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The MAP News
525th Edition July 24, 2021 |
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FEATURED STORY THE INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE CONSERVATION OF THE MANGROVE ECOSYSTEM
 GLOBAL - The ‘International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem’, celebrated each year on the 26th July, aims to raise awareness of the importance of mangrove ecosystems and to promote solutions for their sustainable management and conservation. Mangrove forests are essential and productive ecosystems that provide numerous goods and services to the marine environment and local communities. These important habitats that are one of the last hunting grounds of the Bengal tiger and a refuge for countless migratory birds, mammals, and insects. This historic day commemorates Greenpeace activist Hayhow Daniel Nanoto, who died of a heart attack on the 26th July 1998 during a massive protest to re-establish the mangrove wetlands in Muisne, Ecuador. The local community of Muisne joined forces with NGOs and the Greenpeace crew of its flagship Rainbow Warrior to dismantle an illegal shrimp pond in an attempt to restore this damaged zone back to its former state as a mangrove forest. Since Hayhow’s death, Mangrove Action Project (MAP) joined FUNDECOL of Ecuador in commemorating this date as Mangrove Action Day. As of 2015, 26th July was declared the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem by UNESCO, also known as World Mangrove Day. “The 26th July is the day that we, communities and organizations working in defense of the mangroves, joined for the first time as little ‘Davids’ confronting a big ‘Goliath’ – the shrimp industry. That is what we must celebrate, but please, do not forget Nanoto who left his life in the mangroves of Muisne,” said Veronica of FUNDECOL, Ecuador. READ MORE AFRICA ‘Help us protect the Ankobrah mangrove forests’ – Assemblyman appeals  GHANA - The Assemblyman of the Ankobrah Electoral Area in the Western Region, Mr Isaac Morkeh Codjoe, has appealed for assistance to protect the mangrove habitats around the Ankobrah River from being destroyed for firewood and construction. Mangroves are a group of tropical trees or shrubs that grow in dense thickets or forests along tidal estuaries with exposed roots that serve as a buffer between marine and terrestrial communities by protecting shorelines from damaging winds, waves, and floods. In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) Mr Codjoe said although other conservation groups had intervened through education and awareness creation, the problem still persisted and getting out of hand. “The Assembly and other groups have tried to protect the mangrove forests around the Akobrah River for so many years, but things are not the same now. People are cutting down the trees to sell for firewood and for construction,” he said. READ MORE Kenya’s huge railway project is causing environmental damage.  KENYA – Kenya is constructing a railway line that connects the coastal port of Mombasa and the interior of the country. It is expected to terminate at Malaba, a town on the border with Uganda, and link up with other railways that are being built in East Africa. Although the actual land area affected by the railway itself is small, parts of it are raised and it cuts through a wide range of the country’s ecologically fragile and important ecosystems. Participants in our study identified that the railway line had an impact on soil, water and air contamination, during construction and operation of the line. During construction, soil was compacted and excavated. It was also moved from one location to another to erect embankments. This has many effects on the environment. Community Forest Association officials (around the coastal mangrove forests in Mombasa) observed that sediment, eroded from the rail embankments, affected streams and plants. “Not only did it affect mangroves seed development and self-germination but also blocked streams and reduced the stream size’, they said. READ MORE AMERICAS Mangrove forest project gets boost from Aspen donation  BERMUDA - An environmental drive to create a coastal red mangrove forest on Trunk Island has been boosted by a $125,000 donation from Aspen Bermuda. Aspen will give $25,000 a year over five years to support the Bermuda Zoological Society project on the Harrington Sound island and will contribute to its educational Living Classroom programme. Colin Brown, BZS president, said: “Thanks to the generous donation from Aspen Bermuda Limited, the BZS has an opportunity to create a new red mangrove habitat on Trunk Island. “The habitat will give our education team new opportunities to teach science in exciting ways and will permit substantive and sustained educational experiences for thousands of students as they move through the Bermuda school systems.” READ MORE World’s largest seagrass project proves ‘You can actually restore the oceans’  USA – Karen McGlathery, an environmental sciences professor at the University of Virginia, is part of a team running the largest seagrass restoration project in the world in these coastal bays — and one of the most successful. The two-decade-long project is a “blueprint for restoring and maintaining healthy ecosystems,” according