MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR
As you might guess, MAP is very concerned about the fate of the mangroves found along the GulfCoastregion of the US. This terrible disaster could have been averted had the oil industry giant BP only ensured that due diligence in caution was imbued in its staff and inspection retinue, but this was not the case. Instead, as is tragically evident, old-fashioned greed to earn more stockholder dividends added to their already multi-billion dollar profits enticed the company officials to cut corners. We are all in a sense victims of such corporate crimes every day, but few compare to BP's evident lust for more than they should have risked. Now we are all the losers! BP cannot pay enough to really repair the full extent if their havoc their actions have wreaked!

In addition to the fate of the mangroves, there is another great loss occurring. Thousands of family shrimp fishers or shrimpers as we call them have been hit hard economically and socially because the value of their shrimp plummeted when industrial shrimp poured in from the global South at cheap prices that "everybody could afford." This has really hurt so many USshrimpers whose small boats went out with barely enough profit earned to pay their fuel for their motors. Many shrimpers sold their boats going out of business, hit hard by this influx of cheap farmed shrimp. Many of these shrimpers were family businesses handed down from one generation to the next, and family traditions and culture were lost along with their shrimp fishery.

Now with the the Gulf of Mexico oil spill pouring itself like dark blood into our ocean, conditions have worsened logarithmically for these and other Gulf fishermen who can no longer fish or gather shrimp from the  sea, and now the shrimp farming nations are looking to advance their sales in the US and elsewhere even further, seeing this as a unique opportunity to make huge profits. Again, the competition to earn bigger profits clouds the tragedy that this disaster- the largest environmental disaster in US history- has brought the fishermen and shrimpers of the Gulf Coast region.

Even though US shrimpers can not now deliver their catch to US consumers, we at MAP still urge consumers to not buy imported shrimp, but instead reduce your consumption and buy only shrimp coming from the US or Canada.

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.
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Action Alerts:

Sign Petition to Protect India’s Coastline
The Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification was issued in 1991 to protect India's coasts. In the 19 years since then, it has been progressively weakened to suit industrial and political interests, and most violations have never been punished.

Stop Offshore Drilling and Demand a Clean Energy Future.
Let's put an end to offshore drilling. It’s been over a month since the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico. Eleven people were killed in the explosion and millions of gallons of oil have been dumped into the Gulf of Mexico in what has become the largest oil spill in U.S. history.

Volunteers Needed In Seattle
Help needed for upcoming events in Seattle
Freemont Fair June 19, 20
Ballard Seafood Festival July 10, 11
Contact Cara Cruickshank 206-842-8505......or write to- mangroveactioncara@gmail.com if you can help. EVENT DETAILS

Please call Taco Bell's Customer Service at 1-800-TACO-BELL to make your request that they do not serve imported shrimp in their tacos, but serve only shrimp produced in N. America! READ MORE

Draft Daryl Hannah as Mangroves Spokesperson
This is a petition needing your supportive signature to 'draft' Daryl Hannah into being the voice of the mangroves! Ms. Hannah as the mermaid from the movie "Splash" has that coastal wetland connection making her the ideal candidate to speak for the mangroves.

JAMAICA'S FONT HILL Save Font Hill Nature Preserve from development. Please Sign our Petition

STOP MEXICO'S DEVELOPMENT OF CRITICAL TURTLE HABITAT Sign Letter Here

BIMINI'S MARINE PROTECTED AREA
In December of 2008, the Honorable Dr. Earl Deveaux proclaimed that Bimini's long-awaited Marine Protected Area had been made official. Local Biminites, as well as legions of people around the globe who care about Bimini, were elated with the news.

PUNTA CAREY ENDANGERS SEA TURTLES AND WETLANDSAT XCACEL
Punta Carey Business Trust wants to build a development at Xcacel that would affect the adjoining sea turtle sanctuary, because the project does not have any beach access except the protected beaches inside the sanctuary, and wetlands.

MANGROVE ACTION DAY IS JULY 26TH
Join MAP in celebrating Mangrove Action Day on July 26th.

REASOURCES  
NOAA report: "Oil Spills in Mangroves: Planning and Responses Considerations"?  
Oil Spills in Mangroves: Planning & Response Considerations

MAP 2011 CALENDAR NEEDS ARTISTS
READ MORE

ANNOUNCING the RELEASE of the UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME’S (UNEP) PUBLICATION “Dead Planet, Living Planet: Biodiversity & Ecosystem Restoration for Sustainable Development”
DOWNLOAD (15MB)

FEATURED STORY

Nigeria's agony dwarfs the Gulf oil spill. The US and Europe ignore it.

