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The MAP News, 158th Ed., 3 Jul 2005
Dear Friends,
This is the 158th Edition of the Mangrove Action Project News. We are now alerting all of our readers to the fact that Mangrove Action Day on July 26th is soon ast hand. We would like to hear from you if you are planning any activities for this important commemoration to the ongoing efforts around the world to conserve and restore the mangroves forests. Please join us in this important celebration for the mangroves and the mangrove communities!.
Alfredo Quarto,
Mangrove Action Project
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.
Contents for MAP NEWS, 158th Edition, 3 July 2005
FEATURE STORY
"Freedom for the Mangroves Day!"--The 26th of July, A Global Call For Action
MAP WORKS
MAP Seeking Professional Development Coordinator
Hydrological Mangrove Restoration Workshop, India postponed till November
"Mangrove Forest Ecology, Management and Restoration Training Workshop, Florida
Take A Coffee Break For the Mangroves!
MAP's Children's Mangrove Art Calendars for 2005 Now Available!!!
Nigeria
Litigation Against Gas Flares In Process in Niger Delta
S.E. ASIA
Thailand
RAYONG / MANGROVE ENCROACHMENT
PRAWN PROTEST: Farmers to demand fair prices
Farmers make call for EU, US relief
DISASTER AFTERMATH: The lesson not learned
The Philippines
Mangroves least covered by Pinoy journalists reporting on environment
Malaysia
Development Threatens Malaysia's Mangroves
S. ASIA
India
Bhitarkanika's Mangroves in Trouble
***ACTION ALERT***
Mangroves in Kerala find friends in lay naturalists.
Brazil
White Spot Spotted In Brazil's Booming Shrimp Farm Industry
Brazil Shrimp Farmer Speaks Out Against Industry Decision Makers
USA
Chips in trays allow seafood to be traced
Wild American Shrimp, Inc.'s Initial Certification Program to Revolutionize Shrimp Industry
EUROPE
European Commission launches debate on ecolabelling of fisheries products
CONFERENCES/WORKSHOPS/FORUMS/BOOKS/PUBLICATIONS
COULD BETTER MANGROVE HABITAT HAVE SPARED LIVES IN THE 2004 TSUNAMI ?
CALL FOR PAPERS (none this issue)
"First International Symposium on Mangroves As Fish Habitat"
AQUACULTURE CORNER
Farmed Salmon High In PCBs According to Study
Please join us all on July 26, 2005 for the Annual Call On Mangrove Action Day! -- Freedom for The Mangroves!
"Freedom for the Mangroves Day!"--The 26th of July, A Global Call For Action:
PLEASE Join Us Wherever You Are For The 26th of July
We are now collecting news about other planned events for the global call for action to "Free the Mangroves!" on July 26th. Please write us to share your own plans for this international day for the mangroves!
A CALL FOR GLOBAL ACTION ON JULY 26th, THE DAY OF THE MANGROVES!: MAP wishes to lend our full support to the plans and actions of all our network members for Global Action on July 26th, 2004. We ask that you and/ or your organizations please join us all in a global protest against the ongoing incarceration of the mangrove forest ecosystems and the local communities that depend upon the mangroves for their lives and livelihoods. Please send us your regional or local plans for actions that are meant to commemorate this international Day for the Mangroves! We would like to again share your plans and ideas with our international network. We look forward to hearing from you soon in this regards! (The Editor)
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Note: The following was sent by FUNDECOL of Red Manglar in reference to last year's campaign:
Campaign 26th of July,
Day of the Defense of the Mangroves
"FREEDOM FOR THE MANGROVES"
Kidnapped mangroves by shrimp farms
Partners,
We are about to celebrate once more the 26th of July, Day of the Defense of the Mangrove Ecosystem. As last year, we wish that this day will be commemorated in the international, regional and national levels.
* "Freedom for the Mangroves"
Freedom for the mangroves is a symbolic name that urges to "liberate" the mangroves that are illegally destroyed and suffocated by the dams of the shrimp ponds that forbid the natural exchange of brackish and fresh waters.
Freedom for the mangroves jailed by industrial shrimp infrastructure that bans their normal development and exchange of energy, and finally
Freedom for the areas that have been destroyed and need to be reestablished to their original ecosystem.
Under the slogan "Freedom for the Mangroves", this year's 2005 campaign that commemorates the 26th of July, and is committed to strengthen the local organizational processes and to generate favorable public opinion for the defense and community management of the mangroves. It is also dedicated to the development of alliances with organizations and institutions in the regional and international level to accomplish the mission of recovery, protection and conservation of this very valuable natural resource, especially through the reversion of the illegal and abandoned shrimp ponds to their original mangrove ecosystem.
MAP Seeking Professional Development Coordinator
Mangrove Action Project is now seeking to fill an important new position within our staff for an experienced and dynamic Development Coordinator. This person will be responsible for fundraising and implementing a comprehensive development and public relations program for MAP. Previous related work with non-profits is required, as are strong communication and organizational skills and experience in fundraising, including grant writing, membership drives and organizing public events.
For more details, please write MAP at mangroveap@olympus.net, or call at 360-452-5866
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Hydrological Mangrove Restoration Workshop, India
postponed till November.
Note, MAP's planned hydrological restoration workshop which was planned for August 2-6 in Andhra Pradesh, India has been postponed till November.
Dates: Nov. 7-123, 2005
Venue: Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, INDIA
Jointly Organized by: Mangrove Action Project (MAP) and Coastal Community Development Programme (CCDP) Machilipatnam, Krishna District,
Andhra Pradesh, India.
Funded by: IUCN, ICCO, Global Greengrant Fund, Cottonwood Foundation, and others
Training Fee: Organizations sending selected participants are required to pay the participant's transportation costs to and from the workshop venue, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh India. The workshop accommodation, food, field trip, and workshop materials will be covered by the Mangrove Action Project.
Eligible Candidates: Indian Nationals, females and males working for non-government organizations (NGOs), government organizations, (GOs), or individuals involved in community based organizations (CBOs). (Please see candidate requirements below)
Background:
We at Mangrove Action Project have been approached by several organizations from around the world wishing to implement a long-term, effective mangrove restoration project in their region. Since the tsunamis struck in both Asia and Africa, there has been a mounting call for establishing protective greenbelts along tsunami affected coastlines. In this regard, MAP is now joining forces with NGOs and mangrove restoration ecologists in India to conduct a 5 day workshop on hydrological restoration. This workshop will be led by Robin Lewis who has over 30 years of experience in mangrove restoration techniques. Mr. Lewis has developed a hydrological restoration methodology that is both effective and economical. MAP endorses this important approach because it can be used at the grassroots level and promises to more naturally restore the mangrove buffer zone in a more bio-diverse fashion than when compared to other popular hand planting efforts which are both costly and less effective.
Mangrove rehabilitation is just one aspect of integrated mangrove management, but is receiving a great deal of attention in the aftermath of the Dec. 26 tsunami that devastated coastal regions in South Asia, SE Asia and East Africa. It is more effective to conserve existing mangrove forests than to rehabilitate destroyed mangrove areas, in terms of biomass, total productivity, cost, and biodiversity; nonetheless, rehabilitation of degraded mangrove areas is important in terms of restoring coastal environmental functions including protection against strong waves and winds, beach abrasion and erosion, increasing fisheries values and as an education activity which sparks awareness amongst coastal communities, government and the media.
Since the need for mangrove restoration is very extensive it is very important that financial and human resources for restoration are put to best use and not wasted by inefficient or inappropriate restoration techniques. Since the tsunami MAP has been approached by many organizations asking for assistance for mangrove restoration in their local area. MAP decided after much consultation and discussion the best way we can assist in the aftermath of the tsunamis and with the rehabilitation process is to hold restoration workshops in the still vulnerable regions on the hydrological method of mangrove restoration. Due to the many requests from India and the great need for mangrove restoration for a buffer against cyclones and to improve livelihoods our first workshop is scheduled to take place in India, involving around 20 NGO representatives and restoration practitioners. This will be a training of the trainers (TOT) workshop led by eminent mangrove restoration ecologist, Robin Lewis, who has over 30 years of experience in developing successful methods of ecological restoration involving mangroves and sea grasses.
Objectives:
* For participants to learn ecological restoration with hydrological mangrove restoration as the preferred method (see five steps below)
* For participants to return to their local organization and local area to give a summary training of the hydrological mangrove restoration to key stakeholders
* Following the local training, the trainer and local stakeholders will undertake a pilot model mangrove restoration project to demonstrate this methodology
* The pilot mangrove restoration sites will be monitored and evaluated by the trainer and stakeholders involved
* Participants form a restoration network where they can share information, ask questions and request technical support for further restoration projects
Hydrological Mangrove Restoration Methodology:
Five critical steps for appropriate ecological mangrove rehabilitation;
1. Work together with communities, NGO's and local government to understand the autecology (individual species ecology) of the mangrove species at the site, in particular the patterns of reproduction, propagule distribution, and successful seedling establishment;
2. Work together with communities, NGO's and local government to understand the normal hydrologic patterns that control the distribution and successful establishment and growth of targeted mangrove species;
3. Work together with communities, NGO's and local government to assess the modifications of the previous mangrove environment that occurred that currently prevent natural secondary succession;
4. Work together with communities, NGO's and local government to design the restoration program to initially restore the appropriate hydrology and utilize natural volunteer mangrove propagule recruitment for plant establishment.
5. Only utilize actual planting of propagules, collected seedlings, or cultivated seedlings after determining through Steps 1-4 that natural recruitment will not provide the quantity of successfully established seedlings, rate of stabilization, or rate of growth of saplings established as goals for the restoration project.
