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Friday, November 21, 2014

MAP News Issue 352, November 22, 2014

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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.

The MAP News
352nd Edition                                November 22, 2014

FEATURED STORY

Help Marvellous Mangroves continue Sustainable Learning
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CAYMAN ISLANDS – MAP is calling for donors to support teachers around the globe. For every $100 donated a teacher will be able to attend the Marvellous Mangroves three-day teachers’ workshop and provide them with a copy of the 300-page Marvellous Mangroves - adapted and translated for their own country. Support will go directly to helping the world’s children from these tropical lands not only learn all about Marvellous Mangroves, but will also give them a basic understanding of scientific methodology and ecology. In addition, they get to learn research methods as a precursor to a science-based university education. For more information and a short video about the program CLICK HERE
 
ASIA

Editor's Note:
 
From November 6-9, MAP executive director Alfredo Quarto participated in a special symposium called "Turning the Tide on Mangrove Loss", organized by the Zoological Society of London. http://www.zsl.org/science/whats-on/turning-the-tide-on-mangrove-loss. Quarto gave a half hour presentation on the two decades of work MAP has done on behalf of the world's mangroves, which can soon be viewed on MAP's website.
 
After the symposium, members of the gathering who are part of the MSG joined together for two days to strategize on how best to proceed to conserve and restore the threatened mangroves. Quarto's proposal to carry out a global assessment of recent attempts at mangrove restoration was approved for further development, and it was agreed by the MSG members that this was a timely and much needed initiative. The MSG group also put forth the following declaration for the World Parks Congress meeting in Sydney, which is meant to influence future policy decisions on mangrove related issues:

Rehabilitating Mangroves in the Philippines
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PHILIPPINES – ZSL started its mangrove rehabilitation work in 2007 through the Community-based Mangrove Rehabilitation Project (CMRP), with the aim of increasing coastal protection, food resources and diversifying livelihood options. This was achieved through empowering local communities to protect remaining mangrove forests and developing science-based methods for communities to rehabilitate lost forest sites. Over a four year period, close to 100,000 mangroves were planted, with the rehabilitation of 107.8 hectares of mangrove forest well underway. This project resulted in manuals that provide detailed biological and socioeconomic guidance on community-based mangrove rehabilitation and on fishpond reversion to mangroves. In the Philippines, most mangrove forests were lost due to the creation of fishponds for commercial fish and shrimp farming. Often these fishponds are then left abandoned and by law, this should mean they are returned to the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources for reversion. Unfortunately this rarely happens. ZSL has been working to have these Fishpond Lease Agreements (FLAs) cancelled and new healthy mangrove forests to be cultivated at these abandoned pond sites. READ MORE
Read the related story under the EUROPE category in this newsletter
 
Govt, Environmentalists Discuss Marine Protection Area
MYANMAR - Flora and Fauna International (FFI) said it held a meeting recently with representatives of several government ministries and the Tenasserim Division government to discuss plans for the creation of a Marine Protected Area in Mergui Archipelago, located off the coast of southern Burma. The two-day workshop, “discussed the biodiversity values of the Myeik [Mergui] Archipelago for Myanmar and the Andaman Sea, new research data from ongoing scientific assessments, key sites for marine conservation, and threats facing the ecosystems and fishing industry,” FFI said in a press release. Discussions also focused on how a Marine Protected Area can be a management tool for sustaining coastal fisheries resources. READ MORE
 
Which will win? Sundarban or harmful projects?
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BANGLADESH – Recently, Bangladesh hosted a three day international conference on tiger conservation in Dhaka. Delegates from 13 tiger range countries attended the conference that began on September 14. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in her inaugural speech, stated that her “government will do everything for conservation of the tigers.” These words sound rhetorical and absurd since the government has also been planning several projects threatening the Sundarban's survival, the main habitat of tigers in the region. People in general and independent experts, particularly from Bangladesh, have been expressing their concern and protest against these projects in many ways. Many research papers and investigative articles have specified the problems. Big local and national demonstrations, including 6 day Dhaka Sundarban long march, raised people's voices, artists have written songs and plays about the Sundarban. READ MORE
 