NIGERIA The Deepwater Horizon disaster caused headlines around the world, yet the people who live in the Niger delta have had to live with environmental catastrophes for decades. More oil is spilled from the delta's network of terminals, pipes, pumping stations and oil platforms every year than has been lost in the Gulf of Mexico, the site of a major ecological catastrophe caused by oil that has poured from a leak triggered by the explosion that wrecked BP's Deepwater Horizon rig last month. That disaster, which claimed the lives of 11 rig workers, has made headlines round the world. By contrast, little information has emerged about the damage inflicted on the Nigerdelta. Yet the destruction there provides us with a far more accurate picture of the price we have to pay for drilling oil today.
READ MORE

NORTH AMERICA

Gulf Oil Spill Expected To Reach Mexico By December
Mexico is predicting the first tar balls from the giant Gulf oil spill will reach its shores by December.  The country is considering filing suit against BP for any environmental damage that occurs. The broken well is roughly 500 miles from the nearest Mexican shore but currents could push the crude along with sick or dying sea creatures toward beaches and other sensitive areas. Mexicoplans to make the most of the several months it has to plan by adding to existing stocks of oil booms. Protective equipment will be deployed to protect the nation's sandy beaches and delicate coastal mangrove forests.
READ MORE

Ocean researcher warns of 'oilberg' coming
FLORIDA If you listen to Tom Daly, coordinator for St. Lucie County’s Division of Emergency Management, you might feel reassured the worst of the Gulf oil spill won’t be coming our way. Edie Widder, PhD, an internationally renowned ocean researcher based in Fort Pierce, would vehemently disagree. The spill is a continuing disaster that will impact us, our waterways and our grandkids for generations to come, she says. It all depends, literally, on how deep you look. READ MORE

Gulf oil spill: Florida fears contamination

FLORIDA sunny afternoon on the coast of West Florida turned gloomy Thursday with the dread that a strong wind could push sticky, toxic petroleum onto its sugar-sand beaches and wildlife-rich wetlands. It felt like the sobering moments before a hurricane’s impact: Florida's governor, attorney general and chief financial officer and a U.S.senator dashed to the Pensacolaarea for briefings and inspections. Boat crews hurried to finish installing or repairing floating oil barriers.READ MORE

Oil would kill mangroves, corals
Red mangroves on the coast of Everglades National Park stand on stilt-like roots engineered to withstand the year-round assault of salt water. But these sturdy trees, noisy with the squawks of anhingas, roseate spoonbills and other wading birds, are among the most vulnerable habitats in the world to oil, ranking second only to Arcticand Antarctic tundra. No one knows whether South Florida will see only a few tar balls, or large quantities of oil, or no effects at all from BP's catastrophic blowout in the Gulf of Mexico. READ MORE

Gulf Oil Spill Crisis: 10 Ways You Can Lend A Hand

It's been over seven weeks, and residents of the Gulf Coast are struggling to survive as crude oil washes up on their beaches, killing birds and marine life, and filling the air with toxic fumes. Reports of media blackouts, and less-than-accurate estimates about spill size and impact continue.Even if you can't physically make it to the Gulf to lend a hand, here are 10 important ways you can make a difference to those who are on the ground fighting to keep up with this tragedy. READ MORE

Iron Fertilization Dead in the Water? Controversial Geoengineering Proposal Banned in US Climate Change Legislation
MIAMI- Climate change legislation released by Senators John Kerry and Joseph Lieberman earlier this month delivered a major blow to ocean fertilization, a controversial geoengineering proposal.  Language in the American Power Act essentially bans iron and urea fertilization, the dumping of iron ferrites or urea to stimulate blooms of carbon-capturing plankton as a means to mitigate climate change. Ocean fertilization has been considered by some entrepreneurs and scientists as a quick and easy fix for climate change.  In theory blooms of ‘fertilized’ algae would store atmospheric carbon, which then sink to depth.  Other scientists have argued that the concept offers a too simplistic of view of ocean dynamics and lacks scientific merit.  International ocean studies examining the fertilization effects of iron have produced results that fall far short of expectations. READ MORE

Gulf Oil Spill May Lead to Increased Seafood Prices Locally

As BP and federal officials rush to gain traction in their attempts to remediate the Gulf of Mexicooil spill, local residents can take solace in one thing: seafood prices should remain stable in the short-term. "About 83 percent of the seafood that Americans eat is actually imported and in terms of the percentage of seafood that comes out of the gulf, only about two percent of the seafood Americans eat comes from the gulf," said Gavin Gibbons, a spokesman for the National Fisheries Institute. READMORE

Protecting rainforests shown to reduce poverty

USA - Introduction of measures to protect rainforests and ecosystems in Costa Rica and Thailand over the past 40 years have improved the livelihoods of the local population Conserving rainforests may help to reduce poverty as well as protect biodversity, according to analyses undertaken in Costa Rica and Thailand. Researchers from Georgia State University looked at the long term impacts of poor people living near parks and reserves set up before 1985 and found the net impact of the protection was to alleviate poverty.READ MORE

INDIAN CONTINENT

Tiger victims’ widows in Sundarbans, Bangladesh

The Sundarbans, the last habitat of the Royal Bengal Tiger and the largest mangrove forest in the world, has become a major source of livelihood for many poor people in the southwest coastal region of Bangladesh.While collecting firewood and honey they are often attacked by tigers and a significant number are killed every year.  According to local and national newspapers and informal surveys, tigers from the Sundarbans killed over 7000 men over the 18 year period June 1990 - June 2008.  Their widows have become the most vulnerable people of the poor community in the Sundarbans adjacent area. READ MORE

