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The MAP News, 229th Ed., 22 January 2010

Dear Friends,

This is the 229th Edition of the Mangrove Action Project News, January 22, 2010.

For the Mangroves,

Alfredo Quarto
Mangrove Action Project

MAP's Mission

Partnering with mangrove forest communities, grassroots NGOs, researchers and local governments to conserve and restore mangrove forests and related coastal ecosystems, while promoting community-based, sustainable management of coastal resources.

All news items and notices published in the MAP News can also be accessed directly from our home page www.mangroveactionproject.org, with links to the full story and the original source. New items are posted daily and are available as an RSS feed!

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SHRIMP LESS, THINK MORE:
Learn more about the affects of the shrimp industry on mangroves by visiting our blog.
Sign the Consumer's Pledge to avoid imported shrimp

MAP ACTIVITIES:

2010 MAP Calendar On Sale Now!
New Group forms in Australia to protect mangroves
MAPs Martin Keeley and Marvelous Mangroves go to China
Vote for the Worst Corporate Lobbyists in the Angry Mermaid Awards

MAP ANNOUNCEMENTS

Greetings
Dear Friend of the Mangroves,

Please enjoy or 229th issue of Late Friday News. As you'll see, there are some encouraging news items regarding the increasing awareness of our planet's tropical coastal forests and the people who rely upon them, yet, unfortunately, there is sad news as well.

This month, join me in sending your hearts and prayers to the people of Haiti who have suffered such unimaginable horror over the past few days. Please consider any help you may be able to give, whether financial or other, will go a long way to help.

Cheers,

Alfredo

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FEATURED NEWS:

Valuing nature protects biodiversity and reaps financial rewards

EUROPE - A new global study on the economics of ecosystem services and biodiversity loss suggests that governments can achieve more resilient economies and receive higher rates of return on their public investment strategies when they recognise and target the value of ecosystem services. A new report highlights the economic consequences of not valuing ecosystem services and biodiversity, whose benefits are frequently economically invisible in public policy and decision making. The world is facing a biodiversity crisis: forests, soils, wetlands, coral reefs and ocean fisheries are being depleted at significant rates, and these assets are being lost without a true understanding or reflection of their value in public policies, or in the accounts of society. Furthermore awareness needs to be raised. Read More

Source: Environmental Expert 01/18/2010

AFRICA
Tanzania, China sign livestock, aquaculture dealTANZANIA- Tanzania and China have sealed a five-year live stock and fish farming deal under which the East African country will open doors to Chinese investors in aquaculture and livestock development ventures. "The agreement puts the two countries in a win-win situation. Apart from financial gains, Tanzania will be able to adopt modern livestock breeding and fisheries development techniques from China," said Livestock and Fisheries Development Minister John Magufuli. According to Magufuli, the agreement could see the two sectors raising their contribution to the gross national product (GDP) from the current 4.7 percent for livestock and 1.6 percent for fisheries to 10 percent per year. The deal is renewable after every five years. Read More

Source: PANA 01/22/2010

Over 3000 Mangrove Trees Planted in Campo

CAMEROON - About 3000 mangrove trees, covering about 1 hectare and 1 kilometer of coastline have been planted in the Campo beach area to guard against coastal erosion and mitigate climate change. This is part of the implementation of the Mangrove Resilience Assessment and Adoption to Climate Change Project. The project is being carried out by the Cameroon Mangrove Network (CMN) in collaboration with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and civil society and non-governmental organizations based in the coastal areas of the country. Read More

Source: All Africa News 01/06/2010

ASIA

Resource-dependent livelihoods in the Sundarbans

BANGLADESH - The Sundarbans is the World's largest continuous mangrove area, covering some 10,000 km2 of land and water within the Ganges Delta, with some 62 percent located in Bangladesh and the remainder in the Indian state of West Bengal. The Sundarbans forms a uniquely rich ecosystem, famous for its tiger population (with perhaps more than 600 individuals), but with some 40 other mammal species, hundreds of bird species, as well as a wealth of reptiles, shellfish and marine turtles. Exemplified by one community, Southkhali, typical occupations are fisheries, farming, labour, trade and services, with half of the households depending mainly on the mangrove resources for their livelihoods, and the remaining ones to some extent. Read More