AMERICAS
 
ASPA calls for stricter shrimp labeling
USA - In the wake of Oceana’s U.S. shrimp-mislabeling study, in which the group found up to 30 percent of samples inaccurately labeled, members of the American Shrimp Processors Association (ASPA) are calling for further measures to ensure product integrity and quality. “We are encouraged that the problem does not seem to be at the producer/processor level. But the report does provide clear evidence that we need to expand our education, awareness and marketing efforts at the institutional and retail level,” said David Veal, Ph.D., executive director of ASPA. ASPA members represent the majority of domestic production of warm-water shrimp from the Gulf and South Atlantic waters. “While we have not yet been able to evaluate the quality of the science in the report, on the face of it, we are appalled by the numbers,” added Veal. “It is in our best interest for all shrimp to be represented properly. We actively encourage consumers — whether they are individuals, chefs, restaurants or retail buyers — to question the origin of their shrimp.” READ MORE
 
Antibiotics found in 'antibiotic-free' seafood headed for Arizona.
USA - Wild shrimp and farmed tilapia, trout, salmon and even farmed salmon marketed as antibiotic-free tested for detectable levels of antibiotics, a recent ASU study shows. Trace amounts of antibiotics have shown up in seafood that would have landed on grocery-store shelves in Arizona and California, according to an Arizona State University study published in Journal of Hazardous Materials. Wild shrimp and farmed tilapia, trout, salmon and even farmed salmon marketed as antibiotic-free tested for detectable levels of antibiotics, said Hansa Done, the report's lead author and a graduate student at ASU's Biodesign Institute. The levels of antibiotic residues found in the fish are well within the Food and Drug Administration's regulations for safe consumption, some 100 to 1,000 times lower than the limit, Done said. “But just because it's safe to eat, doesn't make it sustainable”, she said. READ MORE
 
Shrimp farming needs strict biosecurity protocols
USA - Several reports have been published recently that state that the current disease problems due to infection by an unusual strain of Vibrio parahaemolyticus that have severely affected the production of farmed shrimp is under control, and that those areas affected the heaviest are showing signs of recovery. Unfortunately this is not true and is little more than wishful thinking. This pathogen has very solidly entrenched itself, and while a great deal of work is being done to try and mitigate its impact, it is my opinion that it will continue to spread to unaffected areas and to impact production in those countries that are currently affected. This spread of the disease appears to be partly a result of a failure to implement proper biosecurity controls in the maturation facilities and hatcheries, and there is little to no chance that this will change, even in the face of the knowledge that this appears to be an opportunistic pathogen -- loads of which entering into production environments can be mitigated. Add to this the current practices of pond preparation that damage the pond ecology – while ensuring that strains such as this have niches to readily grow in -- and the fact that vibrio strains are readily moved throughout aquatic environments by currents, and you have a scenario where there is very little chance this disease will be easily or readily controlled. READ MORE
 
Women and Man(groves)
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COSTA RICA - Real change often requires high-level planning and support. But sometimes all it takes is determination at the community level. On Costa Rica’s Chira Island, the hard work of women's collectives has resulted in the restoration and preservation of vital mangrove forests. One afternoon last spring I sat with my colleague Emily Pidgeon in a hand-built lodge on the outskirts of the town of Palito on the Costa Rica's Chira Island. We were there to speak with the women who founded the Chira Island Women’s Collective, a group committed to bringing income, education, and security to their island. Around us stretched a thriving coastal community that overlooks the Gulf of Nicoya, the country’s most productive estuary. The gulf is home to crocodiles, rays, egrets, and ospreys. And mangroves – more than half the island is covered, enriched and protected by lush mangroves. But the mangroves were under threat, the women told us, and we were here to see how women on the island had organized to make a difference. READ MORE
 
EUROPE
 
IUCN forms SSC Mangrove Specialist Group
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NETHERLANDS - The recently established IUCN SSC Mangrove Specialist Group, aims to support mangrove research and conservation projects by bringing together experts in the field to share their knowledge. Hosted by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), the group aims to; assess the conservation status of mangroves; identify, quantify and prioritise threats; and develop plans to conserve the most threatened species and habitats. The IUCN Mangrove Specialist Group, comprising of international experts in mangrove research and conservation, is working to a) assess the conservation status of mangrove systems; b) identify, quantify and prioritise threats; c) conserve the most threatened species and habitats; and d) disseminate best practices and share successful approaches for mangrove conservation, restoration and sustainable use. We recognise that protected areas are a vital tool for conserving mangroves, as part of the wider Global Action Plan under development by our group. READ MORE
For more information about this meeting follow this link VIEW ADDITIONAL INFO