to a 2020 research paper, and proof that marine habitats can be brought back to life in a way that’s self-sustaining. Over the last 20 years, supported by an army of volunteers, the project team has sown nearly 75 million seeds. Around 9,000 acres of coastal bays are now blanketed with eelgrass, which has improved water quality, increased marine biodiversity and helped mitigate climate change by capturing and storing carbon. The project, says Unsworth, “is demonstrating to the world that you can actually restore the oceans.” While plenty of projects have restored coastal habitats such as mangroves and salt marshes, he adds, few have been able to restore the ecosystems that lie beneath the surface of the water. “It’s quite fundamental what they achieved.” READ MORE ASIA Genome of salt-secreting mangrove species decoded by DBT  INDIA - Scientists have reported for the first time a reference-grade whole genome sequence of a highly salt-tolerant and salt-secreting true-mangrove species, avicennia marina, the Department of Biotechnology said. The genomic resources generated will pave the way for researchers to study the potential of the identified genes for developing drought and salinity tolerant varieties of important crop species of the coastal region that is significant for India with 7,500 kilometres of coastline and two major island systems, it added. Mangroves are a unique group of species found in marshy intertidal estuarine regions and survive a high degree of salinity through several adaptive mechanisms. They are a critical resource for the coastal region and are of great ecological and economic value. READ MORE Datinakhali village battles climate crisis  BANGLADESH - Datinakhali rests on the edge of the Bangladeshi Sundarbans in the town of Shyamnagar, Satkhira. The small village is a gateway towards the great Sundarbans — one of the most beautiful places on earth, but the families eking out a living in its waters are buffeted by one problem after another. Being on the frontline of the climate crisis, rising sea levels and erosion due to the hungry storm surges claim more and more land each year in Datinakhali. Salt infiltrates the drinking water and imbues the vegetables with a sharp tang. There was no one in this village whose houses and properties didn’t wash away in the cyclones like Aila and Amphan in the past decade. Around Datinakhali, the aquaculture industry dominates the landscape, surrounded by an earthen patchwork of shrimp ponds and soft-shell crab farms. Livestock, goats and chicken-common in almost every household in rural Bangladesh is also a rare sight here. The smell of crab and fish waste permeates the hot and humid air as children run barefoot through the barren area just alongside the river. READ MORE Mangroves, a crown jewel of Singapore’s coastline  SINGAPORE - Hundreds of millions of people in coastal communities across the tropics depend on mangrove forests for fisheries, fuel wood, medicines and coastal protection. The huge importance of mangroves is commemorated every year on Jul 26, with the United Nations’ International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem. There is much to celebrate: Mangrove forests were previously considered one of the most threatened habitats on the planet, but international efforts have turned this habitat into an emerging conservation success story. READ MORE Goa’s mangroves have unique food and medicine, need management  INDIA - Mangroves are popular as fish nurseries and nature’s defence systems. In Goa, they are a perfect setting for celebrations, crocodile worship and boat festivals even as their potential for honey, vegetables and medicinal benefits need to be explored. Making a case for comprehensive mapping of mangroves and identifying their importance in various aspects with other activists, Fr Bolmax Pereira, a botanist and priest, suggested conservation status for the Kandella candel as a state mangrove species. The submission at the recently held public hearing for the draft coastal zone plan (CZMP) was prepared by a team led by him and supervised by Goa Foundation. “Kandella candel species has discontinuous distribution along the Indian coast, but is found abundantly in Goa’s estuaries of Zuari, Mandovi and Cumbarjua,” Pereira said. READ MORE Our Coast: Guarding Mangroves  CHINA – In 1990, the National Shankou Mangrove Ecological Nature Reserve was established in Shankou Town, Beihai City, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Mo Jirui, who grew up in this mangrove forest, is the most senior forest ranger on the premises. Many of the trees and shrubs in the reserve have been planted by Mo, who is also an expert on the conservation techniques of different mangrove species. At the age of 66, he continues his work, guarding the mangrove forest he so much cherishes. China's coastline stretches over 18,000 kilometers and is home to abundant marine life, such as Bryde's whales, Chinese white dolphins and sea turtles. READ MORE Minister’s visit to set the ball rolling for mangrove research centre in Kochi  INDIA – Fisheries Minister Saji Cherian visited the Puthuvype Fisheries Station to assess the facilities at the station before considering a proposal for setting up a world-class centre for mangrove research and development there. The