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The MAP News, 187th Ed., 23 July 2007
Dear Friends,
This is the 187th Edition of the Mangrove Action Project News - 23, July 2007.
For the Mangroves,
Alfredo Quarto
Mangrove Action Project
MAP's Mission:
Partnering with mangrove forest communities, grassroots NGOs, researchers and local governments to conserve and restore mangrove forests and related coastal ecosystems, while promoting community-based, sustainable management of coastal resources.
All news items and notices published in the MAP News can also be accessed directly from our home page, with links to the full story and the original source. New items are posted daily and are available as an RSS feed!
Contents for MAP NEWS, 187th Edition, 23 July 2007
FEATURE STORY
***ACTION ALERT!!!***
MANGROVE ACTION DAY--A GLOBAL CALL TO ACTION!!!
"On Behalf of Indigenous and Traditional Communities and Food Sovereignty!"
International Events on Mangrove Action Day -July 26th
MAP WORKS
MAP, Indonesia Busy on Mangrove Action Day
MAP News Archives Available Now!
Check Out MAP's New Adopt A Program On MAP's New Website!!
New Ecological Mangrove Restoration Workshop In Florida Scheduled
Ghana
Restoration Success Stories from Ghana
Malaysia
'Sabah's forest management far better'
Malaysian trawler fishermen asked to switch to aquaculture
Mangrove "Protectors"
Indonesia
Landmark Law Saves Rainforest
Mass tourism threatens beaches, coasts in Indonesia's Bali
Vietnam
Inclusion of mangroves in conservation treaties does not improve their health
Ecosystems of Vietnam's Long Coastline are in Peril
India
Greenpeace dismisses allegations, renews call to stop work on Dhamra port
***ACTION ALERT!!!***
YOUR LETTERS ARE STILL NEEDED TO HELP STOP DESTRUCTIVE DEVELOPMENT OF DHAMRA PORT FACILITY IN ORISSA
China
CMCN's Mangrove Curriculum Takes Off In China -- SMEEP Final Report of CMCN
A Slippery, Writhing Trade Dispute
The Bahamas
Guana Cay
National Trust Slammed
Bimini Island
***ACTION ALERT!!!***
Letters Needed To Help Save Bimini Island From Further Loss
Rum Cay & San Sakvdit
Mangroves of Rum Cay And San Salvador in the Bahamas Threatened By Mega-Resort
USA
***ACTION ALERT!!!***
A Big Threat Looms Over Gulf Of Mexico
FDA Lax On Testing Seafood Imports
Consumers want to know where their food comes from
Groups Seek to Halt Use of Word 'Organic' on Seafood
China ban may be too late to rescue US shrimpers
STORIES / ISSUES
American Society of Mammalogists Adopts a Resolution on Economic Growth
A GIANT OF THE SEA FINDS SLIMMER PICKINGS
A World Without Mangroves
CONFERENCES / WORKSHOPS / PUBLICATIONS
International Conference on "Managing Wetlands for Sustainable Development:
CALL FOR PAPERS--World Congress of Rural Sociology
ANNOUNCEMENTS
IUCN, NL Announces Small Grants Opportunities
AQUACULTURE CORNER
Aquaculture' phenomenon emerging
Imports fuel push for U.S. ocean fish farms. Congress mulls
House Democrats, NOAA chief agree on need for new farm standards
Environmental standards pushed at U.S. House aquaculture hearing
***ACTION ALERT!!!***
MANGROVE ACTION DAY--A GLOBAL CALL TO ACTION!!!
Please join us all on July 26, 2007 for the Annual Call On Mangrove Action Day! - this year's theme is " On Behalf of Indigenous and Traditional Communities and Food Sovereignty!"
We are now collecting news about other planned events to commemorate the global call for action for the Mangroves that your organization is organizing for 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, 2007. We ask that you and / or your organizations please join us all in a global protest against the ongoing losses 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 global network. We look forward to hearing from you soon in this regard! (The Editor)
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Note: The following was sent by the Latin American Mangrove Network, Redmanglar, in reference to this year's campaign:
" On Behalf of Indigenous and Traditional Communities and Food Sovereignty!"
July 26th - International Mangrove Action Day
The 2007's campaign "On Behalf of Indigenous and Traditional Communities and Food Sovereignty" organized to celebrate July 26th, International Mangrove Action Day proclaims a call for the rights of the indigenous and traditional communities of the mangrove ecosystem based on the recognition of our territory where we build our culture, our identity and the base for our food sovereignty.
The indigenous and traditional mangrove communities of Latin America, have millenary lived, in a vital way, related to the ecosystem. In this space we put dreams; we find our past, our present and future. Here we live together with our grandfathers and grandmothers, with our sons and daughters, with our brothers and sisters from all the Americas and the world. Here we stand up together for our territory, for our food, for our work, for our dignity.
This 26th of July we wish that the whole world hear our voices-- the voices of the indigenous and traditional communities of the mangrove ecosystem. We hope that these voices reach all of our societies, the indolent authorities, the depredator enterprises. We desire that we can hear each other-- all the voices of the South-- and that we continue walking together on behalf of our ideals.
Lider Gongora Farias
President C-CONDEM
Executive Secretary Redmanglar International - redmanglar@redmanglar.org
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International Events on Mangrove Action Day -July 26th
COLOMBIA
In commemoration of International Mangrove Day, 26 July, ASPROCIG (Asociación de Productores para el Desarrollo Comunitario de la Ciénaga Grande del Bajo Sinú), is holding an event on climate change in the local coastal zone communities. It will take place in the Casa de la Cultura of the city Lorica with the presence of delegates from local communities, state entities, and academics.
Submitted by: Juan Jose Lopez
ASPROCIG
yupanqui@edatel.net.co
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CUBA
Mangrove Fiesta
On the occasion of the International Day of Mangrove Ecosystem, CITMA, the Cienaga de Zapata National Park, the Municipal Culture Direction, the Sabana-Camaguey GEF-UNDP Project, and the National System of Protected Areas Strengthening project are involved in the preparation of the Mangrove Fiesta, 20-22 July 2007.
With special interest in promoting the study and preservation of this ecosystem and its adaptability to climate change, the 2nd edition of this event will have the central theme: If the climate changes, the mangroves will also change.
Participants will include: Cuban and foreign specialists, children and youth from the provinces involved in the Sabana Camaguey Project, and the local population.
General Program
20 July
- II Student Mangrove Science Day
- Scientific Workshop on mangroves and climate change
- Presentation of the Exhibit "Cuban Mangroves"
- Welcome Cocktail. Inauguration of Painted Mural
- Evening of Singing and Hope in the Casa del Poeta
- Culture Day in the communities
21 July
- Mangrove planting and tour of an exuberant area of mangroves
- Awarding of prizes for Literature and Crafts Contest "Culture about the Mangroves"
- Lunch
- Cultural day in the communities
22 July
- Presentation of the Exhibit "Cuban Mangroves" in the community Playa Giron
- Cultural day in the communities
Submitted by: Msc. Julio Haedo Maden
CITMA. Ciénaga de Zapata
haedoeduca@zapata.atenas.inf.cu
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ECUADOR
Various activities during the month of July for the International Day in Defense of Mangrove Ecosystems
Campaign 2007: "For the traditional communities and food sovereignty"
9 July
Week of training for 12 young community tourism guides, Muisne
Themes to be covered during the 12 hours of training:
- Reality of the mangrove ecosystem
- Management of Community Tourism
- Leading tours in mangrove ecosystems
Upon completion of the training the participants will be prepared to guide visitors in the protected area Refugio de Vida Silvestre and will know the difference between commercial and community tourism.
12 July - FUNDECOL
Meeting with all of the organizations carrying out projects in the protected area.
23-25 July
I International Workshop for Concha Recuperation and Conservation (ANDARA)
26-27 July
2nd Congress of the Traditional Mangrove Ecosystem Communities
Round table on Impacts of Biofuels
Meeting of Authorities and Traditional Mangrove Ecosystem communities
Painting and Poetry Contests for children
Marimba
National and international artists
Food sovereignty fair
Reforestation, and more.
Submitted by: Tania Coronel R.
FUNDECOL
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PERU
International Mangrove Day Symposium
27 July
Casa de la Cultura, Vice (Sechura - Piura)
Speakers:
Armando Bancayán Amaya (mayor of Vice)
Michael McCoy (Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica / USA)
Elier Tabilo Valdivieso (CNEH - CHILE)
César Chávez Villavicencio (EDHUCO - PERU)
Manuel Charcape Ravelo (EDHUCO - PERU)
Federico Rizo Patrón Viale (CNEH -PERU)
Submitted by: César Chávez Villavicencio
Ecología, Desarrollo Humano y Conservación en el Perú (EDHUCO - PERÚ)
lautaroperu@yahoo.es
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VENEZUELA
AEPA Falcon (Asociación Ecologista para la Preservación Ambiental del Estado de Falcon) is organizing a forum entitled: Let's Construct an Ecological and Socially Just Code of Conduct for the Mangrove Ecosystem.
13 July
Workshop: Formation of Environmental Leaders "Community strategies for sustainable development.
17-19 July
Workshop: Public Hearing on the integrated management and sustainable use plan for mangroves of La Vela, Colina municipality.
21 July
Guided visit to the Montecano Biological Reserve, Paraguana Peninsula.
Workshop Phase 2: Struggle against desertification and climate change.
27 July
I Regional Encounter of Coastal Communities for the defense of mangrove ecosystems and human rights, Coro, state of Falcon.
Construction of Redmanglar Falcon
Source: Henderson Colina
AEPA Falcon
aepamanglares@yahoo.es
========
BRAZIL
First Mangrove Defense Week
Sponsored by Ceara Coastal Environmental Education Network, Cumbe-Aracati section
"Know, Take Care Of, and Defend"
Cumbe, Aracati
23-27 July
Submitted by: Joao Joventino do Nascimento
joaodocumbe@yahoo.com.br
MAP, Indonesia Busy on Mangrove Action Day
From Ben Brown, MAP Indonesia Coordinatr
Ratna and Dodon will be in Simeulue Island until the 27th, actively working on Mangrove Action Day. Ratna will be training villagers from 8 villages on non-timber forest products from mangroves and fish processing for added value, as well as training Aussie Red Cross staff on mangrove environmental education. Dodon will be working with Norweigian Red Cross villages on improved fish smokehouses. Jajang, Indra, Sky, Subki and myself are involved in Agro-forestry work on the 26th, and we are also still involved in the construction of an upper watershed education center.
From: Ben Brown
seagrassroots@gmail.com
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MAP News Archives Available Now!
MAP continues to add new and archival material to our new website www.mangroveactionproject.org.
We are in the process of uploading archival editions of the MAP News (formally known as the Late Friday News). Editions 118 - 186 (21 June 2003 - 4 July 2007) are currently available for viewing. That's 4 years worth of news on mangroves, aquaculture, community-based coastal development, and other news you can use. The archive is easily searchable and is a great resource for students and researchers. Check it out!