OCEANA

More than a third of natural world heritage sites face 'significant threats'
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AUSTRALIA - More than a third of the planet’s natural world heritage sites face significant threats such as invasive species, logging and poaching, and climate change is a looming menace to prized ecosystems, according to a major new assessment. The first ever analysis of all 228 natural world heritage sites found that 21% have a good conservation outlook, with 42% deemed to be “good with some concerns”. However, 29% have “significant concerns” and a further 8% are listed as “critical”, which means they are deemed to be “severely threatened” and require urgent attention to avoid their natural value being lost. The IUCN World Heritage Outlook, released at the World Parks Congress in Sydney, found that 54% of world heritage sites are well managed, but 13% are seriously deficient in protecting species and landscapes. READ MORE

LAST WORD(S)

The below message is sent on behalf of Alizia Kamani, Wetlands International.

Dear partner,
 
Today Wetlands International and The Nature Conservancy launches a new guidebook on the role of mangroves for coastal defence. Since the 2004 Asian Tsunami almost 10 years ago, we have come a long way and have found that mangroves can reduce risk from a large number of coastal hazards. In this new publication titled “Mangroves for coastal defence: Guidelines for coastal managers & policy makers” we provide practical guidance on the role that mangroves play in defence against waves, storms, tsunamis, erosion and sea level rise. Working with the University of Cambridge to review hundreds of scientific papers, the guide book translates in-depth knowledge into a practical approach for coastal decision makers.
 
Attached, please find the full press release. We hope that this will help you to mark the 10 years of the tsunami and also hope that you will circulate this among your colleagues and networks.
 
Thank you for your time and if you should have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
 
With kind regards,
 
Alizia Kamani
Public Relations Officer and Web Editor
Wetlands International
P.O. Box 471, 6700AL Wageningen, The Netherlands
Tel: +31(0)318 660927
www.wetlands.org
 

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Action Alerts:

The importance of mangroves to people: A call to action CLCIK HERE

UK National Contact Point final statement on a complaint against a UK company developing plans for coal mining in Bangladesh CLICK HERE

                     
MARVELLOUS MANGROVES IN BRAZIL
En Portuges
 
MAP VOLUNTEER Statement of Qualifications CLICK HERE


WORLD WETLANDS DAY IS FEB 2, 2015 –
MORE HERE

 
Mamelo Honko Women's Association Update – your support has helped – VIEW REPORT

Shrimp is the most consumed seafood in America, but how much do we really know about the shrimp we’re eating? Click here to call on the President’s task force to support seafood traceability and other strong measures to fight IUU fishing and seafood fraud – the task force is running out of time so act now!

Development Coordinator Wanted
MAP is seeking a creative, energetic, and environmentally aware development coordinator to support administrative work and the QYS campaign in Seattle, Washington. READ MORE

FREE MAP Mangrove e-cards CLICK HERE
FREE Mangrove E-cards
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

Mexican Everglades Threatened
A great threat looms over EVERGLADES NATIONAL largest mangrove area in the Mexican Pacific due to the interest of building the project: Canal Centenary and hydroelectric Las Cruces, in the state of Nayarit. Please spread this open letter to the President of the Mexican United States where we request the cancellation of the project. READ MORE
EN ESPANOL


Information sheds clear light on shrimp-mangrove connection
Question Your Shrimp
SEE DETAILS MANGROVE/SHRIMP
CBEMR work on Klang Island, Krabi is Finally Underway – MORE INFO

CALLING FOR MANGROVE ART SUBMISSIONS!
A fun and exciting Art Contest for children 6 to 16 years old. We invite all primary school children from tropical and sub-tropical nations, and whose schools are located near mangroves, to create art telling us “why mangroves are important to my community and me?”. Selected winners will be published in a 2016 calendar to be distributed internationally to raise awareness of mangrove forest ecology.  READ MORE

SHARE MAP'S VISION 
CLICK HERE to watch short introductory video. Together we can work "at the roots of the sea". 

