TCS

The first-ever Crested Ibis Releasing Ceremony in the ROK was held in Changnyeong County, Gyeongsangnam-do on May 22, 2019 in line with International Day for Biological Diversity. Mr. KIM Kyoung-soo, Governor of Gyeongsangnam-do, Mr. CHO Myung-Rae, Minister of Environment of the ROK and other high profile officials attended the ceremony and delivered opening and congratulatory remarks. More than 700 participants including representatives from China and Japan attended the Ceremony. TCS Deputy Secretary-General YAMAMOTO Yasushi took TCS delegation to the ceremony and participated in the Crested Ibis feeding activity.

This time 40 Crested Ibises were supposed to release in total as 40 years have passed since crested ibises went extinct in the ROK. 10 out of 40 birds have been released at the ceremony, the left will be released gradually. Throughout 40 years, the ROK received 4 Crested Ibises from China and successfully bred till 363 birds under the reintroduction program. Crested ibis is currently only breeding in the three countries of China, Japan and the ROK. Experiencing extinction of the Crested Ibis, the three countries have been making the joint efforts on the recovery of the Crested Ibises which became the symbol of friendship and trilateral cooperation among the three countries. 

In line with the Ceremony, the 3rd International Symposium for Asian Crested Ibis in China, Japan and the ROK was held on May 23, 2019 in Changnyeong County, Gyeongsangnam-do, the ROK. The Symposium brought together governmental officials and experts on Crested Ibis from the three countries to share each countries’ best practice and policy on protecting Crested Ibis and reintroduction into the wild.

Representing the TCS, Deputy Secretary-General YAMAMOTO Yasushi attended the Symposium and delivered a congratulatory remarks. In his remarks, he spoke highly of contribution made by the relevant experts of the three countries on the recovery of Crested Ibises. In addition, he saw the high potential of trilateral cooperation surrounding the Crested Ibis in various areas arranging from environment, culture, tourism to the business among the three countries. In this regard, he touched upon that the TCS will organize Crested Ibis International Forum 2019 in Seoul on July 11, 2019 to discuss crested ibis related cooperation at local government level as well as culture and tourism cooperation among the three countries.