The MAP News |
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FEATURE STORY
Marvellous Mangroves – In-depth Ecotourism
USA - During the past two decades there has been a steady growth in mangrove ecotourism as more and more people people discover the hidden beauties of the world’s mangrove forests. As selected parts of the Marvellous Mangroves curriculum have been used to supplement the knowledge of the guides, the concerted focus of the October mangrove tourism workshops held this year in Suriname have added a new dimension to the tour guide training process. MAP Education Director Martin Keeley joined forces with the United Tour Guides Association of Suriname (UTGS) and the Foundation for Development of Radio and TV in Suriname (SORTS) to hold two workshops. The first 3-day workshop was held in Coronie, home of the amazing Mangrove Education Centre, and the second in New Amsterdam, Commewijne, on the opposite side of the Suriname River to Paramaribo. In 2016 UTGS directors led by Errol Gezius and Yves Tjon, together with Sherida Mormon of the NGO Advice For Innovation & Business Creation (ABIC) took part in a teacher/student MM workshop in Coronie as well as a one-day introductory tour guide mangrove workshop led by Martin Keeley. This began the drive towards a second series of workshops in July, 2017, which are part of the training of young eco-tour guides in the Coronie region of Suriname. READ MORE AFRICA Indigenous communities urge governments to support their biodiversity conservation initiatives KENYA - Indigenous communities’ own conservation practices are vital to biodiversity conservation, said two new reports launched by communities in Kenya and Ghana. These are part of a series of reports from 12 countries by the Global Forest Coalition’s Community Conservation Resilience Initiative (CCRI), which strives to influence policy-makers about indigenous/local communities’ role in protecting biodiversity, showing the threats they face, and pushing for greater policy support for their efforts. In Kenya, the Maasai peoples and the Rendille peoples, both pastoralist communities have lived in harmony with wildlife and conserved the forests through customary laws and values. For instance, in Kenya’s Nyekweri Kimintet Forest, which borders the famous Maasai Mara National Park, community members have given up their private land to form the 6000 acre Nyekweri Forest Kimintet Trust, to conserve this key elephant breeding site and prevent land being converted for other uses. In Ghana, all three communities are part of the Ewe ethnic group, which conserves nature through sacred groves and sites, taboos, totems, observations and practices. These help to safeguard critical ecosystems and endemic species, helping to halt deforestation outside forest reserves. However, community members in both countries have also identified serious threats to their territories and conservation efforts. For example in Ghana, extractive industries were identified as a major problem. Community members from Avuto, which is the only home to the threatened Sitatunga (an amphibious antelope species) described how their territory has been opened up to oil and gas extraction by multinational companies.READ MORE ASIA Mangroves still dying at Iloilo River PHILIPPINES - Mangroves, aged 10 to 20 years, are continuously dying at a government esplanade project here despite assurances of different agencies that they will protect the trees. Marine scientist and mangrove specialist Jurgenne Primavera lamented the “gradual but wholesale killing of mangroves” along the Iloilo River. She said mangrove patches were being destroyed as materials dredged from the river were dumped into these areas, covering the mangroves’ roots. The opening of the culverts were blocked by debris, preventing tidal flow to the mangroves, Primavera said. The culverts are being built as part of the Iloilo River Esplanade project, which consists of a series of lateral parks put up on both sides of the river from Carpenter’s Bridge in Molo District to Barangay Nabitasan in La Paz District. When completed, the P488-million esplanade will stretch 7.5 kilometers, with a width of 5 meters. The completed sections of the lateral park have become a tourist destination and popular recreation area for residents and tourists. But environmentalists have appealed to government agencies to prioritize the protection of the environment over development projects. READ MORE Activists concerned over destruction of mangroves in non-forest land INDIA - Even as 2017’s Forest Survey of India (FSI) report revealed that Maharashtra’s mangrove cover increased by 82 sq km, activists have raised concerns over the destruction of mangroves in areas that are not under the jurisdiction of the forest department. “While the efforts of the Mangrove Cell in conserving mangroves are worth mentioning, the report does not mention if the increase is in forest land or other private land. If the report mentions separate figures for both, we will get a clear picture. The destruction will never happen in forest land, due to strict laws and continuous monitoring. It is mostly happening in revenue land,” said Harish Pandey, who has been fighting for