Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2016L00043:reg:5:p3
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2016L00043
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 5 (pt 3/15)
Character Range: 24038–27304

assist Australia's commitments under both the Bonn Convention and the bilateral migratory bird agreements.

       6.2               Other Australian commitments relevant to migratory shorebirds

  While the Bonn Convention, JAMBA, CAMBA and ROKAMBA provide mechanisms for pursuing conservation outcomes for migratory birds, they do not encompass all migratory birds and are binding only on a limited number of countries. As Australia
  became increasingly concerned about the conservation status of migratory waterbirds, additional mechanisms have been developed for multilateral cooperation on waterbird conservation throughout the EAAF.

  Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

  Australia is a signatory to the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (see www.ramsar.org). The Ramsar Convention, as it is commonly known, is an intergovernmental treaty dedicated to the conservation and 'wise use' of wetlands.

  The Ramsar Convention focuses on conservation of important habitats rather than species. Parties are committed to identifying wetlands that qualify as internationally significant against a set of criteria, nominating these wetlands to the List of Wetlands of International Importance (the Ramsar List) and ensuring the maintenance of the ecological character of each listed Ramsar site.

  As at July 2015, Australia has 65 Wetlands of International Importance that cover a total of approximately 8.1 million hectares. Many of Australia's Ramsar sites were nominated and listed using waterbird-based criteria, and in some of these cases migratory shorebirds are a major component of the waterbird numbers (e.g. Roebuck Bay and Eighty-mile Beach Ramsar Sites in Western Australia).

         Photo: Black-tailed godwits (Brian Furby Collection)

East Asian—Australasian Flyway Partnership

The Partnership for the Conservation of Migratory Waterbirds and the Sustainable Use of their Habitats in the East Asian–Australasian Flyway (East Asian— Australasian Flyway Partnership) was launched on 6 November 2006. A Ramsar regional initiative, the partnership is an informal and voluntary collaboration of effort focusing on protecting migratory waterbirds, their habitat and the livelihoods of people dependant on them.

The EAAF is one of nine major migratory waterbird flyways around the globe. It extends from within the Arctic Circle in Russia and Alaska, southwards through East and South-east Asia, to Australia and New Zealand in the south, encompassing 22 countries. Migratory waterbirds share this flyway with 45 per cent of the world's human population. The EAAF is home to over 50 million migratory waterbirds—including shorebirds, Anatidae (ducks, geese and swans), seabirds and cranes—from 207 species, including 33 globally threatened and 13 near threatened species.

  Flyway partners include countries, intergovernmental agencies, international non-government organisations and the international business sector. A cornerstone of the partnership is the establishment of a network of internationally important sites for migratory waterbirds throughout the EAAF. The partnership operates via working groups and task forces, one working group and a number of task forces focus on migratory shorebirds. More information about