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Dear Friends of the Mangroves,
 
MAP had begun our first crowd funder via Crowdrise, and in the first 10 days we raised nearly $4,000 — 40% of our goal of $10,000 — to support the important work of our MAP restoration team in Thailand. Things were looking pretty positive last month that we would reach our goal and then perhaps surpass it. But then we ran into a bit of a wall, where I believe we needed to remind our supporters that our crowd funder was still in process and we still needed your help to reach our modest goal of raising $10,000. Thus, I am now trying to remove that barrier and ask you again to please support MAP so we can support mangrove conservation and recovery via our CBEMR demonstration projects in Thailand.
 
Let me now refresh your memories as to what we are attempting in Thailand for which your donations will be applied:
 
Native mangrove forests have been decimated by unsustainable developments, such as shrimp farming, tourism industry, urban sprawl and agriculture expansion. destroying in the process livelihoods of coastal communities that depend on mangroves for their dwindling artisanal fisheries. Loss of the protective mangrove bioshield also has dangerously exposed villages to tsunamis, typhoons and rising sea levels.
 
The Mangrove Action Project works with local communities to restore degraded mangroves to healthy ecosystems, protecting villages from natural disasters and restoring livelihoods, through MAP's Community-Based Ecological Mangrove Restoration method.
 
Through CBEMR, MAP teaches communities to work with nature by restoring the underlying hydrology that allows mangroves to naturally reseed and re-establish biodiverse forests that support and protect communities and combat climate change. Using CBEMR, MAP has begun restoring mangroves in Asia and Latin America.
 
Your funds will help MAP train local community members to restore abandoned shrimp ponds and degraded mangroves back to healthy ecosystems through CBEMR and then responsibly steward mangroves on which the people depend. Your support will also help MAP assist the involved communities develop sustainable livelihoods for which there are viable local markets.
 
This is much needed and timely work, and I again urge you to donate to MAP and support this work via our Crowdrise fundraiser. Help us reach that $10,000 mark that we have set as our goal! Help us support our MAP Asia team in Thailand. They need your support now! Let's try to surpass the halfway mark tonight by raising that next $1,000 in the next 24 hours!
 
 
Please spread the word by sharing MAP's latest effort to raise awareness of mangroves and the role they play in global climate change mitigation CLICK HERE to watch short introductory video. Together we can work "at the roots of the sea". 
 
 
FEATURED STORY
As shrimp farms fail, mangroves make a comeback
 
INDONESIA – Tanakeke Island, off the southern coast of the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, once had extensive mangrove forests. But more than two-thirds of the mangroves surrounding the island were destroyed to build more than 1,200 hectares of shrimp ponds. Now, with two-third of the shrimp ponds failing or now disused, that process is being reversed, with a surge of mangrove planting. Heavy rains have contributed to severe flooding on the island with increasing regularly over the past few years, helping to push sea water over the dike walls surrounding shrimp farms, and washing the crustaceans out to sea. Many others were killed by a virus at the turn of the century that slashed once substantial revenues from shrimp farming. For more than 20 years, 57-year-old Haeruddin Daeng Ngenjeng, has farmed shrimp and milkfish in aquaculture ponds to supply the seafood export market that developed in the 1980s and 1990s. READ MORE
 
ASIA
 
Burma’s mangroves in danger of extinction
 
BURMA – Thick mangrove forests once lined Burma’s coastline, but in the past 30 years over half of the country’s mangrove forests have been destroyed. Mangrove trees are an essential part of river ecosystems. They protect the riverbanks from soil erosion by acting as a buffer between the land and sea. The long roots provide shelter for breeding fish, shrimp and crabs. Mangroves are also an important natural barrier against floods and storm surges. Aung Win earns his living by cutting down trees in Irrawaddy Division’s Ni Thaung mangrove forest to sell as firewood. He used to be a fisherman but, ironically, due to the destruction of the mangroves, fish levels dropped in the estuary. “In the past we could live by catching fish or frogs. Now, we don’t have enough food in the village so we have to sell firewood to survive,” he said. More than 80 percent of residents in Rangoon use firewood and charcoal for cooking. Up until 1993 most of the city’s charcoal came from Bokalay mangrove forest. Due to severe deforestation the government banned felling of the mangroves in the area. READ MORE
 
AMERICAS
 
Bimini locals remain wary over resort's lack of transparency
 
BAHAMAS – The Niccolo Machiavelli dredger anchored off Bimini’s pristine and ecologically significant reef system. The 450-foot vessel is to be used as part of the controversial construction of a 1,000 foot pier and ferry terminal by Resorts World Bimini. The developers have agreed, at the urging of a judge, not to start dredging without delivering copies of all the necessary permits and approvals to concerned citizens.BIMINI, The Bahamas — Concerned citizens who oppose the Resorts World Bimini mega-resort are cautiously celebrating after the developers agreed, at the urging of a judge, not to begin dredging without handing over all the necessary permits. The Bimini Blue Coalition, which initiated a judicial review challenge of the project citing the potential for extensive environmental damage foreshadowed in the company’s own Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), claims if any permits or approvals do exist, they have been granted by the government in secret, despite numerous requests for information.  “We are delighted to know that Resorts World intends to abide by Bahamian law and commend the legal team that has represented us so well,” said the coalition in a statement. “But at the same time, given the lack of transparency thus far on this issue, where the government and the developer are concerned, we are still very wary. READ MORE
 