For more detailed information on ecological restoration methodology refer to: www.lewisenv.com/downloads.htm
and
www.MANGROVERESTORATION.COM
Background Requirements for Workshop Participants:
* Candidates should submit a CV giving brief background on work experience and skills along with application form.
* Candidates should have some expertise in mangrove ecology, knowing what mangrove plants and mangrove wetland ecosystems signify. They do not need to know all the technical aspects and terminology so much as have a good understanding of mangrove ecology and natural processes.
* Candidates should have some expertise related to mangrove rehabilitation, having performed some sort of mangrove rehabilitation work in the recent past, or involved in such presently. It would be good if they've had some field experience in actual mangrove planting, mangrove nursery work, seedling gathering and propagation, etc.
* Candidates should wish to learn and put into actual practice the five steps of ecological restoration. They should be in a position to actually read about and study this methodology prior to the workshop, so that they can come to the workshop with some general understanding of the basic principles of ecological restoration.
* Candidates should agree to commence an actual field project involving ecological restoration in their locale. This can be a small-scale restoration project, but should allow this person to more clearly demonstrate the methodology and actually put into practice those things learned via the workshop. This project site should be chosen prior to the workshop if possible and should be identified based on prior understanding of the basic principles of ecological restoration to ensure the site selected is suitable for restoration. For this purpose, the candidates should prepare site assessments for Robin Lewis and Dr. Oswin to review before the workshop itself, thus allowing some sense of familiarity with the chosen site and ability to better advise each candidate on their specific needs and challenges in regards to the recommended restoration process itself. Field projects should be chosen that allow local community participation in the process, as well as have local government permission to proceed as planned.
* It is important that candidates are committed to teaching others in the field and holding a training workshop for people involved in mangrove restoration / replanting / afforestation in their particular locality. Candidates should be committed to the process of working with local communities and other local NGOs who might wish to learn the techniques of ecological restoration and put these into practice. The candidate can act as a local advisor for these local restoration projects.
* Each candidate should be well versed in the principles that endorse conservation as the priority in any mangrove restoration process, and see actual restoration as a next step if conservation is not achievable.
* Each candidate should be capable and willing to work in teams with other workshop participants, including Robin Lewis and Dr. Oswin, who will be acting as project consultants during follow-up restoration projects. Since it is too much to expect one person alone give a full mangrove restoration workshop the trainers will team up with 2-3 in a group and in this way they can support and learn from each other. Therefore, a team would give a local training together in each of their own localities. In this way they give more workshops and learn by doing and as each trainer will have their own strengths and weakness this team training will make them more confident and the training more interesting. It should be attempted where possible to match a weaker trainer with a stronger partner to help support continual learning and refinement.
* Ideally, candidates should have access to e-mail / internet and can communicate clearly in English with Robin Lewis and MAP staff concerning ecological restoration. Candidates should also be able to understand both spoken and written English.
Candidates should answer the following questions:
* Please briefly explain your past experience in terms of mangrove planting / restoration?
* Please explain where the project was located, how large was the area, and who participated in the project.
* Was this formerly a mangrove area and why was it destroyed or degraded? Who decided it should be restored?
* What role did you personally play in the project? If this project was funded who provided support how much?
* Were local community members involved and if so what role did they play?
* Please explain the method you used to restore the area? What species were planted? Did you have any technical assistance? If so from where / whom?
* How successful was the planting project in your estimation? When did the project occur and what is the present status of the planted area now? What were the main problems you encountered? What did you learn from this experience.
* Do you have a digital photo of the restored mangrove area that you could send to MAP?
* Why do you wish to take this hydrological restoration training course and how will you plan to use the information acquired?
* What is the one question about mangrove restoration you would like answered at the mangrove restoration workshop?
* Have you identified possible sites for restoration in your region? If so how large of an area needs to be restored. Please describe the site(s). Have you prioritized these sites?
* What are the land ownership issues at these sites? Who will you work with to restore these sites? Have you identified any sources of financial support?
Please submit by e-mail your CV, application form, and answers to questions by June 24, 2005:
Jim Enright
Southeast Asian Coordinator
Mangrove Action Project (MAP)
Yaotak Building B-206
31 Vienkapang Road
Amphur Muang, Trang 92000
T H A I L A N D
E-mail: mapasia@loxinfo.co.th
Please cc to:
Alfredo Quarto, Mangrove Action Project
E-mail: mangroveap@olympus.net
==========
"Mangrove Forest Ecology, Management and Restoration Training Workshop, Florida
Note: The Feb. 21-24, 2005 Mangrove Restoration Workshop was completed, and now we are preparing for next year's workshop! Please sign up if interested!
Fourth "Mangrove Forest Ecology, Management and Restoration Training Workshop", February 2006, Hollywood, Florida, USA.
The fourth "Mangrove Forest Ecology, Management and Restoration" training workshop will be held at the Anne Kolb Nature Center, in Hollywood, Florida, USA, February 20-23, 2006. The training site is within a 500 ha mangrove restoration project at West Lake Park operated by Broward County. The award-winning project was designed by Roy R. "Robin" Lewis III, who will be teaching the course.
The workshop includes an introduction to mangrove forest ecology, management options and problems, and restoration design issues. The class programs are all given in a PowerPoint format, and each student is provided with a print out of the presentation and additional handouts including monitoring reports for typical restoration projects. Case studies of 5 successful mangrove restoration projects, and several unsuccessful projects, are discussed. Field trips are taken within the 500 ha West Lake Park mangrove restoration project (now 16 years old) and a new project just two years old, for a comparison.
The emphasis is on cost-effective successful mangrove management and restoration, and cost figures for typical projects are discussed and explained. The hydrologic restoration of mangroves is emphasized as the best approach to successful restoration at minimal cost (see Erftemeijer and Lewis 2000; Lewis 1999, 2000a, 2000b, In press; Lewis and Marshall 1998; Lewis and Streever 2000; Stevenson et al. 1999; and Turner and Lewis 1997, for further discussion about hydrologic restoration of mangroves). Planting of mangroves is discussed in light of the many failures of this alone to successfully restore mangroves.
Cost for the course not including travel to Ft. Lauderdale, lodging or food is $750, due by January 1, 2006. Two qualified students will be allowed to attend for free, and can apply at any time for the two fee-waived positions. This course is organized by the Coastal Resources Group, Inc., and will be taught in conjunction with the Mangrove Action Project.
More information can be provided by Robin Lewis at
and www.mangroverestoration.com
==========
Take A Coffee Break For the Mangroves!
Mangrove Action Project
and Grounds for Change
Help support the Mangrove Action Project through the purchase of Grounds for Change triple-certified coffee! Grounds for Change will donate 10% of purchase price to the Mangrove Action Project each time you make a purchase at the Grounds for Change web site. It's a great way to support socially and environmentally-conscious coffee and healthy mangrove forests across the globe.
You can participate in one of two ways:
1. Visit the Mangrove Action Project web site and click on the DONATE TO MAP THROUGH YOUR NEXT CUP OF COFFEE link.
Or, Click on
2. the Grounds for Change web site.
Grounds for Change sells only Fair Trade, Organic, Shade-Grown coffee which is roasted by hand, to-order at their family owned facility on Bainbridge Island in Washington State. Grounds for Change is a member of TransFair USA, the Songbird Foundation and the Fair Trade Federation. Grounds for Change further supports fair trade economics by donating 1% of profits to the Fair Trade Federation.
Please note that in order for the 10% donation to be made to MAP, supporters must follow one of the two options outlined above.
From mangroveap@olympus.net
==========
MAP's Children's Mangrove Art Calendars for 2005 Now Available!!!
MAP's new Children's Mangrove Art 2005 Calendars are now available. In addition to these beautiful calendars, we are selling packets of 5 beautiful greeting cards containing several mangrove images from Monica Gutierrez-Quarto's artwork. to raise funds for MAP.
We are now requesting your help in selling both the calendars and card sets for MAP. If interested, please let us know how many calendars and card sets you will need.
Note: The following costs are based upon the numbers of calendars ordered:
The Calendars
1-49 Calendars @ $12 per calendar including postage in the US, $14 for outside the US
50-99 @ $10 per calendar including postage $12 outside the US
100 or more at $8 per calendar including postage, $10 outside the US
The Card Sets
Each packet of 5 cards is being sold by MAP for $10. including postage.
The calendars and card sets are beautiful items, and will make wonderful gifts for friends and family, as well as provide needed funding support for MAP at this critical time! Any donation of $35 or more qualifies the donor for an annual membership with a free calendar or card set! Please give generously today!
PLEASE help MAP stay in this fight for the future by becoming a donating subscriber today! Contact: mangroveap@olympus.net
Nigeria
Litigation Against Gas Flares In Process in Niger Delta
E-Bulletin
Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide, U.S.
June 22, 2005
Dear Friends,
Communities in Nigeria, in collaboration with Environmental Rights
Action and the Climate Justice Programme, filed a case this week against Shell, ExxonMobil, ChevronTexaco, and other oil companies to stop gas flares -- towering flames of natural gas -- that burn night and day in villages in the Niger Delta.
These waste gases contribute more greenhouse gas emissions than all other combined activities in sub-Saharan Africa.
E-LAW U.S. has supported the Climate Justice Programme since 2002. E-LAW U.S. Staff Scientist Mark Chernaik has provided critical
scientific support to the communities in Nigeria, and Staff Attorney
Jennifer Gleason works with lawyers worldwide to develop legal
strategies to combat climate change. E-LAW U.S. helped create and hosts the Climate Justice Programme's web site.
