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FEATURE STORY Stop seafront planting of mangroves on seagrass beds PHILIPPINES - Among others, Typhoon Yolanda in 2013 and the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami have highlighted the importance of mangroves in coastal protection. Of global storm events, the Philippines has the greatest intensity (maximum score of 5 on the Saifir-Simpson Hurricane Intensity Scale) and number (one-third). Mangroves have therefore captured the public imagination – student, NGO, government, religious and business groups plant mangroves themselves or raise money for others to plant. Even the national government planned to allocate PhP1 billion for mangrove rehabilitation in Yolanda sites. Such massive amounts of taxpayers’ and private funds beg the question: Are the planting protocols science-based? Mangroves are uniquely adapted to withstand harsh conditions of salty water and tidal inundation – but not more than 30% of the time. Hence mangroves are not uniformly distributed between high and low tide, but are found in the middle to upper intertidal levels (at or above mean sea level) where they remain mostly exposed. READ MORE READ RELATED STORY AFRICA Communities Leading the Way to Save Madagascar’s Mangroves MADAGASCAR - “About three years ago I noticed that the high tides were coming up into my rice fields, and taking the soil away with them. I’d never seen that before,” Philippe, a rice farmer from the village of Ambalahonko, tells me from under his wide-brimmed straw hat; something my fair-skinned and fine-haired self, unfortunately, did not have the foresight to invest in prior to our four-hour excursion. “That’s what convinced me to join the mangrove management association. It’s getting serious, and we have to do something.” Ambalahonko is about three miles off the Route Nationale 6, just north of the city of Ambanja in northwest Madagascar. I’ve come here today to learn a bit more about Philippe and his association’s work, which we at Blue Ventures have been supporting for the past two years. READ MORE ASIA Mangroves and flamingos may soon disappear from Uran INDIA - Flamingos and mangroves at Uran might soon be a thing of the past. Environmentalists and nature lovers have raised concerns over the port expansion work underway at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) area near Nhava Sheva. According to them the expansion project that includes reclamation of 14 hectares mangrove land at the North side of the existing port will eventually destroy wetlands spread over 300 hectares behind the JNPT Custom House. The reclamation work would block the mouth of the Dharamtar creek, which is the main water source for wetlands. “In the satellite image it’s clearly visible that the mouth of the creek will be filled. The 14 hectares of mangrove land is very near to the existing port. Upon completion of the 330-metre quay length expansion, it will completely block the mouth of the creek,” said Stalin Dayanand, an environmentalist associated with Vanashakti, a non-profit environment organisation based in Mumbai. – READ MORE Govt allots P400-m for Yolanda-hit mangroves PHILIPPINES - The Aquino administration on Wednesday released an initial P400 million to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for their mangrove and beach forest development project for areas battered by disasters such as super typhoon Yolanda. Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said the amount represents 40 percent of the P1 billion funding requirement of the National Greening Program as recommended by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. Under the project, the national government will cooperate with stakeholders from local government units and the private sector to develop mangroves and beach forests in Yolanda-hit areas and regions that were struck by other disasters. “All of our rehabilitation efforts will need to be grounded on ensuring the safety of communities against natural disasters in the future. That’s why comprehensive preparation and prevention are key elements in our policy of build back better, which includes the replanting of mangrove and beach forests on our coastlines,” Abad said. READ MORE The shrinking islands of the world’s largest mangroves have triggered a refugee crisis INDIA - India is drastically losing land in the Sundarbans—a cluster of 54 islands in West Bengal—to climate change. Recent satellite analysis by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) shows that in the last ten years, 3.7% of the mangrove and other forests in the Sundarbans have disappeared, along with 9,990 hectares of landmass, due to erosion. The Sundarbans—a vast mangrove delta shared between India’s West Bengal and Bangladesh—is an immensely fragile ecosystem. One of the biggest threats, as it has turned out, is sea-level rise driven by climate change. As the small islands on the fringe of the Sundarbans shift, shrink and disappear, left behind is a trail of climate refugees. READ MORE Officials inspect 25-acre area in Borivli after allegations of mangrove destruction INDIA - Following allegations that constructions