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The MAP News, 179th Ed., 06 January 2007
Dear Friends,
This is the 179th Edition of the Mangrove Action Project News. Thanks for your continued support of MAP and our global efforts to Save the Mangroves in this new year of 2007!
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL! May this be a prosperous and productive year for effective and sustainable mangrove conservation and restoration that fully involves and empowers local coastal communities in the process!
Alfredo Quarto,
Mangrove Action Project
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.
“When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.”?--John Muir
Back Issues available!
Note: The latest issues of the MAP News are available on MAP's Website.
Contents for MAP NEWS, 179th Edition
FEATURE STORY
Twenty percent of the world's mangroves lost over the last 25 years
MAP WORKS
Mangrove Action Project’s Mangrove Curriculum Transfer for Brazil
MAP Conservation and Advocacy Work In Brazil Gets Support
ANNOUNCEMENT: “Mangrove Forest Ecology, Management and Restoration" training workshop, March 5-8, 2007, Hollywood, Florida.
Start Your New Year Right With A MAP 2007 Calendar!
Niger
Niger River's arteries clogged, fish resources affected
ASIA
Thailand
Massive loss of coastal land foreseen
Shrimp exports could lose up to $281 mn, says president of Thai Shrimp Association
Thailand invites Australia to review its shrimp farming procedures
Thai shrimp exports threatened by US, Australian trade rules
Another reason for mangrove & coastal vegetation green belts!
Indonesia
Indonesian activists say coastal damage exacerbating disasters
Borneo Shrimp Problem Worries Oil Giant Total
Indonesian shrimp company wants tenfold increase in production
Expanding Aquaculture Production for Indonesia's Poor Fish Farmers
Vietnam
Vietnamese shrimp exporters may lose Japanese market
The Philippines
The white shrimp attack
Fishermen slam government moves to lift import ban on foreign shrimp species
India
Forest Law Brings Hope, Danger for India's Tigers
Rising sea sinks 2 Sundarbans islands in India : Study reveals
US for mutual solution to shrimp dumping duty row with India
***ACTION ALERT!!!*** Save Sundarban Campaign Needs Your Help!
India Seafood Exports To Us Drop 23%
Pakistan
Fishermen decide to constitute parallel assemblies
Australia
Bans Thai Shrimp, All Shrimp
Iran
Iran to resume shrimp exports to Spain soon
Peru
Peru anchovy fishmeal fishery reopens, but with little control Brazil
NGOs In Brazil Unite Against Industrial Shrimp Farm Expansion
The Bahamas
Bimini Island In The Grip Of Mistruths and Continued Threats To Its Mangrtoves
Red Flag On Projects Impacting Coast Zones
US Virgin Islands
Mangrove Cleanup To Get Underway With NOAA Support In US Virgin Islands
British Virgin Islands
Residents rally against golf course
USA
Eating shrimp could make you sick, claims new report
US court rules shrimp bonds unfair
US Shrimp Imports Up 11.4% Through October
Wal-Mart and MSC Join Forces
STORIES/ISSUES
Past 50 Years Of Ecological Change Greatest In Human History
Tourism Threats Continue To Mount In Wake Of 2004 Tsunami
Seattle tries a new hook to save salmon
Fishprints Leave Tracks On Water
Reforestation and Conservation—Best Ways To Combat Global Warming
CONFERENCES/ WORKSHOPS & PUBLICATIONS
New Television Series Lauds Greenbelt Function of Mangroves
New Video On Mangrove Greenbelts In Asia Released
Special Report On Tsunami Recovery Efforts
ANNOUNCEMENTS
ISME Updates Its Mangrove Listing
AQUACULTURE CORNER
MSC rejects extension of ecolabel to farmed seafood
Farmed Salmon Most Chemically Bound
From Far Beneath the Israeli Desert, Water Sustains a Fertile Enterprise
Mass escape from Norway's fish farms threatens wild salmon
Site:
http://www.fao.org/forestry/newsroom/en/news/2005/highlight_108389en_pfv.html
Twenty percent of the world's mangroves lost over the last 25 years: Rate of deforestation slowing, but still a cause for alarm
9 November 2005, Rome - Around 20 percent of the world's mangrove forests have disappeared during the past 25 years as a result of over-exploitation and conversion to other uses, according to a new FAO study.
9 November 2005, Rome - Around 20 percent of the world's mangrove forests have disappeared during the past 25 years as a result of over-exploitation and conversion to other uses, according to a new FAO study.
Mangroves today cover around 15 million hectares (ha) worldwide, down from 18.8 million ha in 1980, according to the study. Still, during the same time frame the annual rate of mangrove deforestation dropped from around 185 000 ha per year in the 1980s to 105 000 ha/yr during the 2000-2005 period, it added.
"More countries are now recognizing the importance of mangroves and are making an effort to conserve and better manage them," said Mette L yche Wilkie, a mangrove expert at FAO. "Yet the true value of mangroves and other wetlands is still underestimated and much remains to be done to reduce the rate of loss, which is significantly higher than for other forest types," she added.
Key findings of FAO report to be discussed at Uganda meeting on wetlands
The key findings of the report were presented today at the Conference of the Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, which began yesterday in Kampala, Uganda (8-15 November 2005).
The report, to be published next January, will provide an overview on mangrove vegetation and species, uses and threats in addition to information on mangrove areas and area changes over time. It is prepared by FAO in collaboration with mangrove specialists throughout the world and is co-funded by the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO).
A misused resource
Because they are located in coastal zones, where population densities are typically high, mangrove areas are frequently converted to other uses, including fish and shrimp-farming, agriculture, salt production and urban development.
In the past, many governments actively encouraged such development of mangrove areas in order to strengthen food security, boost national economies and improve living standards.
Over the last few years, however, an increased awareness of the wider value of mangrove ecosystems has led to new legislation, better protection and management of mangrove resources and, in some countries, a re-expansion of mangrove areas, according to FAO.
Mangroves are found in more than 120 countries and territories around the world, but the UN agency noted that close to half of the total mangrove area is found in just five countries: Indonesia, Australia, Brazil, Nigeria and Mexico. Asia has the largest area of mangroves, followed by Africa and South America.
Mangroves provide wide range of benefits
Mangroves are salt-tolerant forest ecosystems commonly found along sheltered coastlines, in deltas and along river banks in the tropics and sub-tropics. Millions of fishermen, farmers and others depend on them as a source of wood, medicinal plants, and food.
One important function of mangroves is to serve as spawning grounds and nurseries for fish and shellfish and they play an important role in the marine foodweb. When mangrove forests are destroyed, drops in local fish catches often result.
These unique forest ecosystems provide a number of additional environmental benefits, as well. Mangroves help prevent and reduce coastal erosion, providing nearby communities with protection against the effects of wind, waves and water currents. This was the case during the 2004 tsunami in Asia where evidence indicates that where extensive areas of mangroves existed, coastal villages suffered less damage.
See Also...
FAO mangroves Web site
World Atlas of Mangroves
Tsunami Forestry Web site
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands
FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment
From: mapasia@loxinfo.co.th
Note: MAP wishes to express our gratitude to Disney Conservation Wildlife Fund for helping MAP initiate this important work to introduce the MAP Mangrove Curriculum Into The Schools There in Brazil.
Mangrove Action Project’s Mangrove Curriculum Transfer for Brazil
The first phase of the Mangrove Action Project’s (MAP) Mangrove Curriculum Transfer – Adapting & Translating a Teacher’s Curriculum-Based Resource Guide for Brazil – was successfully completed this fall.
MAP Education Director, Martin Keeley, met with Ms. Elaine Corets, MAP Latin America Coordinator, and the Working Group for four days in mid-November 2006 in the town of Cananeia, Sao Paulo State (SE Brazil) – on the Atlantic coast 272 km (160 miles) south east of the city of Sao Paulo. The Working Group (WG) came together to review the objectives of the program, define roles, map-out the adaptation process, and evaluate teacher training facilities and logistics in the area.
The workshop took place at the offices of the Cananeia Network Association, which kindly donated space and other office facilities to enable the successful completion of this phase of the project. The workshop also ran during the celebration of Mangrove Conservation Week in Canaeia, thus enabling participants to attend several public events organized by the association – including a mangrove clean-up.
The Guatemala version of the curriculum had been translated into Portuguese prior to this meeting and each WG member received a copy, both of the complete Guatemala version (in Spanish with all illustrations), as well as the text of the Portuguese translation. With the objective of producing material that would be acceptable for use throughout Brazil, the WG decided that they will carry out a general adaptation of the curriculum which will be national in character, while also taking into consideration the regional variability of the country.
The WG will reunite the beginning of April 2007 to integrate the scientific, didactic and ethnographic adaptations that are currently being developed and written by respective members of the WG. To complement this work, a multi-media DVD will be produced at a later date.
In addition to Mr. Keeley and Ms. Corets, the working group comprises the following participants:
Clemente Coelho Junior Luciana Maria da Silva , Renato de Almeida, Cleber Rocha Chiquinho, AndrÈ Murtinho Ribeiro, Chaves Alineide Lucena, Mayra Jankowsky, and Jorge Galdino Santana
In addition to participating in Mangrove Conservation Week, the group visited the the Ilha do Cardoso State Park, which is a short ferry ride away from Cananeia. The park headquarters are eminently suited for the full teachers’ workshop – provisionally scheduled for early fall, 2007 – with all the necessary facilities. Mr. Keeley was also able to visit Mr. Chaves’ school and observe him teaching a class of Grade 7 students. This gives us a clear picture of the student and teacher learning capabilities.
While this seed funding from Disney World Conservation Fund (DWCF) has enabled a strong start to the adaptation program, substantial additional funds will be required during 2007 -8 to complete the adaptation and publication of the curriculum and full teachers’ guide, as well as hold the “train-the-trainer” workshop for some 30-40 teachers led by MAP’s Educational Director in the park. The first of three workshops is planned to formally introduce the curriculum and teachers are shown how to conduct the activities as well as how to use the resource guide, of which they each receive a copy to take back to their classrooms – together with materials that will enable them to carry out the activities. An extensive mangrove field trip will be held at the end of the workshop so teachers can apply their knowledge in the field.