From: Elaine Corets
ecorets@gmail.com
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Check Out MAP's New Adopt A Program On MAP's New Website!!
Adopt a Program Section
MAP's new Adopt-a-Program has been posted to the website. Please help MAP by forwarding the link to anyone who might be interested in donating!
===========
New Ecological Mangrove Restoration Workshop In Florida Scheduled
The full announcement about the 6th "Mangrove Forest Ecology, Management and Restoration Training Course", March 3-6, 2008, Hollywood, Florida, is now available at www.mangroverestoration.com.
ANNOUNCEMENT: "Mangrove Forest Ecology, Management and Restoration" training workshop, March 3-6, 2008, Hollywood, Florida.
The sixth "Mangrove Forest Ecology, Management and Restoration" training workshop will be held at the Anne Kolb Nature Center, in Hollywood, Florida, USA, March 3-6, 2008. 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 18 years old) and a new project just five 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, 2005; Lewis and Marshall 1998; Lewis and Streever 2000; Lewis et al. 2005, 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 $800, due by January 1, 2008 to Coastal Resources Group, Inc., P.O. Box 5430, Salt Springs, Florida, USA 32134-5430. 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. Lodging close to the training site is available at the SleepInn in Dania Beach, Florida. Reservations need to be made early. Each participant is responsible for making their own reservations.
More information can be provided by Robin Lewis at
LESRRL3@aol.com www.mangroverestoration.com.
Ghana
Restoration Success Stories from Ghana
By Anuradha S. Rao
Mangrove restoration projects have been or are taking place in several areas in Ghana, following overharvesting for fuel wood and other purposes, or clearing for farmland and housing. Some restoration projects have been particularly successful. The project leaders have several lessons to share
Gaining the support of local Chiefs is crucial, as they can pass laws and name activities such as mangrove cutting as taboo. However, according to Development Chief Joseph Obir Taylor and Chief Obir Tetteh III of Nsuekyir and Sankor villages, respectively, near the town of Winneba, community involvement and support are key to a project's success.
Obtaining community support can require months of perseverance, continual meetings - formal and informal, films and discussions, plus oral reminders for many years following the end of the project. This had to be made relative to the community's own experience and explained uniquely for each person based on their learning style. Having three or four keen community participants is also helpful, as they can be given or provide additional ideas.
Many people's primary concern was food and money, and they did not see how they could survive if they spent time preserving mangroves and not harvesting them. It was necessary to demonstrate that with more mangroves comes more fish. It was also necessary for the community leaders to quietly provide incentives to people, for example to pay for medicine and other immediate needs. It took a long time before everybody was on board. But eventually all saw that when mangroves were conserved, people were catching many fish and previously lost species were returning. Furthermore, during a rainstorm this year, the roofs blew off of houses located behind a gap in the mangroves, whereas the houses behind continuous mangrove forest were undamaged.
Also vital are viable alternatives. In these parts of Ghana, people are quite poor, so the projects began with the alternative: planting of a woodlot so people would no longer need to go to the mangrove forest for wood. The project leaders divided the community into groups, each given a lot to plant. They held a competition - those groups who finished planting their lot were given another to plant. The lots belong to those who planted them. The community also planted vegetables for food and sale among the trees. Mangrove planting took place after the planting of the woodlot. The most successful seedlings were those that were transplanted from adjoining areas. One day per week was designated for project work. Men and women worked in exchange for meals and basic equipment such as cutlasses and rubber boots.
Involving women was key to project success not least because they smoke the fish and would put the demand on men to provide (or not) mangrove wood for that purpose. Fish smokers are now using coconut husks, sugar cane and other fuel wood as alternatives.
The community of Nsuekyir has now conserved 90% of its mangrove forest, and people are only allowed to cut in extreme cases (e.g. to re-create a water passage between two parts of the village), and can only harvest in certain areas with the permission of the Development Chief. Poaching is discouraged through vigilance by the community and the Forestry Department.
What now? The Development Chief of Nsuekyir would like to limit fishing among the mangroves to a certain period each year to allow the fish to grow and multiply. He is also hoping to eventually develop a sustainable mangrove harvesting method, following models from other countries. The Chief of Sankor is interested in using the mangrove forests as an "eco-attraction," and developing other areas for farmland.
For more information about these and other mangrove restoration projects in Ghana, contact the Resource and Environment Development Organisation
From: Anuradha Rao
masrao@gmail.com
Malaysia
DAILY EXPRESS NEWS
'Sabah's forest management far better'
06 July, 2007
CM Datuk Seri Musa said the management of coastal areas and mangrove forests needs the expertise of various agencies including non-Governmental organisation (NGOs) involved in forest, land, drainage and research.
He hoped that corporations and NGOs would contribute towards the effort to conserve and protect coastal areas due to the high cost to maintain and to conserve them.
"The State Government will always support any positive efforts to ensure that the forests in Sabah are maintained and conserved."
"Of the 340,000 hectares of mangrove forest in Sabah, 320,000ha had already been gazetted as Permanent Forest Reserve," he said. He said the initiative to replant mangrove species in non-gazetted areas such as Lok Kawi would surely assist the Government towards managing the mangrove forest reserve on a permanent basis.
Musa, who is also Finance Minister, said the forest management in Sabah was far better than any other developing countries. However, he stressed the need to enhance public awareness on the function of mangrove forests.
"The love for the natural environment must be instilled in all levels of the society particularly students and children," he said.
Therefore, all relevant government agencies and society in general ought to create community-related programmes such as forestry and environmental education.
Reminding the public of the devastating tsunami on Dec 26, 2004, that hit the shores of 18 nations including Malaysia, he said the tragedy was forever etched in the people's minds.
He noted that although humans could not prevent tsunami from happening, they could minimise the damaging impact by forming natural barriers through the mangrove trees.
The mangrove cultivation project aims to provide support towards the restoration of degraded mangroves, management planning activities, stabilise the ecosystem and promotion of public awareness.
It is for this reason, the Federal Government has allocated a special fund of RM40 million under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) period for the restoration of mangroves at sheltered coasts.
A total of RM5 million have been allocated to the Sabah Forestry Department for the planting of mangrove trees and other suitable species in Sabah. Musa also launched a book on "Sabah's Mangrove Forests" that contains the documentation of Sabah's mangrove ecosystems and other species.
From: LESrrl3@aol.com
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Malaysian trawler fishermen asked to switch to aquaculture
Trawler fishermen in Malaysia are being encouraged to give up their operations and move into aquaculture or deepsea fishing.
Perak Fisheries Department director Salehan Lamin said the move was to increase the catch for those fishing in waters between five and 12 nautical miles from the shore. "There are too many trawler boats and fishermen are encouraged to leave the industry," he said at a press conference here on Wednesday.
He said the Government was setting up an "exit programme" for trawler fishermen. "If we can reduce the number of trawler fishermen by 20%, then they would be able to increase their catch," he said, adding that there were 1,003 trawlers in Perak.
Salehan said statistics showed that the catch of trawler fishermen had dropped tremendously because of depleting fish resources. "For example, they used to be able to catch 100kg of fish in an hour but now it has fallen to 50kg," he said.
The programme, he said, would encourage affected fishermen to be trained in skills like aquaculture. He said trawler fishermen were also encouraged to go into deepsea fishing, between 12 and 30 nautical mile from the shore. Salehan also said the department had identified 1,700ha of land to rear cockles so that the State could export cockles to countries like China and Indonesia.
Source: The Star
From: icsf@icsf.net
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Mangrove "Protectors"
20 July, 2007
MUAR: More than 2,000 fishermen living along Johor's west coast have pledged to become the eyes and ears of the authorities to check the illegal harvesting of mangrove trees. Parit Jawa Fishermen's Association chairman Ser Boon Huat said the fishermen had a vested interest in curbing harvesting of the trees in rivers and islands as they were the nurseries for shrimp and fish.
"The mangrove is our rice bowl and the state government has pledged to protect them."
Source: The New Strait Times
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Indonesia
Landmark Law Saves Rainforest
Jun 12, 2007
Indonesia's new Ecosystem Restoration Decree will stop the logging of the 110,000 hectare Harapan rainforest. Uniquely, this major change in the law, which could be adapted by other countries, permits the management of forests to obtain benefits labelled ecosystem services. These include storing carbon, controls on pollution and protection for wildlife.
Burung Indonesia, along with Britain's Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and Bird Life International have won the right to manage the forest - home to 267 bird species, the Sumatran tiger, the Asian elephant and the newly identified clouded leopard.
Graham Wynne, RSPB Chief Executive, said: "It is difficult to express just how significant this breakthrough is. Harapan rainforest is to become a beacon of hope for forests across Indonesia and beyond."
A year ago the Coalition of Rainforest Nations demanded that it should be paid to stop cutting down forests. Brazil has now put forward its own proposals for a rainforest credit scheme.
"Deforestation accounts for up to 25 per cent of global emissions of the heat-trapping gases, while our transport and industry account for 14 per cent each," says the VivoCarbon Initiative Report, which calls for increased incentives for sustaining rainforests, and mechanisms to pay for it.
Andrew Mitchell, founder of the Global Canopy Programme, says: "Why do we argue over air travel when carbon from the next five years of burning rainforests will be greater than that for the entire history of aviation!
"The focus on technological fixes for the emissions of rich nations - which gives no incentive to poorer nations to stop burning the standing forest - means we are putting the cart before the horse!"
No new technology is needed, just the political will and a system of enforcement and incentives that will make the trees worth more to governments and individuals standing rather than felled.
For details of the Global Canopy Programme's 'Canopy Experience Days' and the VivoCarbon Report: 'Forests First in the Fight Against Climate Change' contact: Global Canopy Programme,
John Krebs Field Station, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 8QJ.
Tel: +44 (0)1865 724 222
Website: www.globalcanopyprogramme.org
From: LESrrl3@aol.com
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Mass tourism threatens beaches, coasts in Indonesia's Bali
By Prodita Sabarini
Mass tourism on the Indonesian island of Bali over the last three decades has caused considerable environmental damage to its beaches and coastal areas, an environmentalist said.
"There are too many people living on the island and too many buildings are being erected along the shorelines," Marthen Welly, an outreach officer from the Nature Conservancy, said.
Bali now has a population of around three million, with most people living on the coasts. One of Bali's most polluted beaches is Sanur. Once a pristine beach, it is currently suffering serious sea erosion and water pollution.
The office of the Coordinating Team on Environmental Pollution Management in Bali has reportedly inspected the waste management systems of a number of hotels in the area. The team found the Inna Sindhu Beach Hotel, the Mercure Accor Hotel and a number of other hotels did not have good waste management systems. Inna Sindhu Beach Hotel only had septic tanks. "The water in Sanur is murky. Water pollution in this area is due to a lack of good waste management systems," Marthen said.
Mustika, a marketing official at Inna Sindhu Beach Hotel, said the hotel was waiting for the Denpasar Sewerage Development Project to be implemented, which was suppose to begin this year. "We're waiting for that project to begin so we do not waste our money," he said.