carried out by a private builder led to the destruction of a 25-acre stretch of mangroves, officials from the revenue, forest and police department inspected the area in Borivli recently. N Vasudevan, chief conservator of forests, mangrove cell, said, “Our officials, who went to the spot, found that the area came under private land. There could have been mangroves in the area but as the land is privately owned it comes under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification. Violation of this notification is not dealt with by the forest department. The revenue officials have to look into the matter.” Prashanti Mane, tehsildar, Borivli taluka, told HT that she needed to get information regarding the matter and refused to comment. READ MORE Saving Langkawi’s mangroves MALAYSIA – Having lost 50% of its original rainforest to coastal development in recent years, Langkawi Island’s Unesco Geopark status could change following the United Nations agency’s scheduled review this year. Gathering support from Institute of Foresters Malaysia (IRIM), Malaysian Nature Society (MNS), villagers of Kuala Melaka, Kuala Teriang and the media, Berjaya Langkawi Resort launched the Mangrove 4 Life (M4L) campaign, as part of Berjaya Hotels & Resorts (BHR)’s corporate social responsibility initiative Live & Care. Berjaya Langkawi Resort general manager Chris Niuh said the three-day mangrove conservation campaign was close to their hearts, as it had a direct impact on the surrounding community of the 20-year-old resort. “Villagers of Kampung Kuala Melaka in Kuala Teriang area suffered the worst damage following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, as there was no engineered coastal protection or sufficient mangroves to act as natural coastal defence. READ MORE AMERICAS Mangrove Forests Need Protecting According to UN Study PERU - Global destruction of mangrove forests impacts biodiversity, food security, and the lives and livelihoods of some of the most marginalized communities in the world, according to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). Mangroves, which are forests of salt-tolerant trees and shrubs that lie along coastlines in the tropics and subtropics, are also invaluable carbon sinks. And we’re not doing nearly enough to protect them, says a recent report. Released during the Lima, Peru climate conference in December 2014 by UNEP, the report found mangrove forests are being cleared 3-5 times faster than terrestrial forests, costing the world as much as $42 billion in economic damages every year. With around 90 percent of mangroves found in developing countries, UNEP and other organizations assert there is a need for a mechanism by which the developed countries of the world, which are largely responsible for the climate crisis facing our planet, essentially pay developing countries to keep forests intact even as they look for ways to boost their economies and raise their standards of living. READ MORE Volunteers plant 17,000 marsh grasses, mangroves USA - In a three-day marsh restoration project, the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana partnered with Marathon Oil, For the Bayou, Restore America’s Estuaries, NOAA and Conoco Phillips to lead more than 60 volunteers on Thursday through Saturday as they planted 17,000 mangroves and marsh grasses, which will restore seven acres of newly dredged marsh in Port Fourchon, said CRCL’s Communications Director Jimmy Frederick. The project will help anchor the dredged sediment, create habitat for fish and wildlife and provide invaluable protection to the marshes and communities north of the project site. READ MORE Florida agencies plan to map lagoon seagrass USA - Three state environmental agencies will team up this year to map the Indian River Lagoon’s seagrass, to identify spots that need more protection. The participating agencies include the St. Johns River Water Management District, South Florida Water Management District and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The total project cost for the 2015 mapping is $304,091, the St. Johns district announced today (3/17/15) in a release. The St. Johns district is chipping in $152,091, with $50,000 coming from the South Florida district and $102,000 from DEP. “Mapping seagrass in the lagoon allows our scientists to track changes over time,” said William Tredik, leader of the St. Johns district’s Indian River Lagoon Protection Initiative. “By partnering with the South Florida District and DEP, we can share resources and science.” READ MORE OCEANA Research investigating impact of unprecedented sea level rise AUSTRALIA - The first time Madeline Goddard stepped into the dark fudge underneath Darwin's mangroves she turned into "a human bog". "I actually got so deeply stuck that it took two people to pull me out," Ms Goddard said. "And I lost both of my shoes." In the past six months the honours research student has bought a pair of mud-wading boots and developed ways of moving through the precarious mangrove forests. She has also seen the Top End's celebrated coastal wetlands grapple with some of the highest rates of climate change related sea level rises in the