UNESCO listing better protects birds

He said that East China's tidal mud flats have long been affected by economic development. "Major human activities, such as aquaculture and construction of wind power plants, and the spread of such invasive species as spartina (a cordgrass) on the mud flats have destroyed many of the country's tidal mud flats," he said. As a result, the rich intertidal wetlands in Yancheng and Dongtai have become vital for many shorebird species' survival.