On Monday 29 September 2025 I was honoured to be invited to witness the signature of a bilateral cooperation agreement between China (Li Yunqing, Vice Administrator of the National Forest and Grassland Administration) and New Zealand (Ambassador Jonathan Austin) on migratory birds. Specifically, the agreement covers cooperation between Yalu Jiang in Liaoning Province and Pukorokoro Miranda in the Firth of Thames, North Island. These two sites share thousands of Bar-tailed Godwits (Limosa lapponica, 斑尾塍鹬 Bānwěi chéng yù, Kuaka) that migrate from non-breeding grounds in New Zealand to breeding grounds in Alaska. For many, Yalu Jiang is their only stop. Incredibly, in autumn, these birds migrate non-stop from Alaska to New Zealand, completing a triangular migration that spans hemispheres. To protect migratory birds, it’s not enough to protect the breeding grounds.. it’s also vital to protect the non-breeding grounds and the important stopover sites in between. Congratulations to China and New Zealand for their leadership in elevating the importance of migratory birds and committing to collaborate to protect shared natural heritage. I very much hope this is an example that will be followed by other countries.