Join us in saving our beautiful country!
We hope you have been following the ongoing battle in Bimini, Bahamas.
We are in need of your help more than ever
Click here
 
Exclusive Interview with Alfredo Quarto, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Mangrove Action Project - See more
  
MAP VOLUNTEERS NEEDED IN THAILAND VIEW REQUIREMENTS

Order your 2015 Calendar
Mangrove Calendar 2015 FRONT 2
1-20 calendars, $12 each plus shipping
21-49 calendars, $10 ea plus shipping
50-100 calendars, $8 each plus shipping.
Over 100 $7 each plus shipping

Save the Sundarbans from Rampal power plant – View Sample Letter to Minister
Sign the Petition
 


Question Your Shrimp- Don't Buy or Sell Imported Tropical Shrimp! Sign the Petition
Donate to MAP via Paypal
Giving could never be easier
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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 New Videos posted by MAP Asia intern, Delphine. CLICK HERE
 
The importance of restoring mangroves in an effective, long-term manner. Mangrove video - VIEW

Please view our new video for our Question Your Shrimp Consumer/Markets Campaign! It is now on our website under the Question Your Shrimp section heading. WATCH VIDEO

Mangrove Restoration in Asia – Watch Short Video
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

View MAP’s uploaded Videos at MAPmangrover’sChannel


Marvellous Mangroves

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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


"Question Your Shrimp" Campaign

Learn more about the affects of the shrimp industry on mangroves by visiting our blog

Editor’s Note: Mangrove Action Project’s Executive Director, Alfredo Quarto was interviewed about shrimp by Green Acre Radio’s Martha Baskin

LISTEN TO INTERVIEW


Join MAP on Facebook


Sign the Consumer's Pledge to avoid imported shrimp


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Mangrove Action Project

Note to Our Readers:
We strive to keep active links in our newsletter. However, due to circumstances beyond our control,
occasionally links to stories may become broken. If you find a link to a story is not functioning, please cut and paste the headline into your browser search bar. In most cases you should be able to locate the original story.




Help Mangrove Action Project through your recycled E-Waste.  List of Accepted E-waste Items:

Injet Cartidges, Cell Phones, Pagers, GPS, Radar Detectors, Mobile Hot Spots, Calculators, eBook Readers, iPods/MP3 players, Digital/Video Cameras/Camcorders, PDAs, iPads/Tablets/Laptops, Video Game Consoles, Handheld Video Games

Visit the Mangrove Action Project recycle website Click on the recycle button then click on the Download Shipping Label, and follow the instructions.

 

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Mangrove Action Project
Click here to view past newsletters
MAPNEWS_website

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Help Marvellous Mangroves continue Sustainable Learning

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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.

Dear Friend,
 
"It changed the way I think about mangroves as an incredibly important ecosystem. It's a fabulous program and I'm so happy to still be a part of the world of Marvellous Mangroves, and I tell people about them all the time." Tanny Onsalo 
 
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We are asking you to help Marvellous Mangroves continue its spread to teachers and children around the world. We are so far in 11 countries world-wide and we have three more lined up for for next year – Kenya, Suriname and India.
 
Please read Tanny's full story here and also find out more about Marvellous Mangroves whilst watching our great new video.
MAP Curriculum Video
 Your support will go directly to helping the world’s children from these tropical lands not only learn all about Marvellous Mangroves, but will also give them a basic understanding of scientific methodology and ecology. In addition, they get to learn research methods as a precursor to a science-based university education.
 
Make your donation here to connect more children to their mangroves, like Tanny 
https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/marvellousmangroves
 
Every $100 will enable one teacher to attend the Marvellous Mangroves three-day teachers’ workshop and provide them with a copy of the 300-page Marvellous Mangroves - adapted and translated for their own country. 
Donating isn't the only way you
 
can help. The further this message spreads from you, the more teachers and students we can reach with this valuable resource. Forward this email onto friends, colleagues or even schools you are in touch with, or use the social media icons on the website to spread online.

Thank you for your generous donation. Please remember you can always contact me at mangrove@candw.ky for more info, or call me at:  1-345-526-5072.

Many Thanks,
Martin Keeley,
MAP Education Director
 
 
Mangrove Action Project

Click here to view past newsletters

MAPNEWS_website

Saturday, November 8, 2014

MAP News Issue 351, November 8, 2014

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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.