Beach erosion in Sanur has occurred due to the loss of offshore coral reefs. "In the past, coral reefs were used as building materials for hotels," Welly said. Although the practice has been banned, the loss of coral reefs, which act as a natural barrier against large waves, has left the coast unprotected and has resulted in beach erosion.
A defunct project on Serangan Island developed by Hutomo Mandala Putra -- better known as Tommy Soeharto, the son of former president Soeharto -- has also resulted in a change in wave patterns and has caused further erosion to Sanur Beach. The Serangan Island project involved expanding the island to three times its original size, through dredging sand from the ocean floor.
Around 20 per cent of Bali's coastal areas have eroded. Two kilometers of the island's coastal areas are reportedly damaged annually. According to data from the Public Works Ministry's Agency for the Conservation and Restoration of River and Coastal Areas, the length of eroded beaches increased from 51 km in 1987 to 90 km in 2006.
Source: The Jakarta Post
From: icsf@icsf.net
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Vietnam
Inclusion of mangroves in conservation treaties does not improve their health
Washington, July 4: Inclusion of a coastal mangrove habitat within a wetland preserve in an international environmental treaty does not significantly improve its health, a new study by a Stanford University researcher has revealed.
For the study, Karen Seto, assistant professor of geological and environmental sciences and a fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford University, and her colleagues focused on Vietnam, a signatory of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, drafted in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971.
The goal of the treaty was to protect wetlands by promoting sustainable use of resources found there.
Prof. Seto and her colleagues concentrated on Xuan Thuy Natural Wetland Reserve, which was designated a Ramsar site in 1988, to save coastal mangrove forest habitats in the Red River Delta from over-exploitation due to aquaculture, and a nearby reserve not included in the Ramsar treaty.
Analysis of a series of Landsat images taken between 1975 and 2002 of the two areas revealed that both reserves experienced increased fragmentation of mangrove forest habitat with increased aquaculture.
Contrary to expectations, aquaculture developed at a faster rate at the Xuan Thuy treaty site than at its non-Ramsar neighbour.
Prof. Seto said the findings mirrored statements by local residents in 2001, when they interviewed one-third of the households living and farming within the boundaries of both reserves, who told the scientists that aquaculture had been going on in the region since the early 1980s.
''The exciting thing is really for the first time, using a time series of satellite images, we can monitor Earth in a way that we haven't been able to. It's not just about urban growth or wetlands-it could be about desertification or deforestation-but it's really just this issue of human modification of the Earth," said Prof. Seto.
The study, "'Mangrove Conversion and Aquaculture Development in Vietnam" appears in the online edition of Global Environmental Change.
Source: Dailyindia.com/ANI
From: ecorets@gmail.com
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Note: The following is an excerpt:
Ecosystems of Vietnam's Long Coastline are in Peril
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VIETNAM: July 17, 2007
NHA TRANG, Vietnam - It was the destruction of coral reef and over-fishing that moved artist Nguyen Lieu to paint brightly coloured canvasses warning Vietnamese that their coastal environment is in peril.
"Nha Trang is the most beautiful bay recognised worldwide but exploitation there is chaotic," Lieu, 53, said at Galerie DEWI, where 15 of his oil paintings were exhibited in June and July.
His home town on the south-central coast has smooth sandy beaches, islands and mountains, but it also carries the burden of the ugly side of rapid development and fast-growing tourism.
It is a story being repeated up and down the impoverished country's 3,200 km (2,000 mile)-long coastline, despite awareness among officialdom and non-governmental groups to harmonise conservation and making a living from the sea.
Oil slicks, dead rivers and polluted air are part of an often-bleak environmental picture as Vietnam's 85 million people head toward industrialisation.
Lieu's art is unusual in communist-run Vietnam in that it displays a consciousness about a contemporary global issue. Seen through his eyes, there is a dire need to preserve and protect coral reefs and marine life for future generations.
For good reason, environmentalists say. Research shows Vietnam is a "biodiversity hotspot" with ecosystems under threat. Less than 25 percent of coral reefs surveyed have living coral and 75 percent are at high or very high risk, eight times the southeast Asian average.
From LESrrl3@aol.com
India
5 Jul 2007
Greenpeace dismisses allegations, renews call to stop work on Dhamra port
Bhubaneshwar, July 5, 2007: Greenpeace renewed its call to stop work on the Dhamra port in view of the clear evidence of rare species on the port site and turtle presence in the off-shore waters. It rubbished the allegations of 'report doctoring' leveled at it by the North Orissa University, by establishing that the report in its entirety including the foreword, summary and recommendations were published with the prior informed consent of the University's research team. In fact, Dr. S.K . Dutta jointly released the report with Greenpeace in Mumbai on June 8, 2007.
"The real issue here is that rare species have been discovered at the port site and there is now evidence of turtle movement in the offshore waters. Instead of trying to hide behind baseless allegations, the TATA Group must address the real and valid concerns that these findings raise," said Sanjiv Gopal, Oceans Campaigner with Greenpeace. (1) "Mr. Ratan Tata had promised to ensure that no harm came to the turtles or the environment, it is now time for him to keep his word and ensure that the TATAs withdraw from Dhamra. This area must be protected for posterity from any and all destruction."
Taking serious exception to the allegations leveled, G. Ananthapadmanabhan, Executive Director, Greenpeace India, said, "We have established that these allegations are baseless. The real question to be asked is who or what is prompting these allegations to be raised now, almost a month after the report was released. The Orissa Government needs to do its constitutional duty to protect the environment rather than act in a blatantly partisan manner to protect private, corporate interests."
Greenpeace put forward a point by point rebuttal of the allegations leveled against it. (2) Contrary to the Vice-Chancellor's allegation that the report submitted by the university was for the 'Dhamra estuary' and not Dhamra port site, Greenpeace presented proof that the study, as per the agreement signed between Greenpeace and North Orissa University, was for the 'Dhamra Port Area'. Moreover, the GPS coordinates of the study area clearly show that the area studied extended from Chandnipal Point northwards and included the port site itself, as well as the Kanika Sands.
Ironically, there appear to be severe contradictions within the Orissa state government. While Mr. Priyabrata Patnaik has jumped to the defence of the TATA port, Greenpeace made public a proposal submitted by the Additional PCCF and CWW, Forest department (Wildlife), to the Department of Forest and Environment, which calls for the notification of an ecologically sensitive zone for a radius of 10 km. around Bhitharkanika National Park, Bhitharkanika Sanctuary and Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary.(3) This would include the Dhamra Port Site Area, a recommendation that has also been made in the report published by Greenpeace.
The study conducted by Dr. S.K. Dutta, who has continued to stand by his findings, has provided evidence to suggest that turtles are found in the waters off the port site, and that the port site and surrounding mudflats are habitat for horseshoe crabs and rare species of frogs and snakes.(4) Prathyush Mohapatra, an independent researcher who was part of the study team, has also verified the authenticity of the findings as published by Greenpeace, including the discovery of a piece of coral near the Defence establishment at Chandnipal.
For more information contact :
Sanjiv Gopal, Oceans Campaigner
sgopal@dialb.greenpeace.org
Saumya Tripathy, Greenpeace Communications
saumya.tripathi@in.greenpeace.org
From: "ashish fernandes" ashish.fernandes@gmail.com
==========
8 Jul 2007
***ACTION ALERT!!!***
YOUR LETTERS ARE STILL NEEDED TO HELP STOP DESTRUCTIVE DEVELOPMENT OF DHAMRA PORT FACILITY IN ORISSA
Tata Port Development Threatens Olive Ridley Sea Turtles
Background of the Dhamra Port issue(See 186th Edition of MAP News)
SAMPLE LETTER:
Sample Letter to be written to the TATAs:
Mr. Ratan Tata, Chairman,
Tata Sons
India
coffice@tata.com
day / month / year
Dear Mr. Ratan Tata,
I am writing to bring to your attention an issue that concerns the reputation of the TATA group internationally. The TATAs' plan to build a mega port at Dhamra on the Orissa coast of India in the turtle mating and feeding grounds is shocking, particularly for a company that seems to pride itself on its benign, philanthropic and environment friendly image.
The area has been proven to be inhabited by significant numbers of the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles in the offshore waters. The mass nesting beaches of Gahirmatha less than 15 km. away, are the world's largest mass nesting beaches for the Olive Ridley turtle and I am sure that you will appreciate the international importance of this area for marine turtle conservation. The Bhitarkanika Sanctuary is just about 5 km. away from the port site. Horseshoe crabs and rare frogs and snakes have been recorded from the port area as well. It is impossible for a large project of this sort to be constructed in an ecologically significant area and yet have no impacts on the environment and the species it holds.
As a respected household name in India, and one of India's fast growing groups internationally, particularly with your acquisition of Corus Steel, and as a member in the Global compact, which binds you to the precautionary principle, I urge you in the interests of the sea turtles, and to protect TATAs own public image, to immediately drop plans to build a port there and instead be proactive in working with the Orissa government to ensure the area is protected from other corporations that might not have the good conscience that you hopefully have.
In anticipation of a prompt response,
Yours Sincerely,
Your Name
Your Organization
Your Address
Letter to go to:
Mr. Ratan Tata, Chairman, Tata Sons, India
coffice@tata.com
Copy to:
Mr. R. Gopalakrishnan, Executive Director, Tata Sons,
gopal.gopalakrishnan@tata.com
Mr. Arun R. Gandhi, Executive Director Tata Sons
director@gandhiinstitute.org
Mr. Alan Rosling, Executive Director
alan.rosling@northampton.ac.uk
Mr. Jamshed J. Irani
jjirani@tata.com
Mr. B. Muthuraman, Managing Director, Tata Steel
muthuraman@tatasteel.com
Postal address for all of the above Tata officials:
Bombay House
24, Homi Mody Street,
Mumbai 400 001
Tel: + 91 22 6665 8282
Fax: + 91 22 6665 8143 and 44
Also CC:
A.M. Naik
Chairman & Managing Director
Larsen & Toubro Limited
L&T House, Ballard Estate
Mumbai 400 001, India
Tel: + 91-22-22685656
Fax: + 91-22-22685858
E-mail: ccd@lth.ltindia.com
Also CC:
Dr. Hrusikesh Panda, IAS
Principle Secretary,
Department of Forest and Wildlife
The Secretariat, Govt of Orissa
Tel: +91 674 232 2947 / 253 6822
Fax: +91 674 239 5820
For More Information, Please Comtact, Ashish Fernandes of Greenpeace, India at: ashish.fernandes@in.greenpeace.org
From: "zakir kibria"
zakir.kibria@gmail.com
China
Note: The following report comes from the China Mangrove Conservation Network,CMCN's Mangrove Curriculum Takes Off In China--SMEEP Final Report of CMCN
June 29 th, 2007
In order to achieve the goal of Sustainable Mangrove Environmental Education, China Mangrove Conservation Network (CMCN) has tried many methods, including the exploitation of sustainable publicity materials, the establishment of Mangrove Education Base and Mangrove Fund, the construction of mangrove conservation website, the trainning of voluntary eco-guides and teachers, and the compilation and spread of the native textbook on mangrove.
