Malaysia suffers big drop in shorebird populations
mongabay.com
September 5, 2007
Malaysia suffered a big drop in shorebirds, reports a new study by Wetlands International. The environmental group attributes the 22 percent decline between 1983-1986 and 2004-2006 to destruction of habitat for aquaculture, agriculture, industry, housing and recreation.
The most significant decline (86%) occurred on the Perak coast of the Malay Peninsula, while the west coast of Johor and the coast of Selangor showed a 40% and 26% decline, respectively.
Wetlands International says the entire Inner Gulf of Thailand is at risk from urbanization and "non-zoned" industrial and housing development. The group also warns that large areas are at risk from the construction of sea walls, coastal erosion, and the conversion of traditional prawn ponds and salt pans to deep, steep-sided ponds for raising crabs and prawns together. It says that hunting of waterbirds is an additional threat.
Wetlands International calls on local governments to protect critical waterbird habitats identified in the study.
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