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The MAP News, 196th Ed., 21 March 2008
Dear Friends,
This is the 196th Edition of the Mangrove Action Project News, March , 2008.
For the Mangroves,
Alfredo Quarto
Mangrove Action Project
"I say that those who eat shrimp - and only the rich people from the industrialized countries eat shrimp - I say that they are eating at the same time blood, sweat and livelihood of the poor people of the Third World."
Banka Behary Das, Indian activist
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Partnering with mangrove forest communities, grassroots NGOs, researchers and local governments to conserve and restore mangrove forests and related coastal ecosystems, while promoting community-based, sustainable management of coastal resources.
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Contents for MAP NEWS, 196th Edition, March, 2008
FEATURE STORIES
Know your shrimp: Shrimp facts
MAP WORKS
Mangrove Forest Ecology, Management and Restoration" training workshop, March 2-5, 2009
Next Calendar Children’s Art Contest For 2009 Open For New Submissions
MAP-Asia Welcomes Ms. Tithuot Vathana as MAP’s Cambodian Representative
MAP-Asia Says Thanks and Goodbye to Intern Student, Mary Battcock
AFRICA
Nigeria
Shell and Wetlands International start partnership
S.E. ASIA
Thailand
Thailand: Mangroves eyed as carbon sink project
'LOW PRICES ARE KILLING US,' STRICKEN SHRIMP INDUSTRY TELLS GOVT
Indonesia
Asia: Return of coral proving key to disaster prevention
Shrimp video is a blockbuster hit in Aceh
Fishermen seek pass on licenses
Cambodia
More than 150 Cambodian turtles rescued from becoming dinner
The Philippines
Laguna de Bay, Philippines' largest lake, under threat
S. ASIA
India
A Brief Report of the Mangrove Consultation organized by the Coastal Poor Development Action Network
Indian (mangrove)herb prevents cancer progress
Authorities blamed for illegal prawn farming
World’s largest mangrove centre in city
National institute for mangrove research planned in W. Bengal
Tourist plan for world's largest mangrove forest
Bangladesh
EU mulls check on every frozen shrimp container
Unplanned construction destroying Kuakata's scenery…
E. ASIA
China
China Fights Back Against Bad Image Of Its Seafood Exports
Chinese Alumnus Fanglin Tan on OPB!
LATIN AMERICA
Cuba
Cuba helps the hawksbill
OCEANIA
Seafood industry split over antibiotics in prawns
THE CARIBBEAN
The Bahamas
Bahamas Court of Appeals Upholds Baker's Bay Ruling
Bimini Finds A Local Voice In The Desert Of Government Complicity
Bimini: An Island Ignored
Will Briland Follow Bimini Into Oblivion?
Plans for protected marine reserves gaining momentum
Health Minister Stresses Importance of Wetlands Preservation
British Virgin Islands
Help win historic case to save pristine mangroves and coral reefs in the Virgin Islands
***ACTION ALERT!!!***
Trinidad & Tobago
Cops block fishermen from jetty
NORTH AMERICA
USA
WTO rules against US taxes on Thai shrimp
FDA Reliance on Self-Policing Instead of Testing Denounced
OceanBoy Farms For Sale
Shrimp farm pays off
INOUYE AND STEVENS INTRODUCE SEAFOOD SAFETY LEGISLATION
EUROPE
Global GAP Developing Its Own Shrimp Aquaculture Standards
Greece
Protest over polluted gulf
STORIES / ISSUES
Who's Really Paying for Cheap Shrimp?
World's first" sustainable shrimp hits US market
New 'red list' seeks to stave off global seafood collapse
Alien species 'wreck world's oceans and rivers'
Study paints grim picture of human impact on the world’s oceans
The Debt of Nations
Asia's growing oil palm farms seen as climate change threat
CONFERENCES / WORKSHOPS / PUBLICATIONS
Global conference on small-scale fisheries to focus on sustainable social development
Mangroves and Halophytes: Restoration and Utilisation
On the reliability of the data of the extent of mangroves: A case study in Mexico
Mangrove guidebook for Southeast Asia
ANNOUNCEMENTS
International Training Course on Mangroves and Biodiversity
AQUACULTURE CORNER
Genetically Engineered Fish Escape Into The Wild
MSC eco-label could be extended to farmed fish
The future of organic aquaculture remains controversial.
