MAP News Issue 356 - January 24, 2015

The MAP News 356th Edition                                January 24, 2015
FEATURE STORY Honey hit in Coringa mangroves INDIA - The indiscriminate use of pesticide in its adjacent farmlands has taken a toll on the honey production in the Coringa mangroves. Coringa, located near to Kakinada, is considered to be the second largest mangrove in India after the Sundarbans in West Bengal. Bhitarkanika in Odisha is in third place when it comes to the size. Spread in an extent of 333 square kilometres, the Coringa mangrove has been the home for a wide range of flora and fauna. The honey production in Coringa is much lesser when compared to that of the Sundarbans and the Bhitarkanika. Moreover, the production has been on the decline year after year, which has prompted the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation to work on the casuarina plantation in Coringa to improve its density. “Unlike Sundarbans and Bhitarkanika, agriculture fields are located very close to the Coringa. As the honey bees are known for their relentless travel, they happen to get affected by the pesticides being used by the farmers. As a result, there has been a visible drop in the honey production,” R. Ramasubramaniyan, senior scientist from the foundation told The Hindu .  READ MORE   AFRICA   Shell Will Pay Over $84 Million to Nigerians Whose Community it Destroyed NIGERIA -Royal Dutch Shell has finally agreed to an $84 million settlement with residents of the Bodo community in the Niger Delta for two oil spills that occurred six years ago. Lawyers for 15,600 Nigerian fishermen say their clients will receive $3,300 each for losses caused by the spills. The remaining $30 million will be left for the community, which law firm Leigh Day says was “devastated by the two massive oil spills in 2008 and 2009.” Interestingly, the settlement avoids Shell having to defend a potentially embarrassing London high court case, which had been scheduled to start shortly. These were among the biggest spills in decades of oil exploration in Nigeria, and thousands of hectares of mangrove were affected in the southern Ogoniland region. READ MORE   ASIA   Sundarbans Oil Spill: An Urgent Wake Up Call for the Bangladeshi Government BANGLADESH - Another day, another calamity wrought by the fossil fuels industry. The latest? Over 75,000 gallons of oil spilled out of a downed tanker and into the Sundarban Delta straddling Bangladesh and India. A UNESCO-protected world heritage site, the Sundarbans are the world's largest tidal mangrove forest, and, as home to hundreds of endangered Bengal tigers and riverine Irrawaddy and Ganges dolphins, it is one of the most bio-diverse places on Earth. Transporting tens of thousands of gallons of oil through one of the most fragile and magnificent ecosystems on Earth -- what could go wrong? It seems that no one at the Padma Oil Company bothered to ask. In the absence of any concerted government clean-up effort, the post-atrocity game plan, so far, has desperate, unprotected, and ill-equipped villagers sponging, spooning, and netting oil out of the water. READ MORE   Editor’s Note­­ ‑ This is a rather disturbing news post in that our efforts to reduce shrimp consumption in the EU and Europe may be offset by China's increasing appetite for the world's shrimp. This can lead to a shortage of shrimp destined for the EU and N. America, thus catalyzing an expansion of shrimp production to feed both China and the other shrimp importing nations. And the indebtedness of so many nations to China's loans is also giving China big economic bargaining power! Ecuador shrimp firms road show in Beijing ECUADOR - Ecuadorian seafood companies were in China last week courting new buyers in a new push for the China market, which could squeeze western buyers out of Ecuadorian supply lines. A trade fair in a Beijing hotel on 7 January facilitated one-on-one meetings between 30 Ecuadoran companies and Chinese counterparts, according to the Ecuador embassy in Beijing and the China Aquatic Products Processing & Marketing Association (CAPPMA), a trade body. The companies were selling refrigerated fish and prawns as well as tuna and fish oil and fishmeal, according to an introduction to the conference provided in Mandarin to Chinese buyers. With exports of shrimp to China up by a massive 104 