Workshop
A Strategy for the Conservation of Cranes

There are seven species of Cranes in East Asia that undertake long-distance migration reaching along the East Asian – Australasian Flyway from Russian and Mongolia, to China, North Korea, South Korea and Japan. But due to the decline in numbers during the last decades, many of these species already require a special protection status. According to the IUCN Red List, Siberian Cranes are critically endangered, Red-crowned Cranes are endangered and White-naped Cranes are vulnerable. Effective conservation of these species requires international cooperation so that the cranes and their habitats are protected at all stages of migration.

In order to develop a long-term strategy and action plan for cranes along the East Asian – Australasian Flyway of birds, the Center of East Asian Flyway Migratory Waterbirds, Beijing Forestry University and the International Crane Foundation organized a workshop in Beijing. Representatives of national governments, international and national non-government organizations, researchers and conservationists were present. Felix Glenk of Hanns Seidel Foundation Korea was invited and shar in a presentation the current status and progress for the conservation of wetlands and biodiversity in North Korea. Together with international partners HSF Korea is conducting a long-term project in North Korea on the wise use of wetlands that contributed to the designation of the first two Ramsar Sites of International Importance in the country, and also to the accession of North Korea to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands and to the East Asian – Australasian Flyway Partnership. Now these formal designations must turn into real conservation. HSF Korea with its local and international partners is continuing to pursue this goal.