[NATIONAL] Ramsar wetland in Han River cleaned up for protected birdlife

By Ko Dong-hwan

There is a tiny island on the Han River in the middle of Seoul where human entry is restricted almost all the time.
There is a small island near the Han River in the middle of Seoul where people are almost restricted from entering.

Only those contracted to monitor the site twice daily and those with clearance for research purposes are allowed to visit.
Entry is allowed only when permission is obtained for research purposes with a contracted on-site patrol twice a day.

The island, 1.3 kilometers long and 300 meters wide, is internationally recognized for its significance in providing a natural habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife species.
Bamseom, 1.3km long and 300m wide, is internationally recognized for providing a natural habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife species.

Bam Island has been under the city’s protection since 1999 when the city government recognized its ecological value. It earned additional recognition from the United Nations Convention on Wetlands in 2012, being designated as a Ramsar Wetland ― an ecological site of international importance under the Ramsar Convention of 1971.
Bamseom has been protected by the city since the city of Seoul recognized its ecological protection value in 1999. With further recognition from the 2012 United Nations Convention on Wetlands, it was designated as a ‘Ramsar Wetland’, an ecological site of international importance under the 1971 Ramsar Convention.

On Monday, the island received a rare visit from humans aboard a fleet of multipurpose operation vessels equipped with a high-pressure water hose and a hydraulic crane. Dispatched by the Han River Affairs Bureau under the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the boats arrived at the island on a mission to clean up the site.
On Monday, Bam Island was visited by people aboard multi-purpose vessels equipped with high-pressure water sprinklers and hydraulic cranes after a long absence. The Han River Project Headquarters under the Seoul Metropolitan Government dispatched a boat to the island to clean the site.

Korean willows that extensively populate the island were covered with droppings from thousands of great cormorants that stop by the island every winter.
The willows, the main flora of Bamseom Island, are covered with the droppings of thousands of cormorants that visit every winter.

“They usually perch high up on the trees along the island’s shoreline,” said Joo Yong-tae, the chief of the river affairs bureau. “If we don’t spray those droppings off the trees and just let them remain there, they prevent the branches from budding in spring.”
Joo Yong-tae, head of Seoul’s Han River Project Headquarters, said, “Cormorants are usually perched on tall trees along the island’s coastline.” “If the excrement is not washed off the tree and left as it is, it will not sprout in the spring.”

The importance of this job has risen in recent years with the number of migratory birds visiting the area spiking every winter. They numbered over 1,800 in November 2020 and the figure jumped to over 2,200 in 2021 and almost 4,700 in 2022, according to the city government.
The importance of cleaning has increased in recent years as the number of migratory birds that visit Ramsar sites every winter has skyrocketed. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the number of migratory birds visiting Ramsar exceeded 1,800 in November 2020, then surged to more than 2,200 in 2021 and nearly 4,700 in 2022.

KEY WORDS
■ entry (rights/opportunities to do so)
■ restrict restriction[한정]do
■ contract
■ Clearance approval, permission
■ habitat
■ migratory bird
■ ecological
■ designate
■ perch sitting
■ spike (value) soar

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