Part of Sundarbans may be lost in future
A part of the mangrove forests of the Sundarbans may be lost in future due to the rising water levels in the Bay of Bengal as a fallout of global warming, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee cautioned on this month. "Areas in the Sundarbans like Basanti and Gosaba in our state have been affected by the rise in the water level of the Bay of Bengaldue to global warming. The same fate awaits a part of Bangladesh," Bhattacharjee said at a function organised by the state Pollution Control Board on the occasion of World Environment Day.
READ MORE

Mangroves Face Severe Threat from Human Activities
INDIA-When a super cyclone devastated the coastal districts of Orissa state in 1999, the government pledged to regenerate 3,000 hectares of mangrove. Or so forest official Chandra Sekhar Kar thought."Where are the regenerated forests?" he asks as he scans the vast swath of land comprising the 672-square-kilometre Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary run by the state’s forest and environment department. Mangrove forests – which include trees, shrubs, ferns and palms – have been severely depleted, he notes, having given way to villages and hamlets, 80 of them located right beside what remains of the forests. READ MORE

Mangroves vs airport: Mumbai's development battle
Plans for a new international airport in the coastal city of Mumbaiwill destroy yet more of its mangrove ecosystems, and there are fears the deal has already been closed. Mangroves are a vital part of coastal ecosystems, protecting against floods and erosion as well as acting as a habitat for fish and other marine species. Now, new plans for a second airport in the city, currently awaiting clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forests, threaten even further destruction. READ MORE

ASIA

MAP-Asia Promotes Wetlands Through Local Environmental Education Event
THAILAND MAP-Asia celebrated World Wetland’s through the hosting of an environmental education event for youth at Ban Lang Da in Krabi Province of Southern Thailand.  The day-long event included short lecture, games, art activities and a field trip to the local Ecological Mangrove Restoration (EMR) site.  The goal of the activities were to introduce local youth to the importance and significance of wetland and mangrove ecosystems in their region.  It also served as an excellent opportunity for village elders in discuss the importance of protecting the surrounding environment for future livelihoods. 
READ MORE

Artists Paint Mangroves
Philippines Some 30 Ilonggo artists brought canvases, paints, brushes and other paraphernalia to Ajuy, Iloiloto paint the mangroves of PedadaBaylast 24 May 2010.  The Bay has 90 hectares of mangroves dominated by the species pagatpat (scientifically known as Sonneratia alba) which was featured on the front page of a major daily last year. The event “An Art Interaction with the Environment” was jointly organized by the Community-based Mangrove Rehabilitation Project in the Philippines (CMRP) of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), in partnership with the Local Government Unit and Tourism Office of Ajuy, to celebrate the Month of the Ocean.
READ MORE

Aila affected people demand end of saline water shrimp cultivation

Aila affected people rally demand end of saline water shrimp cultivation in agricultural lands of southwest zone The Aila affected people of different coastal areas of southwest zone at a rally at Khulnadeputy commissioner office premises recently, demanded end of saline water shrimp cultivation in agricultural lands of the zone. Arranged by Humanitywatch and PRAN with the help of Campaign for Sustainable Rural Livelihood (CSRL), the rally was attended by the Aila affected farmers and fishermen carrying different local agricultural instruments and fishing tools. The program was organized under Bangladesh Agricultural Week of the Youths initiated by the CSRL Platform.
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ASEAN adopts shrimp standards
The draft of ASEAN Shrimp GAP (Good Agricultural Practice) was discussed in Bangkok in May, 2010 by officials of some of ASEAN'S leading shrimp-producing countries -- Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand -- which together produce one million metric tons, about half of global production. READ MORE

GLOBAL

Note: Mangrove Action Project was one of the thousands who prompted this rejection. To those of you who also joined this petition, Thank You!
New “responsible” soya label meets global rejection
Brussels and Montevideo –An initial 219 groups from 30 countries issued a public letter to the members of the Roundtable of Responsible Soya rejecting the new “responsible” label for industrial soya, due to be launched at the RTRS conference in Brazil on 9-10 June. They call the label “Green-Wash”, saying it will make matters worse, not better.  Calling on consumers and supermarkets to ignore the label and instead reduce our reliance on industrial soya, the letter lays out a number of flaws, including in criteria for the label, that are so serious they effectively make it meaningless. Eve Mitchell of Food & Water Europe said, “It is abundantly clear that the RTRS is not about sustainability or responsibility – whatever they say in their press releases. It is about keeping the soya treadmill going for unaccountable multinational companies who need to pretend what they are doing is safe when everyone can see it is far from it.”
Link to full letter

New nature reserves like lakes, wetlands to be added to UN list
New nature reserves such as lakes and wetlands will be added to a United Nations network that was created in an attempt to halt the loss of biodiversity and promote sustainable development, during a meeting that began today at the headquarters of the UN agency tasked with preserving the world's heritage. 
In total, 25 new proposals and applications for extension will be examined for addition to the list of biosphere reserves during the five-day meeting of the International Coordinating Council of the Man and the Biosphere (MAB), a programme of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The proposed additions to the MAB network come from 20 countries. The Council will also examine applications for the MAB Awards for young scientists, UNESCO said in a press release.
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