Canadian eco heroine and wild salmon advocate featured on CBS’ 60 minutes
CANADA – Canadian biologist and wild salmon advocate, was featured on the most successful news magazine in TV history: CBS’ 60 Minutes. Alexandra’s episode was aired May 11, 2014. To watch the entire segment, Click Here. That Alexandra Morton was selected as the spokesperson on the impact of salmon farms by 60 Minutes is a powerful endorsement of her years of research and advocacy for wild salmon. Morton has a long history with salmon farms. In 1984, the first salmon farms appeared in British Columbia. A few years later, Alexandra noticed local wild salmon populations declining, increased disease and sea lice, and the killer whales she was studying abandoned the area. When government refused to address these issues, Morton began publishing numerous scientific papers demonstrating how salmon farms are damaging British Columbia. READ MORE
 
Protest of WWF standards continue
USA – Hundreds of NGOs in Asia, Latin America, Africa, North America and Europe have been protesting for several years against WWF and the Shrimp Aquaculture Dialogue; its lack of concern for the environment and local peoples' livelihood, the dialogue process that did not involve local resource users nor the NGOs that support them as well as the weak standards that have been diluted in every new version including the ASC version. The CO has just finished an in-depth analysis of the ASC shrimp standard. Each standard has been analysed and compared at various levels – e.g. what is being claimed to what is being audited. Also the various draft versions of the standard have been compared with the final ASC standard. READ MORE
 
As Haiti’s mangroves dwindle, alternative cooking methods rise
HAITI – For decades, deforestation has plagued Haiti, leaving the country today with less than three percent of forests covering the land. Mangroves, tropical trees and shrubs that protect coastlines are no exception. Last week, President Michel Martelly and Environment Minister Jean Francois Thomas launched the second phase of a national reforestation campaign. The campaign’s goals are lofty: to plant more than 116 million fruit and other trees to increase Haiti’s cover to four percent in the next few years. The focus comes after many past failed national and international efforts, and after Haiti’s government last year banned the cutting or selling of mangroves, and the construction, fishing or hunting in what’s left of the country’s depleting forests. This has made briquettes an attractive alternative that some hope may stir change. In the city streets, a container of charcoal, about the size of a gallon and enough to cook about two meals for a family of four, costs about 55 cents in a country where more than half of the population, according to the World Bank, lives on less than $1 a day. But one briquette costs between two and nine cents. READ MORE
 
AFRICA
Mangrove clean-up gets ‘overwhelming’ response
 
QATAR – The mangrove clean-up project at Al Thakira and Al Khor on May 30 has received an “overwhelming response”, attracting some 400 volunteers from various expatriate communities. More than 20 organisations and government agencies, including the Qatar Tourism Authority and Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), have  vowed to support the iloveqatar.net initiative in a bid to help protect the environment. “We had hoped for around 100 volunteers but we have had nearly 400 registrations,” project leader Anri Taki told Gulf Times. “We had to close down registrations because too many people wanted to participate. It’s absolutely heart-warming to see people of all nationalities banding together to protect one of the few natural green areas in Qatar,” she noted. Although most of the registrants were individual, iloveqatar.net has received many requests from companies and schools to join the clean-up. READ MORE
 
EUROPE
New edition of FAO's “State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture” released
 
ITALY – More people than ever before rely on fisheries and aquaculture for food and as a source of income, but harmful practices and poor management threaten the sector’s sustainability, says a new FAO report. According to the latest edition of FAO’s The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture, global fisheries and aquaculture production totalled 158 million tonnes in 2012 – around 10 million tonnes more than 2010. The rapid expansion of aquaculture, including the activities of small-scale farmers, is driving this growth in production. Fish farming holds tremendous promise in responding to surging demand for food which is taking place due to global population growth, the report says. At the same time, the planet's oceans – if sustainably managed – have an important role to play in providing jobs and feeding the world, according to FAO's report. READ MORE
 
LAST WORD
 
Dear All,
 
I am Dexter M. Cabahug, Jr., Mangrove Specialist  of the B+WISER Program (Biodiversity and Watersheds Improved for Stronger Economy and Ecosystem Resilience) which is funded by USAID. The B+WISER Program is the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) solicited program to the USAID by the Philippine government and being managed by CHEMONICS, a USAID contractor.
 
The Philippine government will convene scientists, academics ,researchers, policy and decision makers, congress, civil society organization (NGOs, POs), Local Government Units and international organizations to national workshop to harmonize the guidelines on the rehabilitation, development and management of mangrove and beach forests in disaster affected areas throughout the country. The workshop will be held on June 26-27, 2014 at Luxent Hotel, Quezon City.
 
We are looking for a Resource Person who has the exposures and experiences in the restoration/rehabilitation of mangrove and beach forests in tsunami affected areas in Aceh, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, Myanmar, etc. The RP can able to share the learnings the technical, social, institutional and economic perspective in the success and/or failure in the restoration/rehabilitation of mangrove and beach forest devastated by cyclone, tsunami, flooding and other natural caused disturbances due to climate changes.
 
Please send me unpublished reports or reference materials not yet circulated in web.  Please post in our e-group the profile of prospective Resource Persons.
 
Thank you
 
Dexter M. Cabahug, Jr.
Mangrove Specialist
B+WISER Program
USAID Contractor
Unit 201, 2nd Floor, CTC Building
2232 Roxas Boulevard
Pasay City, Metro Manila.
Tel Nos. +63 2 550-1012/15/16
Fax No. +63 2 552-1696
Mobile +63 916-597-1233
e-mail: dex_cabahug@yahoo.com or orissadmc@gmail.com
Mobile Phone No. 0916- 597-1233
 
 
~ WE WELCOME YOUR LETTERS – If you’d like to have the last word on this or any other mangrove related topic, please send us your submission for upcoming newsletters. We’ll choose one per issue to have “the last word”. While we can’t promise to publish everyone’s letter, we do encourage anyone to post comments on our Blog at www. mangroveactionproject.blogspot.com

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