In 2006, after improved sustainable mangrove environmental education, CMCN founded the Sustainable Mangrove Environmental Education Project (SMEEP). At the end of the same year, CMCN re-orientated it to Sustainable Mangrove Developmental Education Project (SMDEP).
This year, SMEEP focused on the compilation and the spread of native textbooks on mangrove. The work not only gained the applause and great support from our cooperators of five provinces, but also from the whole society. SMEEP has won The Youth Creative Project Award of 2006, Ford Motor Company Conservation & Environmental Grants, China, a small fund from GGF and the Associate Award from WHITLEY FUND FOR NATURE.
I The Progress of the Project
i The compilation of the native textbooks on mangrove including students' book and teachers' book
We have compiled and printed the native textbook on mangrove--the Son of the Sea, which is fit for the first three-year students of primary school. It has twelve chapters, all of which are written in Fairy-tale style with separate knowledge points. And every chapter has interesting pictures, games, questions and extended reading. So it is easy for children to learn step by step.
Most primary school students in Mangrove Community will be benefited by the book. In order to improve the book, we collected a large sum of local materials, consulted experts and even invited professional painters to draw the pictures. By now, we have printed 5000 students' books and 200 teachers' books. And all these are free for relative schools.
ii The use and popularization of the native textbooks
CMCN has owned more than 20 active branches and cooperators among 5 provinces in Southeast China. Together with them, CMCN popularized this set of native textbooks by establishing environmental education centers, training teachers and providing small sum of funds.
This popularization varied according to the actual situation of different areas. For example, we trained volunteers to teach in selected schools where teachers and equipments are short; we encouraged schools to use multi-media teaching equipments if available in more developed areas.
The Son of the Sea has been used in 20 primary schools around mangrove areas in Hainan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian and Zhejiang provinces. In the process, CMCN signed the agreements with schools to guarantee teaching time, teachers, and the quality....
From: wenbo2cn@vip.sina.com
==========
July 3, 2007
A Slippery, Writhing Trade Dispute
TAISHAN, China, June 30 ˜ At the Xulong eel factory here, a team of workers slice eels, lop off their heads and push them through a huge assembly line that will cook and package them for millions of customers around the world.
The precision round-the-clock operation, aided by a roasting oven that spans the length of a football field, is one reason China now dominates the world's seafood trade, and supplies 80 percent of America's imported eel and 70 percent of its tilapia.
But the Food and Drug Administration says Xulong and other Chinese companies will be restricted from selling certain types of seafood in the United States because regulators keep finding Chinese imports contaminated with carcinogens and excessive antibiotic residues.
Here in the Pearl River Delta area, near Hong Kong, it is not hard to see why. Rivers, lakes and coastal waterways are so fouled with industrial chemicals or farm effluents that many seafood exporters are forced to rely on antibiotic drugs to keep their fish alive.
China's coastal regions, after all, are also home to its biggest factories, which are famous for churning out electronics, processing chemicals and dumping mountains of toxic waste.
At the Xulong factory here, officials offered a tour of what they said was an up-to-date plant that forces workers to disinfect themselves by going through multiple washing stations. The officials showed off on-site testing labs and boasted that pure water from a local reservoir made their eel the best in China.
Even so, the company's eel has been refused entry into the United States on multiple occasions. Last April, the F.D.A. refused four shipments of roasted eel from a nearby Xulong factory because they contained residues of banned antibiotics that could prove harmful to consumers.
In an interview here on Saturday, Xu Liming, vice chairman of the Xulong Group, defended the quality and safety of his products.
"There are a lot of poor places in China that don't care about food safety," said Mr. Xu, who help found the company with two brothers in 1983. "But we're a big company and we've invested a lot in food safety. We're the only eel producer certified to ship to Europe."
But if Xulong ˜ which is the world's biggest eel producer and claims to have some of the cleanest operations in China ˜ at times cannot pass muster with American regulators, how many Chinese seafood companies can?
The question has huge implications for the global seafood trade, and for the United States, which imports 80 percent of the seafood Americans consume.
The heightened concern has also set the stage for a nasty trade dispute. After a series of high-profile recalls of Chinese-made goods ˜ from tainted toothpaste and pet food to toxic toys and defective tires ˜ some members of Congress are pushing for stronger measures against Chinese imports. And European Union officials say they are considering their own restrictions.
Experts say a broader crackdown could be a severe blow to China's $35 billion fish- and seafood-farming, or aquaculture, industry, which is helping meet soaring demand for seafood at a time when supplies of wild fish stocks are being depleted.
"This is certainly bad for Chinese aquaculture," said Rohana P. Subasinghe, a fish-farming expert at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. " ban on any product to any major region or country has tremendous repercussions for the country and the industry."
The new F.D.A. restrictions, announced Thursday, effectively ban some of China's biggest seafood imports, including shrimp, catfish, eel and a type of carp. The move drew a quick rebuke from China, which on Friday warned the United States about acting "indiscriminately."
China is already the leading supplier of seafood, garlic and apple juice concentrate to the United States, and it is gaining market share in processed vegetables, frozen foods and food ingredients. That is worrying food-safety experts, who say American regulators are ill equipped to deal with China's rise as a major food supplier.
"China has gone from literally nowhere to No. 3 in food imports behind Canada and Mexico," said Michael Doyle, director of the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia. "and if we're going to continue to import more and more of our food, we're going to have to have a better inspection program."
In the United States alone, Chinese seafood imports jumped from about $550 million in 2001 to about $1.9 billion last year, about 22 percent of total seafood imports. But 60 percent of the seafood shipments that were refused entry by American regulators came from China.
And those figures may not tell the full story. Robert Schubert, director of research at Food and Water Watch, a nonprofit group, says the F.D.A. is sampling only a tiny fraction of the food shipments entering American ports, which means much of the tainted seafood may be making it to stores.
"The F.D.A. needs its budget massively increased, and it needs to respond with more testing," said Mr. Schubert, co-author of a study on the growth of American seafood imports.
What has been stopped by inspectors is alarming. In May alone, regulators tagged "filthy frozen scallops"; catfish, eel and shrimp laced with banned chemicals; unsafe additives; pesticides; and cancer-causing agents.
European Union officials say they have also noticed a rise this year in the number of Chinese seafood shipments turning up with banned chemicals, despite strict procedures, including food-safety test certificates presented by the Chinese government.
["We are reviewing our measures in light of a number of factors," Philip Tod, a spokesman for the European Commission said Monday, noting that European Union member countries have issued nine Chinese seafood alerts so far this year, up from three in all of 2006. "That is a cause of concern. We are aware there appears to be a problem with veterinary medicine residues."]
This is not the first time Chinese seafood has run into problems. In recent years, the European Union and Japan have both placed restrictions on imports of Chinese seafood after detecting banned antibiotics, like malachite green. And this year, several Southern states in the United States banned or blocked imports of Chinese catfish after detecting illegal antibiotics.
Part of the problem, experts say, is that breeding ponds in China are overcrowded to bolster production in the gigantic factory-style fish farms. And fish excrement and bacteria in the water can devastate large schools of fish.
"When you're raising thousands and thousands of fish together, you have disease spreading," Mr. Schubert said. "nd the operators try to control that by using drugs and antibiotics."
In addition, a recent study by scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences found that seafood products in 11 coastal cities in the Pearl River Delta area were heavily contaminated with pesticides, including DDT, which was banned in China in 1983.
"The only region that reports higher levels of DDTs is Egypt," the report said. "This indicates that the coastal region of southern China is probably one of the most DDT-polluted areas in the world."
Another study released in May by local scientists was just as damning, finding that the coastal waters around Guangdong are being devastated by large deposits of oil, lead, arsenic, mercury and copper.
So when heavy rains hit the area earlier in June, government scientists issued a seafood alert because of a huge toxic "red tide," an algal bloom that was carrying industrial waste to some of the region's biggest seafood-producing areas.
Consumers were warned not to go swimming and not to eat local seafood.
Given the problems found with Chinese seafood, American regulators say they had no choice but to impose new restrictions. "There's been a continued pattern of violation with no sign of abatement," said Dr. David Acheson, the F.D.A.'s assistant commissioner for food protection.
Many Chinese seafood exporters say they get their supplies from local fish farmers, who sometimes overuse antibiotics. But the exporters also say the F.D.A. restrictions are overly harsh and smack of politics.
"This is all about trade protectionism," said Gao Hua, director of quality at the Meihua Aquatic Processing Factory in Fujian Province. "Some U.S. states suddenly raised their standards on the content of antibiotics in seafood in April. Maybe they saw too many imports from China."
From: ecorets@gmail.com
The Bahamas
Guana Cay
Quote From A Guana Cay Resident:
"Some of "lots" that are surveyed and marked for subsequent fill from dredging ... the "lots" were ALL mangrove. The entire area you can see is holding water ,very low, and you can see the remaining mangrove roots soon to be buried. Football fields of mangroves that are just gone now. Ironically one of their "were so islandy" signs denotes that their road there will be called Mangrove Lane!!" Toni Sims
==========
Excerpted from the Bahamas Journal, July 5, 2007
5th July
National Trust Slammed
By Quincy Parker
The Bahamas National Trust's decision to accept money from Baker's Bay is "entirely hypocritical," and is tantamount to the country's lead environmental agency ignoring the "serious" environmental concerns raised by the Save Guana Cay Reef Association, according to an environmental lobbyist.
Sam Duncombe, reEarth spokesperson, called the decision a "really bad" one, especially considering the "heartache and controversy" she said the developers of Baker's Bay have caused the people of Guana Cay.
"When you look at the fact that the people in Guana Cay have come forward with considerable concerns about how that development is going to affect their reefs, their mangroves, their fisheries and their community, those voices were basically ignored by what is supposed to be the lead organization in the country for the protection of the environment," she said.
"That is a problem."
But President of the BNT Glenn Bannister disputed that characterization of the trust's interaction with Baker's Bay, and even went so far as to suggest that Baker's Bay's environmental impact management plan could be a model for other developers in the country.
"We looked at Baker's Bay thoroughly, and whereas there are a lot of 'hypotheticals' that people are using - you know 'what if' - we basically looked at the facts, and came to the conclusion that the people at Baker's Bay are doing everything, we feel, to mitigate against any environmental damage on the cay there."
Two weeks ago Baker's Bay made a $200,000 donation, which is supposed to be an annual contribution. After six years the amount would be $1.2 million.
The concern is of the appearance that the developer "basically patted [the trust] on the back and it seems that the concerns of the community have been ignored."
"I do not understand how they can possibly reconcile that position when these concerns are real. (For example) the development of a golf course, and 50 feet off the beach is a reef. Those chemicals going into the ground will affect that reef," she said.