the protection of mangroves in the Dahisar belt. Debi Goenka, executive trustee of the Conservation Action Trust (CAT), agreed. “According to the October 2005 High Court order, all government land should be notified as protected and handed over to the forest department, but it has still not been done so far. Land with different government agencies such as CIDCO, MMRDA, and so on, have still not been handed over as there are different proposals for them. The forest department has also not been active in demanding it back,” he said. READ MORE AMERICAS Mangroves protect coastlines, store carbon – and are expanding with climate change USA - With the help of technology, humans can traverse virtually every part of our planet’s surface. But animals and plants are less mobile. Most species can only live in zones where temperature and rain fall within specific ranges. As regions become warmer due to climate change, plants and animals in those areas will either move to more appropriate climates or be replaced by newcomers who are well-suited to the new conditions. These changes are already occurring. For example, many plants, animals and birds in the Northern Hemisphere have shifted their ranges northward.Working with other ecologists in the shadow of the huge launch complex at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center, we have found that mangroves have increased in abundance by 70 percent in just seven years over an area of 220 square miles (567 square kilometers). This is a dramatic change in the plant community along this stretch of the Atlantic coast. Unlike many other impacts of climate change, we expect these shifting ranges to produce some benefits, including increased carbon storage and storm surge protection. READ MORE In the rush for landscape restoration goals, let’s not forget about biodiversity USA - The global momentum for restoration has never been greater. With ambitious targets like the Bonn Challenge, New York Declaration and those set by the Convention on Biological Diversity, plus billions of dollars invested annually, countries all over the world are rapidly moving forward with Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) initiatives as a way to address ecosystem conservation, sustainable development and climate goals. But even with forest ecosystems as a central focus for restoration in many countries, biodiversity has not received adequate attention in plans and action to meet global targets, according to a group of experts who took part in a forum on biodiversity and FLR held in Foz do Iguazu, Brazil, convened by the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) CEM Thematic Group. During a full day of discussions, participants representing some of the most active organizations in landscape restoration science and practice agreed that there is a clear need to expand the decision space for FLR to include a wider range of ecosystem components in the evaluation of restoration needs. They noted that several national policies, associated incentives and monitoring actions that aim to meet restoration targets do not always favor biodiversity-friendly outcomes. READ MORE Study shows wetlands provide landscape-scale reduction in nitrogen pollution USA - In agricultural regions such as the U.S. Midwest, excess nitrate from crop fertilizer makes its way into rivers and streams through subsurface drainage channels and agricultural ditches. High nitrate concentrations in waterways can be harmful to ecosystems and human health, contaminating drinking water and eventually flowing downstream far enough to increase the size of the Gulf of Mexico's "dead zone.” A study published today in the journal Nature Geoscience by National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded researchers offers new insights into this problem: Multiple wetlands, or "wetland complexes" in a watershed, are extremely effective at reducing nitrate levels in rivers and streams. Wetland complexes can be five times better at reducing nitrate than the best land-based nitrogen mitigation strategies, the scientists say."Agricultural productivity benefits the economy, but is often accompanied by environmental costs," says Tom Torgersen, director of NSF's Water, Sustainability and Climate program, which funded the research. "This study demonstrates that retaining or restoring wetlands in intensively managed agricultural watersheds would reduce nitrate in rivers and improve local water quality, while also reducing nitrate exports to the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic [dead] zone.” READ MORE OCEANA Mangrove bill sidesteps Resource Management Act NEW ZEALAND - A local bill currently open for public submissions would give Thames-Coromandel and Hauraki districts the ability to remove mangroves without resource consent. The proposed Mangrove Management Bill, brought before Parliament by National’s MP for Coromandel, Scott Simpson, would allow the two councils to develop and implement a mangrove management plan. There have been past cases where exemptions to the Resource Management Act (RMA) processes have been made. These have been for disaster recovery efforts, such as the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Act. Unlike