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Migratory Birds May Offer Route to Korean Cooperation

Jason Strother

   SEOUL - Dialogue between South and North Korea is at a standstill and
   the COVID-19 pandemic has halted nearly all cross-border cooperation.
   But some conservationists say migratory birds could lead the two Koreas
   toward re-engagement.

   As winter descends over northeast Asia, millions of birds embark on a
   southbound, intercontinental journey along the East Asian-Australasian
   Flyway, a route that comprises 22 countries, spanning from the Arctic
   north to temperate waters of the south Pacific and Indian oceans.

   Along the way, most of these roughly 50 million birds pass through the
   Yellow Sea, which is bordered on land by China and the Korean
   Peninsula. Some of these 200 or more species briefly stay in the area's
   wetlands and mudflats, while various types of shorebirds, including
   ducks, geese and cranes, reside here throughout the season.

   Doug Watkins, chief executive for the East Asian-Australasian Flyway
   Partnership Secretariat in Incheon, said these birds are "links between
   countries" in the region.

   A shared interest

   "There are enormous challenges" in maintaining relations between the
   two Koreas, he said. "But one of the things they share are migratory
   birds."

   One South Korean politician also sees potential to revive stalled
   inter-Korean cooperation via the flyway.

   "Most exchange programs between the Koreas are either economic or
   cultural," said Heo Seok, the mayor of Suncheon, home to a migratory
   waterbird reserve. "Since official relations are strained now, there
   could be opportunities for more private sector exchanges concerning
   ecology."

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