BRAZIL

1st Mangrove Defense Week
Sponsored by Ceara Coastal Environmental Education Network (REALCE), Cumbe-Aracati section

“Know, Take Care Of, and Defend”

Cumbe, Aracati
23-27 July

Submitted by: Joao Joventino do Nascimento

------------------------

1^st March of the Fortaleza Popular Ecological Front
26 July 12:59 pm

Real estate speculation in Fortaleza has destroyed communities, mangroves, and rivers. Magnates influence the State in the name of private interests, constructing roads through the middle of the Cocó Ecological Park, with the aim of making the land more valuable for sale. This is the logic of Capital!

On the International Day of Mangrove Protection, the People of Fortaleza are coming together in the Fortaleza Popular Ecological Front in order to protest against real estate speculation.

Join the cause in fighting in defense of the Cocó River and its Mangroves.

The Popular Front, at this time, is composed of:

1. BLCOC VERDE;
2. CMI – Centro de Mídia Independente;
3. MCP – Movimento dos Conselhos Populares;
4. SOS-COCÓ;
5. Instituto Brasil Verde.

Submitted by:  Frente Popular Ecológica de Fortaleza

COLOMBIA

In commemoration of International Mangrove Day, 26 July, ASPROCIG (Asociación de Productores para el Desarrollo Comunitario de la Ciénaga Grande del Bajo Sinú), is holding an event on climate change in the local coastal zone communities. It will take place in the Casa de la Cultura of the city Lorica with the presence of delegates from local communities, state entities, and academics.

Submitted by: Juan Jose Lopez
ASPROCIG

CUBA

Mangrove Fiesta

On the occasion of the International Day of Mangrove Ecosystem, CITMA, the Cienaga de Zapata National Park, the Municipal Culture Direction, the Sabana-Camaguey GEF-UNDP Project, and the National System of Protected Areas Strengthening project are involved in the preparation of the Mangrove Fiesta, 20-22 July 2007.

With special interest in promoting the study and preservation of this ecosystem and its adaptability to climate change, the 2^nd edition of this event will have the central theme: If the climate changes, the mangroves will also change.

Participants will include: Cuban and foreign specialists, children and youth from the provinces involved in the Sabana Camaguey Project, and the local population.

General Program

20 July

• II Student Mangrove Science Day
• Scientific Workshop on mangroves and climate change
• Presentation of the Exhibit “Cuban Mangroves”
• Welcome Cocktail. Inauguration of Painted Mural
• Evening of Singing and Hope in the Casa del Poeta
• Culture Day in the communities

21 July

• Mangrove planting and tour of an exuberant area of mangroves
• Awarding of prizes for Literature and Crafts Contest “Culture about the Mangroves”
• Lunch
• Cultural day in the communities

22 July

• Presentation of the Exhibit “Cuban Mangroves” in the community Playa Giron
• Cultural day in the communities

Submitted by: Msc. Julio Haedo Maden
CITMA. Ciénaga de Zapata

ECUADOR

Various activities during the month of July for the International Day in Defense of Mangrove Ecosystems

Campaign 2007: “For the traditional communities and food sovereignty”

9 July

• Week of training for 12 young community tourism guides, Muisne

Upon completion of the training the participants will be prepared to guide visitors in the protected area Refugio de Vida Silvestre and will know the difference between commercial and community tourism.

12 July – FUNDECOL

• Meeting with all of the organizations carrying out projects in the protected area.
  
  

23-25 July

• I International Workshop for Concha Recuperation and Conservation (Andara species)

• 2^nd Congress of the Traditional Mangrove Ecosystem Communities
• Round table on Impacts of Biofuels

• Meeting of Authorities and Traditional Mangrove Ecosystem communities
• Painting and Poetry Contests for children
• Marimba
• National and international artists
• Food sovereignty fair
• Reforestation, and more
  
  

Submitted by:  Tania Coronel R. FUNDECOL

------------------------

Traditional communities associated with the mangrove ecosystem celebrate International Day in Defense of Mangrove Ecosystems

Clam and crab collectors, charcoal producers, and artisanal fisherfolk of the coastal marine provinces of the country, grouped together in the National Coordination for the Defense of the Mangrove Ecosystem (C-CONDEM), celebrated the International Day in Defense of the Mangrove Ecosystem with community activities.

One of the highlighted events was the International Workshop for the Recuperation and Conservation of the Black Cockle (Andara similis, A. tuberculosa) in Muisne, Esmeraldas Province. The context of this event is the urgent need to recuperate this resource, vital for the economy of traditional communities and whose reduction along the Pacific Coast is putting it in danger of extinction.

Specialist researchers from Costa Rica, Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador participated, in addition to artisanal collectors who contributed with their traditional knowledge. The necessity to manage the mangrove ecosystem with an integral focus as an estuarine watershed was one of the most important outcomes; as well as agreements, such as:  present the mangrove ecosystem emergency declaration to the governments of the participants  and indicate the Black Cockle (piangua) as a threatened species; form a regional alliance with the objective of recuperating and conserving the mangrove ecosystem and its resources, especially the Black Cockle; demand that technical and scientific institutions exchange knowledge with the Traditional Mangrove Ecosystem Communities in order to attain recuperation, management, and conservation of the ecosystem.