The MAP News
351st Edition                                November 8, 2014


FEATURED STORY

MAP response to ACS certification of Ecuadoran and Viet Nam Shrimp Farms
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Family-owned shrimp exporting company OMARSA, based in Ecuador, is the first shrimp producer to gain Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certification.
Editor's Note: Recent news from the Aqualculture Stewardship Council (read story here) has hailed the "first ASC certified shrimp farm in the world" as a momentous turn in the fight against unsustainable shrimp farming practices. But Mangrove Action Project's Executive Director, Alfredo Quarto, looks to his 20 years experiencing studying this practice to come to his own conclusion. The news may not be as delicious as the ASC might want us to believe.
USA - The ASC via its certification of farmed shrimp may ostensibly be attempting to meet "global demand," but more accurately are furthering that unsustainable demand itself by encouraging consumer nations to continue to import farmed shrimp, the majority of which is not sustainable, and in fact is both socially disruptive and environmentally destructive. One farm in a thousand that meets ASC certification does not alter the fact that industrial shrimp farming is creating food insecurity in the global South, while continuing to offer a luxury product to the wealthier nations. 90% export of shrimp product means that only 10% of local food needs met! This is not an encouraging fact, and thus WWF's creation of the ASC is not a positive sign of things to come! READ MORE
 
AFRICA
 
WABSA Holds Workshop On Mangrove Regeneration and Coastal Erosion
GAMBIA - The West African Birds Association (WABSA), on Friday 23rd October 2014, at the Banjul City Council Chambers held a day-long workshop on mangroves regeneration and Coastal Erosion. The aim of the workshop is to enlighten the people especially the youth on the importance of Mangroves to the lives of the people and the dangers of coastal erosion as well. The workshop was attended by students from different schools, members of different organizations, representatives from the ministry of Forestry and members of WABSA and media personnel. As the chairperson of the forum, Abdoulie Krubally, a WABSA member, welcomed everyone to the Forum and also urged participants to make the best use of the presentations that would be made during the forum. READ MORE
 
ASIA
 
Sunderbans’ water getting toxic : scientists
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BANGLADESH - Climate change is causing toxic metals trapped in the sediment beds of the Hooghly estuary in the Indian Sunderbans to leach out into the water system due to changes in ocean chemistry, say scientists, warning of potential human health hazards. They predict that after about 30 years, increasing ocean acidification – another dark side of spiked atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide – could in fact unlock the entire stock of metals like copper and lead gathered in the sediment layer, and release them into the water system, leading to health issues. READ MORE
 
Arrest mangrove destruction or prepare for disaster
INDIA – Although mangroves make up less than one percent of all tropical forests worldwide, their contribution to mitigation of climate change is huge. Unfortunately, however, they are facing the fastest ever rate of destruction. Any further delay in corrective action to protect and conserve mangrove ecosystems would not only mean huge loss of livelihood of a large number of coastal communities in the developing world, but also make us more vulnerable to devastations caused by the increasing number of cyclones. A just published report on mangroves by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) titled, “The important of mangroves to people: A call to Action” reinforces this point. READ MORE
 
Officials to help tackle land disputes involving sea gypsies
THAILAND - The DEPARTMENT of Special Investigation (DSI) will help the Prime Minister's Office team to tackle land conflicts in Satun province, after Moken sea gypsies accused a business group of illegitimately taking their land on Koh Lipe, where they have lived for generations. General Surin Pikulthong - who chairs a PM's Office committee assigned to help the sea-gypsy community get land and housing security - urged Satun officials to set up a panel to review the conflict between the Moken and a business group and a similar problem at Koh Bulon in the same province. He said the committee should also have representatives from the affected people. Surin said they had invited the chief of the DSI Bureau of Consumer Protection and Environment Crime, Pol Lt-Colonel Prayvuth Wongsrinin, to help solve the sea gypsies' woes in Satun, which reportedly include threats and problematic land-survey procedures, and ensure that they get justice. Naval Region 3 would also oversee moves to resolve the problem while Satun authorities would carry out a parallel check. READ MORE
 
Bangladeshis protest against coal expansion in the Sundarbans
BANGLADESH - Bangladeshis took to the streets of the capital, Dhaka, in a colourful, and popular protest against plans for a dirty coal plant that will demolish and degrade huge parts of the Sundarbans - the world’s most pristine mangrove forest, an important tiger reserve, and a UNESCO world heritage site. People took part in a rally that showcased local artists, singers and other cultural icons - all of whom are calling on the Bangladeshi government to ditch proposed plans to build a coal-fired power plant in Rampal, a site right on the edge of the precious Sundarbans. This was not their first rally, more than 20,000 joined last year, and they will not stop until the dirty power plant plans are overturned. READ MORE
 
