Partnering with State Forestry Administration and World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the Paulson Institute established a network of 35 national level coastal wetland nature reserves in 11 coastal provinces. The Coastal Wetland Conservation Network will promote cooperation among government agencies, research institutes, nature reserves, and wetland parks, and help improve capability and management practices.
The network shares data, technical tools, and best management practices. The project also provides training for wetland managers and officials to enhance their leadership and management capacity. International experts are invited to share their experiences and lessons from other countries. The first meeting of the Network took place in Fuzhou, Fujian Province, on June 2015.
At the meeting, attended by more than 150 wetlands experts and officials, Fuzhou Deputy Mayor Yan Keshi read the “Fuzhou Declaration,” which stressed the need for government, NGOs, and the private sector to increase support for the protection of coastal wetlands. The declaration stated that China’s coastal wetlands face four main challenges: reduction in area as a result of reclamation; pollution resulting from residential use and agricultural and industrial manufacturing; overfishing; and the spread of invasive species, which destroy natural ecosystems.