Wild birds need to be protected in the Beibu Gulf in southwestern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region as rapid economic growth in the region takes place, experts have warned.

Zhang Zhengwang, secretary general of China Ornithological Society and a professor at Beijing Normal University said local governments should establish eco-regions to protect wildlife, with a focus on sustainable development.

"I have seen factories spring up in the Beibu Gulf Economic Belt, and I am worried about the existence of local wild birds," Zhang said during a seminar on bird protection in the gulf held on Sunday.

The Beibu Gulf is an important stopover for migratory birds along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway and safeguarding the environment is crucial, Zhang said.

Having researched birds in Bohai Bay, home to China's northern economic power house, Zhang found that extensive land reclamation of tidal flats has led to the decline in the number of wild birds. He does not want a similar tragedy to happen in the Beibu Gulf.

Some cities around the gulf have taken action. Fangchenggang City of Guangxi has implemented a "green barrier" project to protect the ecosystem through natural reserves, which has effectively protected the area's mangrove forest.

"To find a balance in economic development and wildlife protection is never an easy task," said Paul Insua-Cao, project coordinator of The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

Insua-Cao said illegal bird hunting must be punished, while international cooperation in migratory bird protection needed improving.

The Beibu Gulf Economic Zone covering Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan was approved by the central government in 2008 and is part of the country's "Go West" strategy to boost its less developed western regions.