Dear Friends,

This is the 287th Edition of the Mangrove Action Project News, April 14, 2012.

For the Mangroves,

Alfredo Quarto
Mangrove Action Project

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SHRIMP LESS, THINK MORE campaign has changed it's name to QUESTION YOUR SHRIMP:
Learn more about the affects of the shrimp industry on mangroves by visiting our blog.
Join MAP on Facebook
Sign the Consumer's Pledge to avoid imported shrimp

Action Alerts:

Mangroves Arrive on Twitter: Take Part!
Qatar, April 21st
The Qatar Foundation International will be hosting a ‘TweetChat’ to raise awareness and promote the preservation of mangroves. This is linked to a field visit to the Al Dakhira Mangroves in Qatar, as part of the ‘Mapping the Mangroves’ project, which aims to connect and mobilize a global network of proactive, environmentally-engaged citizens who collect and disseminate information about the world's mangroves. In the coming months, the Mapping Mangroves project will be expanded to Brazil and Costa Rica. The project’s ultimate goal will be to provide students and educators around the world with a freely available collection of online materials dedicated to preserving our world's mangroves.
We hope you will join in - this is a great chance to engage with the students and experts attending the event, and others interested in mangroves worldwide. READ MORE
To participate, follow the hashtag #MapGrove on Twitter

Write A Review of Mangrove Action Project - Tell your story, help others learn about MAP. MAP needs your help! We havde a little favor to ask of you. If you like MAP's work then please tell the world! You have an exciting opportunity to help us make even more of a difference for MAP. GreatNonprofits – a site like Amazon Book Reviews or TripAdvisor – is conducting a campaign to identify the top-rated green nonprofits in the country – CLICK HERE to complete survey

In Los Angeles area April 21? Check out this event by the Band Culture Shock benefiting MAP Click Here
 
Support Bimini Island’s Marine Protected Area byClicking Here

Green Planet Fundraising Assists MAP – LEARN MORE

Greenpeace Germany investigating impacts of shrimp farming in S.E Asia... VIEW VIDEO
 
HELP STOP archaic practice of dumping 396,000,000 gallons a day of inadequately treated sewage into the coastal waters of southeast Florida.CLICK HERE

Watch “Murky Waters Bangladesh shrimp film” CLICK HERE

NEW FEATURE - View MAP’s uploaded Videos at MAPmangrover’sChannel

Legal Petition to stop the Multi-Billion Lamu Port Project – Sign The Petiton

MAP Calendar Sponsors Wanted – Help support next year’s calendar now. READ MORE

Support MAP's Efforts

MAP's 2012 Calendar Order Form
Print form and mail in to MAP – Click Here

Support MAP through Reading

Purchase a copy of Kennedy Warne’s book Let Them Eat Shrimp: The Tragic Disappearance of the Rainforests of the Sea at www.letthemeatshrimp.org. Just add the promo code 5MAP at check-out and you’ll receive a 25% discount off the cost of the book plus 10% of the proceeds will go back to the organization to support their efforts to save mangroves. PLEASE PASS THIS INVITATION ON TO YOUR FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES MORE INFO

Support MAP through Art!


Enma Saiz has released only 50 signed reproductions.
Read More

Own one of these beautiful photos of Karin Wijnand's specially commissioned mangrove sculptures. CLICK HERE for pricing details, then Click here to receive Email Instructions on how to order.

Support MAP through Kayaking!

Book your Mangrove Kayak adventure and MAP receives a portion of proceeds to contiue its work!
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MAP’s VOLUNTEER INTERNS HELP MAP MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE
READ MORE

MANGROVE ISSUES

“Education In The Mangroves" can now be seen on the PhotoPhilanthropy website here!

Mangrove Rebirth Now on Air! WATCH NOW

Marvellous Mangroves – A Curriculum-Based Teachers Guide.
By Martin A. Keeley, Education Director, Mangrove Action Project
Read this 10 page history of the development of MAP’s educational curriculum VIEW DOCUMENT

FOR MORE ON MAPs AWARD WINNING CHINA MANGROVE CURRICULUM VISIT THESE SIGHTS
SLIDE SHOW
VIMEO SHOW

Education In The Mangroves
Six minute video features discussion of Mangrove Action Project’s Mangrove Curriculum VIEW THE VIDEO

FEATURE STORY

Defenders of the mangrove ecosystem reject 'legalization' of shrimp farming
The "legalization" of pools dedicated to shrimp production is "a license for impunity," says National Coordinator for Mangrove (C-ConDem). This organization works toward the protection, preservation and restoration of mangrove ecosystems to ensure their vitality and their peoples. According to the president of C-CONDEM, Maria Dolores Vera, the aquaculture industry is largely responsible for the destruction of the mangrove ecosystem of Ecuador and "the displacement of thousands of families of fishermen and artisanal gatherers in their territory". VIEW STORY
We’ve posted Maria’s complete letter on our blog, CLICK HERE
 
