THAMES ESTUARY: Bird site is too vital to lose
A report issued by a number of groups including the British Trust for Ornithology, Joint Nature Conservation Committee, RSPB and Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, named the Thames Estuary as one of the top five internationally important sites in the UK for waterbirds, and have criticised plans to build an airport nearby.
Initial ideas to establish a new airport somewhere along the estuary had been mooted by Mayor or London Boris Johnson, though plans have since stalled.
A similar plan to build an airport at Maplin Sands in the 1960s prompted a study of birdlife at the estuary, and although the airport never materialised, the study found the area to be of great importance, finding 12 species in internationally important numbers.
Immensely popular during winter and migration, the diversity of waterbird species means wildlife groups are keen to see any airport plans abandoned.
Chris Corrigan, RSPB South East's regional director, said: "If ever Boris needed proof of the environmental cost involved in building a Thames Estuary airport, this report is it.
"For years we have been pointing to the estuary's importance for countless species and here, in black and white yet again, is proof of just how remarkable the area really is for wildlife.
"The nearby Swale and Medway Estuaries, similarly recognised by this report for their international importance, will also lose out if an airport went ahead.
"If Boris thinks building an airport anywhere in this area is viable, this report shows he needs to think again."
Among the important species at the estuary are the ringed plover, dunlin, godwit, teal, shoveler and redshank.
The RSPB's conservation director, Dr Mark Avery, said: "This report shows our estuaries and wetlands are wonderful places for wildlife and they deserve to remain so.
"This information must present a wake-up call to protect these sites, rather than provide a record of how important they once were."
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