Subject: Launch of North East Asian Crane Site Network

Dear colleagues,

Attached is a press release issued at a workshop we just organized in 
China. A report on the workshop will also be sent out soon.

Best wishes, 
-- 
Taej Mundkur, Ph.D.
Coordinator, Waterbird Conservation Programme
Wetlands International - Asia Pacific, MALAYSIA, Fax: +60-3-7571225
Direct E-mail:   
WEBsite:http://ngo.asiapac.net/wetlands/

Launch of the North East Asian Crane Site Network  




Mr Zhen Ren De, Director General, Ministry of Forestry, Mr Hikari 
Kobayashi, Director, Environment Agency of Japan and Faizal Parish, 
Executive Director of Wetlands International -Asia Pacific launched an 
exciting new international initiative to promote conservation of cranes=
 
in North East Asia on 7 March 1997 at Qinhuangdao, China. The ceremony 
was organised at an international workshop on wetland and waterbird 
conservation in North East Asia attended by 130 delegates from the regi=
on 
and international experts.

The international network aims to ensure that crane have safe places 
throughout their annual cycle, thus linking important sites where these=
 
birds nest, stop on migration and winter across North-east Asia.  The 
network will promote the conservation of wetlands and other sites of 
importance used by cranes and other waterbirds during their annual 
migration from Russia, south to Mongolia, China, the Korean peninsula a=
nd 
Japan.  Network sites will be the focus of public awareness and promoti=
on 
activities, promotion of sustainable wetland management, research, 
monitoring and training.

Sixteen sites were nominated by the Russian Federation, Mongolia, 
People=92s Republic of China, Republic of Korea and Japan. These includ=
e :
=B7 Kytalyk Nature Reserve, Khingansky Nature Reserve and Ganukan Game 
Reserve, Lake Khanka Nature Reserve and Daursky Nature Reserve in Russi=
a; 
=B7 Mongol Daguur Strictly Protected Area in Mongolia; 
=B7 Xingkai Hu Nature Reserve, Yellow River Delta Nature Reserve, Yanch=
eng 
Nature Reserve and Poyang Hu Nature Reserve in China, 
=B7 Han River Estuary and Cheolwon Basin in the Republic of Korea; and 
=B7 Kiritappu Marsh, Akkeshi Lake and Bekanbeushi Marsh, Kushiro Marsh,=
 
Yashiro and Arasaki (Izumi) in Japan. 

Significantly, some of these sites support more than half of the global=
 
population of some crane species. For example, 95% of Siberian Cranes 
Grus leucogeranus winter in Poyang Lake,  more than 60% of Red-crowned 
Cranes Grus japonensis winter in Yancheng and more than 60% White-naped=
 
Cranes Grus vipio winter in Arasaki. The Network also includes 
international nature reserves of Daursky- Daguur and Xingkai-Khanka and=
 
sites on the DMZ of the Korean Peninsula.

Additional sites from these countries are expected to be added to the 
network in the future.  The Democratic People=92s Republic of Korea has=
 
also expressed interested in participating in the Network and in the 
nomination of two important sites. 

The network has been developed under the auspices of the =93Asia-Pacifi=
c 
Migratory Waterbird Conservation Strategy: 1996-2000=94. The 
development and production of the Strategy has been coordinated by 
Wetlands International.

For further information please contact: 
Mr. Simba Chan, Crane Flyway Officer
Wild Bird Society of Japan, 15-8, Nanpeidai-cho
Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150, Japan. 
Tel +81-3-3463-8861, fax +81-3-5457-7929
E-mail