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Thursday, May 26, 2016

MAP News Issue 391, May 28, 2016

VerticalResponse

The MAP News
391st Edition                               May 28, 2016

FEATURE STORY

Over 100 mangrove destruction cases in 4 years, but not a single conviction
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INDIA - The state mangrove cell, which was created in 2012 to stop the destruction of the vital coastal ecosystem, has only pursued seven cases against offenders even as the city’s mangrove forests continue to be destroyed through illegal land reclamation. There has not been a single conviction in the past four years though 115 cases were registered during the period According to data accessed by Hindustan Times, destruction of wetlands by dumping and encroachments accounted for 80% of the cases, with the rest related to hacking and burning of mangrove forests Mangrove cell officials said the prosecution rate was low because the culprits were unidentified “In most of the registered cases in forested areas, offences have been committed by unidentified persons. Due to the unavailability of CCTV cameras and low manpower, there is lack of evidence in most cases,’’ said a senior official from the state mangrove cell adding, “There has been no convictions yet because of delay in court proceedings wherein cases go on for years.’ Activists also pointed out there is a huge gap in the implementation of laws made to protect wetlands. Stalin Dayanand, project director, NGO Vanashakti, said, ”The system has failed miserably in penalising the destroyers of mangroves. READ MORE

ASIA

Andaman coral reef sites may close
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THAILAND - After being warned of possible coral bleaching in Thailand as a result of El Nino last year, the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources says it is prepared to cope but may be forced to close affected coral reef sites. The increasing temperatures in the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand earlier this month is a sign, said Nalinee Thongtham, the department's senior fishery biologist. She said that the influence of El Nino has resulted in increasing seawater temperatures in the eastern Pacific which have remained longer than usual. Once the temperature declines, the mass of warm water moves to the western Pacific, accompanied with high seawater temperatures in the summer season. This becomes a significant factor in stimulating the bleaching, the biologist added. This is not the first case of bleaching in Thailand. The natural occurrence took place in 1991, 1995, 2003, 2005 and 2007. However, the worst case was in 2010 where 66.9% of coral reefs in the northern part of the Andaman Sea and 39% in the southern part died from bleaching. The biologist said the recovery from 2010 is satisfactory in many areas but the department is concerned that these areas may soon be affected by new bleaching. "If it happens in a very short period, there is a smaller impact to the coral reefs, which are very sensitive. Or the impact could be immense in which case stronger action is required to limit the problem," she said. READ MORE

Wetlands for our Future: Sustainable Livelihood
INDIA - Bhitarkanika mangrove ecosystem (also a Ramsar site) is one of the most ecologically sensitive, unique mangrove forests and second largest in the country. Bhitarkanika mangrove forest is surrounded by 410 villages and more than 2.4 lakhs people of these villages area routinely struggle for their livelihood with a number of adverse factors, typical to the water logging, and soil and water salinity, the climate change induced disasters like flood, cyclones and sea level rise etc. The brackish soil does not provide more than one crops except paddy per annum, which might also been destroyed by natural calamities and wild animals. The absence of local employment opportunities along with climate change impacts and habitat destruction, are creating more demand on the Bhitrakanika mangrove resources which is under pressure, fragile and threatened. Nevertheless, degradation of Bhitarkanika mangrove ecosystem remains a matter of concern, emphasizing the fact that effective management of mangrove resources is possible only active participation of local communities. We observed that local communities in the area have positive attitudes towards mangroves, but their socio-economic conditions pressured people’s attitudes. Local communities valued those functions of mangrove forests that were directly linked to their wellbeing. READ MORE