Drastic cuts and layoffs in Chile’s salmon industry
Chilean salmon industry faces new challenge:Moratorium On Expansion Called For
Cod is dead - now let's get rid of fish-farm blight
14 March 2008
Know your shrimp: Shrimp facts
Rank of shrimp in popularity among all types of seafood Americans eat - #1
Pounds of shrimp the average American consumed in 2006 - 4.4
Share of shrimp sold in the U.S. that comes from the Southeast U.S. (Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean), where fisheries and farms are held to stricter standards - 10%
Share of shrimp sold in the U.S. that comes largely from Southeast Asia and Latin America, where environmental regulations are sometimes lax and often not enforced - 90%
Share of U.S. shrimp imports that come from Thailand, our largest single supplier - 33%
Value of U.S. shrimp imports in 2006, nearly one-third of all seafood imports, compared with coffee imports of $3.1 billion and fossil fuels worth $300 billion - $4.1 billion
Percentage of worldwide shrimp production that came from farms in 2005 - 44% (Before the 1980s, less than 1 percent of the world‚s shrimp was farm-raised)
Increase in farmed shrimp production between 1975 and 2005. Production ballooned from just over 22,000 tons to more than 2.6 million tons - 12,000%
Acreage of tropical coastal mangroves estimated to have been converted to shrimp farms, destroying important habitat for fish, birds and people - 3.7 million acres ( around 1.5 million ha,)
Number of pounds of wild fish it generally takes to produce one pound of farmed shrimp - 2
A primary concern for people who eat farmed shrimp, particularly those who consume substantial quantities over a long period of time, is the usage of a range of antibiotics to prevent and treat bacterial conditions common in shrimp farms. Chemical agents are used in aquaculture ponds as water and soil treatment compounds in order to control viral, bacterial, fungal and other pathogens; to induce plankton growth (fertilizers and minerals); and to inoculate the farmed shrimp larvae. These chemicals include the following: therapeutants (antibiotics), various algaecides and pesticides, disinfectants, detergents and other water and soil treatment chemicals. All of these are used in vast quantities by the aquaculture industry globally.
Posted by annierichardson
Source: Food Democracy
ANNOUNCEMENT: “Mangrove Forest Ecology, Management and Restoration" training workshop, March 2-5, 2009, Hollywood, Florida, USA.
The seventh "Mangrove Forest Ecology, Management and Restoration" training workshop will be held at the Anne Kolb Nature Center, in Hollywood, Florida, USA, March 2-5, 2009. 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. Mr. Lewis has taught this very successful course in Cuba, Nigeria, Thailand, Vietnam, India and Sri Lanka.
More details at mangroverestoration.com or contact me at lesrrl3@aol.com.
Robin Lewis
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Next Calendar Children’s Art Contest For 2009 Open For New Submissions
Feb. 2008
Dear Friends of the Mangroves,
We are sponsoring our 9th international children's art competition and would like to Invite children in your country to enter this contest and learn more about the important role that mangrove forests play in the lives of the coastal communities in particular and for marine life in general.
Specifically we would like you to contact schools and teachers in your area and provide them with information regarding this contest, and also to act as a liaison between MAP and the local schools as a resource person regarding mangrove and ecological
information. In addition, we would ask you to collect the winners from each school participating within your country, and send the three best entries on to MAP at the above address for the final judging, and possible inclusion in the calendar. We must receive the art work by July 31, 2008 for the 2009 Art Calendar.
This provides an opportunity for participating NGOs to build relationships with teachers and to provide school children with environmental information. Educating children on the importance of mangrove and coastal ecosystems is critical to effecting long term change. Without this information, current generations will grow up placing little value on the environment (as modeled by their parents) unless they are given new eyes with which to see coastal ecosystems and mangrove forests.
We have attached information that is ready to have your name added as the local contact representative and duplicated for distribution to teachers in your country.
Please let us know if we can be of further assistance in helping you implement this exciting educational project in your country. We will send all student winners, participating NGOs and schools copies of our calendar as well. And, the winning students will receive a signed official certificate announcing their great achievement in the 2009 Children’s Mangrove Art Contest.
Yours sincerely,
Monica Alicia Paz Gutierrez-Quarto,
Calendar Project Coordinator
Mangrove Action Project
tel. (360) 452-5866
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Announcement for teachers and schools- The Rules
A fun and exciting Art Contest for children 6 to 13 years old
We invite all primary school children from tropical and sub-tropical nations, and whose schools are located near mangroves, to create art telling us "why mangroves are important to me and my community".