fisheries station, under the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (Kufos), is spread over 50 acres and is home to a large collection of mangrove plants. The station is being considered as the venue for establishing a centre for research and is home to several local varieties of brackish water fishes and crabs as well as water birds that include migratory birds. A proposal had been submitted to convert the station into a world-class research centre following suggestions from a national conclave of fisheries and ocean scientists in Kochi in May, 2019. READ MORE OCEANA A closer look at plans for Australia’s largest prawn farm  AUSTRALIA - As Project Sea Dragon comes one step closer to lift-off, The Fish Site assesses the potential impacts – both positive and negative – that it’s likely to have on the social, economic and environmental fabric of two remote regions of Australia. Seafarms Group Limited’s newest aquaculture endeavour, Project Sea Dragon, is set to become Australia’s largest tiger prawn farming operation and one of the world’s largest prawn farms. The facility is projected to produce 150,000 tonnes of tiger prawns (Penaeus monodon) per annum when fully operational — approximately half of which will be exported overseas. Despite the move affording the project relative regulatory freedoms, the Legune coastal floodplain is a site identified by the Northern Territory Government as one of conservation significance, due to its high concentration of waterbird and shorebird species. In the wet season, the water from the catchment is flushed into the estuarine receiving environment, and this run-off transports freshwater, sediment loads and detritus that have built up during the dry season and contain nutrients that are deposited downstream. However, according to the EIA, an assessment of the area found that the project would not result in a significant impact to the “nationally important” aggregations of waterbirds or other threatened and migratory species. READ MORE
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MANGROVE ACTION DAY IS JULY 26, 2021
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Partnering with mangrove forest communities, grassroots NGOs, researchers and local governments to conserve and restore mangrove forests and related coastal ecosystems, while promoting community-based, sustainable management of coastal resources.
Thursday, July 22, 2021
MAP News Issue #525 - July 24, 2021
Saturday, July 10, 2021
MAP News Issue 524 - July 10, 2021
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The MAP News
524th Edition July10, 2021 |
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FEATURED STORY Mangrove Photography Awards: Highlighting valuable ecosystems
 GLOBAL - Did you know that mangroves are among the most undervalued ecosystems on the planet? They help to reduce rising global temperatures, prevent food shortages and protect the world’s biodiversity. They are still considered by many as unimportant wastelands, but your images have the power to tell a very different story. Mangrove Action Project has launched its 7th annual Mangrove Photography Awards to illustrate the importance and diversity of life in our mangrove forests, engage audiences in mangrove issues and stories, whilst inspiring people to take conservation action. The awards offer a chance for photographers, both amateur and professional, to raise their voices for the protection of one of our most critical and undervalued ecosystems. Last year’s awards gave us a fascinating insight into the world of mangroves from all corners of the earth. Jaguars in mangroves, dancing trees, grinning crocodiles, pink waterscapes, and flamingos reclaiming a lost habitat were some of the intriguing images from last year’s awards with over a thousand entries from nearly 70 countries. Last year’s judge Cristina Mittermeier said, “Through impactful imagery and visual storytelling, we can rally people to action, sparking empathy and connection to our natural world.” READ MORE GLOBAL7th annual Mangrove Photography Awards under way
AFRICA The worrying degradation of mangrove ecosystems in Port-Gentil  GABON - The degradation of mangrove ecosystems in Port-Gentil, the oil capital of Gabon, remains a concern. The report of the inspection missions carried out in this city by experts from the non-governmental organisation (NGO) Healthy Growth Environment, reports advanced degradation and pollution of mangrove ecosystems as well as the ancestral tombs of the Orungu people of Port-Gentil. After identifying the causes and consequences of this degradation on living and non-living organisms, Croissance saine environnement, through its president Nicaise Moulombi, presented the report of the Port-Gentil missions to Lee White, the Gabonese Minister of Water, Forests, the Sea and the Environment, in charge of the Climate Plan and the Land Use Plan. “The presentation of the results of our studies to the Minister of the Environment comes at a time when our country has just concluded the activities deployed for the celebration of the national week of the environment and especially at a time when President Ali Bongo Ondimba has just reaffirmed his commitment to the decade of ecosystem restoration launched by the United Nations,” explains Nicaise Moulombi. READ MORE