On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of World Wildlife Day today, the Rakhine State Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association has issued a call to preserve and protect the wintering bird species and aquatic animals on Nantha Island in Rakhine State, which has been designated as a Marine National Park in Myanmar.
According to U Yan Naung Soe, President of the Rakhine Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association, illegal activities such as capturing birds and aquatic animals, deforestation, and illicit transportation of sand are still ongoing on Nantha Island, despite its designation as a Marine National Park.
He further stated that this call for preservation and protection is due to the lack of action taken by the relevant ministry to address these issues.
“ The Spoon-billed Sandpiper is a globally endangered bird species. In 2007, we found 37 of these birds on Nantha Island, but since then the population has dwindled to only 5. We urgently request prevention and protection measures to be taken, as other bird species and marine animals are also being captured and killed,” he said.
World Wildlife Day is celebrated on March 3 because it is the birthday of CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. CITES was signed in 1973, which means it celebrates its 50th anniversary today.
Nantha Island is located in Rathedaung township, situated between the Mayu delta and the Bay of Bengal, 10 miles northwest of Sittwe township. The island covers an area of 22,979 acres.
Nantha Island is the largest wintering site for the critically endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper in the world.
Nantha Island is an island that has been designated on May 21, 2020 as a wetland conservation area by the Ramsar Group, which is formed to preserve and protect wetlands from all over the world, as it fulfills 6 wetland areas.
This island is also popular with many other migratory species and native birds such as Great Knot and Nordmann Greenshank, along with sea turtles, Arakan dolphins and aquatic animals.
On February 21, 2022, Nantha Island was designated by the Ministry of Natural Resources andEnvironmental Protection as Myanmar’s second Marine National Park to preserve and protect biodiversity.
Environmentalists had hoped that conservation efforts would be strengthened as the Marine National Park was enacted, but in reality, the relevant department's conservation efforts are still weak.
U Yan Naung Soe expressed concern over the gradual extinction of the Spoon-billed Sandpiper and other rare species of birds and marine animals on Nantha Island. He cited poaching, capture, and sale of marine animals, including wintering birds, as the primary reasons for the decline in their population.
Additionally, U Yan Naung Soe noted that the Spoon-billed Sandpiper, being a rare species of wintering bird, frequently visits the Gulf of Mottama in Mon State, Nantha Island in Rakhine State, Mein Ma Hla Island in Irrawaddy Division, and Mergui in Tanintharyi Region.
“ In the Gulf of Mottama, it is known that it is decreasing year by year. The species may disappear within a decade,” he said.
About 50 species of wintering birds come to graze in Rakhine every autumn, but in 2022, only about 30 species of wintering birds were found, according to the list of the Rakhine State Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association.
In the 1970s, there were over 5,000 Spoon-billed Sandpiper birds, but their numbers have gradually declined over time. As of 2011, there are now fewer than 500 individuals remaining, so it is considered as a species facing the risk of extinction and is being preserved.
The Spoon-billed Sandpiper is a species native to the Siberian plains of the Chukotka region in Russia. Their breeding season occurs annually during the months of June and July, with only four eggs and typically two or three chicks being hatched at a time.
U Yan Naung Soe told Narinjara that in order to prevent such rare species from becoming extinct, depends on the effective participation of government department officials and the people themselves in the area of environmental conservation.
It is also one of the most important days to raise awareness about the conservation of global wildlife and plant species.