This teacher training activity planned will also serve to train future workshop facilitators. As the demand for MAP’s Mangrove Curriculum grows, it has become apparent that Mr. Keeley cannot personally attend to all of the requests for workshops. It is therefore crucial to build local and regional capacity to facilitate workshops, that is, train the trainers. With this objective in mind, MAP’s Latin American Coordinator attended a teacher training in Guatemala, accompanied by Renato de Almeida – a member of the Brazil WG. Together, they will bring their lessons learned observing Mr. Keeley in action to Brazil. This experience will serve to inform the Brazil teacher training workshops, and prepare them to facilitate future workshops independently of Mr. Keeley.
The completion of publication of the mangrove curriculum/teachers’ guide and the first full teachers’ workshop (in 3 regions) will be subject of a further funding application to the DCWF for this next phase of the project.
===========
MAP Conservation and Advocacy Work In Brazil Gets Support
Brazil Mangrove Conservation Program Receives Timely Support From Overbrook Foundation
MAP wishes to also thank the Directors of Overbrook Foundation for their generous and timely support of MAP’s newly initiated conservation and advocacy program in Brazil, where rapid shrimp farm expansions now threaten coastal communities and natural resources, including the mangrove forest wetlands there. Brazil contains the world’s 2nd largest area of mangrove forests, so it is vital to address the problems now facing these important coastal ecosystems. Elaine Corets, MAP’s Latin America Coordinator will be coordinating efforts there for MAP, collaborating closely with Brazilian activists and local communities.
“Elaine Corets”
==========
“Mangrove Forest Ecology, Management and Restoration" training workshop, March 5-8, 2007, Hollywood, Florida.
The fifth "Mangrove Forest Ecology, Management and Restoration" training workshop will be held at the Anne Kolb Nature Center, in Hollywood, Florida, USA, March 5-8, 2007. The training site is within a 500 ha mangrove restoration project at West Lake Park operated by Broward County. The award-winning project was designed by Roy R. "Robin" Lewis III, who will be teaching the course.
The workshop includes an introduction to mangrove forest ecology, management options and problems, and restoration design issues. The class programs are all given in a PowerPoint format, and each student is provided with a print out of the presentation and additional handouts including monitoring reports for typical restoration projects. Case studies of 5 successful mangrove restoration projects, and several unsuccessful projects, are discussed. Field trips are taken within the 500 ha West Lake Park mangrove restoration project (now 17 years old) and a new project just four years old, for a comparison.
The emphasis is on cost-effective successful mangrove management and restoration, and cost figures for typical projects are discussed and explained. The hydrologic restoration of mangroves is emphasized as the best approach to successful restoration at minimal cost (see Erftemeijer and Lewis 2000; Lewis 1999, 2000a, 2000b, 2005; Lewis and Marshall 1998; Lewis and Streever 2000; Lewis et al. 2005, Stevenson et al. 1999; and Turner and Lewis 1997, for further discussion about hydrologic restoration of mangroves). Planting of mangroves is discussed in light of the many failures of this alone to successfully restore mangroves.
Cost for the course not including travel to Ft. Lauderdale, lodging or food is $750, due by January 1, 2007. Two qualified students will be allowed to attend for free, and can apply at any time for the two fee-waived positions. This course is organized by the Coastal Resources Group, Inc., and will be taught in conjunction with the Mangrove Action Project (www.earthisland.org/map).
More information can be provided by Robin Lewis at:
LESRRL3@aol.com
and
www.mangroverestoration.com
From: LESrrl3@aol.com
==========
Start Your New Year Right With A MAP 2007 Calendar!
Don't delay in ordering your new MAP 2007 children's mangrove art calendar before they run out, we have limited stock on hand and they are always in great demand.†In addition, they make wonderful stocking stuffers and Christmas gifts, so order in time to receive them before the end of the year. Better yet, give a gift membership to MAP along with the calendar.....
Yes, MAP's new Children's Mangrove Art 2007 Calendars are now available for ordering. These calendars are produced from school art competitions from primary school children from over 12 nations. We have artwork from Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean included. Any donation of $35 or more qualifies the donor for an annual membership with a free calendar! Please give generously today!
You can help MAP stay in this fight for a mangrove future by becoming a donating subscriber today! Check our website for details www.earthisland.org/map or contact: mangroveap@olympus.net
West Africa
Niger
Note: This article may not directly mention the affect such river clogging may have on mangrove forest zones, but one can be certain there are grave consequences for coastal wetlands in process now. A more holistic conservation and restoration endeavor that includes a “sea to mountain” approach is most definitely called for there!
Niger River's arteries clogged, fish resources affected
By Saliou Samb
The Niger river snakes through nine countries in West Africa before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean. It is an epic 4,200 km in length, provides sustenance to millions of people -- and has trouble brewing at its source.
In the Faranah region of central Guinea where the river begins, small islands of sand have formed in the bed of the Niger, prompting a decline in fishing and harvests.
"The silting up of the Niger river has caused our revenues to tumble. The level of water does not allow for fish resources to be renewed. The fish are threatened because there are practically no more deep waters where they can breed," LancinÈ Camara, who is in charge of a group of about 300 fishermen, told IPS.
At approximately the start of the 1990s, he adds, "we managed to catch more than 50 kg of fish in an hour of fishing. Today, an entire night of work is not enough to catch a quarter of this amount."
All in all, notes meteorology official Namory DiakitÈ, the silting up of the Niger has affected 210,000 sq km of arable land, and undermined the livelihood of about 110 million people. After leaving Guinea, the Niger makes its way through CÙte d'Ivoire, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Benin, Cameroon, Chad and Nigeria.
According to Benjamin Tounkara, a water and forestry engineer, there are three main causes for the silting up of the Niger: deforestation, soil erosion and climate change, which has resulted in noticeably diminished rainfall.
Source:
http://allafrica.com/stories/200612310071.html
Inter Press Service
From: Samudra icsf@icsf.net
Thailand
Bangkok Post Dec. 28, 2007
Massive loss of coastal land foreseen
Erosion could claim 200,000 rai in 20 years
ANCHALEE KONGRUT
About 200,000 rai of land _ about the size of Thailand's smallest province, Samut Songkhram _ could fall victim to erosion in the next 20 years. Laem Talumphuk cape in the South could also disappear by 2056, if coastal erosion continues at its present rate, an expert on climate change has warned.
''Coastal erosion has already taken 21% of the country's coastal area, or 113,042 rai, over the past three decades,''said Assoc Prof Thanawat Jarupongsakul, lecturer on climatology at the Unit for Disaster and Land Information Studies at Chulalongkorn University's science faculty.
''A climate change-induced wind pattern has intensified the speed of coastal erosion in both the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman sea,'' said Assoc Prof Thanawat, who is researching the impact of climate change on seawater, for the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
His study showed erosion was the result of rising sea levels, man-made structures and dwindling mangrove forests.
Rapid erosion of 35 metres a year had been found in Samut Prakan province. This had forced people in villages such as Klong Dan to move inland. Pom Phra Chul, an ancient fort, was now partly submerged by seawater.
In Nakhon Si Thammarat, Laem Talumphuk has shrunk with seawater washing away 20 metres of the sand strip every year. ''It is likely that erosion will eat away the whole of the one kilometre-wide cape in the next 50 years,'' he said.
If the erosion problem was not addressed, the country would lose another 100,000 rai _ over 47,875 rai in the upper Gulf alone _ in the next 20 years, bringing total land losses to more than 200,000 rai, about the size of Samut Songkhram.
Coastal erosion could worsen as the average height of sea waves in both the Gulf and the Andaman sea doubled to four metres and 4-5 metres respectively.
There are 30 hot spots in his study.
Among them are 22 provinces on the Gulf coast. The most vulnerable spots are those located in the inner Gulf, including the river estuary in Samut Prakan. The erosion rate there will double to 65 metres per year in the next 20 years.
Assoc Prof Thanawat said check dams, jetties, and artificial sand could help arrest erosion. However, in some areas the erosion rate was beyond remedy.
Some man-made structures such as check dams or jetties could even worsen the problem.
A jetty on Map Ta Phut industrial estate blocked erosion at that spot but simply re-directed the problem elsewhere. The same scenario happened near Pak Panang irrigation project in Nakhon Si Thammarat.
From: MAP / ASIA
==========
Shrimp exports could lose up to $281 mn, says president of Thai Shrimp Association
Somsak Paneetatyasai, president of the Thai Shrimp Association, said Thursday that the shrimp export industry could lose up to Bt10 billion (US$281.2 mn) from the stronger baht. He said if the baht stayed at Bt41 till early next year, the shrimp export value would hover to Bt100 billion.
"The central bank should be concerned with this. The volatility makes it difficult to guage if the income would drop or rise and to set the sell prices. The Thai baht has strengthened much faster than our competitors' currencies, and this reduces our competitiveness," Somsak said.
In the first 10 months of this year, shrimp exports rose 25.13 per cent to 286,536 tonnes. The value, worth Bt71.38 billion, marked an increase of 22.86 per cent. For the entire year, the volume and value are expected to be 340,000 tonnes and at least Bt80 billion, respectively.
Separately, Agriculture Permanent Secretary Banphot Hongthong said that the ministry is on the course of estimating the damage for the farm sector, particularly to rice, shrimp and chicken. "As the Thai baht strengthens faster than other currencies, exporters may shift the burden to farmers. They may force down the prices of agricultural products purchased from farmers," he said.
Source:
http://nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30020984
The Nation
From: icsf@icsf.net
==========
Thailand invites Australia to review its shrimp farming procedures
IntraFish Media
Thailand is creating a team to help farmers deal with new regulations regarding shrimp shipments to Australia, the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry said Friday. Australia requires certifications to guarantee Thailand's shrimp products are free from marine diseases, Niwat Sutemechaikul, Thai Fisheries Department deputy directorgeneral, told Thai News Agency.
The department will conduct tests that meet international standards and issue certificates to shrimp producers, he said. Only 1 percent of Thai shrimp exported to Australia were found to be contaminated, he said. Australia recently released a draft import risk analysis (IRA) paper about new standards imposed on shrimp imports, Thai News Agency reported, and to clear any problem concerning the standards, the ministry will establish a committee to prepare information on Thai shrimp and farming standards, said Minister Thira Sutabutr. The report will be submitted to Biosecurity Australia in February, the minister said.
Thailand will invite officials from Biosecurity Australia to review the country's hygienic standards and inspect its shrimp farming procedures, the minister said. The fisheries department will study legal issues to ensure there are no trade problems with the new standards, the minister said, pointing out the country upgraded its growing standards so they could be certified the Code of Conduct Guideline (CoC). The certification is hoped to increase confidence in Thailand shrimp products.
