Several socioeconomic investigations were carried out around Dongtan of Chongming Island from March to May in 2005. The investigation focused on understanding the background data such as tidelands utilization, socioeconomic conditions, wetlands ecosystem management, and the dependence degree of surrounding residents on it. According to our study, the indigenous residents of Dongtan depends less on the tidelands. Among 3364 people who work on the tidelands, only 6% are indigenes and their benefits from tidelands work account for only 15% of their total earning. The incomes of a family rarely associate with the tidelands and therefore the economic activities on tidelands have little contribution to GDP of Dongtan area. However, it should be mentioned that a great number of people work on the tidelands obviously interfere with the habitats of migrants because these economic activities on the tidelands conflict with the birds′ activities spatiotemporally. Thus, unrestrained tidelands utilization inevitably leads to the competition for habitat between birds and the people, or even destroys the habitat of the birds and reduces their food resources. Therefore, based on the comparison among temporal niche of migrants, the timing of various economic activities, and the economic benefits from the activity, some suggestions concerning effective management and rational utilization on tidelands of Dongtan were proposed in this study. For example, we argue to develop regional industry potential, such as bird-watching, to allow people especially non-indigenes to change their conservative earning patterns. Further, with the sustainable development of bird-watching, it may also transform the traditional tidelands utilization patterns into service industry. In the transformation, we recommend to adjust the seasonal patterns of economic activities on tidelands, and to develop more practicable wetlands conservation and utilization policies matching the requirements of market economy system.