Last Dance of the Black-faced Spoonbills?

This globally threatened, East Asian bird (total world pop.<300 birds) is
at high risk of losing its major wintering site in Taiwan to proposed
industrial development near the mouth of the Tseng Wen River.

In 1991-'92, 194 of these birds wintered at this location in 1992-'93, 191
birds and in 1993-'94, 206. According to the Wild Bird Society of the ROC
(WBSC) the breeding grounds of this bird in North Korea are well protected
and other areas the birds visit in Hong Kong (Mai Po Marsh) and Vietnam
(Red River delta) also have reasonable levels of protection.

An International letter writing campaign is being sponsored by the Wild
Bird Society of ROC, Taiwan in an attempt to pressure the government of
Taiwan to protect this vital wintering ground. At present the plans for the
industrial park are temporarily on hold and there are some studies being
conducted to understand the wintering ecology of the birds.

The Vancouver Natural History Society(VNHS) has members with strong ties to
the Taiwanese community both in Vancouver and Taiwan. We have been asked by
these members to support this letter writing campaign both as a society and
to spread the campaign further afield. According to our members President
Lee is very susceptible to overseas pressure and in addition, because he
was educated in the USA, is particularly sensitive to pressure from
N.America.

Please encourage your local club to write a letter and of course write one
yourself urging the government of Taiwan to create a nature reserve at the
site on the Tseng Wen River. The VNHS is writing both from its Board of
Directors and from its Birding Section to the government of Taiwan. At our
birders meetings we are encourging individuals to write. I only mention
this to illustrate the multiplier effect that can be generated within a
single group.

Write to:
President Lee
Taiwan
ROC

It seems a skimpy address to me too, but our members assure me that our
letters will get there.


As a footnote here, I acknowledge the recent requests for tweeters to write
letters regarding the Galapagos crisis. We've done our bit there too, but I
realize the system could get seriously clogged with requests to write
letters for all sorts of worthy campaigns. After all, we can only write so
many letters in the course of a working, family and birding life (choose
your own order).

What do we put on tweeters in respect to this kind of request ? Any
thoughts on this out there?

Any suggestions too on how I could spread *this* request for letters in
suppoort of the Black-faced Spoonbill? I'm fairly new to this Internet
stuff so feel free to E-mail me directly.

Thanks





* George Clulow *
* Langley School District *
* 4875 222nd Street Tel: (604) 530 2711(work) *
* Langley, B.C. Fax: (604) 530 2906 *
* V3A 3Z7 e-mail: gclulow at cln.etc.bc.ca *