INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Residing on an attractive island, with a view of the large sea and accompanied by the noise of waves and birdsong, He Jibai, aged 29, has
for the past 3 years done what is thought about Chinas most poetic job
Having previously operated in biodiversity research study, he has been passionate about nature observation since youth
After leaving his task in 2022, he found a seabird monitoring program on one of the islands of Nanji Archipelago National Marine Nature
Reserve in Wenzhou City, east Chinas Zhejiang Province, and joined it during his career break.Seabird screens dealing with the island track
the whole reproductive cycle of terns & from their arrival and courtship to egg-laying, incubation, chick-rearing and departure
Their duties consist of environment management, rodent control, keeping track of migratory birds and avoiding bird influenza
Rodent control is aimed at lowering predatory risks.Last year, recruitment for this position amassed extensive spotlight, with over 6,000
candidates thought about, of whom only 12 were selected
This year, in less than 4 days after the recruitment statement on February 24, nearly 500 applications were received.The primary focus of
these seabird monitoring officers is the Chinese crested tern, noted as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of
Nature and classified as a national top-notch protected animal in China.In addition to Chinese crested terns, the screens likewise carefully
observe other secured types, such as the great crested tern, which is a second-class secured types in China, uncommon mammals like the
Eurasian otter and the East Asian finless cetacean, in addition to a number of other rare seabirds
The work revolves mostly around tern breeding
While it may appear monotonous to outsiders, it lines up completely with my expectations, and I completely enjoy it, he said.According to
Fan Zhongyong, a teacher at the Zhejiang Museum of Natural History and director of the Hangzhou Birds and Ecology Research Society, seabird
displays require relevant knowledge or professional experience to be gotten approved for the task
Since 2017, we have hired trainees in ornithology and proficient specialists to strengthen our workforce
Public recruitment likewise raises awareness about seabird preservation, Fan said.April marks the peak of bird migration on the island, and
the group records passing migratory birds to better understand migration patterns
Firsthand data gathered through their tracking efforts serve as the structure for the development of more scientific, effective and targeted
preservation strategies.Fan highlighted that these seabird preservation undertakings also depend on the support of the three nature
reserves.Currently, the Zhejiang Museum of Natural Historys Chinese crested tern research team is working carefully with Jiushan Archipelago
National Nature Reserve in Xiangshan County of Ningbo City, the Provincial Bird Nature Reserve of Wuzhi Mountain Archipelago in Dinghai
District of Zhoushan City and Nanji Archipelago National Marine Nature Reserve, all of which have made considerable contributions to the
security of the Chinese crested tern.Seabird monitoring looks for to check out new approaches for bring back seabird populations in China,
protecting and handling seabird habitats, and raising public awareness of seabird and marine conservation.Discussing the effectiveness of
preservation efforts, Fan noted: Over the previous years, artificial tourist attraction methods have actually effectively assisted in the
healing of Chinese crested tern populations
The worldwide Chinese crested tern population had grown from fewer than 50 individuals in 2010 to more than 200 by 2022
In recent years, over 85 percent of the worlds reproducing Chinese crested terns have been discovered in Xiangshan and Dinghai, making these
2 locations in Zhejiang the most important international websites for conservation and breeding of this species.Last year, Chinas National
Forestry and Grassland Administration reported steady growth in uncommon and endangered wildlife populations, in addition to improving
Over 100 types & consisting of huge pandas, Siberian tigers, Asian elephants and Tibetan antelopes showed steady population increases, while
flocking bird species saw significant development in both diversity and numbers
This success story supplies a model for the global protection of threatened types, especially seabirds, said Chen Shuihua, previous
director of the Zhejiang Museum of Natural History and a previous leader of the Chinese crested tern research study team.For more: Zhejiang
Xiangshan Series: Return of the legendary bird(Cover: Chinese crested terns./ VCG)