Copyright 2005 IntraFish Media AS - All rights reserved.
http://www.intrafish.no/global/news/article122817.ece
http://www.intrafish.no/global/news/article122817.ece?service=print 12/16/2006
==========
Thai shrimp exports threatened by US, Australian trade rules
Thailand's Fisheries Department said that it is closely monitoring the introduction of new health and safety standards in the United States and Australia as they may hamper Thai shrimp exports to two major Thai markets.
Walmart, the US retail giant, the single largest buyer of Thai shrimp, taking up 90 per cent of shrimp exports to the US, recently ordered its suppliers to get aquaculture certification from an independent body, according to Fisheries Department director-general Jaranthada Karnasuta.
The Missouri-based Aquaculture Certification Council will certify whether imported supplies meet the social, environmental and food safety standards by inspecting not only shrimp hatcheries, but also farms and processing plants in foreign countries.
Such measures could potentially affect export prices, making Thai produce less competitive, Mr. Jaranthada said. He added that the Fisheries Department was negotiating for lower certification fees and would ask the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to look into the standardization of food safety guidelines since a review of existing standards for fresh and frozen prawn exports reveals that there is wide latitude from market to market.
"We want the international community to note that such unilateral practices are widespread as far as health and food safety is concerned," the Thai official noted, saying that such unilateral actions made it difficult for suppliers to comply with varied and changing standards.
Thailand has proposed hosting a special FAO meeting March 26-30 to look closely at the problem," the fisheries chief said.
Mr. Jaranthada said that Australia, another major buyer, is about to introduce a total ban on foreign shrimp in 2008, citing concerns for possible contamination and spreading of aquatic diseases. Thailand is making a representation on the matter to demonstrate that its shrimp should be exempted from the ban, he added.
Meanwhile, Indonesia, where Thailand's large commercial fishing fleet is active, is considering re-negotiating its fishing concessions.
Source:
http://etna.mcot.net/query.php?nid=26976
TNA News
From: Samudra icsf@icsf.net
==========
Note: Another reason for mangrove & coastal vegetation green belts!
Bangkok Post Dec.24, 2006
El Nino blamed for coastal erosion
A crash between the cold air mass from China and warm sea water in the Gulf has created strong coastline surf attacks
By Apinya Wipatayotin The El Nino weather phenomenon has been blamed for the unusually high waves that are ravaging the coastlines of six southern provinces along the Gulf of Thailand, according to marine biologist Thon Thamrongnawasawat.
El Nino, which creates ocean warming in the Pacific, has caused a slight increase in the sea water temperature in the Gulf, said the Kasetsart University lecturer.
"A crash between the cold air mass from China and warm sea water in the Gulf has created a strong surf that attacks the coastlines," said Mr Thon.
At the moment, the water temperature in the Pacific Ocean can be measured at 26-27 degrees Celsius, or two degrees warmer than its normal temperature of 24-25 degrees Celsius.
This is an indicator of the looming El Nino, he said.
Many countries in the region have already been affected by El Nino, which is also causing less rainfall in some Pacific rim countries.
El Nino's impact on Thailand, however, would become more severe in the middle of next year, when the water temperature in the Gulf would rise by about 2 degrees Celsius, Mr Thon said.
He noted that such strong surf attacks were uncommon in Thailand.
"Such mighty waves that cause extensive coastal erosion have rarely been recorded in the country. And no changes are expected until the influence of the cold mass from China declines," he said.
The Meteorological Department announced yesterday that the strong sea surge is expected to abate during the next two days, but another episode of strong waves will start causing havoc on the shoreline again from Wednesday onwards.
The department said wind strength in the Gulf of Thailand is also unusually high at the moment, partly due to the northeastern monsoon. Yesterday, it was measured at 15-35 km per hour, much higher than its normal level of 10-15 km per hour.
According to the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department, the strong surf, which started attacking the coastline on Dec 18, was devastating the shorelines of six southern provinces, including Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Ratchasima, Songkhla and Narathiwat.
At least five districts of Surat Thani were declared disaster zones, while schools in Ta Chana and Don Sak districts might have to close temporarily.
The navy in Songkhla province was put on stand-by to evacuate people living in risky coastal areas and islands popular with tourist, including Koh Pa-ngan, Koh Samui and Koh Tao in Surat Thani province.
Koh Tao tourism operators yesterday requested that the navy supply petrol for electricity generation as the island had been facing a fuel shortage because boat transportation had been disrupted by strong waves.
According to the navy's aerial survey of the wave strikes, around 200-300 metres of the coastline had been eroded between Nakhon Si Thammarat and Narathiwat so far.
In Pattani, waves as high as 2-3 metres have eroded the beachside road in Yaring district. The road is now covered by sand and stones washed ashore by the waves over the past few days, cutting off the transportation route of the fishing communities at Tachee cape.
The affected villagers yesterday called on the disaster response unit to clear the road and come up with relief and humanitarian operations immediately.
From: mapasia@loxinfo.co.th
==========
Malaysia
Article's URL:
http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=16514
NGOs want govt to gazette all mangrove areas as forest reserves
By: Mohd Tajudin (Tue, 26 Dec 2006)
NIBONG TEBAL (Dec 26, 2006): Several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) want the authorities to gazette all sea mangrove areas in the country as forest reserves to stop their alarming decline.
They also called for the speedy formulation of laws relating to shorelines management and river valleys.
Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM), Penang Consumers Association (CAP), Peninsular Inshore Fishermen Network (Jaring) and Penang Inshore Fishermen's Welfare Association (PIFWA) spokesman M. Nizam Mahshar said the existence of the mangrove areas is vital to maintain the shorelines and to restore the balance of ecosystem.
"Something have to be done fast as there are only 567,000ha of sea mangrove areas in the country and 130,142ha are yet to be gazetted and facing uncertain future," he told a press conference today.
"These areas which are owned by various state governments in the country could be facing near death as many of such areas had previously been used for development purposes.
"The state governments' record in gazetting mangrove areas is very discouraging. The vulnerable mangroves could be chopped down to make way for development any time."
All the four NGOs are also having similar functions to replant mangrove trees in Kuala Haji Ibrahim, Sungai Acheh here, Kuala Kurau in Perak, Taman Nilam and Kerpan in Kedah to commemorate the Dec 26, 2004, tsunami incident which devastated the country's northen coastal area.
The group planted 3,000 mangrove trees in all the four areas.
Nizam said the tsunami proved that areas with mangrove forests are less affected as they are able to absorb the impact from the big waves, thus causing only minor damages.
"The tsunami made many of us, including the government, finally realising about this fact. But two years down the road, it all now seemed to be forgotten as these priceless mangrove areas are now being subjected to development," he added.
"There are efforts made by nine state governments under the Special Committee for mangrove tree replanting which was established in 2005 but these replanting works which were contracted out to private companies did not go well,".
"We also view the illegal aquaculture activities on the shoreline as a threat to these mangrove areas as such activities are polluting the waters with their indiscriminate use of resources in the respective areas," he told reporters.
"We really hope that the tsunami incident will continue to be remembered to help create awareness of the importance of maintaining the balance of nature and to value its contribution to our surroundings.
"This should be included in the country's main agenda and with better committment for mutual benefits," added Nizam.
From icsf@icsf.net
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Indonesia
Indonesian activists say coastal damage exacerbating disasters
By Tb. Arie Rukmantara
Environmental activists are calling on the government and the public to halt the degradation of marine resources in order to prevent the kinds of disasters that have already caused suffering for millions of people.
Riza Damanik, campaign manager for marine and coastal areas at the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), said the rapid damage to coastal areas has left 750 villages along some 81,000 square kilometers of the country's coastline subject to chronic erosion.
A study by Walhi showed that 90 percent of the disaster-hit villages were located in areas where coral reefs and mangrove forests were damaged.
The 2005 State of the Environment report says that of the country's 51,000 square kilometers of coral areas, only 5.8 percent are well-preserved, a decrease from 2004 when 6.8 percent were in good condition. Meanwhile, about 57 percent of the country's 9.2 million hectares of mangrove forests are in critical condition.
Experts say mangrove trees could halt erosion and mitigate the negative impacts of large sea waves on coastal areas, where some 16 million Indonesians live.
"These villagers are suffering from ecological disasters, a natural result of our accumulated failures in preserving the environment and managing marine resources," Riza said. He blamed the government for not stopping the conversion of coastal areas into big fishing ponds, which has decreased the ability of coastal areas to mitigate the impacts of disasters.
"Last year, my study estimated that fish farming areas totaled 800,000 hectares, increasing at an average rate of 14 percent per year," he said.
Marine and Fisheries Ministry spokesman Aji Sularso said the government was fully aware of the situation and had drawn up various community-based programs to improve conditions. "We are working not only to increase yields from the fishery industry but also to practice preservation," he said.
Source:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailnational.asp?fileid=20060704.H06&irec=5
The Jakarta Post
From: icsf@icsf.net
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http://www.terradaily.com/reports/ Borneo_Shrimp_Problem_Worries_Oil_Giant_Total_999.html
Borneo Shrimp Problem Worries Oil Giant Total
Mahakam Delta (AFP) Dec 25, 2006
by Sebastien Blanc
French oil giant Total dominates the immense Mahakam delta on the island of Borneo, but concern over the humble shrimp has led the company to highlight an ecological catastrophe it fears it will be wrongly blamed for. Overexploitation of the crustaceans has caused the disaster in the Indonesian province of East Kalimantan on Borneo, research funded by Total and local officials say.
The region concerned, one of rich biodiversity, is composed of interlacing channels cutting through luxuriant vegetation and fans out over an area of 10,000 square kilometres (3,800 square miles) on the east coast of Borneo.
Sediments transported by the Mahakam river have trapped vast amounts of organic matter and created, over the course of 10 million years, exceptional hydrocarbon reserves.
They are among the largest discoveries Total has made anywhere in the world over the past 30 years.
The oil firm extracts 550,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, mainly gas, an amount equal to three quarters of France's gas consumption.
For a long time, the local inhabitants carried on with their traditional lifestyle, putting up with the methane tankers, drilling platforms and gas pipelines.
According to Total E and P Indonesie president director Philippe Armand, the local population lived off small-scale aquaculture of fish farming and traditional fishing.
The 1997-1998 Asian financial crisis that saw the Indonesian rupiah plunge to a quarter of its value overturned all that. The production of shrimp, sold in dollars, suddenly became very profitable.
Investors without scruples flowed in, along with thousands of workers from Java and Sulawesi.
