Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
NANCHANG, February 9 (Xinhua) — The Siberian crane, or white crane, is listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Every year, with the onset of cold weather, Siberian white cranes, which account for over 95 percent of the global population, migrate from their Siberian homelands to Lake Poyang in East China's Jiangxi Province for the winter, a distance of 5,000 kilometers.
Uniting their shared goal of biodiversity conservation, China and Russia are working closely to ensure the migration of Siberian cranes. The Poyang Nature Reserve and Russia's Kytalyk National Park signed a memorandum of strategic cooperation on Siberian crane conservation. The aforementioned administration also signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation with the Institute of Biological Problems of the Cryolithozone of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) and the Russian diamond mining company Alrosa.
According to Maria Vladimirtseva, a researcher at the Institute of Biological Problems of the Cryolithozone, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, migration is an exceptionally difficult and important period in the life of cranes. She expressed admiration for China's conservation efforts, particularly its commitment to protecting white cranes.
An essential stopover on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, Poyang Lake, China's largest freshwater lake, is a wetland of international significance. During flood season, the lake's surface area exceeds 4,000 square kilometers.
To ensure the safety of Siberian white cranes, an environmental police department was established in Yugan County, Jiangxi Province, whose main activity is the protection of fish and birds.
According to the head of this department, Zou Xinchang, one of their main responsibilities is to ensure the effective implementation of environmental protection measures, including fishing bans and bird protection.
He added that previously they relied solely on the human factor in their work, but now three optical-electronic radars and 13 observation posts in elevated positions are also used during patrols, which play a key role.
Additionally, local authorities have allocated targeted subsidies to support farmers who convert vast rice fields measuring thousands of mu (1 hectare = 15 mu) into wintering grounds and feeding areas for migratory birds without harvesting the crops. This measure ensures the birds have enough food to feed during the cold season. Those who have suffered losses due to the implementation of wetland and migratory bird conservation measures are receiving monetary compensation.
"Migratory birds in the wetlands are an ecological asset of Lake Poyang, and protecting them means preserving our shared ecological home," said Xu Zhiwen, head of the Poyang National Nature Reserve. -0-
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