the proposed Bill, these acts have had a narrow purpose. At the Bill’s first reading Simpson said the topic of mangroves had created angst and heartache within the community. Some residents see mangroves as impeding the recreational use of the harbour, while others see mangroves as important for ecology. READ MORE LAST WORD Dear Alfredo, We would like to thank you again for being a panelist for the "Coastal Infrastructure, Extreme Weather Events, Green Infrastructure and Blue Carbon" session of the World Ocean Council’s 5th “Sustainable Ocean Summit” (SOS 2017) in Halifax. The SOS 2017 wouldn't have been possible without your participation, presentation, and expertise. Thanks to your involvement, the SOS 2017 was a solid success. The event brought together over 225 ocean leaders from across the ocean industry sectors and stakeholder communities from around the world, with 28 nationalities represented. We hope the presentations, panels and discussions sparked by the different SOS sessions were valuable for you. We also hope that the SOS increased your understanding of the important, unique role of WOC in bringing together the diverse ocean business community (and other stakeholders) to focus on the challenges and opportunities of ocean sustainable development. With this in mind, we hope that you will let your peers and colleagues know about the important mission and efforts of the WOC and the unique role and value of the SOS in bringing the ocean business community and stakeholders together. We warmly invite you to participate in the 6th Sustainable Ocean Summit (Hong Kong, 14-16 November 2018), which is already shaping up to raise the bar further on international business leadership and collaboration for ocean sustainable development. Best regards, Paul Holthus, Christine Valentin, World Ocean Council |
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Friday, February 16, 2018
MAP News Issue 436 - February 17, 2018
Marvellous Mangroves – In-depth Ecotourism
Marvellous Mangroves – In-depth Ecotourism
February 2018
Tour guides Yves Tjon (left) and Errol Gezius from the United Tour Guides Association of Suriname (UTGS) with trainee tour guides on the banks of the Suriname River with a field trip from an in-depth Marvellous Mangroves training program.
During the past two decades there has been a steady growth in mangrove ecotourism as more and more people people discover the hidden beauties of the world’s mangrove forests. As selected parts of the Marvellous Mangroves curriculum have been used to supplement the knowledge of the guides, the concerted focus of the October mangrove tourism workshops held this year in Suriname have added a new dimension to the tour guide training process.
MAP Education Director Martin Keeley joined forces with the United Tour Guides Association of Suriname (UTGS) and the Foundation for Development of Radio and TV in Suriname (SORTS) to hold two workshops. The first 3-day workshop was held in Coronie, home of the amazing Mangrove Education Centre, and the second in New Amsterdam, Commewijne, on the opposite side of the Suriname River to Paramaribo.
In 2016 UTGS directors led by Errol Gezius and Yves Tjon, together with Sherida Mormon of the NGO Advice For Innovation & Business Creation (ABIC) took part in a teacher/student MM workshop in Coronie as well as a one-day introductory tour guide mangrove workshop led by Martin Keeley. This began the drive towards a second series of workshops in July, 2017, which are part of the training of young eco-tour guides in the Coronie region of Suriname.
The October workshops, funded by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Suriname, expanded to integrate the concepts of tourism- a basic “how to” for the young guides – with a more in-depth series of Marvellous Mangroves activities. The latter part of these workshops involved the use of four microscopes donated this year to the Education Centre by MAP, as well as intense field trips.
Since then the young “trainee” tour guides have led several mangrove eco-tours in the Coronie region. All have been greeted with enthusiasm from the tourists themselves who got an in-depth leaning experience about mangrove ecosystems in the region as
Trainee mangrove eco-our guides at Coronie, Suriname, bird watching – a great blue heron!
well as their relationship with the community which relies on them for such things as fishing and honey production.
Meanwhile, back in the Cayman Islands some 13 years ago, Cayman Sea Elements (CSE) was formed to create interactive tours that focused on the mangroves, providing an adventure where guests could experience this ecosystem and at the same time, learn about their important functions. “We didn’t want to experience mundane or average tours, and we don’t think our guests should either,” explains CSE founder Marnie Laing, who also taught Marvellous Mangroves in Cayman’s schools for many years. “At Sea Elements we had twenty years of experience in Cayman which allowed us to provide our guests with premier tours that combined experience of watersports operation management, teaching marine education, and promoting the distinctiveness of Cayman creates a unique product.”
