China's river delta reserve bans drones, adopts smart tech to protect migratory birds

JINAN, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Yellow River Delta National Nature Reserve in east China has stepped up efforts to protect migratory birds, as the reserve serves as a key wintering and stopover site for migratory birds around the globe.

The reserve spans approximately 153,000 hectares, with wetlands making up 74 percent of its total area. Of the nine major flyways around the globe, the East Asian-Australasian flyway and the West Pacific flyway pass through the reserve.

It attracts large numbers of birds to stop here and also draws wildlife photographers and birdwatching enthusiasts from across the region.

In response to concerns over the safety of migratory birds, authorities in the city of Dongying, Shandong Province, where the reserve is located, recently announced measures to ban unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) during peak migratory periods.

The ban, effective during the spring and autumn migratory seasons, applies to all UAV flights within the nature reserve as well as surrounding areas within a three-kilometer radius of the reserve.

The ban follows the tragic incident earlier this month when a bean goose was hit and killed by a UAV near the reserve, sparking widespread public attention.

"To protect the migratory birds, we will explore the use of digital technologies to curb unauthorized flights and ensure the effective implementation of the ban," said Hao Yingdong, an official from the nature reserve management committee.

The initiative is supported by an integrated "air-land-sea" monitoring network powered by cutting-edge digital technologies.

Over the recent years, the reserve has built an extensive surveillance system, with 66 cameras monitoring bird activity, 75 tracking wetlands, and over 40 monitoring human activities. The network provides 24-hour real-time monitoring in key areas, using technologies such as 5G, intelligent perception and edge AI.

Using AI-powered bird recognition technology, the system can automatically identify birds and display information about their species and health. The data is also included in real-time counting statistics and incorporated into quarterly samples of bird activity patterns.

Automatic bird recognition is a challenging job because some birds molt with the seasons. By integrating AI neural network algorithms and deep learning technologies, the platform has achieved an accuracy rate of over 90 percent in identifying flagship species and large birds.

In recent years, the reserve has also worked with over 30 state-level research institutes to build more than 10 monitoring and research platforms.

Thanks to protection efforts and improvements in the environment, the number of bird species in the reserve has risen from 187 to 374 over the past three decades, with over 6 million birds now breeding and resting here each year.

"The Yellow River Delta is recognized globally as a critically important site for bird conservation, supporting both breeding populations and birds migrating along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway," said James Fitzsimons, senior advisor of Global Protection Strategies of the Nature Conservancy.

Fitzsimons emphasized that China's efforts in coastal wetland protection hold significant global importance.

China has set up over 2,200 wetland protection areas, including 82 Wetlands of International Importance, known as Ramsar sites, 80 nationally important wetlands, and 22 international wetland cities. With over 53.33 million hectares of wetland areas under protection, China has created the largest wetland conservation system in Asia.

Ecological revival in China is also boosting economic growth. In November and December last year, the Yellow River Delta ecological tourism zone received 86,700 visitors, a 43.5 percent increase year on year, generating 4.27 million yuan (about 602,800 U.S. dollars) in tourism revenue, up 64.7 percent.

"This year, we've launched three new birdwatching routes, a series of bird-themed cultural products, and multiple birdwatching service stations to improve the experience for bird enthusiasts," said Liu Yang, an official with the city's tourism development promotion center.