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| Resolution on avian influenza adopted at international wetlands conference in South Korea |
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11/3/2008 |
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A new resolution has been agreed which recognises the importance of protecting waterbirds and wetlands against the threat of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1, both in terms of direct impacts such as waterbird mortality and indirect impacts such as negative public attitudes and inappropriate responses. The resolution was adopted on 3 November 2008 in South Korea at the 10th Meeting of the Conference of Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
HPAI H5N1 continues to maintain a stronghold in domestic poultry in a number of countries across the world. This resolution recognises that control within the poultry sector is key to reducing risks to domestic birds and livelihoods, human health, and wild waterbirds and wetlands. The resolution also recognises the crucial fact that controlling HPAI H5N1 is an international challenge that must involve expertise from all relevant areas, including ornithology.
The theme of the international conference was ‘Healthy Wetlands, Healthy People’, reflecting the importance of wetlands to people. Over 2,000 representatives from 165 countries, international bodies and non-governmental organisations attended the conference to advance wetland conservation.
HPAI H5N1 has infected domestic, captive and wild birds in more than 60 countries in Asia, Europe and Africa. Over 200 million domestic birds have died from the disease or been slaughtered in attempts to control its spread; the economies of the worst affected countries in southeast Asia have suffered greatly, with lost revenue estimated at over $10 billion, and there have been serious human health consequences. By October 2008, the World Health Organisation had confirmed more than 380 human cases, over 60% of those fatal.
Despite the relatively small numbers of wild birds affected compared with domestic birds, the conservation impacts of HPAI H5N1 have been significant. It is estimated that between 5 and 10% of the world population of the Bar-headed Goose Anser indicus died at Lake Qinghai, China in spring 2005, and at least two globally threatened species have been affected: Black-necked Crane Grus nigricollis in China and Red-breasted Goose Branta ruficollis in Greece.
Perhaps a greater threat than direct mortality has been the development of public fear about waterbirds resulting in misguided attempts to control the disease by disturbing or destroying wild birds and their habitats. Such responses are often encouraged by exaggerated or misleading messages in the media.
The Ramsar resolution reaffirms that attempts to eliminate HPAI in wild bird populations through lethal responses such as culling are not feasible and may exacerbate the problem by causing further dispersion of infected birds, and that the destruction of wetland habitats and nest sites does not amount to wise-use of wetlands.
The resolution also encourages contingency planning, surveillance, data sharing, capacity building and the development of appropriate information tools for decision makers to ensure responses are appropriate and timely.
Furthermore, the resolution provides a range of guidance materials including a categorised directory of already existing guidance, guidelines for reducing risks at wetland sites, recommendations on information that should be collected during surveillance programmes or field assessments of wild bird mortality events, and guidelines on the development and implementation of ornithological expert panels.
One particular mechanism that was celebrated by the resolution is the Scientific Task Force on Avian Influenza and Wild Birds, which fosters collaboration between 14 international treaties, and governmental and non-governmental organisations. The Task Force is jointly coordinated by the UNEP Convention on Migratory Species and the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, with support from the UK's Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust.
The Ramsar Convention is an intergovernmental treaty, which provides a framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation of wetlands. It is one of the most important global mechanisms for conserving wetlands for birds, biodiversity and people.
The resolution in draft form can be downloaded from the Ramsar website (www.ramsar.org/cop10/cop10_dr21_e_rev1.doc). The finalised resolution will be available later in November 2008. |
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| © Avian Influenza Task Force |
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