For more information about this exciting work to defend communities in Nigeria, please visit:
Legal Action to Stop Nigeria Gas Flaring
Fueling the Devastation: Oil Drilling in Nigeria
Bern Johnson, Executive Director
E-LAW U.S.
From: LESrrl3@aol.com
S.E. ASIA
Thailand
Bangkok Post June 21, 2005
RAYONG / MANGROVE ENCROACHMENT
Land Dept will seek repeal of CP deeds
TUL PINKAEW
The Land Department will press for the annulment of property titles to a number of mangrove areas off Rayong's coast owned by the agribusiness giant Charoen Pokphand Group (CP).
In a report presented to the Senate environment committee yesterday, the department said "the purchase and sale of two out of the eight plots were in violation of the Land Act and we will demand the nullification of these titles."
A legal team spearheaded by the deputy land chief and local officials has 60 days to finalise the case, it said.
"As for the rest of the land owned by CP, the department concluded that the initial fact-finding panel had not gathered enough information to make a fair and just conclusion. Therefore, the department will set up another committee, led by Rayong's land chief, to carry out another round of investigation," it said.
In 1991 Shrimp Farm Co Ltd, a sister company of CP, started accumulating land in Rayong for a scheme to turn Klaeng district into a large shrimp farm to supply products for the group's markets.
The Senate environment panel last month accused CP of forging five title deeds to gain legal rights to more than 300 rai of mangrove wetlands in Klaeng district, as well as excavating and covering up interconnecting streams to make one single plot.
A statement by the company, however, said it had nothing to do with Shrimp Farm Co Ltd and only bought land from the Rayong firm without making a thorough check and would not do that again in the future.
Rayong's land chief Santi Khantira and Rayong's deputy governor Suwet Tan-tiwong informed the Senate late last month that at least one of the eight deeds in question was undoubtedly forged because it included no geographical characteristics of the plot it laid claim to.
The fact-finding panel, however, failed to file the report to the Senate panel within the required time, thus raising questions about its reliability, as a number of members of the probe team were the same people who approved the granting of title deeds to mangrove wetlands to CP in the early 1990s.
In a statement made by the probe team's chief Kiatiya Para yesterday, the land official said deeds to the two plots, which were undeniably forged, had the same distinctive faults.
"The contents of the deeds drafted out an area either smaller or bigger than the actual plots, which prove that they [the deeds] belong to some other pieces of property completely."
This is commonly known as "flying deeds", an act of accumulating idle title deeds for the sole purpose of claiming land usually untouchable.
Senator Sak Khosangruang said that after the legal team files for annulment, CP has the right to challenge the verdict and sue the people involved if the firm thinks it has been wrongly accused.
This, however, could pose a problem since state officials normally do not want to go into a legal battle with a giant business conglomerate like CP, he said.
==========
THE NATION
Published on Jun 7, 2005
PRAWN PROTEST: Farmers to demand fair prices
Around 100 shrimp farmers yesterday gathered in front of the Commerce Ministry to urge the government to find a solution to depressed shrimp prices.
Thirawat Liphaisomboon, chairman of the Freshwater Shrimp Farmers Association, said shrimp farmers nationwide planned to go to Government House today to call for action to boost prices.
Thirawat said farmers wanted the government to solve the problem because they had already been hit hard by December�s tsunami, which damaged many of their farms. Moreover, the chairman said farmers were also suffering from a regulation that required exporters to guarantee the total annual shrimp-import price at a rate of 6 per cent.
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SEAFOOD: Shrimpers set out stall
Published on Apr 22, 2005
Farmers make call for EU, US relief
Shrimp farmers have called on the Commerce Ministry to seek revisions to the European Union�s tax-privilege programme for Thailand and an end to the United States� anti-dumping duty on Thai shrimp.
The move is in response to an alarming drop in shrimp exports.
The Thai Marine Farmers Association yesterday expressed concern over the sharp decline in shrimp exports, which it said was the result of the industry�s weakening competitiveness and damage caused to businesses by the tsunami.
Surapol Pratuangtum, president of the association, said shrimp exports dropped 34 per cent to US$213 million (Bt8.31 billion) in the first two months of the year.
Shrimp exports for January-February were 33,117 tonnes.
The association will send a letter to Commerce Minister Thanong Bidaya asking him to help negotiate a revision of the EU�s generalised system of preferences (GSP) for Thailand.
It will also ask Thanong to make sure the United States follows through on its promise to consider withdrawing the anti-dumping duty on Thai shrimp.
After the tsunami, the US promised to suspend anti-dumping measures on shrimp exported from mainly Thailand and India.
Thai shrimp exports to the EU are subject to a 12-per-cent import tariff, compared with 4 per cent for most other countries. Indonesian imports are not subject to duties.
The US has a 5.95-per-cent anti-dumping tax on Thai shrimp.
�These two important obstacles have resulted in Thailand facing tougher competition,� Surapol said.
The tsunami, he said, immediately resulted in losses of Bt30 billion to the local shrimp industry.
The country exports an average of Bt100 billion in shrimp per year.
A shrimp-industry source said the GSP and anti-dumping-duty barriers had caused the country�s shrimp-export volume to drop from 200,000 tonnes in 2003 to 150,000 tonnes last year.
Panisuan Jamnarnwej, president of the Thai Frozen Foods Association, said recently that shrimp exports had dropped 32 per cent in value and 34 per cent in volume. Exports to US were hardest hit, he said, with volume dropping 50 per cent and value down 52 per cent.
The slowdown of the US economy has led to some shrimp importers facing financial problems, which has also reduced exports to the country, he said.
Petchanet Pratruangkrai
The Nation
From: "MAP / S.E. Asia" mapasia@loxinfo.co.th
==========
THE NATION
DISASTER AFTERMATH: The lesson not learned
Published on Mar 7, 2005
The degree of devastation borne by Khao Lak is linked to the environment
Traversing Khao Lak's top-end resort area now seems more akin to a desert trek than a stroll through a tropical paradise. Earthmovers have scraped tracts of the 25 kilometres of shoreline devastated by the December 26 tsunami down to the bare soil. The area is now devoid of any vegetation.
Khao Lak and nearby beaches in Phang Nga's Takua Pa district were devastated by the tsunami, and were the scene of nearly 80 per cent of total fatalities in Thailand.
And now, when examining Takua Pa's history of land use and economic development, the tsunami tragedy appears to be more than just another scar on this tainted landscape � it appears it might have been a result of that history.
For two centuries Takua Pa's natural resources have been exploited to the extreme. Tin mining, mangrove logging and aquaculture have all affected the area's shoreline defences, rendering tourism development more feasible, but at the same time, vulnerable.
In 1809, when Burmese troops raided Thalang (on Phuket island), its residents --many were tin miners-- were forced to migrate north. Many settled in the quiet port town of Takua Pa to continue the tin trade. King Rama V (1868-1910) further stimulated mining activities by allowing the free-flow of Chinese labour into the Kingdom.
Extraction accelerated in the 1960s along with growth in the export economy, and new government concessions granted to foreign companies to mine in the sea.
Thousands of locals flocked to the tiny seaside village of Ban Nam Khem, transforming it into a miner's ghetto. Of the 1,149 locals who perished during the tsunami in Phang Nga, most were mineworkers and their families who stayed behind after the end of the mining era.
By the 1980s, the tin was gone, leaving barren land at the beachfronts and destroyed reefs in the bays. Meanwhile, the mangrove concessions were handed out to loggers from the charcoal industry, further depleting the shore's natural protection against erosion and storms.
In an area known for unpredictable tides and winds, such defences are valuable, as was illustrated by the more limited tsunami damage experienced in some of the more naturally intact coastal areas of Phuket, Phang Nga and Ranong.
"Many communities survived because there were still mangrove forests to provide natural defences," says Piphob Vasuvanich, deputy director of the Coastal Resources Department. "There are no casualties from these areas."
By the mid-1980s, with much of the soil and sea ravaged, Takua Pa was nearly deserted. But shrimp farmers began emigrating from the east coast. After clear-cutting mangroves and polluting the seas with aquaculture chemicals in the Gulf of Thailand, they flocked to create new ponds in Takua Pa's mangrove areas. Although relatively brief, seven years of aquaculture was enough to degrade much of what remained of the area's natural shoreline defences.
Takua Pa's economy was again depressed by the end of the 1990s, but tourism was poised to turn the area around.
With Phuket becoming more developed, several developers began working to place Khao Lak on the international tourism map as an alternative for those looking for quiet, private beaches. Desolate tin mines and mangrove stubble were transformed into prime resort property, with prices exceeding Bt10 million per rai. Since 1999, some 7,000 guestrooms had been constructed along the Khao Lak coastline.
Most of these rooms are now gone. The landscape has returned to the state it was in prior to the tourism-boom plunder. And despite questions about how and if the tourism industry should again use this land, there seems little doubt that development on the beachfront will continue unabated.
"It's still unclear who owns much of this land, much less how it should it be naturally restored for environmental protection and public access," says Amporn Kaewnu with the Andaman Community Rehabilitation Network.
He and others point out that land-right papers for many resorts are invalid. Not only might they have encroached on national park areas, but also many have absorbed properties that were supposed to be returned to the government after the expiration of mining and mangrove concessions.
"Land titles have to be investigated, otherwise there will be no more public beaches for locals and fisherman," adds Amporn.
