TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Surging global demand for seafood products is accelerating the degradation of migratory bird routes worldwide, particularly across Asia. Ding Li Yong, Regional Head of Flyways and Species Conservation at BirdLife International for Asia, stated that this trend drives coastal industrial expansion that ultimately squeezes avian habitats.
“Birds heading towards Southeast Asia and Australia are experiencing a shortage or even a complete loss of habitats for resting and foraging,” he said in a written message to Tempo on Thursday, September 24, 2026.
A recent study by BirdLife International shows the impact of the climate crisis and natural exploitation on the survival of thousands of migratory bird species. Habitat degradation and fragmentation make it difficult for migratory birds to find places to replenish their energy during their long journey. In severe cases, such habitat disruptions actively erode bird populations.
In the sixth edition of its State of the World's Birds report, BirdLife International focuses for the first time on the fate of 1,843 migratory bird species. Habitat damage potentially occurs in three types of areas in the annual cycle of migratory birds: breeding grounds, stopover locations, and wintering grounds.
The report highlights that 58 percent of the 1,099 key biodiversity areas (KBAs) vital for migratory birds are currently in poor or critical condition. The most damaged bird stopover locations in recent times are wetlands. One-third of migratory bird species dependent on wetlands face habitat loss due to desiccation, degradation, or land conversion for agriculture, forestry, and infrastructure.
BirdLife emphasizes widespread damage across the four global terrestrial flyways, each traversed by 400 to 600 migratory species. One of these four routes is the East Asian–Australasian Flyway (EAAF). The EAAF route recorded the sharpest population drop among all terrestrial flyways, reaching 53 percent. In effect, more than half of the species traveling along this corridor face population declines.
According to Ding Li Yong, habitats along the migration route are increasingly stressed by changes in land use. Across much of Asia, vital resting grounds have been widely converted into rice paddies and aquaculture farms. There are also climate changes leading to further fragmentation of wetlands and forests.
“Intensive use of agricultural chemicals also affects the food chain by reducing the number of invertebrates,” he added.
Mohammad Irham, a research expert at the Center for Biosystematics and Evolution Research of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), mentioned that the majority of stopover and wintering grounds in Indonesia are located outside conservation areas, making them vulnerable to land conversion.
“The presence of migratory birds in agricultural and aquaculture areas also has the potential to conflict with land managers,” said a member of the aves research group at BRIN.
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