Overexploitation of mangroves threatening coastal ecosystems  The Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr Kwabena Henry Kokofu, has noted with concern that the overexploitation of mangroves for fuelwood and settlement development along coastal communities in the country is rapidly altering the habitat and reducing the resilience of coastal ecosystem. For him, due to the rapid destruction of mangroves, coastal ecosystem can no longer provide environmental services, including erosion control and habitat for spawning and nursery of juvenile fishes. He explained that anthropogenic activities such as illicit dumping of solid and liquid waste, reclamation of wetlands for development projects, shoreline erosion as well as climate change have all contributed to the degradation of coastal resources. “…these happenings in our coastal environment are of great concern and it is important we all contribute to ensuring that the coastal and marine resources are sustainably managed,” he said. READ MORE "Lab Mangrove" Helps Identification of New Bacteria  SAUDI ARABIA - A pioneering cultivation strategy that recreates a mangrove environment in the lab has enabled identification of novel bacteria residing in Red Sea mangroves and will help improve understanding of mangrove ecosystem stability, resilience and sustainability Mangroves are highly productive, dominant coastal ecosystems that line between 60-70 percent of the world’s tropical and subtropical coastlines. They harbor diverse microbial communities thought to make up 80 percent of the ecosystem’s biomass. Many of the microbial species, families and taxa are unknown to science. The cultivation strategy was developed by a team of KAUST researchers, including Fatmah Sefrji and Ramona Marasco. “Red Sea mangroves are particularly interesting because they represent an extreme and unique version of mangrove environments that are exposed to stressful conditions, including high temperatures, salinity and oligotrophy,” says Sefrji. “These environmental stresses exert a strong selective force on the mangrove’s microbial communities and so favor the presence of unique species and families.” READ MORE AMERICAS Protecting and restoring the world's mangrove forests  USA - With the International Day of Forests 2021 already a fading memory, perhaps it's time to forget them for another year and shift our attention to the next worthy cause. Well, no. If anything, we need to be redoubling our efforts to ensure that they remain permanently in the spotlight, not least the most neglected, threatened and undervalued forest type of all. Mangroves have never really had their day in the sun, despite their crucial importance as coastguards, climate allies and wildlife havens. Fauna & Flora International (FFI) views mangrove protection and restoration as an integral part of our global efforts to reverse biodiversity loss and combat climate change, twin challenges that are inextricably linked. Across our project portfolio, we are striving to redress the balance, working with in-country partners to ensure that mangroves receive the attention they deserve. READ MORE Florida's Mangroves Aren't Recovering After Hurricane Irma  USA - In 2017, Hurricane Irma struck Florida and devastated the area. The category 5 hurricane caused serious damage to the region's mangrove forests. Now, a paper published in Nature Communications spotlights the impact on the forests after the hurricane. The East Carolina University study, in partnership with NASA and Florida International University, brings yet more urgency to the requirement to take care of the natural ecosystems along our coastlines and brings lessons for coastal communities in what not to do. It spotlights the importance of future storm planning and resilience building along our coasts. It is common for mangroves to suffer damage after a major hurricane. A huge area—as big as 24,000 football fields—died back completely after Hurricane Irma. However, researchers found mangrove forests in Florida has neither rebounded as successfully nor shown as much resilience as it has in the past. Coastal communities are amongst the most vulnerable globally to the effects of our climate crisis. Rising sea levels, flooding, and more regular extreme weather events all threaten lives and livelihoods along our coasts. Coastal wetlands like mangrove forests have a crucial mitigating effect on coastal threats. READ MORE ASIA Once Offering Protection From Disasters, Pichavaram Mangrove Forests Face New Threats  INDIA - Pichavaram is home to 14 mangrove species. While locals in the area believe the forest will never decrease in size the mangroves face threats on multiple fronts. According to the SDG INDIA report released recently by the NITI Aayog, in 2019 the area under mangroves in Tamil Nadu increased by 4.26%, but in 2020 it has decreased drastically to 8.16%. Recent studies conducted in the forests have found that the 2004-tsunami, decreasing freshwater and increasing pollutants inflow, have all resulted in the modification of the geochemistry of the region — all factors detrimental to the forests. They also indicate that even though the forest cover in Pichavaram is increasing, the average tree crown size has reduced, suggesting alterations in species succession and plant growth