Sihwa Lake and Namyang Bay Designated as 'Biodiversity Conservation Areas'

On the 25th, Gyeonggi Province announced that it had recommended to the Ministry of Environment that the Sihwa Lake and Namyang Bay region be designated as a 'Biodiversity Management Contract' zone, following confirmation of habitats for endangered and rare birds in the area.

When designated as a Biodiversity Management Contract zone, rice and barley fields can be left unharvested, or rice straw can be left in stacks, enabling migratory birds in winter and endangered wild birds to use them for nesting and food sources.

The province made this recommendation for expansion of the Biodiversity Management Contract at a meeting of environmental officials from cities and provinces held by the Ministry of Environment the previous day.

In a recent bird census conducted by the Ministry of Environment and the National Institute of Environmental Research in the Sihwa Lake and Namyang Bay area, approximately 85,000 species of birds were found to be inhabiting the region, including rare birds such as white-tailed eagles, hawks, osprey, black-headed gulls, and greater white-fronted geese.

The province also requested a budget increase for wildlife protection in the Han River estuary area in Goyang, Gimpo, and Paju regions, which have already been designated as Biodiversity Management Contract target areas.