A body to coordinate activities and information exchange between 
ringing schemes in the region was proposed ("Asia-Pacific Waterbird 
Ringing Research Group"), with particular reference to colour-marking 
studies; the Asian Wetland Bureau may take the lead in this development, 
which is of obvious interest to Middle Eastern countries where ringing is 
taking place. 
The workshops produced their own interesting news and 
recommendations. There are plans to attach satellite transmitters in 
February 1992 to one or two birds of the remaining western population 
of 11 Siberian White Cranes which winters in the east Caspian Sea 
lowlands of Iran, so as to determine their unknown migration route and 
breeding grounds. The central population which winters in Bharatpur 
(India) has undergone a catastrophic decline recently (down to 10-12 
birds in winter 1990/91), which is thought to be mainly due to the crane- 
hunting which occurs along their migration route through Afghanistan 
and Pakistan. Last-ditch efforts to save these two populations were 
agreed upon by representatives of all the range states bar Afghanistan. 
The threatened waterfowl workshop mostly dealt with South Asian 
species, but it should be noted that "Recovery Plans" are currently being 
prepared for three Middle Eastern waterfowl (Marbled Teal, Lesser 
White-fronted Goose and Red-breasted Goose), and any Middle Eastern 
records of these species should be passed on to Dr Andy Green at IWRB 
(address below). The White-headed Duck recovery plan has already 
been published by IWRB. IWRB have also concluded that Ferruginous 
Duck should be added to the list of globally threatened waterfowl; the 
OSME region is one of the species's most important wintering strongholds. 
Details of all these and many more specific recommendations for action 
can be found in two documents, the Karachi Declaration and the Action 
Programme, obtainable from IWRB (Slimbridge, Gloucester, GL2 7BX, 
U.K.) and AWB (Institute of Advanced Studies, University of Malaya, 
Lembah Pantai, 59100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia). 
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