capability. The prevalence of only salt-tolerant species of mangroves was also noted, which indicates a decrease in species richness. Frequent and intense cyclones, a consequence of climate change, are also a threat to the mangrove forest cover. READ MORE Synergies to be reaped as Singapore and Indonesia set sights on becoming carbon trading hubs  SINGAPORE - Singapore and Indonesia have expressed ambitions of becoming hubs for the growing carbon credit trade, but both marketplaces could be synergistic instead of competitive, said Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA) chairman Simon Tay on recently. While more details will be needed to flesh out the announcements made by both countries, Associate Professor Tay said he was taking an optimistic approach to looking at the situation. Indonesia, with its bounty of carbon-rich peatland and mangrove areas, is a major source of these credits, he said, during a virtual dialogue on the haze outlook for this year. But Singapore could also contribute in other ways, added Prof Tay, such as in the verification of carbon credits. The Republic's established financial hub status will also allow it to offer other services associated with the trade in carbon, such as the creation of a secondary market for carbon credits, he added. READ MORE State violence suppresses opposition to Chinese coal plant in Bangladesh  BANGLADESH - Mohammad Harun once owned a small plot of land on the Bay of Bengal coast, about 60 km south of Chattogram, the second-largest city in Bangladesh. He used it as a salt pan until it was acquired in 2015 to build a coal-fired power plant financed by China under its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). In return, Harun says he was promised a job at the plant. That promise, he says, has not yet been kept. Meanwhile the SS Power One plant, one of 15 coal power plants planned in Bangladesh under the BRI, is being built. Harun’s story is repeated by his neighbours in Paschim Gandamara, a village in Banshkhali sub-district of Chattogram district. Most of the residents who have lost their homes and homesteads are smallholder farmers, fishers, or salt pan owners and workers. But Harun is scared to protest. The authorities have been clamping down hard on dissent. The police have registered cases against thousands of residents and workers building the plant. READ MORE EUROPE New guide helps forest producers develop bankable business plans  ITALY - A new guide published by FAO aims to help small forest producers and their organizations to access private investment and finance for sustainable forest-based businesses. “Investment in sustainable forest business can address climate change, biodiversity loss and poverty, which is positive for people and the planet,” said FAO Forestry Officer and co-author Marco Boscolo. “However, small producers, medium-sized enterprises and communities often struggle to develop bankable projects to access the private finance they need to get their businesses off the ground.” The new publication, Developing bankable business plans: A learning guide for forest producers and their organizations, offers a framework for forest producers to think through, organize and develop a convincing investment proposal. “By helping forest producers as individuals and as collectives to create business plans that reflect their economic and financial potential based on clear and realistic assumptions, they can participate more effectively in forest value chains, access finance to further develop their businesses, and build sustainable livelihoods for themselves and their families,” said Boscolo. READ MORE OCEANA Gulf of Carpentaria the 'poor cousin' of Great Barrier Reef in climate change action AUSTRALIA - While attention has focused on the Great Barrier Reef this week, scientists warn Gulf of Carpentaria mangroves are also being devastated by the effects of climate change.he World Heritage Committee, which sits under UNESCO, has proposed moving the Great Barrier Reef to the 'in danger' list because of the impact of climate change. Mangrove ecologist Norman Duke from James Cook University (JCU) said while mangroves did not carry the same classifications as the reef, the climate change impacts were comparable. JCU researchers studying the Queensland Gulf region found more than 7,500 hectares of mangrove dieback since 2015. "Weather conditions were not only enough to heat up the water and bleach the Great Barrier Reef, but it also has meant significant changes for mangroves," Dr Duke said. "In this case, the mangroves have died from a lack of water and rain, but the events are synchronous, and that's the point." READ MORE VIDEO FEATURE Papua's sacred forest for women only  INDONESIA - In Papua, Indonesia, there is a mangrove forest that only women are allowed to enter. It’s a special place where generations of women have gathered clams and shared stories. If men are found inside the forest, they are fined. BBC Indonesia’s all-female crew was granted permission to enter. WATCH VIDEO
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MANGROVE ACTION DAY IS JULY 26, 2021
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3 February 2021 Contact: Dinara Perera @ 923-9000 or Martin Keeley @ 526-5072 Exploring the Central Mangroves with the Mangrove Rangers. P...
