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Site description (2001 baseline):

Extent of this site: to the south is the levee on the south bank of the Lanyang River to the Coastal Highway (Provincial Highway 2), from the Jiafuyuan Bridge to the seaside at Chingshui; on the east the site extends 500 m off the shoreline; to the north is Gongguan, the Chuangwei Bridge, and the Hsingang Bridge; and to the west is Provincial Highway 9. Located between Ilan City and Luodong Township, the area around the Lanyang River Estuary consists mostly of riparian wetlands and includes the rivermouth and agricultural fields on the north riverbank between Hsinnan to Meifu forming an important habitat for migratory and wintering birds. The Lanyang River Estuary is formed by the convergence of the Lanyang, the Ilan and the Dongshan Rivers. It is the most important estuarine wetland in Ilan County, providing an excellent environment for migratory birds on their way north and south. Therefore, it is listed as one of the twelve largest wetlands in Taiwan according to the IUCN. The 206-ha Lanyang River Estuary Waterbird Reserve is included in this IBA Site.

IBA A1 criterion species: Chinese Egret, Black-faced Spoonbill, Saunder’s Gull • Chinese Egrets regularly visit here in spring and fall; with a maximum of 66 birds recorded in 1988. • Black-faced Spoonbills winter here, with a maximum of 10 birds in 1994. • Saunders’s Gulls also winter here; about 50 birds have been recorded, but the number has declined drastically. • The bird resources here are abundant with 236 species of birds.

• Cultivation of land along the river is a source of water pollution by pesticides and fertilizers. • Exotic plants have been introduced in this area. • There are threats associated with tourist activities. • There is a plan to set up a 4.58-ha heliport 400 m from this IBA site by DeAnAirline, with an estimated 20 flights per day. This plan is currently at the review and investigation stage of the Environmental Impact Assessment. • There is disturbance from fishermen and from catching eels in winter.

Lobbying activities: • In 1972, the Lanyang River mouth area was designated the Lanyang Waterfowl Protected Area (including the Lanyang Bridge to the estuary) by the Tourism Bureau, becoming the first waterfowl refuge in Taiwan. • In 1991, representatives in the gravel industry demanded authorization to extract gravel in the Lanyang Waterfowl Refuge. Their demand was supported by the Construction and Planning Administration of the Ministry of Interior, and it was passed under strong opposition from many other groups. • Starting in September of 1998, the 18 bird societies throughout the island as well as other NGOs initiated opposition to the proposed heliport construction. • Lanyang Rivermouth Waterbird Refuge. The main conservation objectives are the estuary, coastal ecosystems, birds and wildlife habitats. Legislation: • This area was designated as the Lanyang Coastal Protected Area in the Conservation plan for the natural environments of the coastal areas in Taiwan proposed by Ministry of the Interior in 1984. The area included Toucheng Bathing Beach to the north, Renze Industrial Area to the south, the coastline to the east, and Provincial Highway 2, county roads and the Lanyang Bridge to the west. This project also stipulated that the Lanyang Bridge downstream to the Lanyang River mouth and areas along the banks of the Lanyang River become a protected area. However, there was no law upon which this project of the MOI was based which has caused difficulties in implementation and management of conservation work. • In 1995, according to the Wildlife Conservation Law, the Han County Government proposed the Protection Project of the Lanyang Rivermouth Waterbird Refuge, which was ratified by both the Taiwan Provincial Government and the Wildlife Conservation Advisory Committee under the Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan. In 1996, the area from the Kemalan Bridge downstream to its estuary, an area of total 206 ha, was declared a Lanyang Rivermouth Waterbird Refuge. The main conservation objectives are the estuary, coastal ecosystems, birds and wildlife habitats.

(PA)

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Lanyang River Estuary (Taiwan, China). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/lanyang-river-estuary-iba-taiwan-china on 23/12/2024.