China initiates nationwide effort to protect bird migration passages

GUANGZHOU -- China on Friday kicked off a nationwide effort to protect bird migration passages.

Launched in Zhuhai, South China's Guangdong province, the effort is part of the promotion campaign for World Wildlife Day, which falls on March 3 this year.

The National Forestry and Grassland Administration issued an action plan for the year 2021-2035 during the campaign, designating 1,140 places, including Poyang Lake in Jiangxi province, as major destinations for the resting, breeding and wintering of migratory birds.

It also set the main tasks for the country, such as building a compensation mechanism for damage caused by migratory birds, and stepping up the protection and restoration of migration passages.

Over the past 10 years, China has made efforts to save endangered species, and has established national parks, as well as the botanical gardens system, to protect wild animals and plants, according to Li Chunliang, deputy director of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.