percent year-on-year in the first four months of 2014 (according to data from Ecuador’s trade office in China) the companies travelled to Beijing in a trade delegation with Ecuador President Rafael Correa — a visit with an added urgency given the country’s export revenues are suffering from falling prices for oil, a key export. READ MORE   Belitung boosts tourism with mangroves INDONESIA - The Forestry Office of Bangka Belitung Province is developing 500 hectares of mangrove forests on Belitung Island to conserve the areas and boost ecotourism. “This year, we are developing the mangrove forest areas in Selat Nasik, Pengantungan, and Tanjung Pandan,” Nazarliyus, the head of the forestry office, said in Pangkalpinang recently. He said the mangrove forests on Belitung Island are still not affected by offshore lead mining and encroachment activities. “We are managing the mangrove forests and building the facilities, so that visitors can enjoy the beauty of the island,” Nazarliyus said as quoted by Antara news agency. According to him, the mangrove forest areas in Belitung are still well-conserved, as the administration has formulated policies to protect its biodiversity potential. READ MORE   Fishermen Power Regenerates Mangroves INDIA – With gale wind and tidal inundation threatening their very existence, fishermen communities on the shoreline of Chilika lagoon have taken to regenerating mangrove plantations which faced a wipe-out in the last decade and a half. So far, over 40 hectare of mangrove in Puri’s Arakhakuda village, lying between the Bay of Bengal and the brackish water lagoon, have been re-introduced. While mangroves act as a bio-shield from natural calamities, Phailin was almost devastated last of the coastal plantations two years back, leaving the shoreline habitations exposed to nature’s vagaries. Under Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project (ICZMP), the Government made a move to persuade villagers, mostly fisherfolks, to go for mangrove regeneration. The villagers played an active role in identification of the sites where the plantations were taken up. Importantly, locations outside forest areas were chosen for the exercise. READ MORE   Fencing to protect mangroves from garbage INDIA - The mangrove cell has stepped in to save mangroves of Lokhandwala-Oshiwara area after it was found that the garbage from the dumping of waste in an area owned by the civic body appeared to be spilling over into the surrounding mangroves. The cell has asked the civic ward to construct fencing around their operational area and clean the mangroves at the earliest. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) operates a two-acre ‘refuse transfer station’ area near the Versova lagoon surrounded by mangroves. At a refuse transfer station, garbage from nearby areas are brought in by smaller garbage vehicles and get transferred to the bigger vehicles that take the garbage to the dumping grounds. Following complaints, members of the mangrove cell visited the area and observed that garbage from the area went into the mangroves due to wind, affecting the mangroves. READ MORE   MAP’s Marvellous Mangroves in Bangladesh BANGLADESH - Culminating one of the busiest years ever, MAP’s Marvellous Mangroves curriculum straddled the year break and began 2105 in the amazing Sundarbans forest of Bangladesh. A quick recap of 2014 shows Education Director Martin Keeley visiting Kenya early on where initial work has started on translating into Swahili and adapting Marvellous Mangroves for schools in that country. Later in January he visited Freeport, Bahamas, where students and teachers enjoyed a two-­‐day workshop. The summer started with a joint workshop held in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, with co-sponsors Blue Forests. Founder Ben Brown organised the translation and adaptation of Marvellous Mangroves for use in Indonesia, and it was launched at a 3-day teachers’ workshop at PPLH Puntondo, Takala, South Sulawesi with 30 teachers attending as well as a surprise afternoon visit from 15 schoolchildren (grades 5‑7). READ MORE AMERICAS   Charting the plastic waters USA - The “Great Pacific Garbage Patch” lies off the coast of California. But it is not the only place where a system of rotating ocean currents, known as gyres, concentrate floating material, particularly plastic