Mangrove Conservation project kicks off in Kerala
INDIA - Apollo Tyres and Wildlife Trust of India have entered into a partnership to restore a critical mangrove project in Kerala's Kannur district. Apollo Tyres and Wildlife Trust of India announced the partnership to coincide with the International Day for Biodiversity. The Kannur Kandal project (mangrove conservation) aims at ensuring survival of existing mangroves and increase acreage of such habitats across Kannur, potentially making it a prototype for other coastal districts of Kerala and a model for the rest of the country, a release from the tyre major said. The actual site for Apollo Tyres-WTI's project will be in Kunhimangalam village in Kannur district, which is one of the largest mangrove villages of Kerala. The project will establish a hub, located in the natural ecosystem, for mangrove-based education, serving as an open air laboratory for research and promoting restoration through community and government participation. A mangrove nursery and community-based initiatives to enhance public awareness and reduce threats to mangroves are other aspects of the project. Particular efforts will be made to generate scientific interest about mangroves among the youth, the release said. READ MORE

Oil spills affecting marine, mangrove forest in Paradip
INDIA - Frequent theft of oil by vandalizing the pipeline of IOCL’s oil refinery here affecting the marine species and mangrove forest in coastal areas due to oil spill but also affected revenue generation . Though Indian Oil is losing crude oil due to such theft every month and pipelines are damaged no discernible effort has been undertaken to nab the culprits of unearth the oil theft racket which is operating successfully with the alleged connivance of certain people. Petroleum products like diesel, petrol and kerosene are being supplied from vessels to oil refinery project of IOCL. The four lane pipelines of IOCL which been stretched about 15 kms from oil berth to Oil Refinery project of IOCL is in an isolated place. On Monday, the gang involved in this lucrative illegal business made holes in a pipeline of IOCL at Kaudia River bed of Paradip area and place a valve to draw fuel. They used nearly 100 meters plastic pipes to draw the fuel. READ MORE

AMERICAS

Honduras Arrests 4 Men in Killing of Berta Cáceres, Indigenous Activist
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HONDURAS - Four men have been arrested in the murder of a Honduran environmental and indigenous rights activist whose killing two months ago prompted international condemnation, the authorities said on Monday. The activist, Berta Cáceres, led a decade-long fight to block construction of the Agua Zarca Dam along the Gualcarque River, which is sacred to her Lenca people. Despite numerous threats and the killings of other members of her organization, she was undeterred. She was awarded the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize last year, but the international acclaim was not enough to protect her. On March 3, gunmen burst into the house where she was staying in La Esperanza, her hometown, in western Honduras, and fatally shot her. The suspects were arrested in raids early Monday. Two of them are linked to the Honduran company that is building the dam, Desarrollos Energéticos S.A., or DESA. READ MORE

Collier County Digs Out Clam Pass To Stop Mangrove Die Off
U.S.A. - Collier County is dredging sand out of Clam Pass to stop mangroves from dying. The waterway is the entry point to three bays and more than 300 acres of mangroves. About eight acres of mangroves have already died. A wildlife ecologist who consulted on the project said the current die off comes from heavy rainfall in January and February. Tim Hall said water had nowhere to go because Clam Pass was congested with sand. “We had water that stacked up higher than normal and got high enough to the point where it started killing some of the mangrove trees out there,” he said. Hall said it’s possible there could be more die off later because mangroves can be slow to react. The pass has a history of closing up. Hall said it was initially dredged in 1999 after about 70 acres of mangroves died. READ MORE

EUROPE

Coldwater prawns battle for menu supremacy
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U.K. - A campaign is underway in the United Kingdom to educate chefs about the benefits of using coldwater prawns, instead of the tropical versions that have become ubiquitous on menus. There are signs that the three-year-old project is starting to score points. British consumers love prawns; they are the fourth most-consumed species of seafood eaten in the United Kingdom. However, the domestic market lacks knowledge about the product, especially the differences between warmwater and coldwater prawns. The issue is being addressed though a three-year education program for chefs, student chefs and lecturers, which is allowing them to reappraise coldwater prawns and to use them as a means to add value to dishes. The project was developed following seven years of research by the International Cold Water Prawn Forum. The research sought to determine the views of consumers and culinary experts about the features and benefits of Pandalus borealis. It established that there was an opportunity to develop a unique positioning for the species in the culinary sector. Initially supported by Greenland and Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada, the project was recently joined by Iceland and Norway. “These four countries are the major producers of coldwater prawns and their industries can see the benefits of raising awareness of the product and increasing consumption. The U.K. is the largest market for P. borealis, but there is also a growing market in China,” said program director Karen Galloway. READ MORE

