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FEATURE STORY Krabi fishermen protest coal-fired power plant THAILAND - Local fishermen in Krabi have joined the fight against an 870-megawatt coal-fired power plant to be built in the province’s Nua Khlong district, east of Phuket. A horde of boats carrying angry villagers congregated at the Baan Klong Ruo pier in Nua Khlong, wielding large signs that read: “Protect Krabi from coal-power plant” and waving green flags picturing dugong calling for “No coal”. The fishermen were especially opposed to a coal seaport at the pier as part of the power plant project, the Phuket Gazette was told. “About 102.12 square kilometers in this area are wetlands which are protected under the Ramsar Convention [story here],” Alee Channam, leader of the Krabi Kon Rak Lay (Krabi Sea Lovers) Club told the Gazette. “We cannot allow the power plant to be built. Using coal as a power source will affect the environment and our way of life, which depends on fishing. It is also possible that the area would be removed from the [Ramsar] wetlands preservation list.” The protests vowed they would not stop until the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) halts the project. “This is just the beginning. If the EGAT stays on track with the project, we will continue to protest. It will not just be us; everyone who is against the plant will stand up,” said Mr Alee. READ MORE ASIA MPEDA to promote mud crab culture in mangroves INDIA - Here is some good news for fisherwomen and Self Help Groups (SHGs) interested in cultivating mud crabs in the mangroves in the district. The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) is planning to allot funds for SHGs in Nagayalanka, Avanigadda, Machilipatnam and other sea coast mandals to raise mud crabs, also known as mangrove crabs. Mud crabs, raised in mangroves along the coast, have a good demand in Japan, Thailand, China and other countries. Fishermen are exporting quality mud crabs, said MPEDA Chairman Leena Nair. “MPEDA is planning to boost export revenue and export of crabs will certainly help in increasing the country’s Foreign Exchange (FE). We will identify SHGs interested in cultivating mangrove crabs in AP,” said Ms. Nair. READ MORE Trang forest poaching curbed THAILAND - Trang authorities took the most-aggressive legal action yet against illegal encroachment of public land in 2014, more than doubling the number of cases launched the prior year. Monpatra Wangsanuwat, chief of Trang province's natural resources and environment office, said 174 encroachment cases involving 1,225 rai of forest land were begun in 2014. That compares with 73 cases involving 637 rai of land in 2013 and 139 encroachment cases covering 1,053 rai in 2012. He said the crackdown came after the National Council for Peace and Order and the government ordered agencies nationwide to move against against destruction of natural resources. Legal action was taken against poachers backed by large investors. The cases are now in various stages of prosecution, ranging from verification of land rights to court proceedings, he said. READ MORE Land plan draws on HM's advice THAILAND - Nakhon Si Thammarat: A mangrove forest project backed by the King in Chanthaburi's Ao Kung Krabane will serve as a role model for a pilot project on land management for the poor in Nakhon Si Thammarat. Mingquan Witchayaransarit, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, said the new project involves managing 12,618 rai of mangrove forest in Nakhon Si Thammarat. The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources will run the scheme, drawing on lessons learned from the royal initiative in Ao Kung Krabane, which also involved mangrove forests. VIEW SOURCE GIM students to ‘evaluate’ mangroves INDIA - A group of first year management students of the Goa Institute of Management at Sakhali, as part of an academic project, are trying to assess the value of Goa's precious mangrove cover in monetary terms. The students are using a new method known as contingent valuation. The idea is to help Goans realize the worth of its natural asset. "When we started working on the project, we asked different persons living around the mangrove vegetation if the growth was valuable to them," Princy Sethia, a student, told TOI. "Some, like fishermen, said that it was valuable to them as fish use this cover as breeding grounds, whereas others like farmers said mangroves are not needed. So we wanted to give it a definite value in terms of money and make locals realize the worth of mangroves in economic terms." The mangrove valuation is part of GIM's 'Give Goa' project, taken up by students in a bid to groom managers who are sensitive to society's and the environment's needs. The project is being done in collaboration with the Porvorim-based Centre for Environment Education, where the students were trained by scientist Sujit Dongre, which first helped them understand the ecology of Goa and the role mangroves play. READ MORE HC encourages satellite imagery to preserve mangroves INDIA – The Bombay High Court, on 18th February, 2015, directed the Maharashtra State Government to make use of modern technology, such as satellite imagery, to help protect