"Removal of mangroves to create a marina - marinas concentrate pollution," she continued.
"It seems to me that while the organization may need money, what I think the organization needs to show the Bahamian people, is that they do care about the communities and the environments those communities live in," she said.
Ms. Duncombe said for a long time the Bahamian community has viewed the trust as an elitist organization. She insisted that the community wants to see action from the organization.
"They set a very dangerous precedent here," Ms. Duncombe said. "If they're going to accept money from a developer that has already caused significant issues in that community, what does that say for them? What does that say for what they're actually doing to protect The Bahamas' environment? It's not saying anything to me," she said.
"It is very disturbing."
National Trust president Bannister took issue with the suggestion that the trust was being 'hypocritical' by accepting the money from the developer.
"We are not hypocritical," he said. "We are a very serious organization, we've been around for a very, very long time, and we take this business seriously. As conservationists, we look for environmental control."
"Our job is to advise the government, and the government makes its decision - this is what our responsibility is. We did examine Baker's Bay, and we feel that they are doing everything that they can to mitigate against the environmental footprint that that development will leave on that cay."
The government has allocated $1 million for the trust in its 2007/2008 budget.
"As a citizen of this country, I have a problem with my money going to fund an organization that also accepts donations from an entity that is causing a lot of problems for a community," Ms. Duncombe said...
The Save Guana Cay Reef Association responded by stating that it was extremely disgusted by what appeared to be the patent attempt to sway public opinion about the Baker's Bay development. According to the statement that the organization released, accepting the donation was one thing, but the "gushing words of praise that followed in a press release from the BNT was nothing short of appalling."
The group said all of the scientists whose services have been secured have said that they are certain that the golf course with its associated fertilizers and chemicals so close to a living coral reef is a recipe for disaster.
"The Save Guana Cay Association reminds all Bahamians that we have the responsibility [of saving] something for our children," the organization said in a statement. "We ask BNT to accept the donation, but please rethink your endorsement of the project. Check the facts first."
Upon its completion, Baker's Bay Golf and Ocean Club will comprise an exquisite residential community of 585 beachfront acres, 175 custom home sites and 138 single family developer residences, according to the developers.
The Baker's Bay development will also include a villa style hotel, private golf club, an 18-hole private golf course and 33-acre marina village with a 158 slip Blue Flag marina.
Discovery Land Company is a Scottsdale Arizona based real estate development firm that specializes in the creation of world-class golf and residential communities.
From: guanaloverpat@yahoo.com
==========
Bimini Island
"We are finding an alarming number of dead birds ,starvation is the cause. This is not just Bimini, it is every Island in the Bahamas they are digging out mangroves for marinas" Gary Simmons
Note: The following Action Alert comes from our friends at Global Response regarding latest developments a Bimini Island. Please write letters to the Bahamas new prime minister.
***ACTION ALERT!!!***
Letters Needed To Help Save Bimini Island From Further Loss
Seeing IS believing. Please view this new video that shows the destruction of vital mangrove forests on Bimini island in the Bahamas and its impact on endangered species - and then send a letter to the new Prime Minister of the Bahamas.
For the past two years Global Response urged the previous Bahamas government to restrict resort development on Bimini island in order to prevent destruction of a mangrove forest and a marine nursery of incalculable value.
Now we have a great opportunity to persuade the Bahamas' newly elected Prime Minister to protect the islands' vital marine resources.
Please write to the new Prime Minister and urge him to make good on his party's promise to create Marine Protected Areas, starting with Bimini!
Here's a model letter that you may use or adapt as you wish.
==========
SAMPLE LETTER
DATE
The Rt. Hon. Hubert A. Ingraham - Prime Minister
The Office of the Prime Minister
Cecil Wallace - Whitfield Centre
Cable Beach
P.O. Box N 3017
Nassau, N.P. Bahamas
FAX (This area code is within the US system) 242- 327-5807
Dear Sir,
I would first like to congratulate you and your party, the Free National Movement, on your recent electoral victory in the Bahamas. The results of this recent general election were being watched by many people outside of the Bahamas due specifically to one issue, the proposed Bahamian Marine Reserve Network. In the year 2000, during the FNM 's last period in parliament, your party put forth a plan to establish a network of Marine Protected Areas throughout the Bahamas . This is an idea that, at the time, was truly visionary and very positively proactive in sustaining the beauty and natural resources of the Bahamas.
Now, just a few years later the concept of establishing Marine Reserves has become far more than just a way to sustain small regions of the ocean, it has now become the most promising remedy for curing a global problem. Recent reports have shown the ocean's fish stocks to be in a state of dramatic collapse, with over-fishing, habitat destruction, and climate change pushing our marine resources past their limits. Marine Protected Areas have been proven more effective than any other legislative or fishery management efforts to date.
The Commonwealth of the Bahamas has been given the opportunity to be seen as a world leader in dealing with a global problem that is wreaking havoc on many coastal countries and their economies. Your party had the solution to this problem identified seven years ago, now we are asking you to follow up on your promise and prevent the Bahamas from losing its most valuable resources.
Five sites were identified as top-priority for the Bahamian Marine Reserve Network, with Bimini topping the list. The original plan called for these five sites to be fully implemented and established by 2003. Tragically, during the PLP 's reign in office, no movement was made towards establishing these reserves. Over the last five years, it seemed as if the PLP's loyalty lay closer to foreign developers than to the Bahamians themselves. This was undoubtedly a factor in the recent FNM victory.
The people of Bimini have voiced strong support for their MPA over the years, and as recently as January of 2007 the issue has been reinstated as a top priority for the island. Around the world, millions of people have learned of Bimini's plight from National Geographic magazine, U.S. & Bahamian news reports, and dozens of websites. This is both a local and international priority.
All who love the amazing islands of Bimini are desperate for action to be taken to preserve them.
By following up on a promise made seven years ago, you have the chance to not only guarantee economic and ecological sustainability for the future of Bimini, and indeed all the Bahamas, but to truly become a world leader in tackling a global crisis. Please make this one of your administration's highest priorities for immediate action.
Respectfully yours,
YOUR NAME
Cc:
Editor, The Tribune
P.O. Box N-3207
Nassau, N.P.
Bahamas
FAX: 242-328-2398
EMAIL: letters@tribunemedia.net
From: Global Response info@globalresponse.org
==========
Mangroves of Rum Cay And San Salvador in the Bahamas Threatened By Mega-Resort
A Montana developer is vying for permission from the new government of the Bahamas to establish a mega-resort replete with a large marina and condos, threatening the mangroves of both Rum Cay And San Salvador in the Bahamas This mega-resort will infringe upon a long-proposed park in San Salvador which contains important stands of mangroves and other ecological treasures. International attention on yet another destructive development threatening coastal ecology and island residents is now needed.
From: lagoontours@msn.com
USA
***ACTION ALERT!!!***
A Big Threat Looms Over Gulf Of Mexico
Do you love the ocean? Do you care about clean water and healthy wildlife? Then you NEED to get involved with what could be the biggest threat to our oceans in many years ... the development of large scale commercial fish farming in Gulf of Mexico ocean waters!
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is the federal agency tasked with taking care of our ocean wildlife, and they are selling out to foreign big business! NOAA is creating plans to divide up and rent out our oceans to private, often foreign-based companies so the companies can make money by growing fish in large pens and cages in our waters. This is called "ocean fish farming", "offshore aquaculture" or "open water aquaculture". Whatever name that is used, it could create major problems if there are no strict standards in place before operations begin. Open ocean fish farming already is happening in some places with big problems:
Aquacultured fish are often different than wild fish, behaviorally and sometimes even genetically. Fish in cages out in open water can escape through damage to cages from severe weather, hungry predators, or even human error. These fish could introduce diseases and/or interbreed with wild populations, thus changing both natural fish and the environment.
Fish farms often have disease problems because there are so many fish in one place and they are stressed. The diseases can spread to wild populations because they are in the open ocean.
Antibiotics and other chemicals used to treat both the fish and their cages to keep them free of organisms can spread beyond the immediate enclosures and pollute the surrounding environment.
Most aquacultured fish are carnivorous, and need to eat other fish, such as squid, sardines or menhaden, in some form to survive and grow. Marine mammals, birds, and other wild fish depend on the availability and abundance of such prey for their own survival.
The cage netting and anchor lines pose entanglement hazards to boats and marine wildlife such as sea turtles, dolphins, or other fish.
During storms, the cages can break apart, releasing fish, food, wastes and more, creating marine debris and damage to fragile habitat.
As you read this, NOAA and the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Gulf Council) are developing a plan to allow ocean fish farming specifically in OUR REGION! This plan is being hurried along to get it passed before people realize what is happening - did you know that the Gulf Council is taking comments from the public about it this and next week?
The current Gulf Council plan for ocean fish farming is written in such a way that it highlights the importance of economic benefit and minimizes dealing with potential serious ecological impacts. The charge of the Gulf Council and NOAA is to conserve and manage our marine resources for the benefit of the nation, not to primarily benefit private investors.
The plan DOES NOT:
Make clear that non-native and genetically modified species are prohibited for use in ocean fish farming - fish that are not like those in our waters will escape from the facilities and remain in our waters, causing unknown problems.
Prevent farming of endangered or threatened species and species of concern - these species are already in trouble, if farmed versions of these animals escape it could destroy the natural population forever.
Protect essential habitat and fishing grounds by requiring buffer zones around special or fragile places - the plan currently allows for buffer zones around the facilities instead, to prevent people from fishing near them!
Require compensation for use of public resources for private profit - they use our waters and they get all the money!
Have strict environmental requirements about pollution and harm to habitat and wildlife - right now any specific standards are being left to NOAA (the agency pushing this) for later rulemaking.
Prevent using oil rigs for aquaculture - during the violent storms in recent years, oil rigs were destroyed, some even being carried miles to shore. Had aquaculture existed on these rigs at the time of the storms, there would have been massive releases of captive fish, feed and other pollutants directly into ocean waters. Rigs weren't made for aquaculture!
Talk about how increasing aquaculture can hurt other marine wildlife - prey species like menhaden fish are taken to use in feeds for farmed fish, more aquaculture means taking more prey fish, leaving less food for our natural wildlife!
These are all very important matters that MUST be in the final version of the plan. PLEASE speak out about the need for strict standards for ocean fish farming and write a personal letter to the Gulf Council. The oceans belong to everyone and we need our government to manage them for the benefit of us all. If you want to read the entire plan, it can be found at:
Not many people get involved in natural resources management processes, so just a few comments from a few people really make a big difference in determining outcomes.
Here are is an example of what you could write:
Dear Gulf Council:
I am a resident of (enter state here) and I am very concerned about the development of commercial ocean fish farming in the Gulf of Mexico. I am very disappointed that the Gulf Council is now rushing through a plan for ocean fish farming without being considerate of ecological matters. It is the Council's charge to conserve and manage our marine resources for the benefit of the nation, not to primarily benefit private business. The current plan is all about money, not about protecting our resources.
