Kaladan Estuary, Hunter's Bay and Combermere Bay
Location:
18°40'-20°30'N, 92°40'-94°10'E; on the Arakan coast from the Mayu estuary and region of Sittwe in the north to the Kaleindaung estuary and region of Taungup in the south, Rakhine State.
Area:
c.500,000 ha.
Altitude:
Sea level.
Biogeographical Province:
4.4.1
Wetland type:
01, 02, 03, 05, 06, 07, 11, 13, 18 & 19
Description of site:
A vast complex of shallow sea bays and estuarine systems, with numerous islands, tidals channels and creeks, extensive mangrove swamps and alluvial plains. Several of the larger islands are hilly, rising to over 300m. The site extends for some 250 km from northwest to southeast, and is up to 60 km wide. It includes the estuarine systems of the Mayu River, Kaladan River, Mm Chaung, Kun Chaung, Amyek An Chaung, Lamu Chaung, Kaleindaung, Taniwe Chaung, Tauagup Chaung and many smaller rivers, all draining the Arakan Yoma hills which rise abruptly to the east. Some of the most extensive mangrove swamps are situated between Ramree Island and the mainland coast in the south. Large areas of the coastal plain and mangrove swamps have been converted to rice paddies, particularly in the floodplains and estuaries of the Mayu and Kaladan rivers in the north. There are extensive intertidal mudflats along the northern edge of Hunter's Bay, around parts of Combermere Bay and in the Kaleindaung estuary. Coral reefs fringe the outer coasts of some of the larger islands.
Climatic conditions:
Tropical monsoonal climate.
Principal vegetation:
Mangrove forest. Some of the larger islands support tropical evergreen forest. The Arakan Yoma to the east are covered in dense tropical evergreen forest and pure stands of bamboo.
Land tenure:
No information.
Conservation measures taken:
One of the largest remaining stands of mangrove forest is included within the Wunbaik Reserved Forest.
Conservation measures proposed:
No information.
Land use:
No information.
Disturbances and threats:
Much of the coastal plain and mangrove forest has already been converted to agricultural land, and this destruction of wetland habitat presumably continues. Some illicit hunting of crocodiles reportedly still occurs, large individuals being killed by spearing. Crocodiles are also caught accidentally in fishing nets.
Economic and social values:
No information.
Fauna:
During the early part of the present century, the area was of considerable importance for a wide variety of both resident and migratory waterfowl. Smythies (1953) lists the following as resident species: Tachybaptus ruficollis, Phalacrocorax niger, Anhinga melanogaster, twelve species of Ardeidae including Egretta sacra, Ardea imperialis and A. sumatrana, Ciconia episcopus, Plegadis falcinellus, Dendrocygna bicolor, D. javanica, Cairina scutulata, Sarkidiornis melanotos, Nettapus coromandelianus, Grus antigone sharpii, Amaurornis akool, Gallicrex cinerea, Porphyrio porphyrio, Heliopais personata, Hydrophasianus chirurgus, Metopidius indicus, Esacus recurvirostris, Glareola maldivarum, G. lactea, Vanellus duvaucelii, Sterna aurantia, S. melanogaster and S. albifrons. Regular winter visitors and passage migrants included Gorsachius melanolophus, Anastomus oscitans, Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus, Leptoptilos javanicus, Threskiornis melanocephalus, Platalea leucorodia, eleven species of Anatidae (including Anas falcata and Aythya baeri), over 30 species of shorebirds and Larus brunnicephalus. There are 19th Century records of the Pink-headed Duck Rhodonessa caryophyllacea.
Very little recent information is available, and the present status of waterfowl in the area is unknown. Some 200 Anastomus oscitans were reported north of Taungul in October 1982, and nine Leptoptilos javanicus were observed in coastal fields in February 1983 (Luthin, 1984).
A population of the Estuarine Crocodile Crocodylus porosus still survives in the extensive mangrove swamps to the east of Ramree Island, although numbers have decreased greatly since the early l960s, when the species was considered to be common.
Marine turtles are known to nest widely along the Arakan coast, but no details are available.
Special floral values:
No information.
Research and facilities:
Very little research of any kind has been carried out in the area in recent decades, presumably because of security problems.
References:
Blower (1983); FAO (1985a); Karpowicz (1985); Luthin (1984); Smythies (1953).
Criteria for Inclusion:
1b, 2a, 3b.
Source:
See references.