"Since the economic crisis of the years 1997-1998 people have been cutting all the mangrove, opening new shrimp ponds, without any restrictions or law enforcement," said Muhammad Najib, in charge of environmental problems for Total E and P Indonesie.
However the mangrove swamps provide valuable nutrients for the aquaculture. To replace them, the shrimp pond owners have turned to artificial fertilisers, which themselves deteriorate the ecosystem. It is a vicious circle.
In a study financed by Total, Cirad, the French institute of agronomic research, concluded that conversion of more than 800 square kilometres (300 square miles) of mangroves into shrimp ponds, "involved, in the short term, the degradation of the ecology of the delta, ... the appearance of diseases, water pollution and an alarming salinisation of the ecosystem".
"The productivity of shrimp farming has fallen because of the damage caused to the natural environment," Bahteramsyah, environmental official for Kutai Kartanegara district, told AFP. He estimates only 20 percent of the original mangrove swamp remains.
Total's activities in the delta have nothing to do with this looming disaster but the oil giant fears it will bear the brunt of the social consequences because of its high profile in the region.
Armand estimates that in five years around 15,000 people could find themselves without a livelihood if there are no more shrimps. "Those jobless people being abandoned by all those tycoons will come knocking at our door and ask 'What have you done for us?'," he said.
"We fear that we will be totally wrongly accused of being the source of the problem."
Total has decided to take the initiative and has earmarked two million dollars over five years to promote sustainable management of the Mahakam delta.
The company has replanted more than three million mangrove seedlings, organised a symposium on the risks posed by shrimp farming and is also training the villagers in more environmentally friendly methods to farm crustaceans.
Source: Agence France-Presse
From: Samudra icsf@icsf.net
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Indonesian shrimp company wants tenfold increase in production
Asia Pulse
Indonesia-based shrimp orducer PT Dipasena Citra Dramadja says it plans to increase shrimp production to 137,000 tons in 2010, up from this year's estimate of 13,000 tons. The projected increase will make up 25 percent of the country's total production of 540,000 tons in 2010 year, Dipasena President Rudyan Kopot said. “With that level of output, Dipasena will regain its position as the world's largest shrimp producing company," Kopot said.
Financial problems in the wake of the 1997-1998 financial crisis in Asia led to a takeover of the company by the government after its shrimp ponds were looted by local farmers. The government later handed over the operation of the shrimp farms to a group of investors who apparently failed to provide 2.6 trillion rupiah ($286.7 million/ €217.7 million) agreed upon to revitalize the shrimp ponds. Copyright 2006 Asia Pulse.
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Editor’s Note: MAP and our global network associates are qwuitre concerned about the implications of this plan by ADB to promote and support increased aquaculture production in Indonesia. We are now looking into this planned program to learn more about its true nature and potential consequences for the communities and coastal ecology of Indonesia.
Expanding Aquaculture Production for Indonesia's Poor Fish Farmers
MANILA, PHILIPPINES - ADB will help boost the incomes of 14,000 poor fish farmers in Indonesia through a loan of US$33.3 million to enhance aquaculture production and productivity in select provinces.
The Project will support a Government program to promote community-managed freshwater, brackishwater, and marine aquaculture development among poor communities of the country.
It will be carried out in five districts of four provinces: Langkat in North Sumatra, Ogan Omering Ilir in South Sumatra, Karawang and Sumedang in West Java, and Buton in Southeast Sulawesi.
Aquaculture plays an increasingly significant role in Indonesia’s economy, employing about 2.5 million people, providing an important source of nutrition and generating valuable foreign exchange earnings and domestic revenues.
However, poor fish farming systems and lack of good quality fish and shrimp seed, along with growing environmental degradation and pollution, are holding back the sector. Other problems include lack of access to credit for smaller fish farmers, absence of marketing infrastructure, and user conflicts in open water areas.
The project, officially known as Sustainable Aquaculture Development Project, will focus on small-scale and low-cost systems that are economically sound and environmentally friendly, and that can easily be replicated by larger entrepreneurs and organizations.
It will include pioneering new schemes to help organized fish farmer groups in establishing micro-enterprises and marketing their products, assisted by community based and non-government organizations. Key public aquaculture facilities will be rehabilitated along with associated access roads.
The project will also help the Directorate General of Aquaculture (DGA) and participating district governments to formulate policies and regulations for aquaculture development and environmental management.
“Besides the increase in aquaculture production, incomes and jobs, the project is expected to generate more general benefits,” says M. Jamilur Rahman, an ADB Principal Project Specialist. “These include a cleaner environment and better health and nutrition among rural populations from overall expansion of the food supply, given that fish is a staple in Indonesia.”
The total project cost is $44.5 million, of which ADB’s contribution accounts for almost 75%. The loan is from ADB’s concessional Asian Development Fund, carrying a 32-year term, including a grace period of eight years. Interest is charged at 1% per annum during the grace period and 1.5% per annum for the rest of the term.
Other contributors to the project are the national and district governments ($8.46 million) and beneficiaries ($2.76 million).
The DGA of the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries is the executing agency for the project, which is due for completion around the end of 2013.
From: "Natasha Ahmad"
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Vietnam
Vietnam. net Bridge
Vietnamese shrimp exporters may lose Japanese market
17:37' 04/12/2006 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge ˆ Not only cuttle-fish dealers, but shrimp exporters are also facing the risk of losing the Japanese market if Japanese authorities decide to prohibit imports from Vietnam.
The Vietnamese Ministry of Trade has warned shrimp processors and management authorities that Japanese authorities were considering banning shrimp imports from Vietnam.
In recent days, Japanese authorities have many times discovered anti-biotic residues and impurities in consignments of products exported to the country, which is considered a violation of Japanese law on food hygiene.
On September 19, 2006, Japan decided that 50% of consignments destined for Japan must be examined for chloramphenicol before being imported into the country.
But even this declaration did not improve the situation. This led to the a subsequent decision by Japanese authorities to examine 100% of imports from Vietnam.
The Commercial Affairs Division under the Vietnam‚s Embassy in Japan has had many working sessions with Japanese authorities to tackle the problem, explaining the drastic measures Vietnam was taking to improve the situation.
While waiting for the Japanese side to make a final decision, Vietnam has been requested to track down the reasons for the unsafe exports and apply necessary measures to prevent the exportation of substandard products.
The Ministry of Trade (MoT) said that the most important thing that needed to be done at this moment was to not export substandard products. This should be seen as the last opportunity for Vietnam to retain the right to export shrimp to Japan.
However, even after the instruction on 100% examination over Vietnam‚s exports became effective, Japanese authorities have still found many other cases of violations.
On November 21, 2006, MoT received a notice from the Japanese Health Care and Labour Ministry which said that Japan was considering prohibiting shrimp imports from Vietnam.
Phuoc Ha
From mapasia@loxinfo.co.th
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The Philippines
The white shrimp attack
BERNARDO V. LOPEZ, BusinessWorld, September 27, 2006
The invasion of the Pacific whiteleg shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) has brought 16 strains of deadly virus into our waters, resulting in a dramatic decrease in the national shrimp production to 40,000 metric tons, from 90,000 a year. This attack is orchestrated by a more sinister invasion of Taiwanese fishpond operators. I call the attention of GMA and the DA-BFAR to please look into this looming crisis.
The government appears helpless in stopping rampant smuggling, mainly from Taiwan. Tambuyog Development Center, a fisherfolk advocacy NGO, claims the smuggling is done „on a regular basis‰ in key international gateways such as NAIA, Subic, Clark, and the Pampanga and Laoag International airports, implying syndicates and government officials are in cahoots.
The Taiwanese fishpond owners here are raking it in and raping our environment. They should be deported if they produced the shrimp variety, as the same will result in virus-laden waters. Now, Filipino entrepreneurs are learning from the Taiwanese and are starting to shift to the deadly white shrimp for fast cash. Tambuyog alleges that fishponds which culture the white shrimp include a hatchery in Cebu and another in Zamboanga.
The key is for the DA and the BFAR to have the political will to close fishponds found producing white shrimp. They know where these illegal fishponds are, but why is the DA-BFAR not doing it? If they cannot do this, the local government and the DENR should help. The Taiwanese operators have a simple smuggling modus operandi. They apply for a milkfish (bangus) import permit under Fisheries Administrative Order (FAO) 221 and misdeclare the white shrimp as milkfish fry.
White shrimp production is actually banned by FAO 207, but BFAR reports that about 700 hectares of fishponds are illegally culturing white shrimp in Bulacan, Pangasinan, and Zambales, producing 3,450 metric tons, equivalent to 10% of total national annual production. These fishponds should be publicly identified before many more shift to white shrimp. It is killing our lucrative native black tiger prawn production. In the late ‚90s, there was an outbreak of the deadly white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) when our national shrimp production was halved. Aquaculturists claim the infestation was caused by overstocking and overapplication of antibiotics ˜ in other words, greed.
Unable to stop the smuggling and illegal culture of white shrimp, DA-BFAR is now perpetrating the crime. It is now pushing for the lifting of its own ban and for legalized commercialization. If you can‚t lick them, join them. DA-BFAR, in fact, is now undertaking a white shrimp experiment to determine if certified disease-free strains can be cultured. BFAR Dagupan reports that 33 farmers with an average of 10 hectares of shrimp farms each have already been accredited for the grow-out phase of the vannamei experiment. But this is illegal according to FAO 207. The ban on white shrimp is still in place.
In other words, the DA-BFAR is violating its own decrees.The DA-BFAR experiments are useless because there are more qualified international research groups doing this for the last decade or so, according to a study of the United Nation‚s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The DA-BFAR experiments simply want to justify the lifting of the ban. These illegal experiments are, in fact, spreading the viruses.
The study reveals that disease-free white shrimp is available, but at three times the cost of smuggled varieties, often infested by the WSSV. Buying disease-free shrimps may be useless if the virus is prevalent and can easily infect them in the ponds. Also, being certified as disease-free is virus-specific. If it is free of one virus, how about the rest of the other 15 found in Philippine waters? This short-term benefit is easily dwarfed by long-term damage, to a point that our entire shrimp industry is jeopardized.
We have become a nation of mercenaries at the beckoning of evil foreigners wanting to gain at our expense. In our poverty, we have become collaborators to invaders, partners in the crime of strangling our own kind, colonizers of a new kind using not swords but dollars to entice us into destroying ourselves.