Events in the provinces of Ecuador

Muisne – Esmeraldas Province

Activities focused on community mangrove reforestation in which 300 people from diverse communities participated.
Food Sovereignty Fair – with exhibits and sale of ecologically produced products, in addition to sporting events, and poetry and painting contests with the participation of children and youth. The event was closed with cultural artistic acts.

North of Esmeraldas Province
Meeting for an observational visit to the Ecological Mangrove Reserve Cayapas-Mataje (REMACAM), plan actions in defense of the ecosystem, and manage the dissemination of actions through local communication channels.

Manabi Province
Celebrations were based in San Jacinto – Manglares La Boca, where sporting events took place, toasting the day with a community meal, and a historical recounting was made of the actions in defense of the ecosystem and of the rights of the Traditional Mangrove Ecosystem Communities. The Ecological Mangrove Education Center of San Vicente was the site of a day of reflection on the destruction of the ecosystem.

Guayas Province
Celebrations took place on Puna Island, Santay Island, Cerrito de los Morrenos, Palmar, and in the capital of the province, Guayaquil. Parades, sporting events, and group meetings commemorated the day, culminating with the delivery of informative materials and demands to the offices of the Coastal Sub-secretary.

El Oro Province
In Puntilla, 200 representatives of Mangrove Ecosystem Traditional Communities, fisherfolk, and artisanal collectors met to reflect on their activities, plan the continuation of their community struggle, and to read the Declaration of Mangrove Ecosystem Traditional Communities.

Quito
At the central headquarters of C-CONDEM, authorities and delegates of the organization met with the objective of determining the responsibilities of the State in the Recuperation of the Lands of the Mangrove Ecosystem Traditional Communities. A result was the commitment to install a table of authorities and Mangrove Ecosystem Traditional Communities to deal with the not legalizing the shrimp farming industry and acknowledgment of the Lands of the Mangrove Communities. Accompanying this event was a Food Fair with typical dishes from the mangroves, and talks with students on the actions in defense of the ecosystem carried out by the C-CONDEM organizations.

Submitted by:  Comunicacion C-CONDEM
www.ccondem.org.ec

INDONESIA

MAP-Indonesia Busy on Mangrove Action Day

MAP-Indo staff Ratna and Dodon will be in Simeulue Island until the 27th, actively working on Mangrove Action Day. Ratna will be training villagers from 8 villages on non-timber forest products from mangroves and fish processing for added value, as well as training Aussie Red Cross staff on mangrove environmental education. Dodon will be working with Norweigian Red Cross villages on improved fish smokehouses. Other MAP-Indo staff, Jajang, Indra, Sky, Subki and Ben, are involved in Agro-forestry work on the 26th, and are also still involved in the construction of an upper watershed education center.

Submitted by: Ben Brown
MAP-Indonesia Coordinator

MEXICO

For the last 10 years, Bio Iguana has maintained a constant vigilance and struggle for the conservation of mangroves along the Pacific Coast of Mexico. They invite all to accompany them, along with fisherfolk and residents, in events in defense of the Mangroves:

26 July, 9am
Navidad Laguna
Cihuatlan, Jalisco

26 July, 5pm
Manzanillo, Colima
March and cultural party in defense of mangroves and the coastal lagunas of San Pedrito, Cuyutlan, Las Garzas, and Juluapan.

Submitted by:  Bios Iguana A.C.

PERU

International Mangrove Day Symposium

27 July

Casa de la Cultura, Vice (Sechura – Piura)

Speakers:

Armando Bancayán Amaya (mayor of Vice)

Michael McCoy (Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica / USA)

Elier Tabilo Valdivieso (CNEH - CHILE)

César Chávez Villavicencio (EDHUCO - PERU)

Manuel Charcape Ravelo (EDHUCO - PERU)

Federico Rizo Patrón Viale (CNEH -PERU)

Ecología, Desarrollo Humano y Conservación en el Perú (EDHUCO – PERÚ)

VENEZUELA

AEPA Falcon (Asociación Ecologista para la Preservación Ambiental del Estado de Falcon) is organizing a forum entitled: Let’s Construct an Ecological and Socially Just Code of Conduct for the Mangrove Ecosystem.

13 July

Workshop: Formation of Environmental Leaders “Community strategies for sustainable development.

17-19 July

Workshop: Public Hearing on the integrated management and sustainable use plan for mangroves of La Vela, Colina municipality.

21 July

• Guided visit to the Montecano Biological Reserve, Paraguana Peninsula.
• Workshop Phase 2: Struggle against desertification and climate change.

27 July

• I Regional Encounter of Coastal Communities for the defense of mangrove ecosystems and human rights, Coro, state of Falcon.
• Construction of Redmanglar Falcon
  
  

Submitted by: Henderson Colina
AEPA Falcon