In particular, I am worried that the Council plan does not:
Make clear that non-native and genetically modified species are prohibited for use in ocean fish farming
Prevent farming of endangered or threatened species and species of concern
Protect essential habitat and fishing grounds by requiring buffer zones around special or fragile places
Require compensation for use of public resources for private profit
Have strict environmental requirements about pollution and harm to habitat and wildlife
Prevent using oil rigs for aquaculture
Talk about how increasing aquaculture can hurt other marine wildlife by using more prey species in feed
These are all extremely important issues that must be addressed before any aquaculture permits are even considered in the Gulf of Mexico. Allowing NOAA Fisheries to make regulations piecemeal in the future for environmental standards does not protect our public resources and the people that rely on them. I strongly urge the Council to review your developing plan for ocean fish farming very carefully before moving forward. There is no reason to rush through this process.
Sincerely,
(Name)
(Address)
Please send your letters to: The Gulf Council * 2203 N. Lois Avenue, Suite 1100 * Tampa, FL 33607
and / or e-mail: gulfcouncil@gulfcouncil.org
From: Marianne Cufone mcufone@environmentmatters.net
==========
FDA Lax On Testing Seafood Imports
Op-Ed Contributor
WHEN it comes to seafood safety in the United States, the Food and Drug Administration is the thin red line between the public and the fish farmers of the world. While the United States Department of Agriculture has the mandate for certifying meat, the F.D.A. is responsible for inspecting imported seafood. And although it oversees the safety of 80 percent of all food products, the F.D.A. gets only about 35 percent of the overall food safety budget.
That is not only a shame, it may also be a real danger for anybody who has a weakness for barbecued shrimp, blackened catfish or sautéed scallops.
Every year about 6.6 million tons of seafood are imported into the United States from 160 different countries. That's a lot of fish: the frozen shrimp alone would make a shrimp cocktail the size of the Sears Tower. Yet the Food and Drug Administration has only 85 inspectors working primarily with seafood.
If you want to spend a sobering half hour, go to the import alerts section of the administration's Web site. There you will find claw crab meat from Indonesia rejected because of filth (meaning it may have carried rodent hairs or parts of disease-carrying insects), shrimp from Thailand rejected because of salmonella (in fact, 40 percent of rejections for salmonella were for shrimp) and tuna from Vietnam turned back for histamines (responsible for scombroid poisoning). Most troubling is the number of rejections because of banned veterinary drugs and antibiotics like chloramphenicol, a cause of aplastic anemia, and nitrofurans, which are suspected carcinogens.
In May, 48 seafood shipments from China were rejected. According to the nonprofit group Food and Water Watch, of the 860,000 separate seafood shipments imported into the United States, a mere 1.34 percent were physically inspected and only 0.59 percent ever made it into a lab for more rigorous testing. To put this in perspective: if the F.D.A. were responsible for inspecting that 108-story tower of shrimp, they would barely make it past the second floor before calling it quits.
The European Union has a fully functioning food safety system, but looking at its food alerts Web site is sobering for another reason: it gives you an idea of how much unsafe seafood the F.D.A. isn't catching. The European Union physically inspects at least 20 percent of all imported seafood, and when a product is proving problematic -- when they're finding too much salmonella in Vietnamese shrimp, for example -- inspection increases to 100 percent, until the problem is resolved. Sometimes the situation gets so bad that seafood has to be embargoed until the exporting country brings its standards up to snuff. When seafood from Pakistan was proving particularly unsafe, the union banned Pakistani seafood for several months.
But banning certain imports doesn't always do the job. Port shopping, a practice in which frozen seafood rejected in one port is simply shipped to jurisdictions with less rigorous standards of inspection, is not uncommon. Indeed, if you're a shady seafood dealer trying to unload a container of dodgy shrimp or tilapia, chances are 98 in 100 it will make it into the United States.
The F.D.A. just doesn't have enough money to do its job properly. In a 2002 audit, the Government Accountability Office found that the F.D.A. was able to inspect about 100 foreign seafood companies in 10 countries a year to ensure their processing plants were up to standard. (In any given year, more than 13,000 firms export seafood to the United States.) In 2003, they received $211,000 to do these inspections, and yet this year, Congress has cut that budget to zero. Though there are inspectors at the state level, only Southern states like Alabama and Louisiana, which have domestic catfish and shrimp industries to protect, regularly screen foreign imports.
Part of the problem is keeping up with the tremendous growth in seafood imports. The spread of the so-called blue revolution, as fish farming is known, has been explosive in Asia, particularly in China. Last year, China supplied America with 75,000 tons of farmed shrimp -- beating out Thailand as the world's leading shrimp exporter -- and now supplies 22 percent of the nation's seafood.
For many people, this year's melamine scandal, in which as many as 39,000 dogs and cats were killed or sickened after consuming pet food bulked up with a toxic plasticizer, ultimately traced to wheat gluten imported from China, was a wake-up call about the country's involvement in the global food supply. But China's stunning embrace of the blue revolution has clearly come at a cost. Water shortages and pollution are endemic in China -- only 45 percent of the population has access to sewage-treatment facilities -- so to raise millions of pounds of disease-prone fish to harvest size, China has had to lay on the chemicals.
In 2006, 60 percent of the seafood that was refused entry into the United States because of veterinary drug residues, including antibiotics like chloramphenicol and nitrofurans, came from China -- a country where nine separate ministries inspect food, but there is no overall food safety law. China is aware of the problem: last week, its former food and drug regulator was executed for taking bribes from eight companies and approving fake drugs. And Chinese health officials now blame pollution and pesticides for cancer, which has become a leading cause of death in the country.
The Food and Drug Administration is catching on to the problem that China presents. Late last month, the administration announced it was banning five kinds of seafood imported from China: shrimp, catfish, eel, basa (a kind of catfish) and dace (a carp).
But focusing on certain foods from China is nothing more than a stop-gap: the United States imports millions of pounds of seafood from India, Indonesia, Thailand and other Asian countries, which all have their own problems with banned drugs and water quality. In fact, an F.D.A. study analyzing samples from fish farms found that the salmonella frequently detected in Asia-farmed fish came from fecal bacteria in the grow-out ponds. The fish, in other words, were bathing in human and animal feces.
Banning all fish from Asia is clearly not a solution. But American consumers need to insist on high standards from not only their fish suppliers, but also from the officials responsible for inspecting the seafood they eat. And as the thin red line between the public and the world's fish farmers, the F.D.A. simply needs more money to do its job -- money it hasn't been getting from Congress.
In the meantime, rather than swearing off fish altogether, remember that excellent seafood is being produced domestically, often in ecologically sound ways, often at only a slight premium over imported prices. American aquaculturists are farming organic shrimp in the desert, growing tilapia in indoor tanks and reseeding the Chesapeake Bay with oysters. Now is the perfect time to splurge on quality.
Taras Grescoe is the author of the forthcoming "Bottomfeeder: A Seafood Lover's Journey to the End of the Food Chain."
From: LESrrl3@aol.com
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7 July 2007
Consumers want to know where their food comes from
Consumer Reports food-labeling poll shows consumers want to know where their food comes from and expect higher label standards
Amid troubling food safety issues in the United States, most consumers want to know where their food comes from and favor strengthening food labeling requirements, a recent Consumer Reports poll has found.
The survey, conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, polled a nationally representative sample of 1,004 people on issues concerning food safety and labeling. In addition to those listed below, consumers were asked about labels including "no hormones administered," "free of disease," and "irradiated" foods.
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN LABELING
According to the poll, 92 percent of consumers agree that imported foods should be labeled by their country of origin. While the federal government mandated country of origin labeling, or COOL, back in 2002 for nearly all food products, implementation has been delayed until October 2008, with the exception of seafood.
Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports, has called for immediate implementation of COOL.
NATURAL AND ORGANIC LABELING
The poll also found that foods labeled as "natural," or "organic" are highly popular among consumers.
At the same time, consumers indicated that they expect more from natural labels than current standards dictate for processed food and meat. Eighty-six percent said they expect the natural label to mean that processed food does not contain any artificial ingredients. But current standards only prohibit artificial colorings and additives. Artificial sugars and oils like high fructose corn syrup or partially hydrogenated oils can still be used in natural foods.
In addition, nearly 9 out of 10 consumers want natural meat to come from animals that were raised on a diet without drugs, chemicals and other artificial ingredients. Currently, the natural label on meat only pertains to how the cut of meat was processed and not how animal was raised or what it ate. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is in the process of reconsidering a variety of options concerning the natural label on meat.
As for organic fish, 9 of out of 10 consumers agree that it should be produced without environmental pollution and be low in contaminants. But the USDA is still working on developing standards for organic fish. In the meantime, organic fish is being marketed without any government oversight.
In July 2007, Consumers Union, which helped institute a ban on the organic label on fish sold in California, joined the Center for Food Safety's petition to ban the organic label on fish nationwide.
Consumers can find out which labels are most meaningful on food and other products on our dedicated labeling site.
The Consumer Reports poll was conducted via telephone from June 7 to 10, 2007.
Get the complete food-labeling poll results
and
Final Press Release
Source:Consumer Reports Greener Choices
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12 July 2007
Groups Seek to Halt Use of Word 'Organic' on Seafood
by Ben DiPietro
Three non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are trying to prevent use of the word "organic" on seafood product labels in the United States, filing a complaint and legal petition Wednesday with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
The complaint and petition filed by Consumers Union, the Center for Food Safety, and Food and Water Watch are aimed at preventing use of the word "organic" on seafood products until the United States adopts rules governing what can be called organic seafood.
"Having different organic labels from different nations really is confusing," Buffy Baumann and Food & Water Watch told IntraFish. "Consumers don't know the intricacies of the systems. We want to have consistency."
The agencies mistakenly chose a narrow interpretation of the enforcement powers they have to prevent use of the word "organic" with seafood, saying they have the authority to pull the "USDA organic" seal from a product but not a product labeled "organic" that doesn't carry a USDA seal, Joe Mendelson of the Center for Food Safety told IntraFish.
"We expect once the USDA reads the petition they'll understand their initial interpretation is wrong suggesting there can be two organic labels," said Mendelson. "They need to take enforcement action. They can tell people you can't use the term 'organic' on these products. They'll be developing standards and, if you meet them you can be organic; otherwise, you have to market in a different manner."
The petition points to previous USDA statements regarding enforcement of the rules covering use of the word "organic."
In one such pronouncement, the USDA says: "The labeling requirement of this final rule are intended to assure the term 'organic,' and other similar terms or phrases are not used on a product package or in marketing information in a way that misleads consumers as to the contents of the package. Thus, we intend to monitor the use of the term 'organic,' and other similar terms and phrases. If terms of phrases are used on product packages to represent 'organic' when the products are not produced to the requirements of this regulation, we will proceed to restrict their use."
The petition names the following companies as using the word "organic" in seafood product promotions:
Bio Centinela
Black Pearl
Blue Horizon
Blue Origins
Creative Salmon
Delicious Organics
Dom International Ltd.