The UN-FAO Bangkok regional office has conducted a detailed study of hybrid shrimps. The white shrimp originated from the western shores of South America, from Peru up to Mexico. In the 1970s, it spread rapidly across the globe. It was introduced in Asia in the ‚70s, but became commercialized only in 1996.
The study revealed its tremendous attraction. Aside from its fantastic growth rate, it can tolerate high stocking density, high tropical temperatures, and low salinity, making it ideal for inland fishponds with brackish tidal waters. Production cost is low because it does not require expensive high-protein feeds. It is easy to breed in captivity and does not require complex aquaculture technology. But the virus problem is complex and worldwide.
Greed is the better part of enterprise in a declining economy. Nobody cares what the effects are on our children or on our marginal communities as long as we are able to rake it in, aided by unscrupulous government agents who are partners in crime. The foreigners feast today to impoverish our children tomorrow.
eastwind@edsamail.com.ph
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BusinessMirror & Malaya, Dec. 19, 2006
Fishermen slam government moves to lift import ban on foreign shrimp species
By Jennifer A. Ng
Reporter
FISHERMAN and nongovernment organizations criticized Monday the Department of Agriculture (DA) for its plans to lift the ban on the importation and culture of Pacific white shrimp (Peneaus vannamei).
The Tambuyog Development Center disclosed that the DA is now rushing amendments to Fisheries Administrative Order (FAO) 207, which prohibited the importation and commercial farming of the white shrimp variety, except for scientific and educational purposes.
Tambuyog‚s executive director Arsenio Tanchuling said the National Agriculture and Fishery Council (NAFC) announced in its meeting on December 6 that the DA may approve on or before December 20, the amendments to FAO 207 exempting Pacific white shrimp from the importation ban.
„The problem is the draft amendments do not include any socioenvironmental safeguards or protocols that will prevent socio-environmental costs and the spread of shrimp diseases that can affect coastal communities,‰ he said.
As of press time, Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap could not be reached for comment on whether the DA is looking at lifting the import ban on the white shrimp variety.
Emmanuel de la Cruz, chairman of Kilusang Mangingisda, for his part said, his group wants a total ban on Pacific white shrimp because of the „socioenvironmental costs‰ involved in the introduction and culture of this exotic species, such as the entry of foreign shrimp diseases and damage to mangrove and coastal ecosystems caused by irresponsible aquaculture practices.
Earlier, Tambuyog had expressed its opposition to the lifting of the ban on vannamei as it said there were „too many unreliable foreign sources‰ that could bring the white shrimp variety infected with deadly shrimp diseases.
„This species has been smuggled into the country since the second half of the 1990s and is suspected to be the source of the White Spot syndrome virus that infected local black tiger shrimp in 1997 and halved the country‚s shrimp production,‰ the group said.
The fisheries group had earlier noted that the Philippines does not yet have the capability to control or avoid the outbreak or spread of shrimp diseases in the country.
COPYRIGHT © 2005 Philippine Business Daily Mirror Publishing, Inc.
From: MAP / Asia
India
Forest Law Brings Hope, Danger for India's Tigers
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INDIA: December 22, 2006
NEW DELHI - A new law giving rights to millions of poor Indian forest dwellers has provoked debate among conservationists who disagree over whether it will help save or further threaten the nation's dwindling tiger numbers.
The Recognition of Forest Rights Bill 2006 -- approved by lawmakers on Monday -- granted some of India's most impoverished and marginalised communities the right to own and live off resource-rich forest areas for the first time.
But while some wildlife groups say it will help efforts to save endangered tigers by making forest dwellers more accountable, others fear it will lead to more big cat poaching.
"Entire forest village communities will actually now ensure that no one in their community is involved in poaching and other illegal activities as they could all face penalties," Nitin Sethi of the Centre of Science and Environment think-tank said on Thursday.
Allowing forest dwellers to legally use and sell minor non-timber produce such as bamboo, honey, wax, fish and medicinal plants and herbs, would also help, he said.
But others argued the law would give rights to "encroachers" recently settled in forests and not just to those living there for at least three generations as the bill specified.
"How do you prove your family was there for generations?" said Tito Joseph of the Wildlife Protection Society of India.
"Lots of people will take advantage of this and our fear is that more people will mean more poaching and more destruction of the natural habitat of wildlife such as tigers," he added.
India is home to half the world's surviving tigers, but experts say it is losing the battle to save the big cats, citing poaching by some of the 300,000 people living in the country's 28 tiger reserves as one of the main causes.
Most eke out a meagre living by cutting down trees to sell for firewood, collecting honey, picking fruit and simple farming. But some are also paid by criminal gangs to lay traps, poison water sources and electrocute tigers.
Environmentalists say poor forest dwellers are paid an average of US$5 for each tiger killed, while a single skin is sold on the international market for up to US$20,000.
There were about 40,000 tigers in India a century ago, but decades of poaching and depletion of their natural habitat have cut their numbers to 3,700. Some wildlife experts say the total could be as low as 1,200.
Story by Nita Bhalla
REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
From “Robin Lewis lesrrl3@aol.com
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Rising sea sinks 2 Sundarbans islands in India : Study reveals
Afp, Kolkata
http://www.thedailystar.net/2006/12/22/d61222011611.htm
Rising sea levels have submerged two islands in the Sunderbans, where tigers roam through mangrove forests in the Ganges river delta, and a dozen more islands are under threat, scientists say.
A six-year study of the impact of future climate change on the world natural heritage site that India shares with Bangladesh came up with alarming results.
Official records list 102 islands on the Indian side of the vast Sunderbans, where the Ganges and Brahmaputra empty into the Bay of Bengal.
But scientists have been able to map only 100 islands and found the other two have been swallowed up, says Sugata Hazra, director of Kolkata's School of Oceanography Studies at Jadavpur University.
Fifty-two of the islands are inhabited with a population of more than 1.8 million people.
"Two islands, Suparibhanga and Lohacharra, which have gone under water could not be sighted in satellite imagery. The (disappearance of the) two islands have rendered over 10,000 people homeless," says Hazra.
"A dozen others on the western end of the inner estuary delta are threatened.
"As the islands sink, nearly 100,000 people will have to be evacuated from the islands in the next decade," Hazra tells the news agency at his office on the university campus.
He blames global warming and the depletion of mangrove areas for the rising sea levels in the world's biggest delta.
The Sunderbans -- or beautiful forest in Bengali - covers a total of nearly 6,000 square kilometres (2,300 square miles).
The islands, separated by a complex network of hundreds of tidal rivers and creeks, form an important buffer shielding millions from cyclonic storms and tidal waves in the Bay of Bengal.
The report by the oceanography scientists has recently been sent to the federal government as part of India's input for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Changes.
"The study shows several changes in physical, biological and social components and the temperature of the group of islands has risen by over one degree centigrade," since 1965, Hazra said.
The annual number of cyclones has fallen, but they are more intense now due to global warming and this means more coastal flooding, erosion and more saline water moving in on the islands, he adds.
While rainfall has risen only marginally over the years, most of the rain no longer falls during the traditional monsoon periods.
"Rainfall has shifted to the post-monsoon period and this shifting is a definite indicator of climate change," he said.
The study shows that the temperature in this area is expected to rise by one degree centigrade by 2050.
Hazra says the relative mean sea level in the Bay of Bengal is rising at a rate of 3.14 millimetres a year due to global warming.
"And if this trend continues, the rising sea will devour nearly 15 per cent of the islands in the Sunderbans," he adds.
Sunderbans Biosphere Reserve director Atanu Raha, who also studied satellite images of the last 20 years, agreed two of the islands have sunk and a dozen more are under threat of submergence.
"Things like a rise in temperature, in sea level is a highly alarming trend and it needs more study to tackle the situation," he said.
To add to the fears, a study published earlier this month in the journal Science found that global warming may lift sea levels faster than previously expected.
The study by Stefan Rahmstorf, professor of ocean physics at Potsdam University, said rising temperatures could boost sea levels by as much as 1.4 meters (4.6 feet) by 2100 -- almost twice the rate previously forecast.
Climatologists so far agree that sea levels will increase 9-88 centimeters (4-35 inches) over 1990 levels by the end of the century.
But Rahmstorf suggests the range could be much higher, 50-140 centimeters (20-55 inches).
From: BanglaPraxis
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US for mutual solution to shrimp dumping duty row with India
The United States is trying to find a mutual solution with India on the controversy over levying of anti-dumping duty on shrimp exports.
The issue involves Indian exporters paying anti-dumping duty ranging from 4.94 per cent to 15.36 per cent for shipments to the US.
The issue became a little complex with Washington enforcing a Customs bond procedure from November 2004, wherein exporters had to execute a bond upfront along with the exports. The bonds are to be paid every year till 2007.
The US had imposed the anti-dumping duty after a probe by its Commerce Department in 2004 led to a finding that shrimps were being exported at "less than fair value." Besides India, the duty was levied on Vietnam, Thailand, China, Ecuador and Brazil.
This move to find a solution comes despite India taking the issue to the WTO's Dispute Settlement Body and seeking the setting up of a panel to probe the matter.
According to diplomatic sources, the issue figured during the meeting between Union Commerce and Industry Minister, Mr Kamal Nath, and US Deputy Trade Representative Mr Karan Bhatia last week.
Though India has taken up the issue at the WTO forum, the issue can still be negotiated bilaterally. In fact, the WTO process allows discussion between two disputing nations before a panel is set up to probe a trade issue.
According to sources, the US is of the view that the bond procedure is not aimed at hurting the exporters, especially from India. The problem has cropped up as some of the exporters, who set up importing houses in the US, did not pay the duty owed to the US Government and vanished.
Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2006/12/05/stories/2006120502771200.htm
The Hindu Business Line
From: Samudra icsf@icsf.net
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Note: The following is a sample letter that we have been requested to publish, asking your help in sending this with your own added thoughts to the Prime Minister of India. Please hlp with this campaign initiative to halt unsustainable development in the Sundarban.This issue was covered in greater detail in the previous MAP News #178
***ACTION ALERT!!!***
Save Sundarban Campaign Needs Your Help!
To
The President of India
Rastrapati Bhawan, New Delhi
mail:presidentofindia@rb.nic.in
cc: Minister for Environment and Forests,
Government of India, Paryavaran Bhawan, CGO Complex, New Delhi:
e-mail:mef@nic.in, Fax:+91-11-2436-2222
Governor of West Bengal: Raj Bhawan, Kolkata:
e-mail:governor@wb.nic.in, Fax:+91-33-2200-2444
Dear Sir/Madam,
Re: Memorandum regarding Construction of Water Reservoir Blocking Living River Hukaharaniya by Sundarban Development Board and any other authority within the Sundarban Biosphere Reserve Area.