Source: CRBOM 01/11/2010

Bank, Bangla for Mangroves

BANGLADESH - The World Bank will provide Rs 200 crore over the next five years for the preservation of coastal Bengal, including the Sunderbans, Union environment minister Jairam Ramesh said today. “I had a discussion with the World Bank president in Copenhagen last month and he confirmed that Rs 200 crore has been earmarked for the preservation of Bengal’s coastline, including the Sunderbans. The project will be launched in June,” said Ramesh, who visited the Sunderbans during the day. He also said the Centre would soon launch a joint effort with Bangladesh to protect the Sunderbans. Read More

Source: Telegraph 01/12/2010

SOUTH ASIA

CP Prima Blames Shrimp Virus for Bond Hitch

INDONESIA - Embattled shrimp producer PT Central Proteinaprima on Monday blamed a virus outbreak as the main reason for failing to meet a bond interest payment that was due in December. In a statement to the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX), CP Prima said the virus attack meant it was unable to meet the Dec. 28 coupon payment on the $325 million in senior notes issued by its subsidiary, Blue Ocean. Trading in CP Prima shares was suspended on Friday after Fitch Ratings

and Moody’s Investors Service downgraded the company’s bond rating following the missed the payment. Read More
Source: Jakarta Globe 01/11/2010

Geo-tagging reveals Palawan mining threats

PHILIPPINES - Modern technology has exposed several threats brought by mining to Palawan’s rich environment that could also affect the lives of several indigenous peoples living in the province, a group supporting ethnic groups said on Friday. Citing a study by the Unesco on the threats of mining in Palawan, the group Ancestral Land/Domain Watch (ALDAW) said that the presence of mining companies poses a threat to the lives of local people in the province. The study revealed that of the 1.47 million hectares of Palawan, as much as 50 percent of the land is being occupied by 354 mining tenements. The mining sites also occupy more than 90 percent of indigenous peoples’ lands, ALDAW national coordinator Artiso Mandawa said. Read More

Source: ALDAW 01/15/10

Evicted from an Earthly Paradise

MYANMAR - Although they once lived simple but comfortable lives as coconut growers, many local people now barely scrape by on what they can earn from wandering the beaches with food to sell to tourists. And even this income is often denied them by police and resort owners, who regard them as little more than a blight on the local tourism industry. Read More

Source: The Irrawaddy 01/21/10

EUROPE
Coral reefs are evolution hotspot

UK- Coral reefs give rise to many more new species than other tropical marine habitats, according to a new study. Scientists used fossil records stretching back 540 million years to work out the evolution rate at reefs. They report in the journal Science that new species originate 50% faster in coral reefs than in other habitats. The team says its findings show that the loss of these evolution hotspots could mean "losing an opportunity to create new species" in the future. Read More

Source: BBC News 01/07/10

LATIN AMERICA/CARIBBEAN
The Disappearance of Ecuador's Mangroves

ECUADOR - Ecuador may be considered a “hotspot,” but the tagline doesn't refer to a Spring Break destination. Ecuador is one of the leading countries in the world at risk of losing its biodiversity, and with it the livelihoods, culture and identity of many Ecuadorians. Due mainly to the shrimp aquaculture industry, Ecuador’s precious mangroves are being destroyed at an alarming rate. GVN’s Megan Tady interviewed Veronica Yepez, communications officer with Redmanglar Internacional, a non-profit based in Ecuador, that works to preserve mangroves, to find out why mangroves are vital for the environment, and how volunteers play an important role in safeguarding them. Read More

Source: Greendaze 01/15/2010

NORTH AMERICA
New shrimp farming system boosts production

USA - An AgriLife Research scientist has devised a new shrimp production eco-friendly system that does not release water to the environment. The system may increase shrimp production and food safety while cutting costs for producers and consumers. Regents Fellow and Professor at the AgriLife Research Mariculture Laboratory in Texas Dr Tzachi Samocha said the new system yields about 10 times the shrimp of current US outdoor farm production. Read More