Forest anger runs deep
THAILAND - Amid fast dwindling forest coverage, past governments have been criticised for evicting the landless poor while turning a blind eye to the ever-expanding commercial tree farms and cash crop plantations in forest areas by the agro industry. The military junta had vowed to be different. What has transpired since the power seizure, however, has only been more of the same. Worse, the crackdowns on forest dwellers are getting more severe. This is because officialdom ‑ emboldened by military support ­‑ has successfully pushed for more autocratic power to exploit the forests. It must be noted that forest eviction schemes in the past decade failed to take off on a massive scale due to grassroots resistance and electoral politics. Meanwhile, locals succeeded in proposing community forests and community land ownership as a solution to longstanding land rights conflicts in forest areas. READ MORE
 
Karachi: a goldmine for land ‘developers’
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PAKISTAN -  A land grab of monumental proportions is under way not far from the prime strip of real estate along Gizri Creek that constitutes the Defence Housing Authority (DHA), Karachi, Phase 7 (extension) and Phase 8. If all goes according to plan, 490 acres of mangroves across the creek will be incorporated into DHA’s ever-expanding boundaries, following which they will be chopped down, and the area used for the major portion of a lavish waterfront project. Known as Waterfront Developments, the project has been devised to make huge fortunes for a select few, enormously powerful individuals, while giving short shrift to citizens’ rights and further decimating one of Karachi’s most valuable natural assets, its mangrove forests. READ MORE
 
AMERICAS
 
Stop Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing and Seafood Fraud
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USA - A newly released report from Oceana found that 30 percent of shrimp samples tested were misrepresented. In one instance, a banded coral “shrimp,” which is an aquarium pet not intended to be consumed as food, was found packaged with another unidentified species frozen in a bag! Different types of shrimp have different environmental, health and economic impacts. We as consumers need accurate information to make informed decisions for our own sake and the oceans. President Obama’s Task Force on Combatting Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing and Seafood Fraud is developing solutions to these twin problems now. Please join us in calling for seafood traceability to track shrimp from boat or farm to plate, allowing consumers to have more information about where their shrimp comes from. SIGN PETITION
 
Bid to protect Bimini mangroves goes international
BAHAMAS - International conservation experts are urging the government to fulfill its promise and protect Bimini’s unique ecological heritage and the local industries that have depended upon it for generations. The experts, hosted on a tour of Bimini by fast-growing social and environmental advocacy group Save The Bays (STB), called for the official establishment of the North Bimini Marine Reserve. Among other important natural resources, the NBMR would protect mangrove forests that serve as a nursery for the abundant sea life that has attracted so many visitors to the island over the years in the latest Save The Bay’s release on their YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/1wb4rJ4). “From an ecological perspective, its incredibly important to maintain these mangroves in order to maintain the whole marine ecosystem,” said Rachael Silverstein, the Waterkeeper for Biscayne Bay, Florida. READ MORE
 
Study: Louisiana shrimp safe to eat after BP spill
USA - Louisiana shrimp was safe to eat following the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, a new study concluded, reaffirming previous federal and state studies. The new research focused on the Vietnamese-American community in eastern New Orleans, and said that even among frequent shrimp eaters, there are "no acute health risks or excess cancer risk." The study was released online on Tuesday (Oct. 21) in Environmental Heath Perspectives, a journal of the National Institutes of Health. Its lead author is Mark Wilson, a Tulane University professor who in part specializes in human health risk assessments, and environmental and genetic toxicology. The authors also included, among others, Daniel Nguyen and Tap Bui, employees of Mary Queen of Vietnam Community Development Corporation, a nonprofit organization in eastern New Orleans that assisted fishers affected by the oil spill. READ MORE
 
Mangrove manual now in Spanish
USA – MangroveRestoration.com is pleased to announce the release of the Spanish version of their acclaimed "Ecological Mangrove Restoration Manual" which is now available at download #81 at http://www.mangroverestoration.com The English version is download #80. An additional 105 papers are on the website are also free to download. MangroveRestoration.com’s goal is to ensure the survival of the world’s various mangrove species through preservation and conservation. READ MORE
 