We, ………………………., want to draw your attention into a certain matter of serious environmental concern. We have come to know from an article published in the 178th Edition Mangrove Action Project News that an attempt is being made to stop the flow of water of living tidal river Hukaharania,in the Kultali block of Sundarbans in 24 Parganas(South), West Bengal, which is a connecting channel/river between the one very important and large sea bound river Thakuran and Makri(which is a branch of another very large and important river of Sundarbans, the river Matla), convert it into a stagnant waterbed, by creating a sweet water reservoir, viz. Hukaharaniya Reservoir. The River Hukaharaniya(local name) is a tidal channel. It is situated in the Kultali Block of the District 24 Parganas(South) and connects two important rivers of Sundarbans viz Thakuaran and Makri, which is a branch of Matla. The area falls within Sundarban Biosphere Reserve, within 200 metres distance of a national reserve forest of india, viz Ajmalmari Reserve Forest in Sundarbans, which is situated at the eastern bank of the River Makri and bisects a deltaic island. That deltaic island in spite of being reclaimed earlier retains almost all the characteristic features of the deltaic islands of the Sundarban Biosphere Reserve.
We have learnt that the authorities have already blocked the two ends of the river/channel since the middle of the year 2005, but the construction started and almost become completed without any prior EIA, environmental clearance and clearance of other competent authorities. We also have come to know from reliable sources that the Hukaharaniya river is a traditional water transport route in the locality and plays a crucial role in maintaining the ecological balance in the locality, being aggrieved by such an attempt of the Government Authorities an organization of the local fishermen, South Sundarban Matsyajibi and Matsya Karmachari Union Roydighi, 24 Parganas(South) and some local people filed a Writ Petition in Calcutta High Court(WP 1048 of 2005) and the hearing of the case is going on till date so the dispute is sub judice in nature.
There is no need to mention that by declaration of UNESCO, Sundarbans is a World Heritage Property, largest Mangrove Forest in the World, largest deltaic system and one of the Worlds most pollution free zones. In view of its importance it has been declared as one of the Ramsar sites in the famous Ramsar Convention. To preserve and protect the nature, character, ecology and environment here is a concern for any environment conscious man all over the world.
We have come to know that the authorities have given a plea that The Hukaharaniya river is very small and almost dried up. The criss-cross network of rivers and channels is the natural formation their to absorb the large pressure of tidal ingress during the high tides and drainage of the sweet water of the upper beds. That is why, in such an integral river system, even a small local change in the natural process has a global effect and that have the potential to cause some small but important change over a large area. Therefore the river however small and silted up might be, as long as it carried tidal flow it has an important role to play and should not be stopped.
These are extremely eco-sensitive zones and it is now the view of the environmental scientists to leave the natural processes here as much as possible free from any kind of human intervention. We are aware that the Government of India has framed many important environmental laws to protect the environment and ecology and has taken initiative to protect that. Although the matter is sub judice and outcome of the dispute depends on the decision of the appropriate Court but it is our appeal that you kindly intervene into the matter, in whatever possible way, listen from the aggrieved petitioners also and see so that the environment and ecology in Sundarbans can be protected and the tidal River/channel Hukaharaniya, which is a lifeline in that region, can be restored to its original position.
From: "Sourav Mukherjee" smukherjee06@gmail.com
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Pakistan
http://thenews.jang.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=34811
Fishermen decide to constitute parallel assemblies
By Shahid Shah
KARACHI: After losing every hope from their elected representatives and the country’s political structure, the fishermen of the province have announced to constitute their parallel assemblies in the country, whose findings would be sent to the international institutes of justice, Mohammad Ali Shah, Chairperson Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF), told The News.
When contacted in connection with a report published in a local newspaper, Shah said that the fishermen, who constitute oldest population in Sindh, had lost confidence from the policies of the government. “They are not getting justice, so why should not they come up with separate assemblies?” he asked.
The fishermen had contacted their elected representatives on various issues like contract system on inland waters, use of destructive nets and deep-sea fishing, but their problems were not even considered.
Shah said they would now constitute “fishermen assemblies” at union council and Taluka level from 1st January 2007, “which would be extended to the district level and finally there would be a provincial assembly in Karachi and a national assembly in Islamabad”.
He said they would hold their parallel assembly in Karachi at the time the provincial assembly proceedings would be in progress, adding that their struggle would continue for the next six months….
Shah said the fishermen had protested against the contract system on inland fisheries but nobody was listening to their miseries. “Fishermen are deprived of their historical rights on inland waters through the contract system,” he added.
He said two islands of Korangi and Phitti creek were being sold to a Dubai-based construction company Emmar, which would endanger the livelihood of at least 600,000 fishermen of Sindh.
Mangrove forests would be eliminated, fishermen would be denied their entry into the open sea besides whole fauna and flora would be damaged, he remarked.
The PFF has initiated its struggle against the construction of so-called Diamond Bar Island City, which the government claims would bring an investment of US$43 billion in the country.
The twin islands Bundal and Buddo had been declared “high priority areas” by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The IUCN says these islands are the breeding grounds of the endangered green turtle, besides various migratory birds take rest on these islands in winter.
These islands are part of the Indus Delta, which is a protected area under an international agreement in Ramsar Convention. The Convention was held in Iran in 1971, while Pakistan became its member in 1976. The member signatories agreed on protecting their wetlands, “but the rulers are violating the international commitment by endangering the wetlands,” Shah said.
“Fishermen, the major stakeholders, were not consulted in the Diamond Bar Island City plan,” Shah said and added, “the attitude of the rulers towards us shows as if we are bonded fishermen.” http://www.dawn.com/2006/12/08/local20.htm
From: Andrianna Natsoulas
Australia
Bans Thai Shrimp, All Shrimp
On Monday, December 4, 2006, Australia banned all prawn and shrimp imports after the State of Queensland detected whitespot syndrome virus in a number of shipments from Thailand, according to Apiradi Tantraporn, the Thai director-general of the Foreign Trade Department. She said, “The ban should take effect only where the disease is found, not from the entire country.’’ Ekapoj Yodpinij, president of the Shrimp Farmers Club of Surat Thani, which represents Thai shrimpers, noted that the Australian government had announced a blanket ban on shrimp not only from Thailand but also from all countries.
Source: The Bangkok Post.
Shrimpers cry foul over new Australia ban (http://www.bangkokpost.com/Business/07Dec2006_biz99.php).
Phusadee Arunmas. December 7, 2006.
From: bob@shrimpnews.com
Iran
Iran to resume shrimp exports to Spain soon
Iran will soon resume export of shrimps to Spain, director of the country's veterinary organization stated Wednesday, adding that farm shrimps were not included in the official list of exports to that country.
"The farm shrimps of Iran have not met the quality standards of the Spanish health ministry," Hassani added, noting that following talks between the organization and the trade attachÈ of Spain Embassy in Tehran, it was agreed that the two sides try their best to resolve the problem.
A consignment, around 6,000 tonnes, of Iran's farm shrimps was stopped at a Spanish port due to what the European country's health ministry called as contamination with an authorized amount of a medicine that is used in shrimp farming.
Source: http://www.thefishsite.com/fishnews/3169/shrimp-exports-to-spain-to-resume-soon
TheFishSite News Desk
From: Samudra icsf@icsf.net
Peru
Note: Much of this fishmeal is going towards feeding farmed fish and shrimp—just one more spin-off problem generated by the growing demands of a rapidly expanding industry hungry for cheap sources of fish meal to feed the carnivorous farmed varieties.
Peru anchovy fishmeal fishery reopens, but with little control
By Brian O'Riordan
The second phase of the 2006 anchovy fishmeal fishing season in Peru opened midnight 2 December 2006, two days prior to the start of the Anchovy Week campaign, whose objective is to promote the use of Peru's vast anchovy stocks for human consumption, thereby contributing both to the nutritional well-being of Peruvians, and to their economic development.
Early on Saturday morning, the first day of the new season, as many as 50 anchovy vessels of over 100 tonnes were spotted just 500 m off the beach of Mar Bravo in Chimbote, with their purse-seine nets in the water, fishing for anchovy. Under Peruvian law, the 5-mile coastal zone is a conservation area, reserved for artisanal fishing for human consumption.
These illegal operations were captured on film by Diario de Chimbote, which also carried eyewitness accounts from several artisanal fishermen. According to local reports, the maritime authorities knew that these vessels were fishing illegally, but were unable to take any action as they had no fuel for their vessels.
On 3 December, GastÛn Acurio, the renowned Peruvian chef, informed the Annual Business Leaders Conference (Conferencia Anual de Ejecutivos) in Arequipa that in 2005 some 8.5 mn tonnes of anchovy were transformed into fishmeal, while 25 per cent of Peruvians were chronically malnourished. "If only 10 per cent of this amount had been used for human consumption through targeted campaigns, these malnutrition figures could have been reduced by half", he said
While the anchovy-catching sector fishes illegally with no effective control, no restrictions are placed on the effluents or gas emissions from Peru's fishmeal factories. The seabed around Chimbote, Peru's premier fishmeal city, is a dead zone covered with sediments over 1 m deep, while the air is a toxic mixture of sulfurous gases and vapours. Some 35 per cent of the population are reported to suffer from respiratory ailments and 3 per cent from skin afflictions.
According to CONAM, Peru's Environmental Commission, "There is a direct relation between the volume of fishmeal production and the number of cases of respiratory infections, eye irritations, intoxication, and pulmonary edema, according to exposure levels". Hydrogen sulfide, one of the gases produced by the fishmeal plants, has a harmful affect on the eyes and respiratory passages. This toxic gas can reach levels as high as 1,127.91 mg per cu m, 800 per cent above established national standards.
Last year the fishery was worth US$1,622 mn in exports, roughly 1.1 per cent of Peru's gross domestic product. But critics say that the costs of this fishery to human health, and to the health of Peru's marine ecosystem far outweigh these benefits.