world. Darwin Harbour's 20,000 hectare mangrove estate houses 37 types of the terrestrial plant, as well as many species of crabs, fish, snakes, birds and other wildlife. Scientists believe the intricate mangrove forest ecosystem, up-ended roots embedded in layers of thick mud, can respond to changing sea levels through a process called "building land". READ MORE Qld developer fined for clearing mangroves AUSTRALIA – A BRISBANE company has been fined AU$10,000 for destroying mangroves to clear space for a building site. The company had approval to clear 260 square metres of mangroves at Pinkenba, but instead cleared more than three times that area of marine habitat. It was fined and ordered to perform restoration work on the site. VIEW SOURCE WORLD Sendai framework on disaster risk reduction disappoints UNITED NATIONS - On the midnight of March 18, representatives from 187 UN member states adopted the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 with seven targets and four priorities for action. After the marathon negotiations that preceded the convention,one would have expected a clear cut action plan and commitments from developed nations. So far, it is understood, only Japan made some funding commitment for this proposal as the five-day-long conference wrapped up. Earlier proposals for percentage goals were rejected, so the current set looks like vague targets. The current framework for 15 years replaces the 10 year long Hyogo Framework for Action. The Sendai Framework aims to lower the global mortality rate from disasters between 2020 and 2030, compared with 2005 to 2015, and reduce the proportion of people affected. READ MORE LAST WORD(S) ACTION ALERTS WANTED: MAP News is looking for links to calls to actions/petitions and letter writing campaigns on mangrove issues, tropical coastal communities and other related topics. Not all submissions can be selected, but we look forward to hearing about your work and want to let our readers' voice be heard! Email submissions to news@mangroveactionproject.org BACK TO TOP Not yet a subscriber? Click here to subscribe. Please cut and paste these news alerts/ action alerts on to your own lists and contacts. Help us spread the word and further generate letters of concern, as this can make a big difference in helping to halt a wrongdoing or encourage correct action.
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Thursday, March 19, 2015
MAP News Issue 360, March 21, 2015
STOP SEAFRONT PLANTING OF MANGROVES ON SEAGRASS BEDS
Fig. 1: Intertidal location of mangroves and recommended planting zones (©J.H. Primavera). |
Fig. 2: Three common mangroves in the Philippines (collage by J.H. Primavera) |
Saturday, March 7, 2015
MAP News Issue 359 - March 7, 2015
The MAP News |
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FEATURE STORY MAP Takes On Its Third CBEMR Training Workshop in Central America MAP's Community-Based Ecological Mangrove Restoration (CBEMR) program seeks to empower local communities to restore and steward their mangroves while deriving sustainable mangrove-based livelihoods. Involving local communities in mangrove restoration is very important, as it offers participants a sense of empowerment and involvement in resolving their own environmental, social and economic issues of community development. Last month, Mangrove Action Project (MAP), Falls Brook Centre (FBC) and the Honduran group CODA worked together to implement a training program for the restoration of threatened mangrove ecosystems in the region around San Lorenzo in the Gulf of Fonseca, Honduras. Mangrove habitats in the Gulf of Fonseca are threatened by shrimp aquaculture, fishing with explosives, disrupted inland watersheds, agricultural chemical pollution, sugar cane, African oil palm and watermelon production expansion, rising sea levels and new industrial policies. READ MORE REALTED STORY – Honduran Ramsar site threatened by developers AFRICA Shell Agrees to Pay $83.5 Million for Oil Spills NIGERIA - Oil giant Shell has agreed to pay a Nigerian fishing community about $83.5 million for the worst oil spill ever suffered in Nigeria. The agreement ends a three-year legal battle in Britain over two spills in 2008 that destroyed thousands of acres of mangroves and the fish and shellfish that sustained villagers of the Bodo community in Nigeria's southern Niger Delta. The largest ever out-of-court settlement relating to oil spills in Nigeria is a step forward for the oil-rich Niger Delta region that has been hit by regular environmental damage, but it is tiny compared with the billions in compensation and fines BP had to pay after the Macondo rig disaster in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. Shell said it is paying $53.1 million to 15,600 fishermen and farmers and $30.4 million to their Bodo community. READ MORE ASIA Indonesia and Netherlands launch large coastal safety initiative in Java. INDONESIA - The Indonesian and Dutch government launched a comprehensive five-year multi million public-private partnership initiative for enhancing coastal safety at the North Coast of Java. It aims to build stable coastlines with reduced erosion risk through a unique