Brackish Waters and Salted Lands: The social cost of shrimp
USA – What is the real cost of the shrimp we consume? What kinds of social and environmental relations are concealed in those bags brimming with frozen prawns available in supermarkets throughout the Global North? Such questions are timely and pressing. Today, aquaculture is the world’s “fastest growing food production system,” accounting for about half of all seafood consumed worldwide. Shrimp remains a major growth sector of the so-called “blue revolution”: the massive expansion of aquaculture development, particularly in coastal countries of the Global South. Unlike the “green revolution”—which promised increased agricultural productivity using new seed varieties and chemical inputs—the blue revolution is focused on developing export markets for farm-raised fish from places like Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Honduras to supermarkets in Europe, Japan, and the United States. This expansion of shrimp aquaculture—fueling and fueled by booming markets for cheap seafood in the North—has long been recognized as an ecological disaster for producer countries. The massive adoption of shrimp aquaculture has laid waste to ecologically sensitive zones—contributing to the destruction of coastal mangrove forests; the loss of local biodiversity; and rampant pollution through the discharge of shrimp pond effluents into local ecosystems. READ MORE

 
LAST WORD(S)
Dear Colleague,
 
Today we’re thrilled to announce the launch of www.worldwetlandsday.org, the focal point for all WWD 2015 activities.  The website will be growing in the run-up to 2 February 2015, but you can already take advantage of a wide range of support materials that have been made available to help you organize and event or spread the word. The future of humanity really does depend on wetlands.  They purify and replenish our groundwater, provide fish and crops that feed billions of people, act as a natural shield protecting coastlines against flooding, and help fight climate change.
 
Unfortunately, these benefits are not widely known.  Often viewed as wasteland, 64% of wetlands have disappeared since 1900.
 
For World Wetlands Day 2015, we are specifically targeting teens and young people. They have a growing interest in environmental issues, are tech savvy, and have a strong belief in their own ability to make a difference.
 
Crucially, they also act as “transmitters,” spreading the word about wetlands and their vital importance to their families and friends, causing a ripple effect that reaches the wider public.
 
Our three-step strategy for approaching them to encourage change is:
 
  1. Give youth a reason to experience wetlands directly: the Wetlands Youth Photo Contest
  2. Educate them on the benefits and inject a sense of urgency at their disappearance
  3. Provide “next steps” where youth can take action for wetlands
 
How can you help?
 
  • Please help publicize WWD and Wetlands Youth  Photo Contest that runs from 2 February to 2 March.
  • Consider acting as local organizer of wetland site visits for youth and/or broader educational events targeting other groups.
  • Suggest local, concrete “next steps” that youth can take on wetlands. Help harness the enthusiasm that results from World Wetlands Day itself, and prolong its effect into a longer term call for action.
 
Finally, a word of thanks to our sponsors, the Danone Fund for Water.  The Danone group and the evian brand have been partners of the Ramsar Convention since 1998, and World Wetlands Day is made possible by their generosity.
 
Best wishes,
 
Sharon Oseku-Frainier
Communications Officer – External Relations
Ramsar Convention Secretariat
28 rue Mauverney, CH-1196 Gland (Switzerland)
Tel. +41 22 999 0269; fax +41 22 999 0169
www.ramsar.org | Join us: www.facebook.com/RamsarConventionOnWetlands
 

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Action Alerts:

WORLD WETLANDS DAY IS FEB 2, 2015 –
MORE HERE

 
Mamelo Honko Women's Association Update – your support has helped – VIEW REPORT

Shrimp is the most consumed seafood in America, but how much do we really know about the shrimp we’re eating? Click here to call on the President’s task force to support seafood traceability and other strong measures to fight IUU fishing and seafood fraud – the task force is running out of time so act now!

Development Coordinator Wanted
MAP is seeking a creative, energetic, and environmentally aware development coordinator to support administrative work and the QYS campaign in Seattle, Washington. READ MORE

FREE MAP Mangrove e-cards CLICK HERE
FREE Mangrove E-cards
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

Mexican Everglades Threatened
A great threat looms over EVERGLADES NATIONAL largest mangrove area in the Mexican Pacific due to the interest of building the project: Canal Centenary and hydroelectric Las Cruces, in the state of Nayarit. Please spread this open letter to the President of the Mexican United States where we request the cancellation of the project. READ MORE
EN ESPANOL


Information sheds clear light on shrimp-mangrove connection
Question Your Shrimp
SEE DETAILS MANGROVE/SHRIMP
CBEMR work on Klang Island, Krabi is Finally Underway – MORE INFO

CALLING FOR MANGROVE ART SUBMISSIONS!
A fun and exciting Art Contest for children 6 to 16 years old. We invite all primary school children from tropical and sub-tropical nations, and whose schools are located near mangroves, to create art telling us “why mangroves are important to my community and me?”. Selected winners will be published in a 2016 calendar to be distributed internationally to raise awareness of mangrove forest ecology.  READ MORE

SHARE MAP'S VISION 
CLICK HERE to watch short introductory video. Together we can work "at the roots of the sea". 