Source: Brian O'Riordan, El Commercio, Diario de Chimbote
From: Samudra icsf@icsf.net
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Brazil
NGOs In Brazil Unite Against Industrial Shrimp Farm Expansion
The Pastoral Council of Fisherfolk (CPP), Instituto Terramar, the National Movement of Fisherfolk (MONAPE) and the Forum in Defense of the Coastal Zone of Ceara (FDZCC) collaboratively carried out the seminar Mangroves and Community Life: the Socio-environmental Impacts of Shrimp Farming on 21-24 August 2006 in Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil. The event counted on the participation of 166 delegates from 15 Brazilian states representing community grassroots organizations; riverine communities; quilombolas (communities descendent from escaped slaves); indigenous peoples; fishermen and fisherwomen; social pastoral groups; fishing schools; and local, state, national and international researchers and non-governmental organizations. The principle objective and greatest challenge of this encounter was the bringing together of the largest number possible of community members and regional representatives, as well as diversity of experiences, from states with well-developed shrimp farm industries, as well as states which are part of the next frontiers of expansion.
In order to reach the proposed objectives, the organizers of this event joined to construct a metholodological proposal which in every moment favored the effective participation of community representatives. The discussions took place during four days: a reception for the participants and a celebration of the event occurred on the first day. On the second day of the event, the 166 participants traveled to the city of Aracati, where Panel 1 took place – The Community View – as well as the technical field trip to the communities of Cumbe and Porto do Ceu. Returning to Fortaleza, the morning of the third day was programmed for the sharing of impressions, based on the two communities visited, of the socio-environmental damages of shrimp farming. A moment designated for reflections on the field trip, the two groups had the opportunity to exchange perceptions and discuss what they experienced. A second moment was programmed for Panel 2, which had as its theme Panorama of Shrimp Farming and Water in Brazil, in which an important dialogue took place with information exchange on the impacts of this activity in Brazil and in the world. Representatives of government and civil society organizations had the opportunity for dialogue and statement of proposals. During this time it was possible to learn about the government’s own proposal related to aquiculture in Brazil, as well as public policies for the coastal zone. An opportunity for dialogue between government, communities and organized entities was one of the most important moments during the seminar. During the last day of the encounter there was a collective construction of confrontational and strengthening strategies using as a script the synthesis of problems that were discussed during the previous days. The final plenary included a collective construction of strategies and follow-up, as well as the reading and approval of the “Letter of Fortaleza,” (previously published in The MAP News #175). At all times, community representatives themselves were the protagonists and central to discussions, forming unique moments of wisdom exchange.
In a participatory manner, communities, academics, organized civil society and students were together building knowledge around the theme of shrimp farming and discussing new confrontation strategies. This was the great challenge met during the seminar.
Various important proposals and strategies were developed in the sense of promoting local, national and international mobilizations; greater visibility of the subject; knowledge production, etc. One follow-up activity that was considered of extreme importance by all of the participants was the formation of a Brazilian mangrove network, Rede MangueMar (Mangrove-Sea Network). This national articulation represents an urgent action, indeed, all understood that only through a collective network which strengthens our struggles, will it be possible to effectively influence public policies and financing for the coastal zone, while respecting and considering the diversity of coastal communities. Our next steps are to secure financing for this encounter, which will be a national seminar for the construction of the Rede MangueMar Brasil, to take place in Brasilia during the first half of 2007.
Source: Luciana Queiroz, Instituto Terramar lu_cianaqueiroz@yahoo.com.br
Translated by Elaine Corets
From manglar@comcast.net
The Bahamas
Bimini Island In The Grip Of Mistruths and Continued Threats To Its Mangrtoves
According to a press release by Gerado Capo, the developer of Bmini Bay Resort in the Bahamas:
“Mangroves serve as a nursery for marine life and waterfowl; thus, Bimini Bay Resort + Casino is allocating a substantial portion of mangrove forest as a specially-designated preserve to be kept in its natural state for generations to come. Additionally, the company carries out daily environmental tests to guarantee minimal impact while building, and rather than continue to build condos, The Capo Group opted to preserve the island's rich natural resources by constructing an environmental-friendly golf course requiring less irrigation and chemicals than a regular course…”
Here is the web site:
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/12/prweb487578.htm
The following is a damning assessment of these misstatements by Jeremy:
http://www.sharktrust.org/content.asp?did=26745&toptab=
Bimini Bay Resort and Casino Press Release is a misleading piece of spin. from www.sharktrust.org on Dec 7, 2006
http://www.sharktrust.org/content.asp?did=26745&toptab=
Titled 'Bimini Bay Resort and Casino Opens in Fishing Capital of the World: Caribbean Hideaway Reels in Discerning Travelers' the announcement fails to point out that the reason this is a prime fishing destination is because of the mangrove forests and inshore nursery areas the resort is now systematically destroying. The richest and most vibrant part of the ecosystem - Mosquito Point - is long gone though the developer claimed to the islanders that it was already dead before he cleared it... Nor should one be fooled by the claim that the Capo Group or the Hilton Group (responsible for operating the hotel and casino) are concerned about the ecological health of the islands. The fragment of mangrove forest they claim they will conserve is ecologically insignificant because they are bulldozing/dredging the entire arc of forest and inshore nursery areas that follow the northern shore of the island and whose significance has been established by decades of scientific research. And the claim that the Capo Group has generously decided not to build more dwellings but instead locate an eco-friendly golf course is more cynical and misleading nonsense. The northern area of North Bimini was earmarked for this gigantic golf course from day one of the developer's ambitions. And the fresh water, pesticide, herbicide and fertilizer run off from the golf course will destroy the inshore seagrass beds and coral reefs that survive the developer's bulldozers, dredgers and the suffocating sediment that even now smother the down-current ecosystems
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The Bahama Journal
6th December
Red Flag On Projects Impacting Coast Zones
By Tameka Lundy
Although lauded, the major projects that are being developed around the country have the potential to wreak havoc on the reputation that The Bahamas has built in the tourism industry, the Inter American Development Bank [IDB] has warned and it urged legislative strengthening. The Bank intends to loan the government $3.8 million to develop a master plan for integrated coastal zone management. IDB analysts conceded in their loan proposal document that given the number of major development proposals that are being submitted to the government, there is a concern regarding the negative direct and indirect environmental and social impacts.
"In the past, inadequate consideration of these impacts have led to the abandonment of facilities in several resort projects in Eleuthera and Grand Bahama, major dredging without adequate environmental impact of scientific assessments, traffic congestion and other circumstances that detract from the quality of tourism," noted the report.
"It is likely that a continued pattern of such development would eventually damage the reputation of the entire Bahamian tourism industry."
It’s been said that the long-term sustainability of this country’s economy is tied directly to measures to preserve and sustain the country’s coastal resources.
The proposed plan for integrated coastal zone management is intended to improve planning and regulation of development especially in the tourist sector and reduce coastline blights.
There are several laws related to coastline protection but the corresponding detailed regulations are still lacking which would have formed the basis for their implementation. Although there is a system of considering environmental impact assessments, it is primarily focused on foreign investments and all affected parties and stakeholders cannot readily access them, the IDB noted.
"As such, there is a clear need for technically sound and politically supported improvements to the legislative and regulatory framework," it said….
From: Jeremyasd@aol.com
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US Virgin Islands
Mangrove Cleanup To Get Underway With NOAA Support In US Virgin Islands
The St. Thomas Mangrove Monitoring and Clean-up grant proposal has been approved! We will be meeting and organizing the effort in the next couple weeks. We will keep you posted on schedule etc. Thank you again for your support! We look forward to working with all people dedicated to the
From: "Amber" ambermccammon@yahoo.com
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British Virgin Islands
BVI Beacon
Residents rally against golf course
Thursday, 07 December 2006
"Take a stand, take a stand." Those words echoed at a meeting last Thursday evening as conservationists and BVI residents joined in yet another push against the development of a golf course in an environmentally protected area.
At the public meeting organized by the BVI Fisherpersons Association and held at the East End Community Centre on Nov. 30, audience members made calls to "stand up" and protest the Beef Island Golf & Country Club Resort - which, if built, would be the largest private development in the territory."I'm prepared to join any group at anytime to prevent this development from happening," said Keith Flax, a former Legislative Council speaker, as the audience applauded.
"I'm one that will stand on the front line. We need to stand up. We cannot let the dollar bill be our sign. We cannot continue to see our country taken away from us." At the meeting, Chief Conservation Officer Bertrand Lettsome showed slides of coral reefs, seagrass, and mangroves that, if the project receives final approval from government, could give way to the golf course or the resort's marina.
Under government regulations, Beef Island's Hans Creek is part of "a fisheries protected area." The chief conservation officer said that, in 1981, he identified the areas of Hans Creek, Banana Wharf and Bluff Bay as areas of critical biological, economic and social value in the BVI.
"It is the last remaining mangrove system," Mr. Lettsome said as he pointed to a map of the Hans Creek area.
Mr. Lettsome also said that the government must look at the socio-economic implications of the project. More importantly, he said, the development urgently requires public input.
"It is up to the people. We do have a case," Mr. Lettsome said.
Copyright (C) 2006 The BVI Beacon. All rights reserved.
From: Martin Keeley mangrove@candw.ky
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Note: The documentary " Preserving Nature's Secrets" is now on line. The address is listed below. Please pass this info on and continue to pressure the BVI government to control ( as its already started) the development on Scrub Island and to reconsider the golf Course/marina/ hotel complex on Beef island - British Virgin islands. Address is www.documentary-film.net pate 81, British Virgin Islands Conservation Coral Reef.
USA
Eating shrimp could make you sick, claims new report
Published: 15 December, 2006
ON December 19, environmental campaign group Food & Water Watch will release an updated report on what it describes as „the health risks‰ of industrially-produced, imported shrimp.
Shrimp has become the most popular seafood in the United States. The typical American eats three-and-a-half pounds of shrimp a year - much of it during the holiday season.
This week, the National Marine Fisheries Service reported that U.S. shrimp imports are up 11.4% through October of this year. According to Food & Water Watch, most of that shrimp was grown in „polluted‰, man-made ponds along the coast of Thailand, Vietnam, Ecuador, and other tropical countries.
„These shrimp are often referred to as Œfarmed‚ and may be labeled Œfarm-raised‚, but in reality, they are industrially produced,‰ a statement released by the organization said.
„The industrially produced shrimp that are eventually served in restaurants and homes across the United States have been exposed to a variety of contaminants - from the untreated sewage that pollutes the water used by shrimp facilities to more than a dozen kinds of pesticides and antibiotics applied to the ponds to control disease and parasites.
„Consumer health risks of eating industrially produced shrimp may include neurological damage from ingesting pesticides, an allergic response to penicillin residues or infection by an antibiotic-resistant pathogen, such as E. coli.‰
According to Food & Water Watch, exemptions to federal labeling laws mean that U.S. consumers often have no way of knowing where the shrimp they purchase was produced.
