The East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP) was announced as an official partner of the World Migratory Bird Day campaign during the 11th Meeting of Partners (MOP11) of the EAAFP which ended in Brisbane, Australia on Friday, March 17, 2023. The new Partnership unites efforts to raise awareness to conserve migratory birds globally.
The World Migratory Bird is an annual global awareness-raising campaign to celebrate the amazing journeys of migratory birds, and to inspire worldwide conservation of migratory birds and their habitats. Traditionally observed on the second Saturday of May and October, the two days of World Migratory Bird Day are a way to reflect the cyclical nature of bird migration as well as the fact that there are varying peak migration periods in the northern and southern hemispheres.
The campaign is a joint effort of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA), Environment for the Americas and the EAAFP. The addition of the EAAFP to this Partnership, it was gathered, will strengthen engagement and awareness for migratory birds in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway.
Ms. Amy Fraenkel, Executive Secretary of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, said: “I am confident that the new partnership with EAAFP will open new horizons for global migratory bird conservation and strengthen our common effort to raise awareness of migratory birds and the importance of international cooperation to conserve them.”
Dr. Jacques Trouvilliez, AEWA’s Executive Secretary, said: “It is my sincere hope that the signing of this partnership agreement and the good inter-flyway cooperation we have built in the context of World Migratory Bird Day will continue to grow. It is the spirit of flyway conservation and the recognition that international cooperation is essential to conserve migratory birds that unite us and helps carry our message across the world.”
Dr. Susan Bonfield, Executive Director of Environment for the Americas, highlighted: “Birds do not recognize the presence of political borders. With this partnership agreement, we express our unwavering dedication to safeguarding migratory birds throughout their flyways and promoting the connections between people and birds on the occasion of World Migratory Bird Day. Together, our organisations pledge to collaborate towards the global conservation of migratory birds.”
Mr. Robb Kaler, Chair of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership, said: “We are thrilled to join as a new Partner to World Migratory Bird Day and to collaborate with CMS, AEWA and EFTA! The new partnership will allow stronger collaboration, inspire more great ideas and make a wider impact on the conservation of migratory birds on a global level. The EAAFP is committed to voice out the message to conserve migratory birds together.”
The theme of World Migratory Bird Day in 2023 is “Water: Sustaining Bird Life” and will be used to highlight the importance of water for migratory birds. Inland and coastal wetlands, rivers, lakes, streams, marshes, and ponds are all vital for feeding, drinking, or nesting, and also as places to rest and refuel during their long journeys. Unfortunately, many of these water bodies and aquatic ecosystems are becoming increasingly threatened around the world and so are the migratory birds that depend on them.
The two peak days of World Migratory Bird Day 2023 will be May 13 and October 14, reflecting the cyclical nature of bird migration with varying migration periods in the northern and southern hemispheres.