AFRICA

Fishing Over-Exploitation in Africa Could Lead to ‘New Somalia’

SOMALIA - Over-exploitation of West African fisheries is leading to warnings of piracy and a ‘new Somalia.’ Every day, hundreds of unlicensed fishing vessels enter African waters and trawl for shrimp, sardines, tuna, and mackerel. According to a study commissioned by the UK’s aid agency, such trawlers are costing Africa at least $1 billion every year. According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation, all west African fishing grounds are fully or over-exploited to the detriment of over 1.5 million local fishermen who cannot compete with them or feed their growing populations. Fingers are pointing at subsidized EU-registered fleets, breaching European fishing policy whereby trawlers are only supposed to take fish that are surplus to developing country needs. READ MORE 

ASIA
 
Marine Protected Areas in Seagrass Meadows at Phra Thong Island,Thailand

THAILAND - Phra Thong is a large island on the Andaman coast of Thailand that has extensive seagrass meadows on its eastern side. At low tide, people of all ages collect molluscs from the meadows, especially Strombus canarium (dog conch), along with other valuable animals such as the sea cucumber Holothuria scabra (sandfish). There has been intense, unrestricted harvesting near villages, which has led to fears of over-exploitation. The villages of Tha Payoi and Pak Chok (Lions) have established marine protected areas (MPAs) in their seagrass meadows. They wish to demonstrate that they can manage their own resources wisely, and this project supports their initiative and plans to provide a quantitative evaluation of the effectiveness of their MPAs. READ MORE
 
FAO backs prevention of shrimp disease in Vietnam
VIETNAM - The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has agreed to support a one-year project worth US$500,000 to control the spread of a particular shrimp disease in Vietnam. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the fund will be used to employ international and domestic consultants, buy new breeding shrimps and pay for equipment and lab activities to find out causes of the disease. The FAO will also help improve biological safety in shrimp farming, complete instructions for urgent situations and develop a strategy to manage aquatic products. In recent months, the disease breakout became serious, especially in southern provinces. It has affected 30,000 shrimp farming families. VIEW SOURCE
 
Strike gets hostile at Thai plant
Police threatened workers and fired shots into the air as a dispute involving about 800 Cambodian workers at Phatthana Seafood Co. Ltd. in Thailand’s Songkhla province escalated yesterday, a workers’ representative said. Sok Sorng said “many police” had threatened workers with guns as more than 1,000 workers, including some from Myanmar and Thailand, rallied against management locking them out of the factory, which is believed to be a supplier of retail giant Walmart, a day after they went on strike over wages. “There were so many police deployed in front of the factory,” he said. Police had threatened to shoot workers if they entered the factory, and fired their guns into the air to disperse the crowd, Sok Sorng said. “They wanted us to be scared,” he said. READ MORE
 
China looks to Indian success story in fight to save its mangroves
INDIA - Chinese environmentalists want to learn from India's experience in protecting mangrove forests even as they face an uphill struggle to save their country's wetlands from increasing developmental pressures. In the tropical southern Chinese island province of Hainan, which boasts one of China's most pristine mangrove forest wetland reserves, environmentalists are fighting off a tourism push and new development plans to protect the island's rich and unique ecosystem. At Dongzhaigang Bay, China's first mangrove nature reserve which lies on the outskirts of the bustling provincial capital of Haikou on Hainan island's northern coast, acres of pristine mangrove forests sit beside quiet fishing villages. The 3,300 hectare wetlands here are home to 25 mangrove species besides 194 species of birds, including rare and nationally protected Chinese egrets and black-faced spoonbills. READ VIEW

Editor's Note: While MAP continues to denounce the practice of intensive shrimp farming practices, this next story reflects the complexity facing coastal communities who struggle with complex issues and the need for better practices.
Marine Biologist is a Giant in World of Shrimp Medicine


INDONESIA - After Aceh was devastated by the 2004 tsunami, its economy had to be rebuilt to meet the demand for food and to provide jobs. Marine biologist Sidrotun Naim, 32, the “shrimp doctor” to her Acehnese colleagues, is playing a pivotal role in this rebuilding, and in the future health of Indonesian shrimp farms. Sidrotun arrived in Aceh’s Pidie district in 2006, after she graduated in marine biology from the University of Queensland in Australia. Working as part of a tsunami rehabilitation program through the World Wildlife Fund, Sidrotun was asked to consult on a shrimp breeding project. “They said, ‘You’re clever and still young, you must study the shrimp and help us,’ ” Sidrotun said. And so she dedicated herself to shrimp, and helping the people of Pidie and Aceh get back on their feet. READ MORE
 