Source: FIS US 01/06/2010

Sea Change: Environmental Group Gives First-Time Nod to Sustainable Salmon-Farming Method

USA - Farm-raised salmon has long been the poster child of unsustainable aquaculture practices. Issues of escape, pollution and inefficiency have plunged it deeply into the "avoid" territory of environmental groups—until now. In a report released January 14, the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch program is taking the unprecedented step of approving a particular method for farming Pacific coho salmon that is currently employed exclusively by the Rochester, Wash.–based AquaSeed Corp. Read More

Source: Scientific American 01/14/2010

AUSTRALIA/OCEANIA
Ripping into troublesome mangroves

NEW ZEALAND - Mechanical clearing of mangroves began using a heavy-duty cutter and mulcher. It made short work of mature mangroves, eliminating in minutes what used to take hours of hard work for community volunteers. "It's not often you get to say, go forth and kill," Environment Bay of Plenty chief executive Bill Bayfield said before the first line of mangroves were scuttled. Kirsty Walker, chairwoman of the Estuary Care Leaders Forum, rejoiced at the machine's efficiency, hailing the mulcher as a breakthrough to speed up the return of estuaries to a more natural environment. Read More

Source: BoPTimes 01/15/2010

MangroveWatch is needed now, to raise community awareness, capacity and understanding of changes taking place in our tidal wetlands

AUSTRALIA - Australia’s mangroves are rich in biodiversity and biomass – and, they are among the most extensive in the world. These highly beneficial coastal habitats are also the most pristine, but we should not take this for granted. ‘Times are changing!’ The growing pressures of human influences, like our sea-change shift to northern parts, coupled with global climate change are beginning to show. Now, more than ever, people in local communities are needed to watch over our valuable mangrove wetlands. Read More

Source: Mangrove Watch 01/15/2010

DIRECTORS NOTE: After a prolonged and frustrating battle against a mega-development project, MAP's friends and colleagues can now take a deep sigh of collective relief at the news reported below concerning Bimini Island. Bimini was made famous by author Ernest Hemingway who named one of his most famous novels, Island in the Stream, for Bimini. There is hope still for those beleaguered places where development seems to rule and where so much can be lost in so short a time. Bimini stands still, wounded in the battle, scarred for life perhaps, but some of its most wondrous aspects survive for another day, and I am sure another battle to save this Island in the Stream! Thanks to all our friends who fought the long fight that matters, may we stay strong to keep the despoilers at bay!

The Fantasy: Bimini, Bahamas
The island's heyday was in the early 20th century, when rumrunners ruled and Papa Hemingway lived here, writing terse novels and tossing back mojitos. Fifty miles off Florida, separated by the boisterous Gulf Stream, this wispy seven-mile-long stretch of sand still offers refuge, but of a different sort as travelers discover an island poised for ecotourism: white coral beaches, natural pools, locally run, modestly priced cottages and hotels such as the 14-room Sea Crest, and 1,700 Biminites to hang out with. Hike the Bimini Nature Trail (eyes peeled for the endangered Bimini boa, a harmless snake). Or head five miles out to the Bahama Banks and swim eye-to-eye with a friendly pod of spotted dolphins through Wild Dolphin Adventures. Or kayak into the same mangrove forests that inspired Martin Luther King, Jr., to sketch out his 1964 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech on the spot. King's boatman, Ansil Saunders, remembers: "He saw the fishes under the mangrove roots, birds overhead, stingrays shuffling, and he said, 'So much life all around us, how can people not believe the existence of God?'" The Bahamian government recently found religion of another kind, putting the skids on a proposed 18-hole golf course and creating a Marine Protected Area to preserve the mangroves, a nursery for wildlife.

The High: Savor a bite of Bimini bread, swirled with pineapple compote.

The Low: Don't rely on the island's single ATM; bring greenbacks. Link