mangroves and wetlands. Division Bench of Justice Naresh Patil and Justice A S Gadkari said, "The use of modern technology will help the authorities ascertain the nature of destruction, if any." Justice Patil cited a case that he had heard while presiding in an Aurangabad Bench of the High Court, where the Court had ordered the replanting of trees which had been previously felled. At that time, the Court had told the Government to provide satellite images of the planted trees in order to ensure proper compliance with its order. The Court's directions came during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by an NGO, 'Vanashakti', which alleged that damage had been caused to vast tracts of mangroves and wetlands across the State. The High Court then directed the Government to submit a report on the action taken against people who encroach upon wetlands. READ MORE Assessing the value of Singapore's mangrove swamps SINGAPORE - The coastline generally associated with Singapore is one of harbours, ships, artificial beaches and concrete seawalls, all contributing to - and a product of - economic activity. But hidden among the cranes and refineries is a different coastal Singapore, a coast teeming with life. This is a coastline fringed by intertidal mangrove forests and subtidal seagrass meadows, a coast that is home to crocodiles, dolphins, otters, and some of the most biodiverse coral reefs in the world. However, Singapore's coastal ecosystems have declined rapidly with urbanisation. While data varies, the country may have lost almost 90 per cent of its mangroves since the 1950s due to land reclamation in the north and south-west. Other coastal ecosystems continue to decline, with recent research suggesting that over 40 per cent of intertidal coral reefs and almost 38 per cent of mudflats and sandflats have been lost in only the last 20 years. READ MORE Belitung boosts tourism with mangroves INDONESIA - The Forestry Office of Bangka Belitung Province is developing 500 hectares of mangrove forests on Belitung Island to conserve the areas and boost ecotourism. “This year, we are developing the mangrove forest areas in Selat Nasik, Pengantungan, and Tanjung Pandan,” Nazarliyus, the head of the forestry office, said in Pangkalpinang. He said the mangrove forests on Belitung Island are still not affected by offshore lead mining and encroachment activities. “We are managing the mangrove forests and building the facilities, so that visitors can enjoy the beauty of the island,” Nazarliyus said as quoted by Antara news agency. According to him, the mangrove forest areas in Belitung are still well-conserved, as the administration has formulated policies to protect its biodiversity potential. In contrast, the mangrove forests on Bangka Island have been severely damaged. READ MORE AFRICA Coastal Areas are exposed to environmental risks SIERRA LEON - The Executive Director of the Environment Protection Agency (EPA), Madam Haddijatou Jallow, on Thursday said most areas along our coastline are exposed to environmental risks. She was speaking at the official opening of the validation workshop of the draft Reports: Coastal Sensitivity Mapping and the State of the Marine Environment at the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Resources conference hall. The EPA Executive Director added , these two projects; “The State of The Marine Environment Reporting and the Marine and Coastal Oil spill sensitivity mapping”, were initiated in 2014, and frantic efforts have been made with support from experts and partners. She emphasized that both the coastal oil spill sensitivity mapping and the assessment on the State of the Marine and Coastal Environment are key resource management tools that have the potential to enhance our knowledge on the essential steps in addressing the problems they face. READ MORE Editor’s Note: The following story highlights the dangers of rushing in to “save” the environment. Some may disagree with the author’s opinions, but it is interesting to see the evolution of environmental awareness and impacts of conservation on local communities. Sea cucumbers saving lives: the radical charity giving Madagascan fishing communities hope MADAGASCAR - Dr Alasdair Harris is a 35-year-old marine ecologist who is changing the way people think about conservation. In November 2013 he went to Washington, DC, to give a presentation at a World Wild Fund for Nature (WWF) conference on ‘the power of communities to protect the planet’. ‘I’ve been told that I’ve been billed as an iconoclast,’ he began, before going on to question one of the cornerstones of marine conservation: marine protected areas (MPAs). There are more than 6,500 MPAs – in most cases controlled by national governments – covering nearly three per cent of the world’s oceans. And numbers are increasing rapidly. Dr Harris showed a slide of a marine reserve in Tanzania. ‘An MPA,’ he said, ‘but really, it’s just a paper park. A park in name only. Overfishing is rife. Dynamite fishing is widespread. Sadly, lamentably, this is not an isolated incident.’ Harris and his colleagues at Blue Ventures, the charity he co-founded in 2003, are at the forefront of a new strand of marine conservation that concentrates on people as much as endangered fish or sea turtles. Their core belief is that MPAs can bring benefits, but at a cost. READ MORE AMERICAS To Save Coral Reefs, First Save the Mangroves USA - With coral reefs in decline and NOAA calling for a larger protected area for reefs in the Gulf of Mexico, U.S. Geological Survey scientists are pointing out another strategy to save reefs: First save the mangroves. Mangrove trees' thickets of stilt-like roots protect coastal land from erosion and help mitigate the damage of tsunamis and hurricanes. They may also serve as a haven for corals, according to a recent report in Biogeosciences. (Read more about how mangroves support animal life.) Warming waters have not been kind to coral reefs. Heat causes corals to release the photosynthetic algae that live within and help feed the reefbuilding creatures—a phenomenon called bleaching, which is often fatal. In the Caribbean, where bleaching is widespread, more than 50 percent of the area that was covered by reefs in the 1970s is no longer. In the mangroves of Hurricane Hole on St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, however, Caroline Rogers of the USGS made a startling discovery. Growing among the tree roots were more than 30 coral species, including four threatened species. Some of the older corals must have survived bleaching that devastated the nearby reefs, suggesting the mangroves protected them. READ MORE Environmentalists rally against permit to cut mangroves USA - Carrying signs and signing a petition, dozens of protesters rallied along the side of Manatee Avenue near the bridge to Anna Maria Island. They're upset about plans to cut some mangroves from around Perico Island to make room for four houses on 3 and a half acres of land. "We're talking four houses, just a drop in the bucket, that's true -- but it's acres of mangrove habitat," said environmental activist Andy Mele. Mele says if the administrative judge allows development over mangroves, a dangerous precedent could spread. And worst case scenario? "If you were to remove the mangroves from the shorelines today the gulf ecosystem would crash. It's that critical," Mele said. READ MORE LAST WORD(S) Just to let you know that the slight redesign of the homepage is now LIVE. Please encourage people to have a look and play around :) http://mangroveactionproject.org/ Many thanks Leo Thom MAP Web Support 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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Friday, February 20, 2015
MAP News Issue 358 - Feb 21, 2015
Friday, February 6, 2015
MAP News Issue 357 - Feb 2, 2015
The MAP News |
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FEATURE STORY Sand mining killing mangroves near Thane INDIA - Even as the world celebrated World Wetlands Day on Feb 2, destruction of the coastal ecosystem continues in and around Mumbai. This comes almost a year after the Bombay high court (HC) ordered an interim ban on construction and reclamation of wetlands. Every year, February 2 is observed as World Wetlands Day, to mark the adoption of the Ramsar Convention 1971, which is an intergovernmental treaty providing the framework for national action and international cooperation for wetland conservation in India. This time around, it’s along the right side of the Kasheli creek bridge on the Thane-Bhiwandi highway where mangroves have been chopped and wetland reclaimed by dumping debris. “Some local sand miners from Balkum village are reclaiming the wetland to start a sand storage facility,” said Nandakumar Pawar of non-government organisation Shree Ekvira Aai Pratishthan, which has written to the state mangrove cell. With sand mining at the Kasheli creek, wetlands have been reclaimed over the years to create pathways for trucks that ply sand extracted from the creek. READ MORE AFRICA UAE marks World Wetlands Day United Arab Emirates - The UAE joined the international community in observing the World Wetlands Day on Feb 2nd, 2015. The day marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on February 2, 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar. The World Wetlands Day 2015 was being held under the theme “Wetlands for Our Future – Join us!” Dr Rashid Ahmed bin Fahad, Minister of Environment and Water, said in a statement that the UAE were making tremendous efforts to protect and conserve biodiversity in general and terrestrial and marine protected areas, and wetlands in particular, reported Wam, the state news agency. The minister said that collective national plans would have a positive impact on these ecosystems and their economic value and services as well as their economic, social and environmental benefits. READ MORE World Wetlands Day 2015 - Clean-Up Campaign MAURITIUS - A clean-up campaign at the Pointe d'Esny Wetland was launched Feb 2 in presence of the Minister of Agro-Industry and Food Security, Mr M. Seeruttun to mark World Wetlands Day 2015 commemorated on 2 February. The theme for this year is Wetlands for our Future. The site, which was proclaimed in September 2011, harbours a rich mangrove forest ecosystem which acts as breeding nursery for marine fi and crabs. It plays a vital role in supporting the marine ecosystem. After the Rivulet Terre