OCEANA

Mangrove Ecosystems In Queensland Are Dying Just Like The Great Barrier Reef
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AUSTRALIA - Australia is still recovering from the massive coral bleaching in the Great Barrier Reef, however, its ecosystem gets another blow — the Mangrove population in Queensland is dying. Scientists are yet to establish an explanation of what could have caused it, but they are certain that the damage covers a large area. The hot climate coinciding with the dry period of Northern Australia could have triggered the widespread deaths, because there is no other major event, such as cyclone, tsunami or oil spill in the area that could have resulted in such destruction of the mangrove ecosystem, said Norm Duke, a professor from James Cook University and a spokesman for the Australian Mangrove and Saltmarsh Network (AMSN). Mangroves are crucial because they minimize the erosion of shorelines and prevent sediment from going offshore, thus, filtering the inland water before it enters the sea. Without the mangroves, coastal ecosystem like seagrass and corals could vanish as well. These mangroves also serve as fish sanctuaries. Fishermen have already reported about meager catches along with the diminishing mangrove ecosystem. READ MORE

Fraser Coast mangrove tours first in the state
AUSTRALIA - Lindsay Titmarsh has lived among the mangroves of Tandora his entire life, and is about to share his unique experience with the world. Mr Titmarsh, 68, is the first person in Queensland to be given a commercial licence to host walking tours of the mangrove forest growing on the eastern side of his property, on the banks of the Mary River east of Dundathu. "The stuff out there is just magic," Mr Titmarsh said. "You're not going to see it anywhere else. "I like walking out there and having a look and I thought others might like to look at it too." Mr Titmarsh applied for the licence in November last year through the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection. "They came out and had a look and agreed everything was alright for tours," he said. "I had to get Butchulla approval and I got that." He said the department was interested to see if the tours proved popular. Mr Titmarsh has mapped out eight different "walkabout" tours, most following tracks made by the feral pigs who live in the mangroves. The walks vary in difficulty, but those interested in joining a walk should expect to leave with their shoes and ankles caked in mud. Over the years of living and exploring the hundreds of acres of mangrove-covered land, Mr Titmarsh has built up a lifetime of knowledge of the 10 different species of mangroves and at least 25 different types of crabs living on his property. READ MORE

LAST WORD(S)

Hello everyone,
My name is Amber Blowes and I’m the new volunteer at the MAP Asia Office. I’ve been in Trang a few days now and have had a very interesting introduction to Thailand’s rainy season (getting caught in a torrential downpour twice!). I’m from Australia, however, I have been travelling for the last few months experiencing the sights, sounds and food of Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore. In February I finished my Master of International Public Health at the University of Sydney with a personal focus on snakebite in Asia. Before this I completed a Bachelor of Science in biology and science communications at the Australian National University in Canberra.
I’ll be here in Trang for a few months and I’m keen to learn more about mangroves, their restoration and the people relying on them. I look forward to working with you all and learning from this amazing experience!
Kind regards,
Amber Blowes
MAP-Asia Office Development & Field Project Assistant (Intern)
 

Dear Ms. Monica,

Greetings from BEDS! Hope this email finds you well.
According to our previous communication we have conducted fishermen children art competing as per our schedule during celebrating IDB 2016 so we would like to share few photographs and events draft report to you.
Our events news also published newspaper so we will share this published documents to you very soon.
We will send three selected children drawing by post before the deadline.
If you have needed any more information about our programme please always feel free to asking us.
Take care.
Best wishes,
Maksud

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Action Alerts:

Tell the Ex-Im Bank: Don't let Big Coal wreck mangrove forests
The U.S. Export-Import Bank is considering using US tax dollars to pay for two coal plants in Bangladesh. These projects would wreck the world’s largest mangrove forest and devastate the Bengal tigers that live there. We need your help to stop it! 

