Release Date: July 10 (Thurs), 2008 all 4 pages incl. 1 table.

Press Release From: Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs

(02)2110-6337, wonpark@mltm.go.kr Park Won (박 원) 사무관 (Coast Planning team)

Approval given for reclamation of 4 areas (15,440,000 m²) including Kalsa Bay in Hadong, Gyeongsangnam Province

The number of Approved Sites [for reclamation]: 23 (3 of [original] 26 rejected),

Area Approved: 12,065,617 m² (5,416,674 m² less than initially proposed area of 17,482,291 m²).

• Areas approved for reclamation under the reclamation basic plan: 8 for shipbuilding (9,620,000m²), 4 for public use, 3 for harbours, 6 for fishing/aquaculture, and 2 for other facilities (2,445,000m²). Reclamation will be conducted by national or local government.
• Downsizing or non- approval for 31% (c. 5,417,000m²) of the initial application (26 sites total: 17,482,291m²).
• National Coast Management Assessment Committee meeting for approval of The Reclamation Basic Plan of Public Waters was held on 8^th of July, 2008.
• This Committee consists of related government officers, academics, experts, representatives of fishing organizations, and the Korean Federation for Environmental Movement (KFEM): in total 19 persons.
• Before the Committee was opened, they received agreement from related ministries, local councils and local government. For 2 months (May 6~July 1), civil experts conducted field studies. For 3 days (May 21st~23rd) civil experts conducted studies on important sites, while Committee members conducted a supplementary site examination for 3 days (July 2^nd ~4th).
• Especially, in the case of Shinan Gun Aphae Island, which has good marine environment, Shinan Gun strongly suggested that they would designate Wetland Conservation Areas among other areas in their County or register such sites under UNESCO (as bio-protection area etc), persuading the Committee with their clear vision and direction.
• Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs will minimize the impact of this reclamation, through the discussion of coastal use under the Marine Environment Management Law, and the Environmental Impact Assessment Law, when giving permission for reclamation or action plan.

Additional Notes by Birds Korea: August 3^rd 2008.

The information elates only to specific projects listed herein. It provides only a snapshot of largely rather small-scale projects that have been recently assessed and approved, totaling 12,065,617 m² (or c. 1206 hectares). There are other multiple large-scale reclamation projects ongoing. The Saemangeum reclamation project for example covers 40,000 ha.

Sites targeted for reclamation are presented as listed in the original table. They are (surprisingly) listed from southeast to northwest. Sites 1-19 are on the south coast. Sites 20-26 are on the west coast.

There are few bird data for many of the sites, especially as many of the areas to be affected by reclamation are not clearly delineated on standard maps. Many south coast sites, however, have large over-wintering offshore populations of loons (especially Gavia stellata) and Great Scaup Aythya marila, while areas offshore from the Nakdong Estuary supported (until recently) large concentrations of White-winged Scoter Melanitta deglandi.

It therefore seems likely that the accumulative effect of increased industrialization, ship-building and ship traffic (with increased levels of disturbance and pollution) along the south coast will have negative impacts on several waterbird populations.

At the site level, Birds Korea believes that:

1. Sites marked with a single asterix (*) support globally threatened or near-threatened bird species regularly in the affected or adjacent area;

2. Sites marked with (**) support or are adjacent to large concentrations of marine-dependent species (including grebes and loons);

3. Sites marked with (***) meet Ramsar waterbird criteria for identificationas international important. None have been so far designate as Ramsar sites. Any reclamation within these four wetlands (Busan Nulcha, Hadong Galsa, Aphae Island and Seocheon Songseok) will likely be detrimental to some extent on waterbird populations. Busan Nulcha forms the western part of the Nakdong Estuary; Hadong Galsais believed South Korea’s last significant site for Black Brant Branta (bernicla) nigricans; the Aphae island tidal-flats support several species of shorebird in internationally important concentrations, and was the seventh most important shorebird site nationwide in the Birds Korea NationalSurvey (2008); and Seocheong Songseok is part of the Geum Estuary (South Korea’s most important shorebird site after the demise of Saemangeum).

Birds Korea, August 3^rd, 2008.