But Dr Suraches Chetamas, project manager for Khao Lak's tsunami-recovery plan, says there's little time "and that it's not within his mandate" to address such land-ownership matters. His team within the Special Areas Development Organisation is under pressure to complete its plan within the next month so as not to affect Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's deadline for bringing tourism back to the beachfront.
"Many resorts encroach on the beachfront," says Suraches. "Land expropriation is not an easy thing to address. It is expensive; we are talking about prices that are ridiculously high-- Bt15 million per rai."
He's hoping the plan can have minimum safety standards and will be set as far back from the high-tide line as possible (ideally beyond 30 metres).
"But landowners may not comply," he told The Nation last week.
Also, some hotel owners have already breached government orders and started rebuilding on the beach without waiting for the new plan, Suraches said.
"So, I don't think we can stop them. We know who is who [in the circle of influential people], but it's really beyond my authority to negotiate with them."
Such haste and lack of public intervention frustrates Amporn. "They've got the opportunity now to fix things, but the government seems destined to repeat history."
Yutthana Warunpitikul, Nantiya Tangwisutijit
The Nation
Khao Lak, Phang Nga
From: "MAP / S.E. Asia" mapasia@loxinfo.co.th
==========
The Philippines
Mangroves least covered by Pinoy journalists reporting on environment
By Bong Sarmiento/MindaNews / 29 June 2005
KORONADAL CITY - Issues related to mangrove development or conservation appear to be the least important among Filipino journalists covering the environment, a recent survey of the Washington-based Population Reference Bureau (PRB) showed.
Kathleen Mogelgaard, PRB's population, health, and environment fellow, said the journalists covered by the survey report on a wide-range of issues, from air pollution to marine ecosystems to waste management.
"But none [of them] selected wetlands/mangroves [as one of the most important environmental issues facing the Philippines]," she said.
Results of the online survey, which covered 27 journalists representing at least 13 national and regional news outlets, was released last week during a seminar on "Exploring Population, Health and Environment Linkages in the Philippines" in Iloilo City.
Mogelgaard said 46 percent of the respondents rated forests/logging as one of the three most important environmental issues; 39 percent chose agriculture/food production; and another 39 cited waste management.
Dr. Jurgenne Primavera, senior scientist of the Aquaculture Department of the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center, particularly noted how print media poorly treat mangrove conservation stories.
Primavera, an internationally renowned scientist, lamented that "only one of ten local and national media outlets" previously carried a particular article on a mangrove-friendly project.
"Mangroves are vital component of the marine environment...and it's sad that communities' effort to preserve or rehabilitate mangrove areas is not so much highlighted in the media," she said.
Primavera noted the latest deadly Tsunami that hit parts of Asia, which killed tens of thousands of people and destroyed billions of dollars worth of property, could have been mitigated had there been sufficient mangrove areas in the devastated countries.
She stressed that mangroves act as protective shields that would cushion the impact of giant waves.
Aside from serving as "defense barrier," mangroves have lots of other traditional uses, according to Primavera, a recipient of a Pew Fellowship in Marine Conservation.
For instance, the bark of Avicennia alba can serve as astringent and its resinous secretion for birth control, she said.
Primavera said the leaves of Excoecaria agallocha can be used to treat epilepsy, its sap for ulcers and toothaches.
Other mangrove varieties, according to her, can be used to treat diarrhea and dysentery, to groom hair, as food ingredient, and as skin cosmetic.
On top of all that, Primavera said mangroves are important to keep marine biodiversity in place.
According to another expert, Dr. Oliver Coroza, Conservation International's mapping scientist, mangroves serve as spawning ground of crabs, shrimps and various kinds of fishes.
"It's really important for communities to conserve mangroves," he said.
MIND EWS
From: Mike Shanahan
==========
Malaysia
Development Threatens Malaysia's Mangroves
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MALAYSIA: June 21, 2005
KUALA SELANGOR, Malaysia - It's a lucky person who gets to see a Great Tit.
The dark green and yellow Great Tit (Parus major) is a bird species that makes its home in Malaysia's coastal mangrove swamps and both are disappearing as the country redoubles it attempts to boost agriculture.
Commercial farmers are turning swamps in Kuala Selangor, 90 km (56 miles) north-west of the capital, Kuala Lumpur, into shrimp farms and threatening a delicate ecosystem that is home to hundreds of species, environmentalists say.
Wood and marine products from the swamps provide a source of income for villagers and the swamps themselves form a natural protective buffer against rough seas or tsunamis, like the one that struck parts of peninsular Malaysia last December.
"Directly and indirectly, the mangrove swamp has, for thousands of years, protected us in one form or another," said Andrew Sebastian, parks director of conservation group Malaysian Nature Society (MNS).
"The tsunami has shown how important the mangrove swamps are for the ecosystem and our lives."
The swamps shielded several Indonesian islands and Malaysia's northwest coastline from the worst effects of the tsunami, prompting Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to call for their preservation. "Mangroves should not be touched, they act as a barrier for big waves...they break the waves," Abdullah said.
SWAMP TO FARM
But despite Abdullah's directive, an 8-km (5-mile) stretch of mangrove forest was turned into a shrimp farm in Kuala Selangor early this year.
MNS, which runs a park to the north of the stretch, is puzzled about the location of the shrimp farm, because it says considerable investment is required to neutralise the acidic mangrove swamp water to sustain marine life.
"Projects like this, if not well thought out, offer only short-term benefits and at the end, will come back and haunt us in terms of the environment, economy and tourism," said Sebastian.
"These companies should heed the prime minister's call and move their operations to a more suitable area."
Mangroves have luxuriant and complicated root systems that combat soil erosion by helping to bind the shore together, forming a shield against destructive waves and sustaining a varied ecosystem that is home to insects, fish and otters.
Blue and orange fiddler crabs scuttle sideways across the swamp in Kuala Selangor along with mud skippers and snails while silver-leaf monkeys swing from the branches of trees through which flit 156 varieties of birds.
Forestry Department statistics show that peninsular Malaysia had 85,800 hectares (214,500 acres) of mangrove swamp forests in 2003, down from 86,497 hectares in 2002.
Villager Hassan Yatim grumbled about the shrimp farms.
"We can't look for snails and other things here. We used to get about 30 kg (66 lb) previously but now there is none. We just scrounge around for what is left here," Hassan said as he gathered mangrove tree poles for his vegetable plot.
ECOSYSTEM BREAKDOWN
The shrimp farms have also changed the lifestyle and diet of animals in the Kuala Selangor swamp.
Kingfishers, shrikes and waders now head for the farms for easy pickings instead of hunting their prey in the thick mangrove forest within the 200-hectare nature park, Sebastian said.
Sleek otters also head straight for the shrimp farms, particularly when farm workers distribute feed to the shrimp.
"To make matters worse, the owners of the farm have put nets along the boundaries which trap the birds and the otters, which are left in the snares," Sebastian added.
Despite the threat to the ecosystem, the Forestry Department says the farms are legal as part of the Kuala Selangor swamps are now classified as agricultural land rather than the forest reserve they were formerly.
Authorities are encouraging aquaculture, by putting fish ponds and shrimp farms in rice fields and mangrove swamps, to boost food production for both domestic and foreign markets. But a shrimp farm set in 400 hectares (988 acres) of rice fields in the northern state of Kedah failed in 2002 after a virus wiped out its tiger prawns, a much sought-after delicacy.
Malaysia, which former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad turned from an agrarian into an industrial economy in the 1980s, now wants to widen its economic base by boosting the agricultural sector. Agriculture contributes about nine percent of annual GDP.
Story by Jahabar Sadiq
REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
From "Elaine Corets"
==========
S. ASIA
India
Sanctuary Asia site mentioned below:
Take Action
Campaigns
Bhitarkanika's Mangroves in Trouble
Orissa,April 2005
The Government of Orissa has once again given priority to mega-industrial units over its rich ecology and self-sufficient people. This time, it plans to sell the waters of the Brahmani river to steel makers. Conservationists believe that the mangroves of Bhitarkanika, a Ramsar Site, and its unique ecology could disappear in the next five years.
Diverting waters from Orissa's Brahmani river basin, as has been proposed, is sure to destroy the famed mangrove-rich Bhitarkanika region, which lies between Paradeep and Chandipur on the coast of the Bay of Bengal.
Owing to the fact that this mangrove ecosystem is host to some of the most endangered species in the world and is also a life-support system for the indigenous people, it has been afforded the status of a Ramsar Site and a World Heritage Site. However, all this could change with the possibility of the fresh water of the Brahmani being sold to steel makers.
Enormous quantities are required for steel; approximately 100,000 cubic metres for every tonne of finished steel. Steel units with a total capacity of 44 million tonnes have been promised water from the Brahmani river. The capacity of the river's Rengali reservoir is 4,400 mcum. of which 3,450 mcum. is required by the Rengali canals. Another 454 mcum. shall be consumed by mega-industrial plants such as the National Thermal Power Corporation, National Aluminium Company, Mahanadi Coalfields and the Steel Authority of India Limited. An additional amount of about 414 mcum. units will be drawn at the Brahmani at Jokadia Barrage once the mega-steel plants start operating. This brings the total amount extracted to 4,318 mcum., more or less equivalent to the amount of available water supply.
Diverting these waters would be equivalent to sounding a death knell not only for the mangrove-rich Ramsar Site, but also the rich and diverse marine life of the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary. Several factors have already caused a drastic reduction in the river's water supply (a 58 per cent reduction between 1999 and 2003 at Jokadia Barrage) and a bad monsoon would result in a catastrophe. The drastic effect that the Farakka barrage has had on the sundari trees of the Sundarbans is a stark warning of what lies in store for us.