Our new short documentary, Reducing the Risk of Disaster through Nature-Based Solutions : Mangroves

The Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve’s Bioluminescent Bay is under NEW attack by our local National Park Service. WE NEED TO PROTECT THE PARK FROM THOSE WHO PRETEND TO PROTECT IT.

CALL FOR CHILDRENS ART: 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 the 2017 calendar to be distributed internationally READ MORE

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Tell Dam Builders to Pull Out of Agua Zarca Dam! For years, critics of the Agua Zarca dam project in Honduras have been targeted by a campaign of violence, intimidation and outright murder. Then, on March 2, Berta Cáceres – vocal critic of the Agua Zarca Dam, Goldman Prize winner and mother of four – was brutally murdered in her home. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH Sign out Petition

Tell Red Lobster its "Endless shrimp" deal is damaging and unfair to the workers SIGN THE PETITION
 
Mangroves: Guidebook to Malaysia – available for download here
 
Mangrove rehabilitation in Asia – Local Action and cross-border Transfer of Knowledge for the Conservation of Climate, Forests and Biodiversity VIEW VIDEOS HERE

Volunteer Opportunities with Mangrove Action Project CLICK HERE
 
STOP PLANTING MANGROVES ON SEAGRASS BEDS _ A CALL TO ACTION
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Our short presentation will give you a better understanding of the issues we are working to solve. WATCH PRESENTATION
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Join us in saving our beautiful country!
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Marvellous Mangroves Curriculum

Marvellous Mangroves Curriculum in Bangladesh - WATCH VIDEO
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Check out our presentation for more details on Marvellous Mangroves

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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.
 
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The importance of restoring mangroves in an effective, long-term manner. Mangrove CBEMR video - VIEW
Question Your Shrimp Consumer/Markets Campaign!  WATCH VIDEO

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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
 

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Learn more about the affects of the shrimp industry on mangroves by visiting our blog
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Thursday, May 12, 2016

MAP News Issue 390 - May 14, 2016

VerticalResponse

The MAP News
390th Edition                               May 14, 2016

FEATURE STORY

The Mangrove Action Project – a network of small-scale projects with a large-scale impact
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USA - This is the second in a series of blog posts about our exciting new Regeneration initiative. The Mangrove Action Project works around the world to protect and restore mangroves, some of the most important and neglected ecosystems on the planet. You can read the first blog by Catherine Bryan 'What is Regeneration and how does it build biodiversity and support communities?' from our Regeneration series. “Around the world farming, mining, industrial production and many other activities are changing landscapes at an alarming rate. Often the result is a fragmented landscape, with ‘islands’ of forest or mangroves separated by cleared and degraded areas. One way we can look to restore landscapes is to regenerate their natural biodiversity, slowly rebuilding the range of plants and wildlife that should occur naturally. By doing this we learn from evolution, a constant process that has taken place over thousands of years, that has resulted in the range of species that makes an ecosystem diverse and adaptive and unique to its location. Regeneration can often produce multiple benefits. For example, where it re-connects islands of fragmented forests the overall impact re-connects groups of the same species resulting in larger breeding groups and greater genetic diversity for those groups. By creating much larger connected areas it can often result in reduced human-wildlife conflict, as animals do not have to pass through cultivated land to reach food in different fragments of forest.” READ MORE

ASIA

Daytime cooking ban in India as heatwave claims 300 lives
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INDIA - With sizzling temperatures claiming more than 300 lives this month in India, officials have banned daytime cooking in some parts of the drought-stricken country in a bid to prevent accidental fires that have killed nearly 80 more people. The heat and the death toll are rising in India. Is this a glimpse of Earth’s future? The eastern state of Bihar this week took the unprecedented step of forbidding any cooking between 9am and 6pm, after accidental fires exacerbated by dry, hot and windy weather swept through shantytowns and thatched-roof houses in villages and killed 79 people. They included 10 children and five adults killed in a fire sparked during a Hindu prayer ceremony in Bihar’s Aurangabad district last week. People were instead told to cook to night. Hoping to prevent more fires, officials have also banned the burning of spent crops and religious fire rituals. Anyone defying the ban risks up to a year in jail. READ MORE