Rouge Estuary Bird Sanctuary and the Blue Bay Marine Park, Pointe d'Esny was designated as a Ramsar Site of International Importance. World Wetlands Day was celebrated for the first time in Mauritius in 1997 and since then government agencies, nongovernmental organisations and groups of citizens at all levels of the community have taken advantage of the opportunity to undertake actions aimed at raising public awareness. READ MORE ASIA Policy on crab farming in mangrove forests INDIA - In a bid to boost mangrove conservation, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has asked the forest department to draft a policy to incentivise crab farming in the mangrove forests and make it a viable alternative source of livelihood for fishermen. The Chief Minister released the first batch of 500 crablets in a pond near the Thane creek at Airoli and surveyed the wetlands along Thane creek up to Vashi bridge on Monday. Considered one of the tastiest crab species, the mangrove crab in their natural habitats can grow up to 800 gm within six months, if conditions are ideal, said mangrove cell officials. Sale of crabs earned India around Rs 85 crore in foreign exchange last year and Maharashtra earned Rs 7 crore, said officials from Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA). The CM also wants the mangroves and flamingos along the Thane creek to be protected to enhance the biodiversity in the area and ensure better ecotourism,” said an official from the CMO. READ MORE P67.45M earmarked for mangrove, beach forest dev’t projects PHILIPPINES - The government has earmarked P67.45 million this year for massive mangrove-planting activities and beach forest development in targeted coastline areas in the Caraga region to further protect communities from storm surges during onslaughts of typhoons. Alongside the budget allocation, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources office in Region 13 (DENR-13) is also set to plant this year 4,845,000 million mangrove seedlings in target areas spanning 1,938 hectares in Northeastern Mindanao, according to DENR-13 Executive Director Nonito Tamayo. In Surigao del Norte alone, a total of 1,206 hectares of areas will be planted with mangroves using a budget of P41.9 million, while Agusan del Norte and Dinagat Islands will do so in 100 hectares and a P3.48 million allotment each. “Aside from global warming and climate change mitigation, this part of the National Greening Program (NGP) via massive planting of mangrove trees also aims to protect people living along coastlines and shores,” Tamayo said. READ MORE The mangroves of Karachi — facing an existential threat? PAKISTAN – The most visible and delicate ecosystem of Karachi, a city with a profound coastal environment, is that of the mangrove forests that thrive in the mingled salt and freshwater where the Indus River meets the Arabian Sea. These forests, however, are under existential threat for a number of reasons, particularly along the city coastline. There is untreated municipal waste and industrial pollution causing still-undetermined amounts of damage, there is exploitation of the trees by the area’s communities for use as firewood, building material and fodder and, most alarmingly, there is the chopping down of the forests to make way for coastal development projects. The Pakistani coastline stretches for around 990 kilometres, with the Exclusive Economic Zone – the sea zone in which the state has special rights over marine resources – covering an area of about 240,000 square kilometres. READ MORE Sunderban mangrove has components to cure Type 2 diabetes BANGLADESH - Sundari trees, the most extensively found mangrove species in the Sunderbans, have some components which can bring down the level of Type 2 diabetes, according to a study. Conducted over a period of five years, the study "Identification of Anti-Diabetic compounds from Sunderban Mangrove" by the scientists of R G Kar Medical College and hospital in West Bengal government, has claimed to have found that various parts of these trees from leaves to aerial roots contain components to maintain the blood sugar level in Type 2 diabetics patients. "It has been revealed for the first time that Sundari trees which are quite abundant in Sunderbans region have high anti-diabetic components which can be very useful in curing Type 2 diabetics. We will soon apply for patent," said Anjan Adhikari, the lead scientist of the project. READ MORE Airoli to get bird-watching centre, mangrove tourism project INDIA - Bringing cheer to those interested in eco-tourism, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has given his approval to a project that will turn the area near Airoli creek into a tourist spot. Fadnavis toured the mangrove areas earlier this week and said that mangrove tourism will be given a push in the area and a bird-watching centre will also be developed. Airoli MLA Sandeep Naik has been demanding that the area be developed for tourism purposes. “The area near the creek will be declared as a protected one and it will be developed as a tourist spot,” said Fadnavis. Naik, who accompanied the chief minister, informed him that various species of birds, including flamingoes, were found near the