Seabirds in Southeast Asia: need for collaboration programme

Southeast Asia lies between NE Asia and Australasia: many seabird species breeding in the north, for example the Critically Endangered Chinese Crested Tern and the elusive Aleutian Tern, winter in this region but very little... [ view full abstract ]

Southeast Asia lies between NE Asia and Australasia: many seabird species breeding in the north, for example the Critically Endangered Chinese Crested Tern and the elusive Aleutian Tern, winter in this region but very little information is currently available. Other seabird species are breeding in Southeast Asia, and historic egg collection in several countries in addition to changes in land use shaped the size and diversity of today's populations. Both countries along the East Asian Australasian Flyway (later the flyway) such as the USA, Russia, Japan and South Korea in the north and Australia, New Zealand in the south have longer histories in seabird study and conservation, while both data and interest in SE Asia are still relatively low.  

This symposium aims to present current initiatives in seabird conservation, needs in SE Asia and to discuss the possibility of a new collaborative project on seabird research and conservation via policies, training and management guidelines of seabird sites for SE Asia. We aim to promote sharing and develop international cooperation in research and conservation along the Flyway. This project also will complement the efforts to conserve migratory seabird populations along the Flyway. Other important aspect for the symposium is to present current efforts of ringing and tracking schemes in the Flyway region and how we can establish a common ringing/tracking scheme database for the Southeast Asian region, to better understand movements of breeding seabirds in the region using scientific standards, and share information and knowledge across the flyway region.