“Don Foster is a well known and loved guide of the tour,” Ms. Laing continued. “Don has always been involved in watersports in the Cayman Islands - he is one of the pioneers in the dive industry on the islands. Don was also The Cayman Islands Marine Conservation Board Chairman for many years and worked on developing The Caymans Islands Marine Parks System.” She adds that the mangrove eco tours provides an authentic Cayman experience that encourages the small group experience, high safety standards, and environmentally sustainable practices and tours.
“Our responsibility is to be advocates for treading softly on this earth, to promote and support a healthy, active lifestyle that is full of adventure, and to be an involved member of our community.”
Ms. Laing points out that Sea Elements’ mission combines play, education, exploration, ecology, and culture. Mangrove eco tourism gives people an extraordinary opportunity to discover these dramatic ecosystems while creating a
greater appreciation of the importance of the mangrove community and why it’s vital to take steps to preserve what is left. Interactive tours allow an exploration and observation of orange sponges, sea squirts, and anemones that cover the mangrove roots, the secretive seahorse which is even visible from a kayak, and see the beauty under the mangrove canopy.
Victor Serpulveda (left) runs a mangrove eco-tour guide service exploring mangroves on San Andres Island, Colombia, while his associate, ValVal Davis, takes MAP’s education director, Martin Keeley, explores those mangroves via a kaya expedition.
Fishermen from La Boquilla village in mainland Colombia, take tourists from nearby Cartagena hotels on a mangrove boat trip close by their village. The fishermen find it a lucrative way to supplement their income from fishing.
The kayak excursion includes a lesson with an experienced guide followed by play time on the water as the guide takes guests across a harbor of calm waters to the mangrove forest. The basics of mangrove ecology are explained and explored while paddling and getting a great vantage point to see local birds, baby fish, starfish, and tree-climbing iguanas.
Marvellous Mangroves has also triggered and supported mangrove ecotourism in countries as far afield as Brazil, Cartagena and San Andres, Colombia, Bangladesh and China.
Some six years ago, on San Andres Island in the Caribbean, Victor Serpulveda and ValVal Davis, took MAP’s Martin Keeley on a guided kayak tour of that islands’ mangrove forests. The difference being that Victor has introduced transparent acrylic kayaks so that you feel like you are part of the mangrove root ecosystem because there’s nothing between you and the undersea mangrove-scape. And you don’t even get wet!
Across the Caribbean in Cartagena, on mainland Colombia, the fishermen of La Boquilla village close-by the city have formed two mangrove tour guiding companies, Los Arriberos and Ecotours Boquilla, which successfully supplement their income from fish! Leaders and teachers of the village attended Marvellous Mangroves workshops started by MAP and local NGO Eco-Progresso ten years ago where they received – and continue to receive - detailed information about the eco-system to demonstrate to their tourists.
Chinese tourists exploring the mangroves in Shenzhen mangrove park, China (left) and greeting the tour bus at the Coronie Mangrove Education Centre, Suriname, prior to their tour of that town’s mangroves.
Left: Tourist kids check out the wonderful underwater world of mangroves in the Cayman Islands. Right: what they see!
In many parts of the world mangrove education in the field usually comprises a boardwalk, a poster or two and a couple of explanatory signs. That is not enough if an in-depth understanding of mangrove ecosystems is to be fully understood. In Shenzhen, PRC, for example, the Shenzhen Mangrove Foundation 9SMF0 has taken over operation of two city parks with mangroves and uses many of the techniques learned from Marvellous Mangroves teachers and employees workshops three and four years ago. SMF continues to run both Marvellous Mangroves workshops and training sessions.
The Chinese Mangrove Conservation Network (CMCN) based in Xiamen has also been following the Marvellous Mangroves method of introducing mangrove ecology to tourists. These include CMCN-led visits to Crocodile Island from the coastal city of Xiamen focus on all aspects of mangrove ecology – running the gambit from bird species identification to the studying the species of insects found on the fascinating island. CMCN trainee tour guides have also participated in extensive Marvellous Mangroves workshops in that city starting in 2011 and continuing over the past several years.
Several other countries are planning on introducing the in-depth Marvellous Mangroves eco-tour guide training….watch this space for me details…
Mangrove Myths & Legends
donated to Cayman schools
The second edition of Marvellous Mangroves Myths & Legends is hot off the press and already selling out fast. Writer Martin Keeley has donated copies for use in every Year 5 classroom in Cayman schools.
