环境摄影大师韶华用影像诉说环保：红树林

The expansion of rice paddies and shrimp farms in this part of Guangdong near the South China Sea is the leading reason for the destruction of mangrove forests, a critical type of wetland habitat for aquatic species protection, water quality, and flood control. Mangrove forests are fragile ecosystems that serve as reservoirs of biodiversity, and their rich nutrient base and coastal location make them ideal hatcheries for wild shrimp and other aquatic species. Even the mudflats between mangrove patches have habitat value and are home to migratory birds.
稻田和虾类养殖场的不断膨胀是广东省濒临南海地区红树林遭到破坏的首要因素，而红树林作为一种极为重要的湿地类型在水生物种保护、水质量维护以及洪水调节中起着重要的作用。脆弱的红树林生态系统维系着生物多样性，它濒临海岸，富含丰富的营养物质，是野生虾类和诸多水生物种理想的孵化场所，即便是穿插于红树林之间的泥滩也是许多迁徙鸟类的家园。

"We see a growing recognition in China for saving specific high-value wetland areas. More and more important sites are protected," says Chen Kelin, director of Wetlands International's China office. But, he adds, "there is still a need for additional steps to stop the rapid loss of the many other wetlands due to overgrazing and drainage and to prevent wetland loss due to schemes like dams and water diversion."
湿地国际中国办事处主任陈克林说：“在中国湿地保护已经受到越来越多的关注，许多地方已经建立起了保护区。但是，要阻止因过度放牧以及污水排放造成的湿地迅速流失，还包括各种水利建设、河流改道等项目所造成的湿地破坏，还需要采取更多其他措施。”

A farmer works in the rice fields on the Leizhou Peninsula in Guangdong Province in southern China. Image by Sean Gallagher, China, 2010.
图片中一个来自中国南部省份广东雷州半岛的稻农正在劳作。摄影师：韶华

China's increasing population and rising food demand is fueling a boom in both rice and seafood production in the region. Ironically, the mangroves—home to wild shrimp—are being cleared to make room for commercial shrimp aquaculture.
人口增长以及随之而来的食物需求扩大使得该地区的水稻生产和海产品需求不断激增。具有讽刺意味的是，红树林做为野生虾类的家园，不断被开垦成为商业养殖虾类的场所。

China has 61 million acres of wetlands, which include swamps, mangroves, lagoons, river deltas, lakes, and coastal areas that collectively cover about 2.5 percent of the country.
中国湿地面积大约61英亩，包括沼泽、红树林、环礁湖、河流三角洲、湖泊以及沿海一些地区，总计为国土面积的2.5%。