Saemangeum Citizen Ecological Survey Team Urges "Establish Protection Measures for the Endangered Black-headed Gull!"

A black-headed gull in flight. Unlike the commonly seen Black-tailed Gull, the black-headed gull has a black head. Photo by Saemangeum Citizen Ecology Survey Team

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Gominhyeong] Voices are growing louder calling for urgent measures to protect the endangered Black-headed Gull in Saemangeum.

The Saemangeum Citizen Ecological Survey Team stated in a press release on the 25th, "It has been confirmed that the internationally endangered Black-headed Gull is breeding within the Saemangeum reclaimed land industrial complex," adding, "The Black-headed Gulls have been continuously using the Saemangeum area as a breeding ground for three consecutive years."

According to the survey team, since last month until now, about 20 Black-headed Gulls have been mating, building nests, laying eggs, and caring for their chicks inside the Saemangeum industrial complex.

The Black-headed Gull is a rare species with only about 14,000 individuals worldwide, and the Ministry of Environment has designated it as a Class 2 endangered wild animal for management.

The first confirmation of Black-headed Gulls breeding in Saemangeum was in April 2018, meaning they have been continuously using the Saemangeum area as a breeding site for three years.

In the Black-headed Gull breeding grounds, about 600 Saunders's Gulls are also nesting and breeding. In 2019, it was surveyed that about 5,000 Saunders's Gulls bred in the same location, but this year their numbers have significantly decreased.

Before the full-scale development of Saemangeum, about 600 Black-headed Gulls inhabited the tidal flats at the estuaries of Mangyeong River and Dongjin River, but with the development of Saemangeum, their numbers have decreased annually, and since 2015, only a few dozen individuals have been observed, the survey team expressed regret.

The survey team demanded measures, stating, "The government has the responsibility to protect the endangered Black-headed Gull, but no habitat preservation measures have been prepared within the Saemangeum area," and added, "During the breeding period, construction should be halted, and even after the breeding season ends, habitats and places where Black-headed Gulls can find food must also be preserved to ensure their survival."