Mangroves are extremely sensitive to changes in salinity and occur only at inter-tidal regions, where salinity levels are just right. By diverting the water, the amount of fresh water reaching Bhitarkanika will dwindle, thereby killing 62 of the world's 73 mangrove species found here. The brackish water is also an ideal breeding, feeding and nursing ground for many estuarine and marine organisms. Bhitarkanika also supports over 1,300 salt water crocodiles. Salinity and other changes will probably force crocodiles out of the sanctuary bringing them into populated areas, thus magnifying human-crocodile conflict. There are other impacts to consider. Many extremely serious. The Brahmani flushes nutrients to the off shore waters of the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary, which attracts the world's largest congregation of olive ridleys. Trawling and development projects have already taken a huge toll on these reptiles that come ashore to nest in a phenomenon referred to as the arribada (mass nesting).
Experts predict that the effect on local flora and fauna will also be severe. Fresh water lobsters, bhetkis and other commercially important species will disappear, stealing the livelihood of the fishermen in the Kendrapa district. Farmers of the Aul and Pattamundai areas, also depend on the river for irrigation and will have to confront acute water shortages. The state government in its haste to favour heavy industry seems not to have taken into account the drinking, irrigation and ecosystem requirements of the lakhs of people dependent upon the Brahmani. These are the type of decisions that have consistently been taken over the years in India that have led to the vast areas on the subcontinent becoming water stressed.
***ACTION ALERT***
Please take a few minutes to understand and then lend your name to the Sanctuary campaign to against the decision to divert water from the Brahmani to benefit steel units.You can take the first step by visiting the web site: writing a polite letter along the lines suggested and posting it to the parties concerned.
Or, Take Action Yourself by Writing the following officials:
Write a Letter
To: cmorissa@ori.nic.in, pmosb@pmo.nic.in, mef@menf.delhi.nic.in, secy@envfor.nic.in, soniagandhi@sansad.nic.in
Subject:
To:
Mr. Naveen Patnaik,
Chief Minister of Orissa,
Naveen Nivas, Airport Road,
Bhubaneswar, Orissa.
Dr. Manmohan Singh,
Hon. Prime Minister of India,
Central Secretariat, South Block,
New Delhi
The Secretary,
Ministry of Forests and Environment,
Paryavaran Bhavan, CGO Complex,
Lodi Road, New Delhi 110 003
Sonia Gandhi,
Chairperson, United Front Party Alliance,
10, Janpath, New Delhi 110 001
Dear Sir/ Madam,
Bhitarkanika, one of the richest mangrove-rich sites in the world, between Paradip and Chandipur, is under severe strain with the proposal of diverting the already stressed Bhramani's waters to mega-steel units.
Bhitarkanika, a host some of the most endangered species in the world and is also a life-support system for the indigenous people, and thus afforded the status of a Ramsar Site and a World Heritage Site.
Steel-making requires enormous quantities of water and if waters of the Brahmani are diverted to meet the demands of the steel makers, it would be equivalent to sounding the death-knell for those dependant on the river for their survival. Steel units with a total capacity of 44 million tonnes have been promised water from the Brahmani river. The capacity of the river's Rengali reservoir is 4,400 mcum. of which 3,450 mcum. is required by the Rengali canals. Another 454 mcum. shall be consumed by mega-industrial plants such as the National Thermal Power Corporation, National Aluminium Company, Mahanadi Coalfields and the Steel Authority of India Limited. An additional amount of about 414 mcum. units will be drawn at the Brahmani at Jokadia Barrage once the mega-steel plants start operating. This brings the total amount extracted to 4,318 mcum., more or less equivalent to the amount of available water supply. There has been a drastic reduction in the river's water supply (a 58 per cent reduction between 1999 and 2003 at Jokadia Barrage).
Diverting the waters would mean a considerable reduction in fresh water supply to mangroves at Bhitarkanika, thereby killing 62 of the world's 73 mangrove species, which are extremely sensitive to changes in salinity. Thus would be destroyed the breeding, feeding and nursing ground for many estuarine and marine life forms. The over 1,300 salt water crocodiles would be forced, in their search for better conditions, to move closer to populated areas, thus magnifying human-crocodile conflict. This would also adversely alter the nutrient flow, which is regularly flushed from the river to the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary, and adversely affect the olive ridleys. Conservationists fear that the effect on local flora and fauna will also be severe. Commercially important species such as bhetkis will disappear, stealing the livelihood of the fishermen in the Kendrapa district and that of farmers of the Aul and Pattamundai areas, who depend on the water for irrigation.
I urge you to take into account the drinking, irrigation and ecosystem requirements of the lakhs of people dependent upon the Brahmani.
Sincerely,
From: "MAP / S.E. Asia" mapasia@loxinfo.co.th
==========
Mangroves in Kerala find friends in lay naturalists.
Without waiting for the state, enthusiasts in Payyanur, Kerala have set out to preserve their mangroves
Mangroves are forests' less-understood, poor cousins. If forests are getting a bad deal you can imagine what mangroves are going through. In a state like Kerala where backwaters run through bursting human habitats, mangroves have been cherished for long, though lately they have been considered dispensable impediments in the way of economic development. But now there is hope. A group of enthusiastic, lay naturalists have risen to the task and the tenacious family of flora called mangroves is gamely fighting back. Some of newly legislated state laws of course will help, but it is the peoples' movement that will save the mangroves.
A mysterious resource:
Along the edges of backwaters, closer to the sea is nature's inventive exuberance called mangroves. Central to it are many species of halophytes, which are plants adapted to thrive in salt water. And how cleverly they thrive! Roots grow up out of the saline, oxygen starved mud to breathe. Seeds grow into seedlings while still attached to the tree and when mature, spear themselves into the soft mud. To protect the formation of a new colony, a thorny vanguard --Acanthus Illicifolius-- arrives first. Roots of trees are in fact a network of tall stilts in the ebb and flow of tides. In 1969, biologists of the University of Florida discovered the detrital cycle: within hours of the leaves falling from the trees they are colonised by marine fungi and bacteria that convert difficult to digest carbon compounds into nitrogen rich detritus material. And feeding on the detritus and evolving outward is a parade of species in a food chain: worms, snails, shrimp, mollusks, mussels, barnacles, clams, oysters, crabs,fish, birds and marine animals, culminating in --can you ever keep him out?- man.
Until recently man had not understood this productive ecosystem that in fact makes it possible for him to live an amply endowed life. Mangroves give him fish to eat, small timber to cook with and shade against nature's fury. They turn sea water into a better tolerated brackish water which he can use for agriculture. They trap nutrients brought down by rivers. They are recyclers of pollutants. They prevent erosion and silting of the channels. In Kerala man may not have scientifically understood it but he has lived in harmony and derived much pleasure.
Mangroves are known as Kandal Kadu in Malayalam. Of the 1700 hectares of Kerala's mangroves more than half are in Payyanur. Before they enter the sea, two rivers --the Perumba and the Pullankode-- form a channel called Kunhi Chayal. It is beautiful picturesque country and it is difficult not to be appreciative of nature's ways.
Silent environmentalists:
Prof. M Jayarajan gives the credit for formal environmental awareness in the district to the legendary John C. Jacob, the Professor of Zoology in Payyanur College in 1970s. It was a time when Kerala's Silent Valley was being threatened with 'development'. The college campus was politicised with a section of students trivialising environmentalists. John C. --as he is affectionately referred to-- braved physical violence and spoke out against invasive development in the Silent Valley. "John C. organised a street march of citizens set to save the Silent Valley," says Jayarajan. "It was the first ever march in Kannur Dt. for a purely environmental issue." Silent Valley was saved.
John C. started a Zoology Club at the Payyanur College in 1972. It was prophetic step. The club attracted school children, housewives and even forest officers. The focus was on personal responsibility to environment- how our food, clothes and behaviour affect the world we live in. Picnics, meetings and treks have been regularly organised. In 1979 the Society for Environmental Education in Kerala [SEEK] was started to somewhat formalise this activity. Since 1981, SEEK has been publishing 'Soocheemukhi' a monthly devoted to environmental issues. It has a print run of 1000. Environmental awareness has spread in Kerala. Environmental groups have mushroomed all over. Though small by themselves they have learned to network across districts. "Today the seventies' children are very committed adults," says Jayarajan
P P Rajan in nearby Kunhimangalam is one such product. He had been organically farming his family's 2.5 acres abutting the backwaters. "I used to go out in my canoe and bring loads of mangrove mud for my paddy. It was so rich in organic matter," he says. The backwaters teemed with fish and birds. He used to get 1.2 tonnes of rice per acre with just that for input. And he cropped twice a year.
Gulf fever:
Then in the late seventies the economy of Kerala began to experience the Persian Gulf Boom. Almost every family had a member working out there sending back money. Farm labour became scarce and farming was being abandoned. Later in mid 1980s, a craze for blind 'money-making' took hold of the people.
And that was how aquaculture-for-export arrived in Payyanur. The shrimp in the water was abundant for the personal consumption of people but the new entrepreneur wanted to feed the overseas market. "It was not even about commercial aquaculture. It was in fact a well organised scam," say Rajan and Jayarajan. "Racketeers arrived from Kottayam with bags of money and mysterious plans. They bought up huge tracts of agricultural land, hacked the mangroves down, built ponds and cut channels. And when they seemed to have collected unspoken subsidies, showed no further interest in the project." More than 100 acres stretching from the backwaters to the Ezhimala railway station was laid bare.