detritus dumped into the sea or washed out from rivers. There is an awful lot of it: at least 268,940 tonnes, a new report estimates. And there may well be even more, mostly invisible to the eye, because the patches of rubbish appear to work like giant shredders, breaking plastic items down into tiny pieces which are then widely dispersed through the world’s oceans with potentially devastating consequences for wildlife. Marcus Eriksen, of the Five Gyres Institute in Los Angeles, worked with an international team of colleagues to build an oceanographic model of floating debris to estimate the amount of plastic in the sea. READ MORE See out last word below   Latest version of the NOAA oil in mangroves released The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has recently released its newest publication intended to assist those who work in spill response and planning in regions where mangrove ecosystems are an important part of the coastline. By understanding the basic of the ecology of these forests and learning from past oil spills in mangroves, we can better plan for, protect, and respond to spills that may threaten them. Mangroves often border coastlines where coral reefs live offshore, and these two ecosystems are closely linked. Mangroves filter and trap excess sediment that could harm coral, and coral reefs protect shorelines where mangroves grow from excessive wave energy. Both habitats can be adversely impacted by oil spills, and spill responders must often consider tradeoffs between land-based and offshore resources during a response. VIEW DOCUMENT   Environmentalists to protest mangrove trimming USA - The Sierra Club and other environmentalists protested outside the Palma Sola Bay Club condo development still under construction in the 3400 block of Bradenton's 77th Street West. Andy Mele, chairman of the Sierra Club's Sarasota Conservation Committee, said he hopes to get 20 to 30 people at the 4 p.m. demonstration to “shame the developers for killing mangroves on their property.” Terri Wonder, a former County Commission candidate, ManaSota-88 representative Barbara Hines and others complained to the Manatee County Planning Commission on Thursday that illegal cutting of mangroves occurred at the development's conservation easement on Palma Sola Bay. They asked the advisory panel not to proceed with the developer's request to add an observation deck at the bay in the vicinity of those mangroves. READ MORE   OCEANA   Australian Mangrove & Saltmarsh Network Conference AUSTRALIA - The University of Wollongong is proud to host the 1st Australian Mangrove and Saltmarsh Network Conference (AMSN). With a theme of ‘Working with Mangrove and Saltmarsh for Sustainable Outcomes’, the conference will build upon the momentum established at the Australian Mangrove Society Meeting held in Townsville last year. This year’s symposium to be held February 23 – 25, 2015. For registration and program details please CLICK HERE LAST WORD(S) Editor’s note – this email was received along with the link to the article “Charting the plastic waters” above. Hi Alfredo, I tell people to Question Their Shrimp!  I am a co author of the study (Charting the plastic waters) on plastic in the oceans. They used our data among others.  I think the estimate is way low. I’ll be speaking at the University of Puget Sound on March 3 and showing our month long trip to the garbage patch this summer where I found an actual island of plastic that I walked on and mapped.   Ciao,   Charles Moore cmoore@algalita.org BACK TO TOP Not yet a subscriber? Click here to subscribe. Please cut and paste these news alerts/ action alerts on to your own lists and contacts. Help us spread the word and further generate letters of concern, as this can make a big difference in helping to halt a wrongdoing or encourage correct action.	