• Logo of the Asia Pacific Migratory Waterbird Conservation Strategy is now available. It is put on the entrance page of this website as well as any of future materials relating to the Strategy. [Dec 2000]
  
  
• Okinawa Workshop for Asia Pacific Migratory Waterbird Strategy: 2001-2005, 16-19 Oct 2000. Refer to the Report from Wetlands International.
  Around 150 people joined an International Workshop held in Naha City, Okinawa, Japan. The Workshop finalised and approved the Strategy and Action Plans of three species groups for 2001-2005. It further endorsed the Okinawa Statement that recommends implementation of the initiatives for next 5 years to the people and organisations in the region. These documents will be published and widely distributed in early 2001.
  
  The draft Anatidae Action Plan was also discussed and finalised. Priority actions for effectively managed network of sites, globally threatened Anatidae species, raised awareness, increased capacity, enhanced knowledge base and increased information exchange, enhanced organisational relationships are incorporated into the Action Plan. Swan Goose Anser cygnoides and Baikal Teal Anas formosa were selected for the priority species in the development of action plan for the globally threatened Anatidae in 2001-2005. Refer to the Priority Actions for 2001-2005.
  
  Participants to the Workshop and comments to the draft Anatidae Action Plan are acknowledged.
  
  
• 2000 IUCN Red List
  Revised list of globally threatened species (fauna and flora) launched on September 2000. The website on-line database for search Red List species is open at: http://www.redlist.org . Red List species belonging to Anatidae, searched from the on-line database is attached here for discussion of next issue.
  
  
• Launch of the website for Asian Wetland Inventory Project
  The Asian Wetland Inventory (AWI) is a region-wide project which aims to update information of wetlands in Asia and review the current status of the wetlands with a new database approach system, initiated in 1999. The project is a collaboration between Wetlands International, Wetland Inventory Monitoring Specialist Group (WIMSG) and the Japanese National Institute for the Environment Studies (NIES). The website for the project was launched for announcing updates of AWI activities and news; exchanging information on AWI in July 2000.
  
  
• Fennoscandian Lesser White-fronted Goose conservation project - Annual report 1999
  Norwegian Ornithological Society and WWF Finland jointly published the report, sponsored by the Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management and EU Life-Nature fund / Finnish Lesser White-fronted Goose Life project. The publication contains a series of reports of most recent information on the globally threatened species, e.g. population size, key sites, migration and genetics. Those reports cover Europe, Central Asia, Russian Arctic and China, such as winter survey at the East Dongting Lakes and Poyang Lakes in China, new breeding and moulting sites in Indigirka (Yakutia), autumn staging in Kazakhstan, and others in 1999. Most of the reports are on the website of WWF Finland at: http://www.wwf.fi/luonto/Kilju2000.htm. Printed version is available from: Ingar Jostein Øien, Norwegian Ornithological Society (NOF), Seminarplassen 5, N-7540 Klæbu, Norway and Petteri Tolvanen, WWF Finland, Lintulahdenkatu 10, FIN-00500 Helsinki, Finland.
  
  
• First issue of a newsletter from Anatidae Site Network
  Anatidae Working Group published the first issue (8 pages) of Anet Newsletterto report Site Network activities to wide audience in the world. This issue reports its launch, plan for year 2000 and current Network Sites. Such information is available on this website, but please e-mail Flyway Officer if you are interested to receive a printed copy by regular mail.
  
  
• Launch of the Website, Yonago Waterbird Sanctuary, a Network Site
  Naka-no-Umi Waterbirds International Exchange Foundation, a foundation established by Yonago City Government for management of the Sanctuary, launched its official website, bilingual in English and Japanese at: http://www.yonagomizudorikouen.or.jp
  
  
• An international workshop has been in preparation to be held in 4-6 October 2000 at a Network Site, Kabukurinuma, Japan. It is organised by the national working group of the Communication, Education and Public Awareness (CEPA) in response to the Ramsar Resolution VII.9 (1999), in collaboration with local governments and local NGOs relevant to the lake. A local NGO, Kabukuri Wetland Club, is now seeking voluntary assistace for communication between participants from other Asian countries and local children and people during the workshop, especially at a field work on the lake on the second day. Contact: Mr. M. Kurechi at son_gooseⓐmva.biglobe.ne.jp
  
  
• Mandarin Duck Society of Japan, a network of people interested in Mandarin Duck Aix galericulata in Japan is being set up. The group is to research and gather information on the species towards the enhancement of the conservation of the species and their habitats in the country. Contact [revised, as of Sep 2006]: Prof. Yuzo FUJIMAKI (bonasa38ⓐblue.ocn.ne.jp; Higashi 4, Kita 2-6-1, Bibai 072-0005 Japan).
  
  
• 11 Feb 2000 (EST): NASA Space Shuttle (STS-99) launched. It brings an educational programme "EarthKAM". It is a NASA-sponsored program that enables middle school students to take photographs of the Earth from a camera aboard the Space Shuttle.
  
  One of the Japanese school participating in the programme, Kansai Soka Junior and Senior High School opened its website for the activities of the students learning on the programme. They have selected a number of sites across the globe that they wish to study in detail. They include a series of wetlands important for the waterbirds in the East Asian Flyway. The pictures of those wetlands will be on its website, when available, at http://www2.kansai.soka.ed.jp/~sts-99/indexe.html.
  
  
• 5 Feb 2000: Launch of the Biwa-ko Ramsar Committee, Shiga, Japan.
  Lake Biwa-ko is the largest lake in the country, a Ramsar Site and an Anatidae Network Site, shared by 21 cities & towns in the Shiga Prefecture. Those local governments of cities, towns and the prefecture establish a committee for enhancement of the public awareness around the lake. They celebrate World Wetlands Day 2000 with the launch of the committe along with a short symposium on 5th and field trips around the Lake open to public on the next day.
  
  

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