Ms. Cathy Childs, CI National Trust Education Director is giving the books to each Year 5 teacher when she conducts
the Marvellous Mangroves education program in each of the schools this year = sponsored by CUC.
Mr. Keeley reports that a French translation of the book is already underway and will be launched this spring. He plans to take copies when his visits French Guyana during his Spring break.
The books can be ordered on Amazon at Pegasus Book Search or from: http://pisgahpress.com/
For more details about Marvellous Mangroves contact:
Martin A. Keeley Global Education Director Mangrove Action Project
17, Beach Drive Cayman Brac KY2-2200
Cayman Islands
Tel: (345) 948-0319 Cell: (345) 526-5072
mangroveteacher@yahoo.com http://mangroveactionproject.org/mangrove_curriculum/
Saturday, February 3, 2018
Remembering World Wetlands Day - Feb 2
World Wetlands Day 2018
Thursday, February 1, 2018
MAP News Issue 435 - Feb 3, 2018
The MAP News |
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FEATURE STORY
Mangrove Restoration Beginning to Bear Fruit
EL SALVADOR - Sometimes, progress means helping nature do what it does best. This seems to be the case for a once-barren 200-acre piece of land surrounded by lush mangrove forests in El Salvador. The most extensive remaining mangrove forest in Central America is located in the Bay of Jiquilisco in the Lower Lempa region of El Salvador. At 632 square kilometers, the Bay of Jiquilisco is El Salvador’s largest wetlands complex and protected area, designated as both a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.sh, a nesting habitat for birds, and a breeding ground for sea turtles. Unfortunately, El Salvador has lost 60% of its mangrove coverage since 1950 and continues to lose mangroves at a rate of 681 hectares (just under 7 square kilometers) each year (MARN 2014). Climate change, deforestation, pollution, large-scale agricultural development, and over-exploitation of natural resources continue to threaten this critical resource. This loss threatens the livelihoods and safety of the communities and wildlife that depend on the health of this ecosystem for their survival. READ MORE World Wetlands Day is celebrated internationally each year on 2 February. It marks the anniversary of the signing of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention) in Ramsar, Iran, on 2 February 1971. World Wetlands Day was first celebrated in 1997. Since then government agencies, non-government organisations and community groups have celebrated World Wetlands Day by undertaking actions to raise public awareness of wetland values and benefits and promote the conservation and wise use of wetlands. These activities include seminars, nature walks, festivals, announcement of new Ramsar sites, newspaper articles, radio interviews and wetland rehabilitation. READ MORE
AFRICA Fishermen turn mangrove protectors, successfully farm crabs in estuaries UAE - Cruising the Arabian Sea’s azure waters fringed by green mangroves on the 121km-long coastline beginning with the coastal village of Vijaydurg to Shiroda in Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra, one can see fishing nets supported by long bamboo poles amid the mangroves. The nets and poles stand testimony to crab farming, the local fisher folks’ newfound livelihood. Rapid development has put enormous pressure on coastal ecosystems, leading to degradation and destruction. Mangroves are no exception. Till recently, mangroves were considered to be of no economic importance; they were uprooted or felled and used as fuel wood But that is changing, thanks to the growing awareness about the importance of kharpit, as mangroves are known locally among the coastal communities. Government and development institutions have been broadening awareness by introducing crab farming in mangroves. READ MORE UAE mangroves the largest in the Gulf, study finds UAE - After decades of conservation, the mangroves in the UAE have grown to become the largest in the Arabian Gulf coast, according to a new study. Analysis of satellite images acquired from the King Abdul-Aziz City for Science and Technology recently published in Environmental Monitoring and Assessment show that the UAE is now home to nearly 50 per cent of all mangroves in the region. Moreover, the mangrove coverage in the Emirates has nearly doubled. “Plantation and rehabilitation projects, primarily in Abu Dhabi, have played an important role in preserving and increasing mangroves throughout the years,” Dr Hanan Almahasheer, assistant biology professor at the Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University in Damman wrote in an article published in January called Spatial coverage of mangrove communities in the Arabian Gulf. It read: “Where they used to cover 40 square kilometres along the UAE coastlines on the Arabian Gulf and one site on the Gulf of Oman coast, at Khor