Against the rules?

The natural reserve is managed by three stations: Dawenliu, Huanghekou and Yiqianer. The first two are responsible for the Yellow River estuary and its surrounding area, while the area next to the petrochemical base comes under the Yiqianer.

An official heading up scientific research for the reserve's administrative bureau, who did not want to be identified, admitted the industrial development plans do encroach onto its "experimental area".

"There is an overlap," he told China Daily after drawing a line on a map to prove it. "We are against the plan and have been trying to stop it, but to no avail. We have to acquiesce (to such development projects)."

He explained there is no plan yet to change the boundaries of the nature reserve to allow more space for the development zone.

The country's Regulations on Nature Reserves define three "function areas" of any reserve. It also stipulates that the "core area" and function area should be strictly protected, and only opened for scientific observation and research.

The experimental zone can be used for scientific experiments, educational activities and tourism.

"Activities such as logging, grazing, hunting moor burning, mining, quarrying and dredging are forbidden," according to the rules.

Changing the boundaries or functions of a nature reserve have to be approved by the State Council, said Zhu Guangqing, deputy director of the Ministry of Environmental Protection's natural protection and ecology conservation department.

"The principle is that, once the boundaries and functions of a nature reserve are settled, changing them should be avoided," he said.

This suggests that the activities in the experiment zone of the Yellow River Delta Nature Reserve - draining and dredging - are illegal. The planning of the development zone is also against the law.

However, conflicts between nature conservation and economic development are "not uncommon" in China, and some provinces are currently trying to adjust the boundaries of nature reserves, said the administrative bureau official in Dongying.

"Sometimes experts don't expect a contradiction between development and protection. They just designate a certain area as a nature reserve for its ecological values, not realizing that it could be a great obstacle for future economic development," he said.

What is special about the Yiqianer site is that the administrative bureau only has partial land ownership of the nature reserve, making it even more difficult to effectively manage the site, he said.

Surrounding communities can continue with their traditional and agricultural activities, such as fishing, apiculture, wood collection and oil extraction, under an agreement with the administrative bureau, Chen Kelin, China director of Wetlands International, wrote in a paper about the Yellow River Delta published by Ramsar Convention, a UN wetlands protection body.

"In most cases when there is a sharp conflict, the government will decide the outcome," wrote Chen.

Asked whether the petrochemical plants would have a negative impact on the birds living and breeding on the nature reserve, the Dongying official replied: "As long as wastewater (from the plants) is not directly discharged into the reserve and damages the water systems, the impact will be limited."

However, there are still no monitoring facilities for pollution on the reserve, he added.