Waterbird census in Manila Bay finds 20% decline over two years

The 2021 Asian Waterbird Census in Manila Bay found a shortage of 25,000 birds or a decline of nearly 20% since 2019, the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines (WBCP) said Sunday.

The census, conducted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources with the WBCP, Wetlands International Philippines Program, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature Netherlands Committee, tallied 110,000 waterbirds.

The census covered Bataan, Pampanga, Bulacan, Cavite, Metro Manila, and the Candaba Marsh.

The WBCP said the most severe population decline was observed among long-distance shorebirds in Bulacan and gulls in the Pampanga rivers.

“This mirrors reductions in tidal flats as their feeding habitats,” the organization said in a statement.

“In contrast, there was an increase in waterbird presence by more than 100% representing just about 12,000 birds in NCR… However, these are now being reclaimed, signaling what is to come in Bulacan, Cavite and other areas,” said WBCP records committee chair and Wetlands International associate expert Arne Jensen.

More protection needed in Manila Bay

The WBCP said that out of the 60 species identified in the census, 15 were present in “internationally important numbers.”

The tally found 30,000 Whiskered Terns, 7,000 Pacific Golden Plovers, 6,000 Kentish Plovers, and nearly 6,000 Marsh Sandpipers.

“Manila Bay hosts the highest number of waterbirds of any Philippine wetlands yet it has less than 200 hectares protected and with a mountain of threats to its habitats and birds,” Jensen said.

“With 87% or about 95,000 waterbirds present in Bulacan, Pampanga and Bataan, it would not be an exaggeration to say North Manila Bay is one of the last Philippine wetlands refuge,” he added.

Jensen also noted that around 37,000 shorebirds, another 37,000 terns, 23,000 gulls, and 15,000 egrets were counted.

“Coastal fisherfolks and waterbirds alike all depend on the different types of wetlands found in the Bay,” he stressed.

WBCP President Mike Lu added that four of the 10 critical wetland sites in Manila Bay have been lost to development initiatives such as airports or reclamation projects in the past four years.

He urged a halt to the reclamation projects of the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) as well as the flood mitigation programs of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) that will “destroy the whole ecosystem of Manila Bay.”

“Reclamation should be stopped and the PRA and DPWH be reorganized for restoration and climate change adaptation to support global and national policies to implement nature-based solutions that maintain the wild birds' habitats while also protecting people,” Lu said.

The WBCP warned that 14 species in Manila Bay are “either near threatened or directly threatened with extinction,” including the Black-faced Spoonbill (Platalea minor), Chinese Egret (Egretta eulophotes), Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa), Asian Dowicher (Limnodromus semipalmatus), and Far Eastern Curlew (Numenius madagascariensis). — DVM, GMA News