„Unfortunately, contaminated shrimp does not stop at the U.S. border. The Food and Drug Administration only inspects 1.2 percent of imported seafood, which means that large quantities of shrimp contaminated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria, antibiotics and pesticide residues could be reaching consumers.‰
Food & Water Watch says its new report, ŒSuspicious Seafood‚, highlights the dangers of eating industrially-produced shrimp and calls on consumers to ask questions about where and how their shrimp was caught or farmed.
It will be available on the Food & Water Watch website on December 19: www.foodandwaterwatch.org.
http://www.fishupdate.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/6122
www.fishupdate.com is published by Special Publications. Special Publications also publish FISHupdate magazine, Fish Farmer, the Fish Industry Yearbook, the Scottish Seafood Processors Federation Diary, the Fish Farmer Handbook and a range of wallplanners.
From: "Elaine Corets" manglar@comcast.net
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US court rules shrimp bonds unfair
AJAYAN
Posted online: Thursday, December 14, 2006 at 0216 hours IST
KOCHI, DEC 13: ?The seafood export industry has received a shot in the arm with the US Court of International Trade (CIT) ruling that the additional bonding requirements imposed by the customs and border protection (CBP) for shrimp were against the law. It added that they were not fairly applied, imposing an excessive burden on international trade. An additional support to the Indian cause, which has been taken up even at the WTO, who recently appointed a panel to look into the matter, came from the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), an independent, nonpartisan body responsible for federal government oversight. In its recent report the office said that the bonds were inconsistently applied and might impose an excessive burden on international trade.
Seafood exporters here, while welcoming this ruling, said that it would lend support to India’s fight at the WTO level against continuous bonds. The preliminary ruling of CIT was based on a plea by the National Fisheries Institute (NFI), a union of those in the seafood trade, which challenged CBP’s requirement that companies importing shrimp subject to anti-dumping duty orders should obtain a continuous entry bond….
…Meanwhile, the anti-dumping duty on six shrimp exporting countries does not appear to have reversed growth in the US shrimp imports. According to statistics, US imports in October alone were a record 140 million pounds, 13% higher than the same month last year. Incidentally while all shrimp varieties were up, only black tiger shrimp, exported mainly from India, declined by 26%.
From: Samudra icsf@icsf.net
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Wal-Mart and MSC Join Forces
From Seafood.com
Today‚s Main Stories: Wal-Mart‚s support has truly revitalized the MSC. Two years ago the MSC was laying off a third of its staff, acknowledged Rupert Howes, the chief executive officer. Now the organization, which operates on a budget of about $5 million, is about to open a Tokyo office in addition to London and Seattle. Further, the Walton Foundation, which is the philanthropical arm of the Walton family, has recently given money to the MSC, and adopted marine and fresh water „ market-based strategies that provide economic rewards for sustainable resource use‰ as one of its four core value areas. Further, the Walton Foundation has hired Scott Burns, formerly of the WWF and one of the founders of the MSC, as its new marine program director as of January 1st.
Peter Redmond, Wal-Mart's vice president of seafood and deli, also said he expects to be selling MSC certified king crab, perhaps by this summer, and that hoki was a new product for them, that came to their attention due to its MSC certification.
From: Elaine Corets manglar@comcast.net
Past 50 Years Of Ecological Change Greatest In Human History
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 09, 2005 | BANGKOK, THAILAND
The World Health Organization will release the sixth synthesis report from the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment "Ecosystems and Human Well-Being: Health Synthesis" at a press briefing held in conjunction with the Scientific Conference on Asia Pacific Environmental Health -- Significant, Emerging and Current Challenges, Research and Capacity Building Opportunities, Collaborative Response Needs organized by the Thai Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Chulabhorn Research Institute.
"Over the past 50 years, humans have changed natural ecosystems more rapidly and extensively than in any comparable period in human history," said Dr Lee Jong-wook, Director-General of the World Health Organization. "This transformation of the planet has contributed to substantial net gains in health, well-being and economic development. But not all regions and groups of people have benefited equally from this process."
Approximately 60% of the benefits that the global ecosystem provides to support life on Earth (such as fresh water, clean air and a relatively stable climate) are being degraded or used unsustainably. In the report, scientists warn that harmful consequences of this degradation to human health are already being felt and could grow significantly worse over the next 50 years.
"The benefits should be acknowledged," said Dr Carlos Corvalan, WHO's lead expert and co-author of the report. "But these benefits are not enjoyed equally. And the risks we face now from ecosystem degradation, particularly among poor populations directly dependent on natural ecosystems for many basic needs, has to be addressed."
"Human health is strongly linked to the health of ecosystems, which meet many of our most critical needs," said Maria Neira, Director of WHO's Department for the Protection of the Human Environment. "We in the health sector need to take heed of this in our own planning, and together with other sectors, ensure that we obtain the greatest benefit from ecosystems for good health - now and in the future."
Human Health Under Threat from Ecosystem Degradation WHO Media Release [pdf, 35 KB]
Ecosystems and Human Health: Some Findings from the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 2-page Summary of Health Synthesis [pdf, 68 KB]
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Tourism Threats Continue To Mount In Wake Of 2004 Tsunami
On occasion of the 2nd anniversary of the 26 Dec 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, I'd like to share with you in this Clearinghouse edition an article on tourism reconstruction in Thailand, which includes an analysis of how the interests of public and private tourism agencies have overridden every other priority in post-tsunami re-development. This is a slightly revised version of an article I contributed to a Special Report prepared by Tsunami Response Watch - an Indian media initiative coordinated by indiadisasters.org.
The Special Report takes stock and checks the realities of the post-tsunami recovery in the affected Indian Ocean rim countries two years after the disaster and examines the future relevance of the rehabilitation measures in terms of local ownership, development needs, resilience and preparedness. More information on the report will soon be available at:
http://www.tsunamiresponsewatch.org.
Anita Pleumarom
Tourism Investigation & Monitoring Team (tim-team)
From: "timteam02"
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http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/ nation/la-na-salmon9dec09,0,7788826.story?track=tothtml
Seattle tries a new hook to save salmon
A product label assures customers that farms and vineyards don't damage fish habitat.
By Lynn Marshall
Times Staff Writer
December 9, 2006
SEATTLE ˜ This is a city that takes its salmon very seriously ˜ as a delicacy, and as a regional icon.
Now a new citywide ad campaign is asking grocery shoppers to step up and do their part to save the salmon.
The bus ads remind shoppers to look for the "Salmon-Safe" label, which blesses fresh locally produced eggs, milk, wine and produce. This label assures the customer that the agricultural practices of the farm or vineyard in question do not harm salmon habitat.
It's a message that seems tailor-made for this city, where organic coffee shops, farmers markets and agricultural cooperatives flourish.
Stewardship Partners, a local nonprofit that works with private landowners to restore and preserve the natural landscape, has been running the Salmon-Safe program in the Seatt le area since 2004. The bus campaign and recent radio spots are its first large-scale promotions of the label.
"We've been scaling up," said Stewardship Partners' program director, Larry Nussbaum. "We had to have enough producers in the program to meet demand before we could run this kind of a campaign."
The Salmon-Safe program dates to 1995, when it was developed at the Pacific Rivers Council. Now the certification standards are set by Salmon-Safe Inc., a nonprofit in Portland, Ore., that looks for groups like Stewardship Partners to administer the program locally. Oregon, Washington and Marin County are among its partners.
Overall, the program has certified more than 150 farms and wineries.
The certification inspection takes into account a producer's water use, erosion control, pesticide management, and maintenance of biological diversity, among other factors. A producer need not be certified organic to qualify, though many are.
Salmon-Safe's managing director, Dan Kent, says the program's growth and success in Seattle has been "phenomenal."
Thirty farms, vineyards and dairies have been certified in the Puget Sound area.
Nussbaum attributed Seattle's interest in the program to a number of factors ˜ primarily public awareness and concern for local agriculture.
"There is a huge amount of buzz here around the whole issue of salmon. The government is spending millions of dollars on programs to restore wild salmon habitat ˜ and this is a program that gives private landowners a way to be a part of that effort," Nussbaum said. "We also have two big trends ˜ growth in the natural organic foods market and even more growth in the local sustainable agriculture movement ˜ that have been huge."
But PCC Natural Markets' merchandising director, Paul Schmidt, does acknowledge: "Our customers were a little confused in the beginning. They'd ask, 'How can lettuce be salmon-safe?' " PCC describe s itself as the largest natural foods cooperative market in the United States, with eight stores in the Seattle area and more than 40,000 members.
"But now that we've explained the program ˜ that it is about the farmers and their practices ˜ we've seen a strong response," Schmidt said. PCC, which joined the Salmon-Safe campaign two years ago, has used its membership magazine, monthly specials and its staffers to explain the program to customers.
In Oregon, the Salmon-Safe certification has been expanded to cover the land management practices of businesses, government entities and universities. Nike's corporate campus in Beaverton, Ore., and Portland's park system are among the certified organizations. Kent says he expects to see this part of the program expand to Seattle as well.
He said it was hard to quantify the success of the label in terms of the number of fish saved, but he did note that when partner retailers such as the PCC co-op ran educational promo tions about the label, "we typically see sales of certified products go up 15 to 20%."
The program isn't just about salmon, Nussbaum said.
"The salmon is a symbol to rally round," he said. "Salmon are an iconic species; the label represents the practices that protect and preserve water quality and habit, which benefits the whole of the watershed."
Not everyone who participates has seen a boost. Gerard Bentryn, owner of Bainbridge Island Vineyards and Winery, just across the bay from Seattle, went through the certification process last year; his winery's participation is advertised on its website, and the Salmon-Safe label is displayed on its wine bottles.
"I'm disappointed, to tell you the truth," he said. "No one has ever asked me about it." Still, Bentryn, a former water resource manager with the National Park Service, said he was committed to the ideals of the program, and to salmon-safe practices.
"I hope it will have an impact, that people will start to think about what they consume in environmental terms," he said.
William Ruckelshaus, the chairman of Washington state's Salmon Recovery Funding Board and a former Environmental Protection Agency chief, said certification programs such as the Salmon-Safe effort could make a difference.
"These programs are really just in their infancy," he said. "It's going to take a number of years yet before we can see how far their reach will be."
Lisa Wade, 37, first saw the Salmon-Safe label at a local farmers market in the summer. Shopping at a Seattle PCC this week, she said the label made her feel that she was doing something to help envir