EcoFish
Eighth Sea
Hannaford Supermarkets
Harris Teeter Supremarkets
Johnson Seafarms
Marine Harvest
Martin International Corp.
OceanBoy Farms
Polar Seafood, LLC
Sustainable Seafood
Wild Oats Markets
Certifiers in other countries offer "organic" labels to products that meet their standards, but the three groups say those standards shouldn't be allowed on labels of U.S. products, said Mendelson.
Many of the companies marketing or labeling aquatic animal products in U.S. markets as "organic" are selling product that has been certified as "organic" by the following certifying agencies:
Naturland E.V.
Organic Food Federation
Soil Association Certification Ltd.
"Basically, if you look at some of the certifiers such as the U.K. Soil Association, they allow antibiotics in aquaculture," said Baumann. "According to them, that's still organic, and that comes across to U.S. consumers as organic, and that's not the case."
The USDA is considering recommendations to establish organic seafood standards, with hearings set for this fall, but Mendelson expects it will be about two years before such standards are in place.
By filing a petition, the agencies legally are required to respond to the three groups, said Mendelson. "What we wanted to do is say we're making a complaint, but also put you on legal notice that you've got to respond to this," he said.
The groups wants to give the agencies a chance to speak with retailers, certification agencies and processors to see if they can't get them to change their use of the term "organic." If that doesn't work, Mendelson said the groups will consider further action, possibly including lawsuits against retailers and seafood suppliers who use the term organic without U.S. standards being in place.
"At this point, we want to give the USDA a chance to go out to retailers and certifiers and processors and others who are marketing fish and say "You can't do this right now.' That would be a prudent first step," said Mendelson said. "Pending that, we'll see what happens."
Source:Intrafish
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Note: The following is an excerpt. The full article can be found at:boston.com.
China ban may be too late to rescue US shrimpers
Cheaper imports stripping profits
By Diedtra Henderson, Globe Staff | July 9, 2007
ORIENTAL, N.C. -- A rash of safety scares that caused some Chinese imports to be pulled off store shelves -- including poisoned toothpaste, lead-tainted toys , and contaminated pet food -- has spiked demand for products made in the United States. But in the case of shrimp , America's favorite seafood, there is not enough to go around.
A staggering 92 percent of shrimp eaten in the United States is imported; last year, 8 percent of it, about 151 million pounds, came from China .
Last month, federal food safety officials included shrimp from China on a short list of seafood they are banning until it no longer tests positive for unapproved chemicals and cancer-causing agents. That should be good news for the US shrimp fisheries, pushed to the brink of extinction by low-priced imports. But even if import restrictions result in higher prices for domestic shrimp, success remains a long shot for the country's remaining shrimp fishermen. And for some, any price increases will arrive too late.
In this small town at the southern edge of Pamlico Sound , second-generation fisherman Sherrill Styron is reluctantly planning to retire and convert the 2-acre hub for his business, Garland F. Fulcher Seafood Co. , into condominiums.
It is a dramatic shift for Styron, who just turned 65 and is the mayor of Oriental . Fifteen years ago, he said, it would have been "crazy" to think the waterfront property where he rose from crew member to business owner would become condos. "But there's not any money to be made here anymore," Styron said.
The trickle of imports from China exploded after Beijing joined the World Trade Organization in 2001 , a move that lifted most barriers to the US market. China has become the world's leading seafood supplier, and last year was the third-largest seafood exporter to the United States, supplying $1.9 billion in fish and shellfish. Since cheaper imports began flooding the US market, many North Carolina fishermen have abandoned shrimp , a trend being replicated elsewhere across the nation.
"We've, in the last five to 10 years, lost one-third of our fish houses," said Sean McKeon , president of the North Carolina Fisheries Association Inc. , a trade association that includes Styron on its board. "Gone. Off the map. Sayonara. Condominiums."
Last year, the average American ate a record 4.4 pounds of shrimp, according to the National Marine Fisheries Service . Twenty-five years ago, 60 percent of shrimp eaten by Americans was imported. In addition to China, almost all shrimp now comes from Thailand , Indonesia , Ecuador, and other countries.
In 2006, international suppliers exported 1.74 billion pounds of shrimp to the United States. That dwarfs domestic production of 182 million pounds in 2006 , according to the National Marine Fisheries Service. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration division, startled by the trend, backs pending legislation that would open new areas offshore for aquaculture operations to take root, an attempt to bolster domestic capacity to produce such farm-raised seafood as black cod , tuna, and oysters .
Frozen shrimp from China arrives in the United States in a variety of forms, including easy to peel or mostly free of the shell, for quicker use. Consumers like the convenience, while domestic fishermen worry about the price.
"A restaurant can buy a pound of peeled and de veined shrimp, ready to drop in the pot, for $4 to $5 a pound," said Louis Daniel , director of the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries . "Fresh, local shrimp -- in order for the fisherman to make any money -- they're going to be in the $7.99 to $10 a pound range. There is a big price gap."
American Society of Mammalogists Adopts a Resolution on Economic Growth
On June 9, 2007, at the 87th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Mammalogists (ASM) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the ASM adopted a resolution on economic growth. The ASM described a "fundamental conflict between economic growth and the conservation of ecosystems" based upon scientifically established principles. The ASM noted that an economy has an "optimal size" and that growth beyond the optimum reduces human welfare in addition to threatening other species.
The ASM joined a growing number of professional, scientific societies that are taking positions on economic growth rather than relegating public discussions of economic growth to economists, politicians, commercial interests, and social activists. The ASM was particularly concerned about the misleading rhetoric that "there is no conflict between growing the economy and protecting the environment." The ASM believes that the public and policy makers must have a firm knowledge of the tradeoffs between economic growth and other important aspects of human welfare (such as wildlife conservation and environmental health) to develop appropriate economic policy goals and programs. The ASM suggests that, in many nations, a "steady state economy" has become a more appropriate goal than economic growth.
The resolution will be sent to policy makers, government agencies, think tanks, and other organizations that craft, analyze, or promote economic policy. Examples of recipients include members of Congress, the Council of Economic Advisors, the U.S. Council on Environmental Quality, the American Enterprise Institute, and the World Bank.
From: Fiona Wilmot
fionawilmot@earthlink.net
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A GIANT OF THE SEA FINDS SLIMMER PICKINGS
Scientists from Mexico to the Pacific Northwest are reporting an unusually high number of scrawny whales this year for the first time since malnourishment and disease claimed a third of the gray whale population in 1999 and 2000. So far this year, scientists haven't seen a decline in numbers, and they are not sure what's causing the whales to be so thin. But they suspect it may be the same thing that triggered the die-off eight years ago: rapid warming of Arctic waters where the whales feed. Whales depend on cocktail-shrimp-size crustaceans to bulk up for their long southerly migration. As Arctic ice recedes, fat-rich crustaceans that flourished on the Bering Sea floor are becoming scarce.
Source: Kenneth R. Weiss, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2007
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6 July 2007
By N. C. Duke, J.-O. Meynecke, S. Dittmann, A. M. Ellison, K. Anger, U. Berger, S. Cannicci, K. Diele, K. C. Ewel, C. D. Field, N. Koedam, S. Y. Lee, C. Marchand, I. Nordhaus, F. Dahdouh-Guebas
Letters: A World Without Mangroves?
At a meeting of world mangrove experts held last year in Australia, it was unanimously agreed that we face the prospect of a world deprived of the services offered by mangrove ecosystems, perhaps within the next 100 years.
Mangrove forests once covered more than 200,000 km2 of sheltered tropical and subtropical coastlines (1). They are disappearing worldwide by 1 to 2% per year, a rate greater than or equal to declines in adjacent coral reefs or tropical rainforests (2-5). Losses are occurring in almost every country that has mangroves, and rates continue to rise more rapidly in developing countries, where 90% of the world's mangroves are located. The veracity and detail of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization data (2) on which these observations are based may be arguable, but mangrove losses during the last quarter century range consistently between 35 and 86%. As mangrove areas are becoming smaller or fragmented, their long-term survival is at great risk, and essential ecosystem services may be lost
Where mangrove forests are cleared for aquaculture, urbanization, or coastal landfill or deteriorate due to indirect effects of pollution and upstream land use (3, 4), their species richness is expected to decline precipitously, because the number of mangrove plant species is directly correlated with forest size (6, 7). Examples from other ecosystems have shown that species extinctions can be followed by loss in functional diversity, particularly in species-poor systems like mangroves, which have low redundancy perse (8). Therefore, any further decline in mangrove area is likely to be followed by accelerated functional losses. Mangroves are already critically endangered or approaching extinction in 26 out of the 120 countries having mangroves (2, 9).
Deforestation of mangrove forests, which have extraordinarly high rates of primary productivity (3), reduces their dual capacity to be both an atmospheric CO2 sink (10) and an essential source of oceanic carbon. The support that mangrove ecosystems provide for terrestrial as well as marine food webs would be lost, adversely affecting, for example, fisheries (11). The decline further imperils mangrove-dependent fauna with their complex habitat linkages, as well as physical benefits like the buffering of seagrass beds and coral reefs against the impacts of river-borne siltation, or protection of coastal communities from sea-level rise, storm surges, and tsunamis (12, 13). Human communities living in or near mangroves would lose access to sources of essential food, fibers, timber, chemicals, and medicines (14).
We are greatly concerned that the full implications of mangrove loss for humankind are not fully appreciated. Growing pressures of urban and industrial developments along coastlines, combined with climate change and sea-level rise, urge the need to conserve, protect, and restore tidal wetlands (11, 13). Effective governance structures, socioeconomic risk policies, and education strategies (15) are needed now to enable societies around the world to reverse the trend of mangrove loss and ensure that future generations enjoy the ecosystem services provided by such valuable natural ecosystems.
N. C. Duke*
Centre for Marine Studies
University of Queensland
St Lucia
Qld 4072, Australia
*To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:
Source: Science, Vol. 317. no. 5834, pp. 41 - 42
sciencemag.org
CONFERENCES/ WORKSHOPS & PUBLICATIONS
International Conference on "Managing Wetlands for Sustainable Development:
Please find an annoucement of International Conference on "Managing Wetlands for Sustainable Development: Innovative Research and Lessons Learned, Effective Partnerships, and the Need for Co-Management" that will be held on 9 - 11 January 2008, Thumrin Thana Hotel, Trang Province, Thailand
New deadline for abstract submission is 30 August 2007.
Any other information you may need, please contact directly to organizer or through me.