Action Alerts: WORLD WETLANDS DAY FEB 2, 2015 – MORE HERE The Mekong River means life: stop the Don Sahong Dam SIGN THE PETITION The importance of mangroves to people: A call to action CLICK HERE UK National Contact Point final statement on a complaint against a UK company developing plans for coal mining in Bangladesh CLICK HERE                       MARVELLOUS MANGROVES IN BRAZIL En Portuges   Shrimp is the most consumed seafood in America, but how much do we really know about the shrimp we’re eating? Click here to call on the President’s task force to support seafood traceability and other strong measures to fight IUU fishing and seafood fraud – the task force is running out of time so act now! FREE MAP Mangrove e-cards CLICK HERE MAP’s e-Cards offer you a unique way to spread the word about MAP’s good works, while sharing beautiful photographs of the mangroves Information sheds clear light on shrimp-mangrove connection SEE DETAILS MANGROVE/SHRIMP CALLING FOR MANGROVE ART SUBMISSIONS! A fun and exciting Art Contest for children 6 to 16 years old. We invite all primary school children from tropical and sub-tropical nations, and whose schools are located near mangroves, to create art telling us “why mangroves are important to my community and me?”. Selected winners will be published in a 2016 calendar to be distributed internationally to raise awareness of mangrove forest ecology.  READ MORE SHARE MAP'S VISION  CLICK HERE to watch short introductory video. Together we can work "at the roots of the sea".  Join us in saving our beautiful country! We hope you have been following the ongoing battle in Bimini, Bahamas. We are in need of your help more than ever Click here   Exclusive Interview with Alfredo Quarto, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Mangrove Action Project - See more    MAP VOLUNTEERS NEEDED IN THAILAND VIEW REQUIREMENTS Order your 2015 Calendar 1-20 calendars, $12 each plus shipping 21-49 calendars, $10 ea plus shipping 50-100 calendars, $8 each plus shipping. Over 100 $7 each plus shipping Save the Sundarbans from Rampal power plant – View Sample Letter to Minister Sign the Petition   Question Your Shrimp- Don't Buy or Sell Imported Tropical Shrimp! Sign the Petition Donate to MAP via Paypal Giving could never be easier It’s the action, not the fruit of the action, that's important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there'll be any fruit. But that doesn't mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result.   —Mahatma Gandhi Green Planet Fundraising Assists MAP – LEARN MORE MANGROVE ISSUES  View MAP’s uploaded Videos at MAPmangrover’sChannel The importance of restoring mangroves in an effective, long-term manner. Mangrove video - VIEW Please view our new video for our Question Your Shrimp Consumer/Markets Campaign! It is now on our website under the Question Your Shrimp section heading. WATCH VIDEO Mangrove Restoration in Asia – Watch Short Video   READ A MOSAIC OF LIFE” Peek into the underwater world of mangroves, "womb of the sea." By Liz Cunningham Photos By Wes Matweyew and Liz Cunningham   Marvellous Mangroves Marvellous Mangroves – A Curriculum-Based Teachers Guide. FOR MORE ON MAPs AWARD WINNING CHINA MANGROVE CURRICULUM VISIT VIMEO SHOW VISIT OUR "MM" WEBPAGE Check out our presentation for more details on Marvellous Mangroves “Education In The Mangroves" can now be seen on the  PhotoPhilanthropy website here! Read this 10 page history of the development of MAP’s educational curriculum VIEW DOCUMENT   Article in Canada's Green Teacher Magazine - Read More "Question Your Shrimp" Campaign Learn more about the affects of the shrimp industry on mangroves by visiting our blog Editor’s Note: Mangrove Action Project’s Executive Director, Alfredo Quarto was interviewed about shrimp by Green Acre Radio’s Martha Baskin LISTEN TO INTERVIEW Join MAP on Facebook Sign the Consumer's Pledge to avoid imported shrimp Not yet a MAP News subscriber? Click here to subscribe. Mangrove Action Project Note to Our Readers: We strive to keep active links in our newsletter. However, due to circumstances beyond our control, occasionally links to stories may become broken. If you find a link to a story is not functioning, please cut and paste the headline into your browser search bar. In most cases you should be able to locate the original story. Help Mangrove Action Project through your recycled E-Waste.  List of Accepted E-waste Items: Injet Cartidges, Cell Phones, Pagers, GPS, Radar Detectors, Mobile Hot Spots, Calculators, eBook Readers, iPods/MP3 players, Digital/Video Cameras/Camcorders, PDAs, iPads/Tablets/Laptops, Video Game Consoles, Handheld Video Games Visit the Mangrove Action Project recycle website Click on the recycle button then click on the Download Shipping Label, and follow the instructions.
Mangrove Action Project Click here to view past newsletters