network Sites ofAnatidae Site Network in
the East Asian Flyway
as at April 2002

Published byAnatidae Working Group

Correspondence address:
c/o Mr. Yoshihiko MIYABAYASHI
Anatidae Flyway Officer ofWetlands International - Japan
JAWGP, Minamimachi 16,
Wakayanagi 989-5502, Japan.
TEL&FAX +81-228-32-2592
E-mail: yym@mub.biglobe.ne.jp
http://www.jawgp.org/anet

Anet Newsletter No.3, Nov 2002

8