The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

World Wetlands Day 2002: Australia

From: Alison Beard [Alison.Beard@ea.gov.au]
Sent: Friday, February 01, 2002 8:04 AM
To: peck@ramsar.org

Subject: World Wetlands Day in Australia

Dear Dwight, Please find attached some images from Australia's national launch of World Wetlands Day 2002 held at our newest Ramsar site, Edithvale-Seaford Wetlands. The new Minister for the Environment and Heritage the Hon. David Kemp MP announced a significant funding contribution of A$210,000 (approximately US$120,000) towards implementation of the "Action Plan for the Conservation of Migratory Shorebirds in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway: 2001-2005". Doug Watkins, Shorebird Flyway Officer from Wetlands International - Oceania, gratefully accepted the cheque to continue his work in the flyway.

A flock of Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, feeding at the site during the southern end of their annual migration, provided a timely message about the need to protect their habitat throughout the flyway through cooperative efforts by governments, non-government organisations and communities.

Thank you

Alison Beard
Wetlands Section
Environment Australia

Mike Carter, Friends of Edithvale-Seaford Wetlands Inc, bird watching at Edithvale wetlands

Minister Kemp, Bruce Billson MP, and Les Williams, Friends of Edithvale-Seaford Wetlands Inc., at the launch

Mark Barter, Shorebird Working Group, and Doug Watkins, Shorebird Flyway Officer Wetlands International - Oceania, at the launch

Doug Watkins, accepting funding for the Shorebird Action Plan and outlining the proposed activities focusing on East Asia

For further information about the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, please contact the Ramsar Convention Bureau, Rue Mauverney 28, CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland (tel +41 22 999 0170, fax +41 22 999 0169, e-mail ramsar@ramsar.org). Posted 8 February 2002, Dwight Peck, Ramsar.