creek. He has demanded that this area be developed as a bird-watching area. Naik had also pushed for the development of mangrove tourism in Airoli since it has a diverse marine ecology. READ MORE Wetlands play a vital role for human survival, biological diversity PAKISTAN - Federal Minister for Climate Change Mushahidullah Khan on Sunday said that conserving wetlands and protecting them from any damage was critical for their sustainability, as these water bodies play a vital role for environmental services, human survival, biological diversity and mitigating floods. In a statement on the occasion of the World Wetlands Day being marked under the international theme “Wetlands for Our Future”, the minister highlighted that the theme of this year’s Wetlands Day highlights unprecedented significance of wetlands for a better tomorrow. Mushahidullah said wetlands constitute lakes, marshes, peatlands, wet grasslands, streams and rivers. Underscoring significance of the wetlands, he said, “wetlands not only purify and replenish our water and provide the fish that feed hundreds of millions of people, but they also act as a natural sponge against flooding and drought as well as protect our coastlines.” AMERICAS Red Mangrove swamps declared at risk VENZUELA - Thousands of hectares of mangroves are in a total state of vulnerability in Venezuela. The alert was directed to the environmental community and the authorities of the national government by Henderson Hill, executive secretary of the Association for Environmental Preservation in Falcon ( AEPA -Falcón ). Hill was speaking at a special meeting held on International Day of Wetlands, February 2nd. The management specialist on ecosystem of marshes and member of the International Mangrove Network warned that this situation could result to the Venezuelan nation being listed in the Montreux record, which is responsible for keeping a detailed records of these critical spaces which are endangered as a result of technological developments , pollution or other human interference. READ MORE (en espanol) Editor’s note: We rely on our friends working Central America to closely monitor such an unusual joint venture. Energy firm, army, stakeholders establish mangrove nursery EL SALVADORE - Growing mangrove trees and sustaining the availability of its seedlings are the efforts of the stakeholders in Misamis Oriental in protecting the environment and conserve the marine life along the Macajalar Bay. Recently, energy firm Steag State Power Inc. (SPI), the Macajalar Bay Development Alliance (MBDA) and the 4th Infantry Diamond Division (4ID) in collaboration with the local government of El Salvador City, have heightened the mangrove growing activity along the eastern shores of the province. SPI with its environmental protection program donated to this city an initial amount of P 127,000 for the establishment of a mangrove nursery at Barangay Molugan here for the propagation of seedlings to support the 15 member local government units belonging to the MBDA for their future planting activities. READ MORE EUROPE World Wetlands Day Statement from Dr. Christopher Briggs, Secretary General of the Ramsar Convention SWITZERLAND - With our theme this year as “Wetlands for our Future”, we want to highlight the choices ahead of us all, considering the all-too-real threat to wetlands around the world. Latest research indicates that over 64% of the world’s wetlands have been destroyed since 1900, and in some regions, notably Asia, the loss is even higher. This rapid decline means that access to fresh water is worsening for almost two billion people worldwide, while flood control, disaster risk reduction, carbon storage and traditional wetland livelihoods are all suffering and our futures with them. In addition to loss of water and other wetlands services, the richness of wildlife - our biodiversity - has also been affected. Populations of freshwater species have declined by 76% in the last forty years, according to WWF’s Living Planet Index, and this is a worse prospect than any other place on earth. What is driving this loss? Unfortunately, wetlands are often viewed as wasteland; something to be drained, filled and converted to other purposes. READ MORE LAST WORD(S) I'm very excited and grateful to know that one of the artwork from Malaysia was selected to the MAP's 2015 International Children's Art Calendar. Thank you very much for sending us the beautiful calendars as well as the certificates. For your information, we have organised a simple awards ceremony for the young winners during a mangrove art exhibition for celebrating World Wetlands Day 2015. Please check the newspaper articles (in Chinese) about the mangrove art competition and awards ceremony. I hope you all enjoyed the sharings. Thanks again and wish MAP family a happy World Wetland Day! Regards Yun Yun Nature Classroom Penang, Malaysia 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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Action Alerts: 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
Information sheds clear light on shrimp-mangrove connection
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Mangrove Action Project
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