Thai task force raids mudflat restaurants
THAILAND - Police, soldiers and forestry officials on Tuesday raided three seafood restaurants on Samut Songkhram's Don Hoi Lod mudflats to reclaim mangrove forests. The owners of the Khun Lin, Khrae Mai and Thep Nimit restaurants admitted they had no land ownership papers and agreed to return the encroached area to the state, said Thanet Mannoi, the leader of the task force who works for the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources. Mr Thanet said the raid involving more than 100 officers was part of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources' operation to rehabilitate mangrove forests in Samut Songkhram. He said officials found three restaurants on the Doi Hon Lod mudflats in Muang district encroached on the mangroves. The three premises covered about 12 rai of state land. READ MORE

More forests to be protected
CAMBODIA - Phnon Penh - The Cambodian government would soon list five new forests with a total of about 950 000 hectares in the country's protected forest areas, officials said on Monday. Environment Minister Say Samal said the new five protected areas would be Prey Long forest in Kompong Thom, Kratie and Stung Treng provinces; Kravanh Khang Tbong forest in Koh Kong, Pursat and Kompong Speu provinces; Preah Roka forest in Preah Vihear province; Siem Pang Khang Lech forest in Stung Treng province and Veunsai forest in Stung Treng and Ratanakkiri provinces. “This clearly shows the government's efforts in protecting and preserving forests and biodiversity,” he told a national workshop on the establishment of the five new protected forests. He said that the government had worked on this plan for two-and-a-half years before deciding to register them as protected forests. READ MORE

AMERICAS

Salvadoran Communities to Coordinate Major Investment in Mangrove Conservation
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EL SALVADORE - The Fund for the Initiative of the Americas, FIAES, a leading environmental funder and conservation organization in El Salvador, announced last month it would be investing $16.6 million over the next five years in the protection of seven wetland areas and nature reserves across the country. $2.5 million of those funds are destined for conservation work in the Bay of Jiquilisco-Xirihualtique reserve in the Lower Lempa, work which will be defined and implemented by local communities. This represents a major accomplishment for EcoViva and our partners, who have been working for over twenty years to protect crucial ecosystems and improve quality of life for rural residents of the Lower Lempa. FIAES tapped local entities to coordinate these investments. In the Lower Lempa and Bay of Jiquilisco region, they designated the Mangrove Association alongside partners EcoViva and CATIE to convene other local actors and lead the design of a “Plan for Local Sustainable Development.” This participatory process will guide conservation efforts to preserve mangroves and fisheries, and improve land use throughout the Bay of Jiquilisco. READ MORE

Connecting Fish, Rivers and People
USA - The World Fish Migration Day (WFMD) is a one day global-local event to create awareness on the importance of open rivers and migratory fish. This event is celebrated for the second time. Over 1000 organizations around the globe are involved. Participating organizations will organize their own event and outreach communication under the umbrella of the World Fish Migration Day (WFMD). The WFMD partnership will take care of the central coordination, international publicity, and maintain this website. We will send regular updates on the progress and international communication to participants as well as the WFMD logo to be used for communication purposes. The WFMD 2016 is held on May 21, 2016. Organizers of local event, partners and supporters carry out their activities on this day. We would love to hear about how you will be celebrating World Fish Migration Day 2016! READ MORE

