Ecological restoration work for the spoon-billed sandpiper habitat in the Xiaoyangkou wetland in Rudong county, Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province, commenced on May 26.

The work was entirely paid for by four companies responsible for causing harm to the environmental.

The compensation policy launched by the Rudong ecological environment bureau allows companies responsible for environmental damage to provide alternative restoration through compensation when direct restoration is not feasible.

Shao Xiangfeng, director of the bureau, said that they aim to improve the quality of the local ecological environment through restoration efforts and enhance awareness among enterprises regarding environmental protection through the policy.

The mudflat spanning 159,000 hectares in the county is one of five key wetland conservation areas in China. It also serves as an important stopover site along the migration route for numerous bird species, one of them being the spoon-billed sandpiper.

In 2009, construction on a high-tide habitat for the spoon-billed sandpiper began, aiming to provide a safe and comfortable environment for these rare migratory birds during high tides.

A large number of birds in the Xiaoyangkou wetland. [Photo/xuexi.cn]