integration of mangrove restoration, small scale hard-engineering and sustainable land use. The initiative is financed by the Dutch Sustainable Water Fund and was annouced during a press conference in Jakarta by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF), the Secretary of Central Java Province, and the Director of River and Coasts from Ministry of Public Works and Human Housing (PU) and the Dutch Ecoshape Consortium. The authorities are official partners in the initiative. The 5 million euro initiative is the leading international case of the “Building with Nature Innovation Programme”. This public-private partnership aims to stimulate sustainable coastal engineering approaches that make use of the natural protection provided by ecosystems like mangroves and salt marsh habitats. READ MORE 2,000 FISHERS IN KERIAN THREATENED BY SHRIMP FARMING PROJECT MALAYSIA – The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) urges the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry to investigate and take prompt action to resolve the problem of 2,000 coastal fishers in the Kerian district, Perak whose livelihood has been affected due to the implementation of aquaculture projects in the area. The shrimp farming activities that began 20 years ago have not only destroyed hundreds of hectares of mangroves in the district but also caused marine pollution and threatened fisheries resources in the coastal area in this district. CAP regrets that although the problem has been brought to the attention of the state government, relevant departments and agencies, until now remedial action has yet to be taken. In fact the problem has become more serious. READ MORE Saving Langkawi’s mangroves MALAYSIA - HAVING lost 50% of its original rainforest to coastal development in recent years, Langkawi Island’s Unesco Geopark status could change following the United Nations agency’s scheduled review this year. Gathering support from Institute of Foresters Malaysia (IRIM), Malaysian Nature Society (MNS), villagers of Kuala Melaka, Kuala Teriang and the media, Berjaya Langkawi Resort launched the Mangrove 4 Life (M4L) campaign, as part of Berjaya Hotels & Resorts (BHR)’s corporate social responsibility initiative Live & Care. Berjaya Langkawi Resort general manager Chris Niuh said the three-day mangrove conservation campaign was close to their hearts, as it had a direct impact on the surrounding community of the 20-year-old resort. “Villagers of Kampung Kuala Melaka in Kuala Teriang area suffered the worst damage following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, as there was no engineered coastal protection or sufficient mangroves to act as natural coastal defence. READ MORE Why a power plant is bad news for Krabi THAILAND - Plans by the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONREPP) to re-designate parts of coastal community areas in Krabi as an environmental protection zone may sound like a good news for local conservationists. But this is not necessarily so. The area, encompassing Ao Sak, Nua Khlong, Khlong Thom and Koh Lanta districts, is known for its pristine marine ecology that helps put the spot on the world-class tourist map. The re-designation is important given the area is also facing the threat of a coal-fired power plant built by the electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat), and a coal jetty that may compromise not only its beauty but also the way of life of the locals, mostly small-scale fishermen. The controversial power plant which is to be located in Nua Khlong district is strongly opposed by locals. READ MORE Greens allege destruction of mangroves in city INDIA - Environmentalists have alleged widespread destruction of mangrove forests near Kochi city. Mangroves along the Container Road linking Kalamassery to the Vallarpadam Island have been severely affected. There have also been instances of burning of mangrove forests near Maradu, said State convenor of the National Alliance of People’s Movement, V.D. Majeendran. He said personnel from the Fire and Rescue Department had to be called in to put out a fire that spread through mangrove forests near the Container Road in early February. M.N. Giri of Kerala Grama Swaraj Foundation said the burning of mangroves was being carried out to allow reclamation of land by the side of the Container Road. He said such activities would affect fisheries resources in the backwaters on both sides of the road. READ MORE AMERICAS Honduran Ramsar protected site threatened by developers HONDURAS – A team of mangrove restorations experts were shocked to discover a bulldozer clearing mangroves from Ramsar site #1000 in the Gulf of Fonseca in Honduras. The team, led by Mangrove Action Project of the U.S. had made formal requests of the Honduran government to enter the site for purposes of environmental restoration. Upon arriving the team found that the abandoned shrimp farm was being reconstructed in violation of the Ramsar convention. Bulldozers were clearing the little remaining mangroves and constructing dykes to prevent natural tidal flows. The team has written a letter to Ramsar asking for immediate action to protect the