Seafood Demand Threatens Migratory Bird Habitats, Study Finds<\/p>\n
Reporter<\/p>\n
September 25, 2026 | 07:31 am<\/p>\n
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Surging global demand for seafood products is\naccelerating the degradation of migratory bird routes worldwide,\nparticularly across Asia. Ding Li Yong, Regional Head of Flyways and\nSpecies Conservation at BirdLife International for Asia, stated that\nthis trend drives coastal industrial expansion that ultimately squeezes\navian habitats.<\/p>\n
\u201cBirds heading towards Southeast Asia and Australia are experiencing\na shortage or even a complete loss of habitats for resting and\nforaging,\u201d he said in a written message to Tempo on Thursday, September\n24, 2026.<\/p>\n
A recent study by BirdLife International shows the impact of the\nclimate crisis and natural exploitation on the survival of thousands of\nmigratory bird species. Habitat degradation and fragmentation make it\ndifficult for migratory birds to find places to replenish their energy\nduring their long journey. In severe cases, such habitat disruptions\nactively erode bird populations.<\/p>\n
In the sixth edition of its State of the World\u2019s Birds report,\nBirdLife International focuses for the first time on the fate of 1,843\nmigratory bird species. Habitat damage potentially occurs in three types\nof areas in the annual cycle of migratory birds: breeding grounds,\nstopover locations, and wintering grounds.<\/p>\n
The report highlights that 58 percent of the 1,099 key biodiversity\nareas (KBAs) vital for migratory birds are currently in poor or critical\ncondition. The most damaged bird stopover locations in recent times are\nwetlands. One-third of migratory bird species dependent on wetlands face\nhabitat loss due to desiccation, degradation, or land conversion for\nagriculture, forestry, and infrastructure.<\/p>\n
BirdLife emphasizes widespread damage across the four global\nterrestrial flyways, each traversed by 400 to 600 migratory species. One\nof these four routes is the East Asian\u2013Australasian Flyway (EAAF). The\nEAAF route recorded the sharpest population drop among all terrestrial\nflyways, reaching 53 percent. In effect, more than half of the species\ntraveling along this corridor face population declines.<\/p>\n
According to Ding Li Yong, habitats along the migration route are\nincreasingly stressed by changes in land use. Across much of Asia, vital\nresting grounds have been widely converted into rice paddies and\naquaculture farms. There are also climate changes leading to further\nfragmentation of wetlands and forests.<\/p>\n
\u201cIntensive use of agricultural chemicals also affects the food chain\nby reducing the number of invertebrates,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Mohammad Irham, a research expert at the Center for Biosystematics\nand Evolution Research of the National Research and Innovation Agency\n(BRIN), mentioned that the majority of stopover and wintering grounds in\nIndonesia are located outside conservation areas, making them vulnerable\nto land conversion.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe presence of migratory birds in agricultural and aquaculture\nareas also has the potential to conflict with land managers,\u201d said a\nmember of the aves research group at BRIN.<\/p>\n
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