SEEK began to highlight the price environment was paying. There were protest meetings and petitions and finally a case was filed in the courts. Nothing seemed to work. It was then, that the thought of direct action took root. A group called One Earth One Life began to organise the fight back. Kerala State Mangrove Protection Committee was formed, headed by Lukose Kadalikattil as Project co-ordinator and Rajan as convener.
March of the dimes:
Their strategy was touchingly simple. Let's buy up tracts of vulnerable mangrove lands and begin securing at least the future. Ordinary citizens contributed their hard earned money and signed away all their rights to the property. Protection Committee began buying parcels of land from disinterested farmers and soon had 3 acres. 39 people had contributed and consented to leave it to nature. In the meantime SEEK too followed with direct action. Its members contributed to buy 4 acres. They now want to keep buying as and when contributions add to a sizable sum. It costs about Rs.25,000 to buy an acre. In a money fixated world the altruism of these unknown Indians is difficult to match.
In nearby Muttukkandi an even more heroic K.Pokkudan was standing alone and tall in the cause of mangroves. He is a Dalit, which is a nice sounding name for a member of India's most abused class, in regard to whom India's vaunted humanity resorts to amnesia. Pokkudan who is 63 today, had grown up in a Zamin. There were 50 Dalit families who were tenant farmers but were in fact slave labourers for the Ezhom Zamindar. About 25 years ago the Dalit families were evicted from their ancestral habitat. They were given less than a tenth of an acre each. Most of them converted to Christianity to gain a higher visibility for their protest. Pokkudan though he remained a Hindu, became a Marxist. He exchanged his seven cents for half an acre of practically derelict land by the backwater.
Once here, he remembered how at Ezhom the landlord had nurtured the mangrove as a protection and a resource. So he and his three children began to plant the 3 km water front, all the way up to to Pazhangadi town. This was a labour begun 12 years ago. The mangroves --mostly Rhizophora with its thorny escorts-- had established themselves. His wife thought him mad for his public labours. But real estate interests thought him evil. In just two hours of one afternoon in March,1998, a mob of paid men scythed through Pokkudan's mangroves.
Turn of the tide:
So what do we have here? Shrimp farms in Kunhimangalam and destroyed plantations in Muttukkandi. Where is the good news?
Let us take a boat ride with Rajan. For some unexplained reason, the shrimp farm project was given up in 1998. Today, the resilience of mangroves is on display. Rhizophora seedlings are spearing into the mud and mangroves are reasserting. "All we need to do is keep man's mischief out of the way and the mangroves will come back," says Rajan. The Kunhi Chayal is a maze of coves and hauntingly narrow channels lined with thriving mangroves. A million eyes are looking out at you. You feel distinctly an outsider. We have steered through many disorienting passages and are at the 3 and 4 acres bought by citizens and turned to go wild. It is eerily silent. Large fish slither and startle you. The birds are back-- cormorant, egrets, herons. "The Brahmany Kite is nesting again," whispers Rajan gazing at the giant bird wheeling overhead watchful if the canoe would near its nest. It's a bird sanctuary rapidly in the making. SEEK and Rajan's group are still canvassing for money to lock away more acres. It does seem a very low-cost way to save an ecosystem. Four acres here is cheaper than what many Indian weddings cost. What if every aware couple bought an acre and turned it wild? Well, well...
Let us revert to Pokkudan. Within hours of the mobs vandalising his planted coast he called SEEK. And they got the press to cover the story. Pokkudan was a hero overnight and support rallied soon. District Forest Officer K K Chandra has come to stand by him. Pokkudan has become a supplier of Rhizophora seedlings to vast new plantations elsewhere in Kerala. School children earn pocket money collecting the seedlings and he transports them in auto-rickshaws. Awareness has grown everywhere. He takes interested people on learning walks. He rattles off where he has supplied seedlings and promoted planting: 20,000 to Payyanur Panchayat, 1500 to Papinessery, 35,000 to Thalassery and Kodumalli, 8,000 to Beypore in Kozhikkode and several thousands to the forest department directly. He gives them free to schools. It would appear that an esteem for mangroves is growing.
"But I will never plant in Muttukkandi again," he says bitter about that day 5 years ago. He poses reluctantly for a photograph. But behind him the children of his savaged mangroves are smiling again. The nicest thing about mangroves is that they are hard to destroy: they spring back soon as they are left alone. And they have been left alone here, since that afternoon of the knives. Of course man can --and is willing-- to pour concrete to build a store or a highway.Increasingly to deter him, legislation is getting tougher in favour of environment. And awareness is making the laws stick. Throughout all this, mangrove seedlings are steadily spearing into the mud.
___
Kerala State Mangrove Protection Committee
[--which raises funds to buy mangroves as a conservation measure]
Lukose Kadalikattil [Co-ordinator]
email: malanadu@vsnl.com
From: "Karuna Sanghvi"
Brazil
White Spot Spotted In Brazil's Booming Shrimp Farm Industry
Editor's Note: Most know that today Brazil's shrimp farming industry is booming beyond anyone's wildest expectations. But as predicted by MAP and others years ago, this highly touted (by industry and government) boon would soon be followed by an equally impressive bust. The swift direction of this "boom and bust cycle" is so predictable in fact that one must wonder if the density of the minds of the majority of shrimp farmers is as great as the density of their ponds which they have striven to stock beyond past records of production in other shrimp producing nations. The lessons of history are too often not learned, and so are destined to repeat themselves ...despite all of those who had seen Brazil's industry in such a promising light and some international NGOs who had promoted the industry there believing it would somehow follow the "better practices" the NGO lauded.. This editor is sorry to relay this news, but it is "better practice" NOT to practice shrimp farming! MAP joins our friends at Red Manglar and others around the world in again calling for a moratorium on this unsafe and unsound industry!
The following translation of a lengthy letter written by a Brazilian shrimp farmer on 4 June 2005 is presented in its entirety, along with another previously written letter and an article by the same author, as the material gives an in-depth, behind-the-scenes view of the shrimp farming industry as it currently operates in Brazil, as well as treating the threat that diseases pose to shrimp cultivation. The original material (in Portuguese) was obtained from the Redmanglar listserve, through unknown sources. This week's issue of the MAP News (20 June 2005) presented news stories published in the newspaper O Povo, based in Fortaleza (state of Ceara), Brazil, in which an opposing view of risks posed by the White Spot disease is presented. Clarifications and editorial notes are in parenthetic italics.
=========
Brazil Shrimp Farmer Speaks Out Against Industry Decision Makers
========== Forwarded message ==========
From: alexandre
Date: Jun 4, 2005 5:10 PM
Subject: [carcinicultor] mancha branca confirmada no Cear�
To: lista@panorama-l.com.br, carcinicultor@yahoogrupos.com.br
Dear Colleagues,
It was with sadness but not surprise that I learned of the occurrence of White Spot virus in Aracati - Ceara (northeastern state in Brazil) and with great consternation and hopelessness that I found out about ABCC's (Brazilian Association of Shrimp Farmers) decision to not announce the occurrence in an attempt to repress the spread of information. It took around six months between the first occurrence in Santa Catarina (southern state in Brazil) and this one in Ceara, which is almost 3,000 km away. The obvious conclusion is that it will affect me at any time and all of you Brazilian shrimp farmers that up to now have preferred to ignore the risk.
During these six months, much could have been put into motion, such as demanding sanitary isolation of the breeding stock, certification of post-larvae by PCR (polymerase-chain reaction), prohibition and enforcement of the responsible deposition of processing wastes, etc.
In whose interest is it to repress this or maintain the status quo? Few know that the ABCC represents only the large producers and for them the small and medium-sized ones only get in the way. On 16 September 2000, I quit participating in ABCC, where I was a consulting member, and annex below the letter that I sent to all members on that day.
The ABCC is dominated by project salespeople and consultants. They are interested in expansion continuing in this form, because when the s..t hits the fan, what projects will they sell? In the end, why recognize the environmental problems of the shrimp farming model highly recommended by them? Now, everything will come back against us, but I bet a case of beer that the ABCC will position itself as the savior of Brazil and say that if other countries were able to recuperate than Brazil will also. I really like the phrase of the late Dr. Roberto Campos, who said, "statistics is like a bikini, it shows almost everything but the essential." Countries' productions recuperate, but it is not done by the same producers that were originally affected. They die! It is others that are now producing.
In whose interest is it to repress the facts? In Ecuador, there were more than 300 larvae producers and today there are only 35. All of the small- and medium-sized laboratories closed down. The large laboratories are consulting members of ABCC and their business' resources are joined in a coalition to wait out the crash in activity in the certainty that their commercial predominance will be much better in the recuperation phase to follow. For them it is better to let the inevitable happen, since certainly they are much more able to adapt the necessary technologies in order to provide the market with certified post-larvae, etc.
Sincerely, if there is someone in this country that can say "I told you so," it is I. Nevertheless, what good does it do? If advice were goods, no one would give them away, but I will dare to anyway:
1. Do not invest, wait. If already investing, stop where you are.
2. Save your reserves for the future.
3. Do not go into debt, especially with banks. If you can pay off your debts, do it, even if you have to sell off goods;
4. Reduce immediately your costs. Decrease cultivation densities as much as possible
5. If in freshwater, change immediately to tilapia or other alternatives.
6. Do not believe in miracle products, such as probiotics, betaglucans, etc. They only function within a wider context of sustainable aquaculture.
I have made a considerable personal effort in the sense of attracting local producers to sustainable aquaculture. I have given talks, courses, published articles in national and international magazines. All in vain.
Good luck to everyone in this difficult moment.