Honduran capture allegedly linked to the murder of Berta Caceres
HONDURAS - Four men allegedly linked to the murder of Honduran environmentalist Bertha Caceres were arrested for ten raids in Tegucigalpa, La Ceiba and Trujillo, Colon. They captured by the names of Douglas Geovanny Bustillo, Mariano Diaz Chavez (active member of armed forces), Sergio Ramon Orellana and Atilio Edilson Duarte Meza (ex-military). The spokesman of the Public Ministry, Yuri Mora, told AFP that four people had been arrested for their possible involvement in the murder of Caceres, without going into details. The raids conducted by the Technical Criminal Investigation Agency (Atic) and Military Police also executed in Colonia La Peña and residential Lempira Tegucigalpa, in Divanna Comayagüela colony in La Ceiba in the El Manantial. "Action is being promoted court for the crime of murder against Berta Caceres Flores and murder in their degree of execution attempt against protected witness," a statement from the Public Ministry. LEA MAS EN ESPANOL

The fascinating world of ants
BERMUDA - Bermuda has extraordinarily few ants compared to most places. This comes from scientist and ant researcher Jim Wetterer, who is on the island for the second time observing our ant population. He clarifies: “There just aren’t that many species.” He specialises in island ants, studying all over the Pacific, the Atlantic and, for the past 13 years primarily in the West Indies and has an ant named after him — the Megalomymex Wettereri, a neotropical, parasitic ant. His newest focus is the mangroves. Armed with a handy map that highlights the island’s red mangroves given to him by BAMZ’s Robbie Smith, the scientist has been collecting bags of sticks, hoping to find other undiscovered species hiding in the twigs. “The mangroves appear to be a refuge for the ants to stay away from the dominant ants,” he said. READ MORE

EDITOR’S NOTE: The "Oregon pink shrimp" are a small wild caught shrimp that is often used mixed in salads and served with a shrimp sauce. It is given the "green tag" by Monterrey Bay Aquarium and certified by MRC. Caught in mid-water by small trawlers that do NOT drag the ocean bottom destroying habitat, this shrimp fishery does not cause havoc on wild fisheries via massive by-catch and destructive gear. We need to find more such alternatives to imported farmed shrimp, also avoiding wild caught shrimp caught in destructive trawler nets. For this reason, MAP is endorsing wild-caught shrimp from N. America in our Question Your Shrimp campaign. We also urge N. American consumers to not buy imported farmed or wild caught shrimp as a general rule to avoid further expansions of these destructive industries in the Global South.
US pink shrimp fleet chooses to temporarily delay harvesting
USA - An overabundance of sub-legal sized shrimp has prompted Oregon’s pink shrimp fleet to stand down and suspend harvesting operations for the time being. The suspension, agreed to on 4 May, was prefaced by six years of record catches for the fleet. Expectations had been lowered for the current season considering this winter’s El Nino, which rose to a ‘super’ status; typically, shrimp recruitment is negatively impacted by El Nino. However, those concerns have since been eliminated, according to the Oregon Trawl Commission. Instead, it was a price dispute that delayed the start of the 2016 season for three weeks. Once the Oregon shrimping fleet hit the water following the hiatus, they began to notice a strong year class of one-year-old shrimp. “It looks like we dodged a bullet,” said Newport-based shrimp fishermen Ted Gibson, quoted in the Oregon Trawl Commission’s news release. “The last two big El Ninos in 1982-1983 and 1997-1998 really depressed the stocks, so we’re pretty happy to see that last year’s hatch survived through the winter.” READ MORE

Deforestation and the Territorial Rights of Indigenous Peoples
COLUMBIA -Secure territorial rights of indigenous peoples and traditional knowledge must be central to post-conflict initiatives to save the Colombian Amazon and achieve sustainable development. A new report “Deforestation and indigenous peoples rights in the Colombian Amazon” co-published by social justice and environmental NGO DEDISE and Forest Peoples Programme (FPP) underlines the critical role of secure land and territorial rights and traditional knowledge in sustaining one of the most culturally and biologically diverse forests on the planet.Drawing on grassroots interviews, community workshops and a review of official documents, the study assesses historical and contemporary direct and underlying causes of forest destruction and associated human rights impacts in the region. It finds that current deforestation and associated negative impacts on indigenous peoples are most rampant in Caquetá, Guaviare and Putumayo. Forest loss and rights violations in western and northern areas are driven by expansion of cattle ranching and commercial cultivation of illicit crops. According to the report, deforestation is closely linked to road construction, while mining and oil developments act as poles of colonisation leading to urbanisation, land grabbing, militarisation, conflict and human rights violations. READ MORE