NORTH AMERICA
 
Another great success of CODDEFFAGOLF:
HONDURAS - As we reported in Honduras, the shrimp association (ANDAH) was trying to co-manage Protected Areas of the Gulf of Fonseca, for which they pressured the governmental Institute of Forest Conservation, Protected Areas and Wildlife (ICF). With all their political and economic power they put pressure on the ICF through deputies and high-ranking government officials. But we likewise counterattacked with mass media and holding talks with government officials from the ICF, to make the international community see the intentions and consequences of this outrage and mockery. Yesterday we were unofficially told that the ICF had decided to reject the offer of ANDAH, because they understood that the intention was to "cleanup the image of shrimp aquaculture" as requested by importers. As we suggest ANDAH has still the possibility of supporting environmental activities within their social and environmental responsibility through an agreement with the ICF. Meanwhile, the rejection of the co-management of protected areas by the ANDAH is a significant success of this organization. VISIT CODDEFFAGOLF
 
Report: Cut forage fish catches in half
USA - A new report is recommending that global catches of herring, anchovy and other forage fish be cut in half. The Lenfest Forage Fish Task Force released a report — “Little Fish, Big Impact” — that urged fisheries managers to put its recommendation into action to protect the carnivorous fish and marine mammals and birds that rely on forage fish. The report was financed by the Lenfest Foundation through the Pew Charitable Trusts. It found that forage fish now account for 37 percent, by weight, of all fish harvested worldwide, up from about 8 percent 50 years ago. The majority of these fish are used in fish and agriculture feed or nutritional supplements. The report claimed that, globally, forage fish are twice as valuable in the water as in a net, contributing USD 11.3 billion by serving as food for other commercially valuable fish, more than double the USD 5.6 billion they generate as direct catch. READ MORE
 
Study Finds Ocean Acidification Rate is Highest in 300 Million Years, CO2 is Culprit
USA - A new study concludes that the current rate of ocean acidification is higher than at any time in at least the last 300 million years and attributes this ecosystem-threatening change to the huge quantities of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere from fossil-fuel burning and deforestation. The study’s investigators, at Columbia University and other institutions, scrutinized Earth’s geologic record for times in ancient history when natural events such as intensive volcanic activity may have similarly led to CO2 releases or ocean acidification. Although none of those ancient chemical changes appear to have been as extreme as those occurring today, there is nonetheless evidence that they contributed to serious ecological disruptions. That suggests that current trends similarly pose serious threats to marine ecosystems, the researchers conclude in the journal Science. READ MORE
 
THE LAST WORD 

From MAP's Co-Founder, Alfredo Quarto -

The news article "Shrimp farmers manage to recover mangroves" (MAP News Isuu 286 March 31, 2012) states that the shrimp farms in Ecuador are themselves restoring the mangroves, stating that "the Ecuadorian shrimp industry managed to recover1.6 per cent of the total area of the existing mangroves in 1999."  Though this might seem a very positive trend, there needs to be a more careful analysis as to what exactly these figures signify. Here are my own questions regarding this stated "recovery "of mangroves:
 
1)   Does this so-called mangrove recovery signify a monoculture plantation of only one species of mangroves planted by hand in the mudflats of Ecuador, as is the case with the great majority of restoration attempts around the world? These kinds of "restoration" efforts do not really restore, but instead convert a valuable mudflat ecosystem into an unhealthy mangrove plantation of one species- most likely the red mangrove or rhizophora.
 
2)   Are the new shrimp farms being located behind the mangroves in the rapidly disappearing salt flats, which themselves play an important ecological function? Reportedly, over 85% of Ecuador’s salt flats have been lost to recent developments; and shrimp farm expansions into the salt flats there have been rapid and condoned. But the salt flats themselves are part of the extended inter-tidal wetlands which includes the mangroves, and so converting these saltflats to shrimp ponds adversely affects the whole coastal zone, and can block or reduce the flow of waters and needed nutrients to the mangroves.  Just because the mangroves are left intact does not mean they are not harmed from such developments upland that block the natural hydrology or cause pollution or sedimentation downstream that can adversely affect the mangroves.
 
So all in all, I am quite skeptical of the cheery news coming from this news report, and challenge the shrimp industry in Ecuador and the author of this article to sponsor an independent third party to investigate its claims of that 1.6% increase in mangrove area to verify the health and productivity of these “restored” areas over the next two or three years.
 
Ciao,
 
Alfredo

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