Alexandre Alter Wainberg,M.Sc.
PRIMAR
Caixa Postal 36
Goianinha, RN, Brasil
CEP 59173-000
www.primarorganica.com.br
piau.nat@terra.com.br
tel 55 84 9401 1385
CEP 59173-000
Tel/fax 0xx84 32465808
-----
From: Alexandre Alter Wainberg
To: associados ABCC (members of Brazilian Association of Shrimp Farmers)
Date: September16 2000
Dear Shrimp farming Colleagues,
Two questions have left me in an uncomfortable position in relation to this management: representativeness and environment. Sincerely, I felt like ending my participation in ABCC, but I still think that this is the best forum to express my opinions. The place to do one's laundry is at home and I don't think that these questions should be washed outside of ABCC, as for example in the GAA (Global Aquaculture Association), NGO's, media, and government agencies.
We should be worried about guaranteeing the participation of the maximum number possible of producers. What would be the representativeness of ABCC if there were only medium- and large-scale businesses in the directorship? What social stamp could we give to the activity if the micro- and small producers cannot have an active voice, vote, and be voted to elective posts of ABCC?
The environmental question, in my opinion, has been treated in an ambiguous form by the ABCC. How can one be associated with GAA on the one hand and on the other support a decree permitting felling of 10% of Brazilian mangroves? How can we be so informed about the problems that have occurred in other countries and continue to commit the same errors? We cannot raise shrimp with densities of 40/m2, 50/m2, and even more, in the same ponds where we raised 10/m2 with only the addition of aerators. We cannot continue to clog farms in estuaries without the least knowledge of their carrying capacity. That our president, Itamar Rocha, possesses a formed opinion related to the environmental question is very understandable. What I think is not correct is that the president of ABCC shows up as such at national Congress (of Brazil) to defend his individual convictions without submitting them to the other members. In Congress, he had the obligation to wear the jersey of ABCC and not his own clothes, and be more moderated in his positions taken. The presidency of an association requires at times that its president defend opinions even contrary to his if these were generated by the majority of the members.
I would like to solicit from ABCC a more coherent posture in relationship to mangroves. We had a seminar, in 1997, where we obtained great advances on the question of mangroves and shrimp farming. In this seminar, which had the participation of Shiite environmentalists (perhaps this is meant to mean extremist?), criteria were established for felling of mangroves and the utilization of abandoned salt ponds and storage and flushing canals in order to construct farms behind the mangroves. In my opinion, this should be our Bible regarding this question.
I feel comfortable and coherent with my opinions and actions and for this reason take a public stand on these two questions. Time will tell if I am right.
-----
This article was originally published in the magazine Panorama da Aquicultura, Vol. 10, No 61, 2000.
The nightmare of Asian viruses still makes the rounds of Brazilian shrimp farming
Alexandre Alter Wainberg
PRIMAR
piau.nat@zaz.com.br
In all of the coastal states of the country (of Brazil), principally between Bahia and Maranhao, new farms are being planned, constructed or are already in operation. Average national production is the highest in South America, owing to the intensity of the cultivation system. Many farms without supplementary aeration produce more than 3,000 kg/ha/year and the farms equipped with aerators are able to produce up to 10,000 kg/ha/year. Optimism in the sector is great.
When euphoria resides, it is very common to pay little attention to risks. Currently, the greatest risk present in the sector is that of health and disease, which can cause a significant drop in production, affecting the viability of the industry in the short term. In the case of White Spot and Yellow Head viruses, recuperation, if it happens, can take years.
In Thailand, where the farms are small and the cultivation intensive, the recuperation was rapid, with the farms adapting physically and methodologically to the presence of the pathogen, which today is endemic. In the year 2000, Thailand will produce more than 300,000 tons of farmed shrimp. In Ecuador and the rest of Pacific Coast countries of Latin America, the incidence of this virus is recent, but perspectives of recuperation in the short term do not exist. In these countries, the farms are large, the cultivation system is semi-extensive or semi-intensive, and the technological level low.
Brazil closed its borders, through zoo-sanitary barriers, last year (1999) in order to try to prevent the introduction of Asian viruses by their principle transmission vectors: shrimp frozen for consumers or breeding stock and young forms for cultivation. In any case, once eradicated and now newly present in the regions considered "free," the efficiency of government measures of exclusion is debatable.
What is the possibility of us being victims of these viruses? Will we be prepared for them? I say no, let's see:
- Our farms are clogging up our estuaries without the least bit of planning or order;
- Our raised stock, post-larvae and breeding stock travel without any sanitary control;
- We are stocking more and more intensively in large ponds and with little water renewal;
- There is no control over effluents and the farms are not planned for water reutilization;
- Regular procedures for biosecurity do not exist on the farms.
Some colleagues gave the opinion that it is only a question of time before being affected and we should root that other countries affected find a solution before this happens. One has to wait for new farms to incorporate the knowledge about biosecurity accumulated in other countries, principally in Asia. They are not.
In the case of the White Spot virus, more than 70 potential vectors have already been identified, including crab species, other species of shrimp and their larval forms, plankton organisms, and even marine sponges. As for sanitary control, the tendencies clearly point to the use of stocks with sanitary certification and genetically selected for resistance and growth. It is obvious that all of the measures described above increase the value of the investments necessary for constructing a farm and also the fixed costs. The shrimp farms that have bio-security as an objective will be able to work vigorously in intensive culture systems.
From: "Elaine Corets"
USA
RFID IN AQUACULTURE: Chips in trays allow seafood to be traced
Published on June 06, 2005
Shrimp will soon be able to tell consumers their
place of origin and how well they were fed at the
shrimp farm. With radio frequency identification
(RFID) technology and food-traceability software,
those who love to eat the marine creatures can be
assured of their safety.
To enable tons of shrimp from different farms to
#8220;speak #8221;, IE Technology #8211; an
RFID application developer #8211; has been
working to embed RFID microchips into the plastic
trays used by farms and middle markets to hold
shrimp before distribution to processors.
The development is aimed at supporting the second
phase of a food-traceability project, a
collaboration between the Science and Agriculture
ministries that attempts to make it possible for
manufacturers, kitchen staff and even consumers
to trace the origin of food back through all
processes, ensuring safety.
#8220;Normally, shrimp are shipped in trays from
farm to market, after which all are graded by
size and mixed in large receptacles. The shrimp
travel from one tray to another, then another.
Although the farms deploy an automatic system to
store shrimp data, it is during this part of the
process, when they #8217;re all mixed together,
that it becomes impossible to identify which
farms the shrimp in each tray come from, #8221;
said Naiyavud Wongkomet, managing director of IE
Technology.
To solve this problem, the company has worked to
put RFID chips into the plastic trays. It aims at
storing all shrimp-related data #8211; place of
birth, lineage, medical record, use of protein
supplements #8211; on microchips embedded in
each tray, not only those used on the farm, but
also those at the middle market and factory.
#8220;Bar codes can #8217;t be used, because
they don #8217;t withstand water as well as they
do temperature. More importantly, speed in
reading and transferring data is not something
that bar codes can offer, #8221; he said.
Apiwat Thongprasert, a consultant with IE
Technology #8217;s business-development division,
said that it is not easy to implant RFID chips in
plastic trays, because the chips must be placed
into one of many holes before resins seal them
up.
#8220;It requires a fair amount of resin, but at
the same time data needs to be emitted through
the seal. For wider implementation of RFID-based
trays, we #8217;re thinking of embedding chips
during the moulding process, but that would
require collaboration over a wider area, #8221;
he said.
Apiwat said the microchips used in the project
were developed by Silicon Craft Technology,
Thailand #8217;s first company for designing RFID
chips. The chips operate at 134.2 kHz, a passive,
low frequency. The beauty of the passive
microchip is that it not only withstands water
and cold temperatures, but also allows data to be
read wirelessly.
At the same time, IE Technology developed an RFID
reader that can resist ice and water. To make
RFID readers suitable for routine work in the
shrimp market, the company initially designed
readers of two types #8211; stationary and
handheld.
The fixed stationary readers collect data from
the chips embedded in the trays, while the
handheld ones double-check the information to
prevent any possible error.
He said that once shrimp in the trays are mixed,
readers scan information from one tray before
copying it into the next tray, and so on until
the last tray is done.
#8220;This does not tell exactly which shrimp
comes from which farm, but with the information
cloned from tray to tray, manufacturers will know
for sure how many farms the shrimp in each tray
are from. This helps narrow the traceability
process, #8221; he said.
Since shrimp importers and exporters are required
to submit DS-2031 declaration forms to the
Fisheries Department asking for permission to
conduct business, there is also a plan to enable
those companies to submit the form and receive
permission online. The ID number that companies
are assigned by the department will also be
stored in the RFID chip embedded in the trays.
This way, when data is traced back, the original
route of the targeted shrimp can be determined.
To complete the traceability process, the FXA
Group is developing software to manage the flow
of RFID information. FXA is a food-industry
software firm that has created Web-based,
data-tracing software enabling
agricultural-product exporters electronically to
collect and trace all data related to the
processing of their products.
Initially, five shrimp farms are expected to
participate in the second phase of the
food-traceability project.
From: Mike Shanahan mikeshanahan@yahoo.com
==========
Wild American Shrimp, Inc.'s Initial Certification Program to Revolutionize Shrimp Industry
SAVANNAH, Ga., June 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Early this year, the U.S. shrimp industry began an initial certification program to help consumers identify domestic, wild-caught shrimp harvested from its natural environment. The Wild American(TM) shrimp certification mark guarantees that consumers are receiving warm-water shrimp from their natural habitat out of U.S. coastal waters and meets high standards for quality and consistency. The new mark of quality can be found in grocery stores on several widely recognized seafood brands including Emeril's Louisiana Shrimp(TM), Tony Chachere's(R) and Bumble Bee(R).
