BirdLife: The Magazine June 2017 | Page 22

IRREPLACEABLE | GULF OF MOTTAMA Myanmar
Shelter at last : Spoonie ’ s winter wonderland becomes Ramsar Site
Following tireless work from BirdLife Partner BANCA , Myanmar ’ s Government has designated part of the Gulf of Mottama a Ramsar Site – affording this vast wetland , an important wintering site for several globally threatened waders , protection against the threat of overfishing .
Picture it in your mind ’ s eye : a wild , untamed stretch of coast , where rapid , powerful waves lash at the endless mudflats , constantly resculpting and refreshing the shoreline . Imagine , too , tidal flats that teem with life , as fish and invertebrates alike feast on the sediments and nutrients that flow into the coastal waters via three major rivers . What you ’ re picturing is the Gulf of Mottama – a giant , funnel-shaped estuary in Myanmar , and one of the most important wintering sites for migratory waterbirds in Asia . So rich are the pickings at the Gulf of Mottama that one out of every two Spoonies recommend it – Spoonie , of course , being the colloquial name for the Spoon-billed Sandpiper Calidris pygmaea , a Critically Endangered wader that has been hit hard by habitat loss across its wintering grounds . Here in the Gulf of Mottama , up to 180-220 Spoonies are estimated to arrive every winter – around half the global population of this scarce bird , cementing the area ’ s status as an area of outstanding conservational value . And yet , until very recently , the Gulf of Mottama ’ s future was far from secure . Despite its importance for endangered migratory waders such as Spoonie , Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris and Spotted Greenshank Tringa guttifer , and its recognition by BirdLife as an Important Bird & Biodiversity Area ( IBA ) in danger , the Gulf received no formal protection status , and this has led to its resources being drained at an alarming rate . The biggest threat to this valuable ecosystem is overfishing . The numbers of fish in its waters have plummeted over the last decade , largely as a result of illegal fishers using nets that indiscriminately trap fish of all sizes and varieties – including juveniles . Bird hunting , too , has been a problem in recent years , but it is difficult to effectively control these threats in areas that do not benefit from government protection . Recognising the Gulf of Mottama ’ s importance , BANCA ( BirdLife in Myanmar ) has been working to preserve this crucial wetland for many years . In addition to boots-onthe-ground conservation – such as shorebird monitoring , patrolling and saving Spoonies from hunters – BANCA has also played a key role in lobbying the Myanmar Government to recognise the Gulf of Mottama as a Ramsar site under the terms of the Ramsar Convention ( an international treaty which guides countries in offering formal protection for wetlands of global importance ). Over half a decade ’ s worth of tireless pressure finally paid off on May 10th , 2017 – fittingly , World Migratory Bird Day – when a 45,000 hectare stretch of the Gulf was officially designated Myanmar ’ s fourth Ramsar site – and the first to be
12 BIRDLIFE • JUNE 2017