EUROPE

Report provides first comprehensive assessment of world’s plants
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U.K. - A report by the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in England has come up with the first complete assessment of the plants around the world. The assessment has concluded that there are nearly 390,900 plant species science knows, excluding mosses, algae, liverworts and hornworts, out of which around projected 369,000 are flowering plants. The total number will increase. Last year solely, an additional 2.034 species were found, including a tree known as Gilbertiodendron maximum, which grows around 145 feet tall in Gabon's forests; 90 new Begonia's species; 5 new species of onion; and an plant that eats insects, in Brazil. However, the bad news is that the same report has found that 21% of such plants are endangered.Mangroves saw the most notable change, with over one fourth of their area got changed over the time period of the decade, lost mainly to shrimp farms and golf courses, though mangrove growth in other regions in parts offset the losses. Tropical and subtropical coniferous forests experienced changes of nearly 25%. READ MORE

OCEANA

The critical role of nature in climate solutions
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COOK ISLANDS - Kia Orana or Greetings. When we say Kia Orana it literally means “may you live long”. This is what we want: a healthy planet to live long. In 2015, the international community agreed to resolve climate change by mobilizing stakeholders to reduce carbon emissions, strengthen societies’ ability to deal with the impacts of climate change, and achieve climate neutrality by the end of the century. On Earth Day 2016, 175 countries signed the Paris climate agreement at a historic ceremony in New York. Immediately afterwards, 15 countries, mostly small island developing states, ratified the agreement. The world desperately needed this historic agreement. Now it’s time for the world to move it into action. Nature stands ready to help. Terrestrial ecosystems, such as tropical forests or peatlands, store three times the amount of carbon found in the atmosphere. Forest and landscape restoration and halting deforestation are integral to protecting forests’ ability to sequester carbon. Marine ecosystems are another excellent example. Ocean vegetation, including mangroves, tidal marshes, sea grasses and sea weed absorb about thirty per cent of all man-made carbon. Protecting and restoring the world’s oceans is critically important for stabilising the climate and achieving food security for the billions of people who rely on fish as their primary source of protein. READ MORE

Five Pacific islands lost to rising seas as climate change hits
SOLOMON ISLANDS - Five tiny Pacific islands have disappeared due to rising seas and erosion, a discovery thought to be the first scientific confirmation of the impact of climate change on coastlines in the Pacific, according to Australian researchers.The submerged islands were part of the Solomon Islands, an archipelago that over the last two decades has seen annual sea levels rise as much as 10mm (0.4in), according to research published in the May issue of the online journal Environmental Research Letters. The missing islands, ranging in size from 1 to 5 hectares (2.5-12.4 acres) were not inhabited by humans. But six other islands had large swaths of land washed into the sea and on two of those, entire villages were destroyed and people forced to relocate, the researchers found. READ MORE

MAP documentary screened at Muddy Mangroves Movie Fest 2016
AUSTRALIA - We at MAP were thrilled to hear that a couple of our videos including our new short documentary was chosen and screened at the Muddy Mangrove Movie-fest during The Australian Mangrove Saltmarsh Network 2016 Conference. The conference promoted communication and collaboration among professional researchers, managers, industry officers, policy makers, environmental consultants and community enthusiasts. Watch our new short documentary - Reducing the Risk of Disaster through Nature-Based Solutions : Mangroves


LAST WORD(S)
Beloved partners and friends from Ecuador and from the organizations worldwide who in this moments of absolute pain have sent their solidarity and their words of support.

Our gratitude above everything for all this mobilization of individuals and organizations who immediately extended their hands and keep them like that to help us to maintain our strength and hope.