A recent Associated Press article reported that Emeril's Louisiana Shrimp carrying the Wild American shrimp certification mark failed to reflect high quality standards. The Emeril product in question did in fact pass all Wild American shrimp certification standards. The following statement from the United States Department of Commerce (USDC) Seafood Inspection Program was provided to the AP writer prior to the article being printed but was not included in the story.
Bob Kell, Consumer Safety Officer of USDC states, "Emeril's Louisiana Shrimp is inspected by USDC to meet Wild American shrimp certification standards. The USDC has reports and records of all Emeril's Louisiana Shrimp that have been packed and shipped and has no knowledge of any shipments that did not meet these standards."
To use the Wild American certification marks, the shrimp must exceed high standards for flavor, odor, and lack physical defects such as dehydration (for frozen shrimp), presence of black spots, cleanliness, texture, and several other categories. For example, shrimp fail to meet Wild American Shrimp, Inc. (WASI) certification standards if they have any odor or have only a "reasonably good" flavor. Trained government officials measure these quality standards before a Wild American certification mark is awarded to the shrimp.
WASI takes all concerns about its certification program very seriously. The organization is continually striving to improve our initial certification program. WASI has dedicated over $1 million to improving the quality and consistency of shrimp offered under the Wild American shrimp logo. For example, WASI is working with eight Sea-Grant Universities to develop better, more quantifiable and consistent methodologies for measuring quality. WASI is also training shrimp fishermen, processors, and retailers how to best handle shrimp to preserve the great flavor, texture, and healthful qualities that are unique to wild-caught shrimp.
Shrimp is already America's favorite seafood, with 95% of consumers saying they would choose wild-caught American shrimp when given a choice. WASI has introduced the first national initiative to ensure premium wild-caught shrimp reaches consumers through training, certification, and education from boat to plate. Over the next several years, WASI aims to revolutionize the U.S. shrimp industry's standards, providing more and better wild-caught shrimp to consumers.
"Consumers have a choice when purchasing shrimp. Eighty-nine percent of the shrimp consumed in the United States is imported from overseas, the majority of which is farm-raised," explained Elaine Knight, President of WASI. "Americans have always loved the sweet taste and tender texture of wild-caught shrimp, but now they can be certain that Wild American shrimp are wild-caught in their natural habitat by U.S. fishermen and certified to meet high quality standards. The WASI label also means that the purchase will support American communities that depend on the traditional way of life of U.S. shrimp fishermen...
...Representing the seafood industry in eight southern states: North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas, WASI devotes its resources to educating consumers about the advantages of asking for Wild American shrimp, shrimp that grows naturally, is caught fresh and supports the domestic seafood industry.
SOURCE Wild American Shrimp, Inc.
European Commission launches debate on ecolabelling of fisheries products
The European Commission tabled, today, a Communication designed to launch a debate on the best way ahead regarding the ecolabelling of fisheries products.
This initiative follows the growing interest by environmental Non-Governmental Organisations and increased public interest in food products associated with considerations related to environmental sustainability.
A number of ecolabelling schemes have already been established with regard to fisheries products and other initiatives are being developed. It is not always easy to establish how reliable some ecolabelling claims are. International guidelines on ecolabelling have recently been adopted by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and discussions on these issues and their potential effects on free trade areas are progressing in other international fora such as the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
The European Commission is committed to the integration of the environmental dimension into fisheries and wants to make the most of ecolabelling of fish and fisheries products. The Commission, therefore, looks at three possible options to develop this concept further in the Union.
The first involves retaining the status-quo and leaving these schemes develop freely. The second relates to the creation of a single EU ecolabelling scheme and the third would involve the establishment of EU minimum requirements for voluntary ecolabelling schemes. The Commission believes that the last one would be the most appropriate. The debate on these issues will now start with the other EU institutions and with stakeholders.
Source: Europa
From: icsf@icsf.net
CONFERENCES/WORKSHOPS/FORUMS/BOOKS/PUBLICATIONS
COULD BETTER MANGROVE HABITAT HAVE SPARED LIVES IN THE 2004 TSUNAMI ?
Accounts of the tsunami that killed over a quarter of a million people in
Southeast Asia on the 26th of December, 2004, slowly disappear from the
media, but the event is nevertheless heavily burned into the memories of
those who are directly involved. In the aftermath of the disaster,
academics and politicians alike are trying to investigate how the number of
casualties could have been reduced and, more important, how such severe
damage can be avoided if a tsunami ever strikes again. In an essay published
this week, a group of researchers recount the first findings arising from
their recent assessment of how mangrove ecosystems might have influenced the
tsunami's impacts on coastal communities.
The research represents a collaborative effort, with participants from the
Vrije Universiteit, Belgium; the University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka; the Kenya
Marine and Fisheries Research Institute; and the Institut Fran�ais de
Pondich�ry, India.
Mangrove greenbelts were known to offer some protection against destructive
ocean events, such as tsunamis and (far more frequently) tropical cyclones,
but they have not always been valued for that function. Economic and
political interference, driven by short-term benefit, has been responsible
for the destruction of thousands of hectares of mangrove forest (e.g., in
East Africa, on the Indian subcontinent, and in Banda Aceh, Indonesia),
resulting in the loss of the natural, protective "dyke� function of
mangroves in addition to the loss of other services that mangroves provide
to local economies and ecosystems. Although many politicians, journalists,
and scientists have made post-tsunami statements about the barrier function
of mangroves, most have failed to recognize that this function has never
actually been investigated in detail.
In their essay, the authors present an account of the first post-tsunami
field assessment they've undertaken, in Sri Lanka. The researchers
investigated the impact of the tsunami at 24 different mangrove sites,
comparing the event's effects to the size, history, and quality of the local
mangroves. The researchers found that where mangroves occur, they did in
fact offer protection from the tsunami. Mangrove fringes near the water's
edge appeared to take most of the energy from the tsunami waves, and they
showed evidence of damage in some cases, but the researchers found few
examples of mangrove trees actually being uprooted.
However, mangroves at numerous sites had experience pre-tsunami degradation.
This disruption, resulting from human impact, included "cryptic ecological
degradation� (see also Current Biology, March 29, 2005), which involves
subtle changes in species composition. From their assessments of the 24
coastal sites, the researchers concluded that even these seemingly minor
alterations, which do not necessarily involve a reduction in mangrove area,
have had a profound impact on the damage that the 2004 tsunami inflicted on
the coastal zone. This puts the drastic clearing of mangroves, and the
conversion of mangrove habitats to shrimp farms in other areas, into even
starker perspective.
The authors highlight the urgent need for a union between management-driven
research (research that specifically focuses on environmental aspects that
need to be managed) and research-driven management (management that is based
on facts from scientific research). The team emphasizes that an
early-warning system for mangrove degradation should be seen as being as
important for future protection as are early-warning systems for tsunami
arrivals; the authors contend that if put in place, such ecological warning
systems, along with the restoration of mangroves and other natural defenses,
could be more effective in saving human lives and property.
Contact:
Dr. Farid Dahdouh-Guebas, Biocomplexity Research Team, Laboratory of General
Botany and Nature Management, Mangrove Management Group, Vrije Universiteit
Brussel (VUB), fdahdouh@vub.ac.be
From: "Farid Dahdouh-Guebas"
CALL FOR PAPERS (none this issue)
****SECOND ANNOUNCEMENT CALL FOR PAPERS****
"First International Symposium on Mangroves As Fish Habitat"
19-21 April 2006, Miami, Florida, USA
We welcome you to join us at the "First International Symposium on Mangroves as Fish Habitat" scheduled for April 19-21, 2006, in Miami, Florida. This symposium is convened by the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS) in cooperation with program committee members from the National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries), Environmental Defense, and the National Park Service.
The purpose of the symposium is to provide an oral and written forum for the exchange of ideas, approaches, methods and pertinent data on the linkages between mangrove forests and the fishes and fisheries associated with them. A core of international experts will be speaking, contributing papers, and leading discussions.
Objectives are:
• To characterize the present state-of-knowledge, identifying critical information gaps, and charting a course for future research.
• To gauge, and ultimately advance, the current understanding of fish utilization of mangrove habitats and their importance in the systems that they occupy.
• To publish submitted papers on this topic in a special issue of the peer-reviewed Bulletin of Marine Science.
Mark you calendars for April 19-21, 2006, and please visit our web site for updates.
Abstracts are being accepted now! Please complete the online form.
Registration will begin later this year. Watch your e-mail or visit the symposium web site for the registration announcement!
Sponsorship opportunities are also available. Go to website or contact Doreen DiCarlo, Symposium Coordinator, at the Center for Environmental Studies - (561) 799-8553; e-mail: ddicarlo@ces.fau.edu, for personal assistance.
If you are planning to attend, please register online providing your contact information, and, if appropriate, the tentative title(s) and abstract(s) of your paper(s).
From: "MangrovesAsFishHabitat"
Farmed Salmon High In PCBs According to Study
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has announced that farmed salmon contains roughly 6-7 times as many PCBs as wild salmon. A total of 29 tests were conducted on salmon in the British Columbia area, and the results support previous studies revealing
higher levels of toxins in farmed salmon, due to the compact manner in which they are raised.
[9]ORGANIC CONSUMERS WEBSITE
From: Darlene Schanfald