Kalba, now they are extensively found along UAE coastlines with about 79 square kilometres, comprising 48 per cent of the overall mangroves in the region.” READ MORE Liberia Wetlands Under Grave Threat LIBERIA - Often ignored by policymakers and wittingly or unwittingly subjected to abuse by the public at large, wetlands are under grave threat of degradation by Liberians and foreign residents alike. The threat to wetlands is posed mainly by discarded waste, over hunting and fishing as well as the harvesting of wood fuel particularly in coastal mangroves. Such waste, including but not limited to plastic bags, medical waste, human feces and dirty or used fuel, threatens marine species in the various wetlands. Environmentalists and other concerned stakeholders have consistently called for urgent and practical action aimed at protecting wetlands from abuse. But such concerns have often gone unheeded by authorities responsible for environmental conservation and protection. Reports from urban areas with coastal mangroves such as Robertsport, Monrovia, Buchanan, Marshall, say wood harvested from mangroves are highly prized by local people for drying fish. There are also reports of the use of dynamite to kill fish. Even marine turtles and crocodiles are said to be under threat from poaching activities. READ MORE ASIA Mega developments set to transform a tranquil Cambodian bay CAMBODIA - Sim Him has organized the planting of more than 200,000 mangrove trees in Cambodia’s Trapeang Sangke estuary. The surrounding ecosystem, which feeds thousands of families, is thriving. But the nearby construction of a ferry terminal and a luxury resort are upsetting the estuary’s equilibrium, and development projects continue west along the coastline from there.Dotted along a 25-kilometer (15.5-mile) coastal strip, no less than six large-scale developments present a direct threat to healthy mangrove forests and the fishing communities they support. Aside from being a nursery for sealife and a barrier to erosion, mangroves are also one of the planet’s most effective carbon neutralizers, capable of capturing and storing it for millennia. The ferry terminal, being built with an $18 million loan from the Asian Development Bank, aims to bring passengers from nearby Thai and Vietnamese resort islands — upward of 360,000 of them a year, starting in 2019. An environmental assessment conducted in 2014 found that the terminal could harm mangrove forests and would destroy seagrass meadows. Earlier this month, an Asian Development Bank officer reported that a revised environmental management plan would be published in the first quarter of 2018. The project was approved by the Cambodian Ministry of Economy and Finance and has been well publicized. The remainder of the projects, however, have been less transparent. READ MORE On behalf of the dying and dead iloilo river mangroves PHILIPPINES - What irony that while mangroves are being nurtured back to life in Nabitasan, Leganes, Iloilo, the gradual but wholesale killing of mangroves by drowning with water and/or dumped sediments continues along the Iloilo River despite feedback, even outrage, from media, civil society, other concerned citizens, and even the DA Secretary. All these lead to the conclusion that the objective at the very start (of DPWH and local city government officials) was to remove and replace the mangroves with commercial development. That is, profits over environmental concerns (climate change, protective greenbelts) and human needs (fisheries, flood regulation). If we want Ilonggos and other visitors to enjoy the mangroves, all we need is a 2-meter boardwalk (that allows free-flowing water) to walk on, and NOT a 5-m wide solid earthen dike. But we need the wide, solid dike if want to drive cars and put up shops along the Iloilo River. READ MORE Myanmar to plant protective mangrove forest along southern coast against natural disasters MYANMAR - Myanmar is planning to plant a mangrove forest along the Gulf of Mottma in the southern coast of the country, aimed at protecting people from natural disasters, the official Global New Light of Myanmar reported Sunday. A field survey is being conducted by the Yangon Region Fishery Department on growing more than 27,700 acres (11,218 hectares) of mangroves in five coastal township areas of Thanlyin, Kyauktan, Kayan, Thonegwa and Kunchangone. The department will choose the coverage area for the protected forest under the management of the regional government which will pay compensation and provide land substitutes to local farmers, U Tun Win Myint, head of the department was quoted as saying.Meanwhile, the township administration has prohibited land reclamation, land digging and tree cutting in the chosen areas. READ MORE Environmentalist Afroz Shah's Book Inspires State Mangrove Cell Top Clean Up Dahisar Mangroves INDIA - The state is taking a leaf out of