Join us in saving our beautiful country!
We hope you have been following the ongoing battle in Bimini, Bahamas.
We are in need of your help more than ever
Click here
 
Exclusive Interview with Alfredo Quarto, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Mangrove Action Project - See more
  
MAP VOLUNTEERS NEEDED IN THAILAND VIEW REQUIREMENTS

Order your 2015 Calendar
Mangrove Calendar 2015 FRONT 2
1-20 calendars, $12 each plus shipping
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Over 100 $7 each plus shipping

Save the Sundarbans from Rampal power plant – View Sample Letter to Minister
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Question Your Shrimp- Don't Buy or Sell Imported Tropical Shrimp! Sign the Petition
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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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Green Planet Fundraising Assists MAP – LEARN MORE


MANGROVE ISSUES 

View New Videos posted by MAP Asia intern, Delphine. CLICK HERE
 
The importance of restoring mangroves in an effective, long-term manner. Mangrove video - VIEW

Please view our new video for our Question Your Shrimp Consumer/Markets Campaign! It is now on our website under the Question Your Shrimp section heading. WATCH VIDEO

Mangrove Restoration in Asia – Watch Short Video
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

View MAP’s uploaded Videos at MAPmangrover’sChannel

“Education In The Mangroves" can now be seen on the  PhotoPhilanthropy website here!

Marvellous Mangroves – A Curriculum-Based Teachers Guide.
By Martin A. Keeley, Education Director, Mangrove Action Project
Read this 10 page history of the development of MAP’s educational curriculum VIEW DOCUMENT

FOR MORE ON MAPs AWARD WINNING CHINA MANGROVE CURRICULUM VISIT THESE SIGHTS
SLIDE SHOW
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Education In The Mangroves
Six minute video features discussion of Mangrove Action Project’s Mangrove Curriculum VIEW THE VIDEO
 
Article in Canada's Green Teacher Magazine -
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"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

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Mangrove Action Project

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Response to ACS certification of Ecuadoran Shrimp Farm

Recent news from the Aqualculture Stewardship Council (read story here) has hailed the "first ASC certified shrimp farm in the world" as a momentous turn in the fight against unsustainable shrimp farming practices. But Mangrove Action Project's Executive Director, Alfredo Quarto, looks to his 20 years experiencing studying this practice to come to his own conclusion. The news may not be as delicious as the ASC might want us to believe.

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The ASC via its certification of farmed shrimp may ostensibly be attempting to meet "global demand," but more accurately are furthering that unsustainable demand itself by encouraging consumer nations to continue to import farmed shrimp, the majority of which is not sustainable, and in fact is both socially disruptive and environmentally destructive. One farm in a thousand that meets ASC certification does not alter the fact that industrial shrimp farming is creating food insecurity in the global South, while continuing to offer a luxury product to the wealthier nations. 90% export of shrimp product means that only 10% of local food needs met! This is not an encouraging fact, and thus WWF's creation of the ASC is not a positive sign of things to come!

Though WWF and its creation the ASC claim their certified shrimp will save the day, what of those new farms that do not care about the "standards" and take advantage of a still burgeoning export demand to expand their ventures into mangroves? Why do they think certified shrimp will somehow work to reduce demand for uncertified shrimp? It will only increase demand for all shrimp. Many people who otherwise would not eat shrimp due to conscious choice will be tempted to purchase the certified brands, thus entering the demand chain and consume with pride. However, most people will not even notice. WWF/ASC is betting that their more expensive and better managed product will attract lots of present shrimp consumers, but in reality, most current consumers of shrimp just do not think or care about mangroves pr mangrove dependent communities, as long as the price is right at the store!  Thus, ASC certified shrimp simply means more consumers dining at the world table, and this niche that ASC defines will be add-ons mainly, new initiates who are mistaken in believing that they can now dine without a guilty conscience.
 


MAP News Issue 593, March 9, 2024

MAP News Issue #593 - March 9, 2024 Nigeria has Commenced Large-Scale Mangrove Restoraion in Ogoniland Eastern Niger Delta NIGERIA - The...