Bird Keeper: Saving Relict Gulls from destroyed habitat after land reclamation

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As China further develops parts of its coastline, at least one bird species further says goodbye to its habitat. Relict Gulls now face possible extinction. Some bird lovers are helping their cause, but they say more needs to be done. CGTN's Zhao Yunfei introduces us to one such volunteer group in Tianjin.

Patrolling China's coastlines. It's a rewarding routine for environmentalist Wang Jianmin and his friends.

They are protecting the bird habitat in Bohai Bay where many migrant birds hibernate in the intertidal zone.

Today, the volunteers are looking for Relict Gulls, a species now in the "vulnerable" category by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

There are only 15 thousand of them still left in the world.

WANG JIANMIN, DIRECTOR NORTH YANGTZE RIVER WETLAND PROTECTION CENTER "Relict Gulls face a big threat. We sincerely hope that local governments, where the gulls breed and live pay close attention to it. They should establish offices for research and protection."

Every winter, Relict Gulls fly to Tianjin. They reside in the wetland area.

Clams and shrimp are their major food. Without food, they die.

But people and other creatures love clams and shrimp, too.

WANG JIANMIN, DIRECTOR NORTH YANGTZE RIVER WETLAND PROTECTION CENTER "Seagulls always gather by the shore. But our mudflat is significantly destroyed. Overfishing is an issue and the land reclaiming has occupied much of the fine ecological resources. Relevant departments haven't taken much of the responsibility."

ZHAO YUNFEI TIANJIN "This place used to be a mudflat area, but now it is completely filled. You can even see a high-rise behind me. In the last few decades, rampant land reclamation for port development had been destroying the habitat of Relict Gulls. The volunteers have united to raise awareness to boost the breeding of the endangered species."

Between 2002 and 2017, China legally approved a total of nearly 1.6 billion square meters of land reclamation.

But that only accounts for 12 percent of the newly added construction land in coastal areas across the country over the same period.

In 2018, China introduced regulations to demolish illegally reclaimed land and stopped approving general reclamation projects.

Volunteer organizations have played an important role in getting the orders implemented.

ZHU BAOGUANG VOLUNTEER "We are the eyes of these issues. And the government is the fist to beat the crime. We report the illegal activities to the police and they are there to take action."

A ban is just a just a ban. The volunteers say it's crucial to raise awareness.

They say bird protection should be a global effort for the sake of the ecosystem as a whole.

Zhao Yunfei, CGTN, Tianjin.