environmentalist Afroz Shah's book to save the mangrove forests of the city. Inspired by Shah's clean-up drives at Versova beach, the state mangroves cell has started its own operation to clear out all the plastic that is choking the mangrove forests at Gorai as well as Dahisar. Workers have managed to collect three tonnes of garbage daily for the past two weeks, but officials warn that this is still not enough. The mangroves cell has deployed 30 workers to cleanse the mangroves — 20 at Dahisar, and 10 at Gorai. In the past two weeks, they have picked up over 25 tonnes of litter from both spots. Range Forest Officer Prashant Deshmukh said, "Every day, we collect two to three tonnes of plastic waste that's carried into the mangroves by the tides. The BMC has promised us that it will lift the litter that we have collected." Thanks to clean-up marshals posted at various spots along the Gorai shoreline, it is not as far gone as Dahisar, where massive quantities of waste wash up at the mangroves every day. A lot of the waste comes from the sea, or even from nullahs and creeks in slum pockets, where residents throw their garbage into the water, as there is no garbage collection system in place there. READ MORE AMERICAS MAP Co-founder Presents at World Ocean Conference- Sustainable Ocean Summit-2017 CANADA - The 2017 Sustainable Ocean Summit – the fifth international, cross-sectoral ocean industry conference on “Corporate Ocean Responsibility” brought together senior representatives from a diverse range of ocean industries around the theme of “The Ocean Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 14): Business Leadership and Business Opportunities”. The SOS 2017 theme recognizes: The growth of the Ocean Economy and its contribution to food, energy, transport, communications and other needs of society as part of the U.N. SDG process/Agenda 2030. The role of the Ocean Business Community over the next 15 years, and beyond, in ensuring ocean sustainable development. This conference has attracted those interested in industry leadership and collaboration to address ocean sustainability, science and stewardship. Around 250 representatives from shipping, oil and gas, fisheries, aquaculture, ports, mining, finance, renewable offshore energy, tourism, marine technology and other industries, as well as representatives from other key ocean stakeholders attended. READ MORE OCEANA Mangroves necessary to protect against flooding NEW ZEALAND - Flooding in Miranda during the January 5 storm would have been much worse without mangroves, an expert says. Professor of environmental studies Gordon Maxwell has studied mangroves for 50 years. He has been supporting Miranda farmers whose pasture was destroyed after being inundated by seawater during the storm, which also flooded homes in Kaiaua and the Thames Coast. The damage would have been much worse without mangroves, which provided a sustainable buffer that anchored the mud and were a natural protector of stop banks, he said. "Our mangrove is actually very good because a lot of the root system is not seen and it holds the sediment. It's doing it here in the stop banks." Maxwell lives in Hikutaia, near Paeroa, and travels to Hong Kong and Thailand for several months of the year to help with the Thailand mangrove restoration project. The importance of mangroves was understood in those countries, where mangroves were being replanted to protect against typhoons, he said. axwell has concerns about the Thames–Coromandel District Council and Hauraki District Council Mangrove Management Bill, which aims to allow the councils to maintain acceptable levels of mangrove vegetation in order to restore, protect or enhance the amenity values and/or ecosystems of the coastal area. READ MORE GLOBAL MAP's 18th Annual Calendar competition open to all schools WORLDWIDE - We invite all school children aged 6 -16 years from tropical and sub-tropical nations, to create art telling us “why mangroves are important to my community and me?” Selected winners will be published in the 2019 calendar to be distributed internationally to raise awareness of mangrove forest ecology. This colorful calendar has increased in popularity since its first publication in 2002. The 2019 calendar is our 18th edition. We would like to invite children from your country to join in this fantastic creative and educational competition. It is an opportunity for the younger generation to learn about the vital role Mangroves play in the lives of coastal communities and marine life around the world whilst letting them explore their imagination and have fun when creating their pieces of art. This contest aims to promote appreciation and awareness of mangrove forests and communities, while encouraging and listening to creative voices of children living in mangrove regions. JOIN THE CONTEST |
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