Amidst the biannual bird migration along the East Asia-Australasia Flyway, the remarkable journey of a diminutive avian creature has sparked widespread fascination. Revered as the spoon-billed sandpiper, this critically endangered wader, with a global population of only 800, is regarded as one of the “flagship species” for the protection of wetland ecosystems along the flyway.

The protection of spoon-billed sandpipers and other flagship species, and the dissemination of relevant knowledge, was one of the focal points of the first China Mangrove CEPA (communication, capacity building, education, participation and awareness) International Symposium held in UpperHills, Futian District on July 6.