Asae Sayaka
Wetlands International-Thailand Office
E-mail: thasae-s@psu.ac.th
www.wetlands.org
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CALL FOR PAPERS--World Congress of Rural Sociology
5-10 July, 2008 Seoul, Korea
Working Group
Reshaping Natures: Social impacts of environmental change on rural communities
Technological change has always provoked changes in the way communities steward their local environment. Over the last 30 years, in particular, the speed of change has raised critical issues on the use and conservation of local natural resources - e.g. soil degradation, salinization of drinking and irrigation water, deterioration of coastal/estuarine fisheries, lost of biodiversity. Those have become critical for either sustaining minimal standards of living in developing countries or even creating critical limits for sustaining rural life. An immediate example is the agrarian reform in Northeast Brazil, where most the land offered for settlements is exhausted by centuries of intensive sugarcane cultivation. In other areas, international markets have imposed the intensification of resource use which may damage sustainability in a near future.
The session is intended to address issues related to the way communities are dealing with scarcity and deterioration of the natural resources which once formed the base of their traditional way of life. For this session we invite papers which may enlight discussion on aspects such as:
a. Local strategies for community organization towards resource use and conservation;
b. Local (mis)understandings of priorities for natural resources use and conservation;
c. Changing the traditional social use of natural resources;
d. Conflicts over (ab)use of natural resources;
e. Frameworks for regain local ownership of natural resources;
f. The (new) approaches of international donors on local resource base conservation;
g. Ethnical issues on conservation of natural resources.
Abstracts under 200 words shall be sent to
Henrique de Barros
hdbarros@terra.com.br
Deadlines will follow IRSA timetable.
www.irsa-world.org/
IUCN, NL Announces Small Grants Opportunities
IUCN NL is happy to announce that new small grants funding deadlines are planned for 2007. Organizations will be selected on the basis of their pre-proposals to submit a full proposal. Only proposals using the IUCN NL format will be considered.
On 1 September 2007 there will be a deadline for pre-proposals for South America (the Parana-Paraguay river basin). (12:00 GMT)
Please visit our website on 15 July 2007 for all the detailed information, and to download formats for pre-proposals.
EGP team
IUCN NL
patricia@riosvivos.org.br
24 Apr 2007
'Aquaculture' phenomenon emerging
A new agricultural revolution "of global importance to humankind" is emerging based on aquatic animal and plant life, experts have said.
Domestication of marine species is now racing ahead at 3.3% a year - far faster than the rate for land animals at any time in human history, they claim.
A report in the journal Science said "aquaculture" was a new phenomenon that had only started to have an impact in the 20th century. sciencemag.org
Of all the aquatic animals and plants now farmed, 97% had only been domesticated since the early 20th century - a total of 430 species. More than 100 of those species were domesticated in the last 10 years.
In future, aquatic agriculture was likely to transform food production, said the scientists led by Dr Carlos Duarte, from Instituto Mediterraneo de Estudios Avanzados in Mallorca, Spain.
They wrote: "Aquaculture is emerging as a revolution in agriculture of global importance to humankind."
The greater diversity of life forms in the ocean provided broader opportunities for domestication than land species, they pointed out.
Mammals and birds made up most of the land animals suitable for farming, with bees and snails being two exceptions. In contrast, a wide range of marine creatures had been domesticated, including molluscs, crustaceans, vertebrates, jellyfish, worms, and echinoderms (sea urchins).
More than 3,000 wild marine species were used as food compared with fewer than 200 land species. Many land plants were toxic to humans, and a large number of land animals were unsuitable because of their slow growth, long life cycles, specialised diets, or adverse behavioural traits.
The over-exploitation of 20% to 30% of fish species in the oceans, and decline of world fisheries, had provided a further incentive to domesticate marine creatures. This mirrored what had driven the early domestication of land species around 11,000 years ago, said the experts.
Source: Channel 4 News
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Imports fuel push for U.S. ocean fish farms. Congress mulls
Imports fuel push for U.S. ocean fish farms. Fishermen who offload at Shrimp Landing in Crystal River, Fla., could share the Gulf of Mexico someday with huge cages growing what they now go out and catch. Lakeland Ledger, Florida.
Congress mulls expansion, regulation of offshore farming. As environmentalists and industrialists spar over the controversial practice of fish farming, the battle lines have been redrawn on Capitol Hill as Congress considers legislation that would allow for expanded aquaculture operations in federal waters. Palm Beach Post, Florida.
From: Darlene Schanfald darlenes@olympus.net
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OCEANS: House Democrats, NOAA chief agree on need for new farm standards
Allison Winter, E&E Daily reporter
A senior Bush administration official and House Democrats pledged yesterday to work together to broker a compromise that would permit fish farms in deep ocean waters along with more detailed environmental standards for the operations.
At a hearing on offshore aquaculture, administration officials and members of the House Natural Resources Committee agreed they want to ramp up the United States' ability to produce its own seafood. But Democrats on the panel expressed concerns that the White House proposal to do so would not include enough spelled-out environmental standards.
Those detractors were surprised when the head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration agreed to work with them on a better approach.
"I am not opposed to putting standards in the language," said NOAA chief Conrad Lautenbacher, in response to a line of questioning from Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.). Capps, visibly stunned, said "thank you."
Capps described the remarks as "pretty remarkable" in an interview after the hearing. She said she is "hopeful" she can work with the administration to advance a bill.
"There is a clear, great demand for it, and a great need," Capps said of the legislation.
Subcommittee Chairwoman Madeleine Bordallo (D-Guam), Del. Eni Faleomavaega (D-A.S.) and Rep. Harry Brown (R-S.C.) also spoke in favor of advancing some sort of offshore aquaculture bill.
Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.) introduced the administration's bill, H.R. 2010, as a "courtesy" earlier this year but did not give his personal backing. The bill would allow fish cages in federal waters between 3 miles and 200 miles offshore.
The U.S. aquaculture industry currently uses cages set near the shore, in lakes and streams, or freshwater fish farms. Offshore aquaculture would take caged fish to a much larger scale.
The administration's proposal requires NOAA to address environmental risks but does not say it must "minimize" them. That is of concern to Capps and environmental groups, who want any fish farming bill to require the smallest possible fish escapes and water pollution.
Capps wants the effort to include some of the provisions and standards that were in a California aquaculture bill last year. The California bill requires operations to "minimize" the use of fish oil and fish meal for food, prevent discharges of pollutants "to the maximum extent possible," and take financial and legal responsibility to restore their sites to their original condition when a lease terminates.
Lautenbacher did not comment directly on the California standards but said he could support more standards as long as they are "not so restrictive that we can never have aquaculture."
Randy McMillan, president of the National Aquaculture Association, said the California bill's requirements would do just that, making it too expensive for offshore fish farms to go forward.
"It is unlikely there will ever be aquaculture in California because the standards are so high, it makes it unlikely from a financial standpoint," he said.
There are currently four small U.S. offshore fish farms, all in state waters. Kona Blue, the only commercial aquaculture farm in the United States, harvests 5 tons of fish per week from the cages it sinks 250 feet deep in water a half mile off the island of Kona. Hawaii is able to have cages in its state waters because the ocean bottom drops off quickly.
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Environmental standards pushed at U.S. House aquaculture hearing
SEAFOOD.COM NEWS [By Ken Coons] - July 13, 2007 - The battle lines between the environmental community and the proponents of offshore aquaculture were clear at yesterday's House Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans Subcommittee hearing on H.R. 2010, (the Offshore Aquaculture Act of 2007).
House members present at the hearing were Madeleine Bordallo, chairwoman (D-Guam), ranking member Henry Brown, (R-South Carolina), Eni Faleomavaega, (D-American Samoa) and Lois Capps, (D- California).
Witnesses were Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., U.S. Navy Ret., Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere and Administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce and Randy MacMillan, Ph.D., President, National Aquaculture Association; Sue Aspelund, Special Assistant to the Commissioner, Alaska Department of Fish and Game; Tim Eichenberg, The Ocean Conservancy and Richard Russell, Author
The aquaculture legislation recently enacted in California was held up as an example of the environmental standard setting that Tim Eichenberg of the Ocean Conservancy said should be in the bill. As drafted, H.R. 2010 would establish NEPA based standards through the rulemaking process and would not be written into the legislation.
Rep. Lois Capps was surprised and pleased when Adm. Lautenbacher said he was not opposed to environmental standards being written into the legislation. She also was pleased to hear him confirm that marine protected areas would not be encroached upon.
Later in the hearing, Randy MacMillan, National Aquaculture Association, cautioned that overly stringent environmental standards would deter U.S. aquaculture investors who would, as they are doing now, invest in other areas of the world instead. He urged legislators to see the proposed legislation in the context of a global industry.
NOAA Administrator Lautenbacher stood firm on questions regarding the 20 year time span proposed for offshore aquaculture leases on the basis that entrepreneurs had advised that this time span would be essential to attract investment. Two members noted that oil and gas leases, requiring similar scale investments, are only for ten years.
Randy MacMillan, NAA, stressed the need for a science based framework for offshore aquaculture development, as contrasted with the unsubstantiated rhetoric regarding contaminants in fish feed and environmental effects of cage and net pen fish farming. He cautioned against assuming that problems with aquaculture in other parts of the world would apply in the U.S. which has much stricter standards and an enviable environmental record.
He urged that the legislation also provide for the use of ships as production facilities.
He opposes inclusion of economic impacts unless they are limited to specific direct impacts from a site on, for example shipping lanes or loss of substrate resources. In the current draft, potential market impacts on capture fisheries might have to be considered.
Tim Eichenberg, Ocean Conservancy, sees the EPA effluent standards as inadequate and wants to see standards along the lines of those in the California legislation (he helped draft) in the offshore aquaculture bill. He said the California legislation (SB-201) should be the starting point for national offshore aquaculture legislation. Saying that farmed fish consume 40 percent of the world's fishmeal supply, he called for goals and milestones for reducing the amount of meal and oil used in U.S offshore aquaculture. He wants a ban on genetically modified species along with required use of local native species and wild broodstock. He favors expanding the state 'opt out' provision beyond 12 miles to the entire EEZ.
Sue Aspelund called for a five year period of analysis before any permitting. She favors primacy for wild caught species over farmed and regional fishery management council oversight of offshore aquaculture. Significantly, she called for the legislation to prohibit farming of major wild caught species.
Richard Russell is an avid recreational fisherman and author of Striper Wars along with three other books. He is associated with the remarkable success story of the rehabilitation of the striped bass stock. His main target in his testimony was the use of forage to feed carnivorous fish and he alleged that overfishing of menhaden in Chesapeake Bay to produce meal and oil is related to the signs of starvation and disease in the bay's rockfish population.
Both Mr Eichenberg and Mr. Russell mentioned a 30 member stakeholder group that opposes H.B. 2010. Along with environmental groups and a few others, the following are part of this group: Alaska Independent Fishermen's Marketing Association, Alaska Trollers Association, Cape Cod Commercial Hook Fishermen's Association, Columbia River Crab Fishermen's Association, Fishing Vessel Owners Association, Kenai Peninsula Fishermen's Association, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations, Puget Sound Harvesters Association, Small Boat Commercial Salmon Fishermen's Association, Southeast Alaska Regional Dive Fisheries Association, Southern Shrimp Alliance, United Fishermen of Alaska.
From: "Mitchell Shapson"
mshapson@ifrfish.org