site, or a de-listing of the area as it no longer meets the stated intentions of the listing. READ MORE Crackdown on shrimp imports contaminated with banned antibiotics USA - New data released by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) indicates that of the 114 entry lines of seafood refused in January, 24 were of imported shrimp for reasons related to veterinary drug residues. Nineteen of the entry lines refused for banned antibiotics were of shrimp shipped from Malaysia, four for shrimp shipped from India, and one for shrimp shipped from China, reports the Southern Shrimp Alliance. The Southern Shrimp Alliance has compiled refusal information for shrimp products since 2002 available from the FDA. These data show that the 24 refusals in February, coupled with the 58 refusals in January, mean that 2015 has already had the fourth most refusals of entry lines of shrimp for reasons related to veterinary drug residues since 2002. The report also demonstrates that problems with banned antibiotics in shrimp aquaculture have been limited to a small number of countries. In particular, of the 1,025 entry lines of shrimp refused for reasons related to veterinary drug residues since 2002, over 90% (928) were shipped from just five countries: China, Malaysia, Vietnam, India, and Indonesia. READ MORE LAST WORD(S) FROM OUR BLOG Dear MAP: Marvellous Mangroves curriculum to Bangladeshi schools; It is a good initiative indeed! But, we have to be sure that whether B'desh government is going to include mangrove importance and functions in the school curriculum. If so, how they will be doing it and in which level of school? The another most important point is that who will be resource personnel working on it. Please include the good mangrove scientists on the process. It is very important to have the pure and good write up in Bengali on mangrove ecosystems. Please keep it up. Good concept indeed!Good luck! Dr. Abu Hena M K, Email: hena71@yahoo.com BACK TO TOP Not yet a subscriber? Click here to subscribe. Please cut and paste these news alerts/ action alerts on to your own lists and contacts. Help us spread the word and further generate letters of concern, as this can make a big difference in helping to halt a wrongdoing or encourage correct action.
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Information sheds clear light on shrimp-mangrove connection
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Letter to RAMSAR regarding Site #1000
I write to you today because I am quite concerned about the fate of Ramsar's number 1,000 site in the Gulf of Fonseca in Honduras. I have just returned from helping implement a training workshop in the San Lorenzo area where we had intended to rehabilitate an abandoned, illicitly sited shrimp farm located within the Ramsar site. It had been abandoned for over a decade, and mangroves had already started to return to the site, so we had hoped to help the natural restoration along via our Community-Based Ecological Mangrove Restoration (CBEMR) approach.
We had given prior notice to the government of Honduras that we wished to use this site in our training workshop, asking for permission to restore an obviously disused shrimp farm, abandoned and non-productive. We listed the site location and mentioned it was part of the Ramsar site. We also gave the dates of our workshop, and thus gave plenty of advance notice of our plans.
When we arrived there at the site to look it over, we were stunned to see the bulldozer at work restoring instead the former two shrimp ponds, removing the mangrove vegetation once again. This was like a cold slap in the face of our stated intentions, but more so, it was a slap in the face of Ramsar by the government of Honduras, once again totally ignoring its stated commitment to the area as a Rasmsar site.
When we questioned the government officials at SERNA and ICF, we were wrongly told that the site had no mangroves present, but we have photos documenting that the site's mangroves were being bulldozed while we visited the site last week. The government's claims are thus refuted by our personal visit and the photos we took while there.
Needless to say, we had to find another site that was suitable to apply the CBEMR method, but luckily our local guides suggested a suitable site on Isle de Pajarros in the Gulf, which we did use to demonstrate mangrove restoration techniques utilizing the CBEMR approach.
What I am asking in this letter is can Ramsar take a more active role in stopping these kinds of open violations against Ramsar designated sites, such as what we witnessed firsthand near San Lorenzo? If not, shouldn't Ramsar de-list such a designated site because it is not in accord with stated Ramsar Convention intentions? This de-listing itself would at least show such governments that the Ramsar status must live up to its intended purpose.
Please do let me know if Ramsar will effectively intervene in this case. I attach the letter I wrote to government officials in Honduras and two photos of the site in question that show the current destruction of a segment of mangrove wetland.
For the Mangroves,
Alfredo Quarto,
Mangrove Action Project (MAP)