The earthquake on April 16th mainly affects the villages all over the line coast of our canton of muisne in the province of esmeraldas. The most extremely affected areas are the parish of muisne with a population of almost 9000 inhabitants.

In the island; and the parish of Chamanga inhabited by almost 4500 people. Most of the people form this two parishes are hosted in six improvised locations which have been built and conditioned, step by step, with the cooperation we have received. People have also settled improvised camps all along the way, covered with plastic. They have managed a way to settle in this camps and feed thanks to the donations they receive. Sanitary and environmental conditions they face living outdoor make this population endure extreme vulnerability conditions. READ MORE

Ruth Cortes Castillo Farias
President at FUNDECOL
Lider Góngora Director at C-CONDEM
More info: Website: www.ccondem.org
Youtube: Manglares C-Condem Fampage
Facebook: C-Condem-Organización Comunitaria
 

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ACTION ALERTS WANTED: MAP News is looking for links to calls to actions/petitions and letter writing campaigns on mangrove issues, tropical coastal communities and other related topics. Not all submissions can be selected, but we look forward to hearing about your work and want to let our readers' voice be heard!
Email submissions to news@mangroveactionproject.org

Action Alerts:

Tell the Ex-Im Bank: Don't let Big Coal wreck mangrove forests
The U.S. Export-Import Bank is considering using US tax dollars to pay for two coal plants in Bangladesh. These projects would wreck the world’s largest mangrove forest and devastate the Bengal tigers that live there. We need your help to stop it! 

Our new short documentary, Reducing the Risk of Disaster through Nature-Based Solutions : Mangroves

The Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve’s Bioluminescent Bay is under NEW attack by our local National Park Service. WE NEED TO PROTECT THE PARK FROM THOSE WHO PRETEND TO PROTECT IT.

CALL FOR CHILDRENS ART: 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 the 2017 calendar to be distributed internationally READ MORE

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Tell Dam Builders to Pull Out of Agua Zarca Dam! For years, critics of the Agua Zarca dam project in Honduras have been targeted by a campaign of violence, intimidation and outright murder. Then, on March 2, Berta Cáceres – vocal critic of the Agua Zarca Dam, Goldman Prize winner and mother of four – was brutally murdered in her home. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH Sign out Petition

Tell Red Lobster its "Endless shrimp" deal is damaging and unfair to the workers SIGN THE PETITION
 
Mangroves: Guidebook to Malaysia – available for download here
 
Mangrove rehabilitation in Asia – Local Action and cross-border Transfer of Knowledge for the Conservation of Climate, Forests and Biodiversity VIEW VIDEOS HERE

Volunteer Opportunities with Mangrove Action Project CLICK HERE
 
STOP PLANTING MANGROVES ON SEAGRASS BEDS _ A CALL TO ACTION
Want to learn more about mangroves?
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Our short presentation will give you a better understanding of the issues we are working to solve. WATCH PRESENTATION
What is CBEMR? Easy to follow fact sheet – CLICK HERE

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
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
 

Marvellous Mangroves Curriculum

Marvellous Mangroves Curriculum in Bangladesh - WATCH VIDEO
MARVELLOUS MANGROVES IN BRAZIL
En Portuges

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Marvellous Mangroves – A Curriculum-Based Teachers Guide.


FOR MORE ON MAPs AWARD WINNING CHINA MANGROVE CURRICULUM VISIT
Education in the Mangroves - China
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
 

FREE MAP Mangrove e-cards CLICK HERE
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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

Donate to MAP via Paypal
Giving could never be easier
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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 CBEMR video - VIEW
Question Your Shrimp Consumer/Markets Campaign!  WATCH VIDEO

Mangrove Restoration in Asia – Watch Short Video

Mosaic of Life 
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
 

"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

Information sheds clear light on shrimp-mangrove connection
Question Your Shrimp
SEE DETAILS MANGROVE/SHRIMP
 

Join MAP on Facebook

Sign the Consumer's Pledge to avoid imported shrimp

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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
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MAP News Issue 593, March 9, 2024

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