Selected winners will be published in a 2009 calendar to be distributed internationally to raise awareness of mangrove forest ecology. This creative contest aims to promote appreciation and awareness of mangrove forests, and to encourage and listen to creative voices of children living in mangrove areas.
Help us launch this program in your school by contacting science and art teachers in your area and encourage them to work together on this fun and innovative project.
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What kind of art can be submitted?
Technique : Paint, color pencil, ink, collage, pastel, crayons, etc
Dimensions : Canvas, or paper, 45 cms x 30 cms. (18 in. x 12 in.)
The Art Work should be in a format horizontal (long length across, the shorter length vertical), in order to fit on the calendar page. (We had received wonderful art work in a vertical format, but sadly were unable to use it. )
Artist Identification : On the back of each art work please write in English: the full name and age of the artist, the school name, address, city or town, country, and title of art work.
Age Limit: from 6-13 years old
Mailing instruction : The Art work has to be mailed in a small tube, such as the ones for mailing posters .Make sure the art is sent in certified or registered mail to MAP, PO Box 1854, Port Angeles, WA 98362-0279, USA.
How will entries be judged?
Each school will hold its own exhibition and select 3 winners in art Winning entries will be collected in each country by a participating NGO, then mailed to MAP’s office to be judged by a team of artists.
What are the prizes?
-1st Prize will receive a certificate + calendar and the recognition of being published in an International calendar with global distribution.
-2nd Prize will receive a certificate + calendar and the recognition of being published in an International calendar with global distribution.
-3rd Prize will receive a certificate + calendar and the recognition of being published in an International calendar with global distribution.
School will receive 2 Calendars
NGOs will receive10 Calendars
When is the deadline ?
Please, we must receive the art work in MAP's office by JULY 31, 2008
Mailed to : PO Box 1854,.Port Angeles, WA 98362-0279, USA
Please mail in a tube or flat in a box, but not folded!.
Who do I contact?
Please let us know if your school plans to participate by contacting:
Monica Gutierrez-Quarto,
Calendar Project Coordinator
c/o Mangrove Action Project
PO Box 1854
Port Angeles, WA 98362-0279, USA
tel./ fax (360) 452-5866
e-mail: monicagquarto@olympus.net or mangroveap@olympus.net
All entries selected at the national level should be submitted to the same address.
Your local NGO contact is
NAME ............................................................
PERSON ........................................................
(leave a space for the local NGO to add their stamp)
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Some suggested Field Trip and Classroom Lessons
It is suggested that this contest could coincide with an Associated Mangrove Ecology Educational Project with the children. This lesson will highlight the importance of mangrove forests for the environment, for their community, for fishermen and/or for the associated mangrove forest fauna. The intent of this educational project is to help the participating children better comprehend the important role mangroves play in their lives and for their communities.
1.- Information and guidance in the classroom, aided by text books, mangrove curriculum, slides and videos.
2.- Eco-Study Field trips for firsthand observation with the teacher and/ or a local resource person, where they can observe the myriad forms of life that inhabit the mangroves, such as the many colored birds, fish, crabs, mollusks, reptiles, mammals, and insects, while also learning about the unique characteristics of the associated mangrove plants and trees.
3.- During, or after, the field trips, the children can hold interviews with their parents or local fisherfolk about the mangroves in their region, learning more about the history of the area's mangrove forest, as well as why they are important and what the problems are when the mangroves are lost.
4.- As a result of this research, the children may wish to create art work for the 2009 calendar art competition.
Yours sincerely,
Monica Alicia Paz Gutierrez-Quarto,
Calendar Project Coordinator
Mangrove Action Project
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Senora Gutierrez-Quarto: the Children's Mangrove Calendar organizes my chaotic life and is pinned securely to the back of my office door.... I eagerly await the 2009 Edition.
Senectitudinally,
D. Reid Wiseman who is teetering on fragile prop roots
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MAP Asia Updates
MAP-Asia Welcomes Ms. Tithuot Vathana as MAP’s Cambodian Representative
Ms. Tithuot Vathana, joined MAP’s staff in Feb. 2008 as MAP’s first Cambodian Representative to oversee the second phase of a three year project, 2008-2010, in partnership with Participatory Management of Coastal Resources of Cambodia (PMCR) and Development and Appropriate Technology (DATe). The project is being supported by the McKnight Foundation, USA.
Vathana is providing project implementation support to both PMCR and DATe, while helping MAP Asia with documentation, monitoring and evaluation, and linking the project to the MAP Asia office in Thailand. Networking with other NGOs, government and institutions and ensuring gender awareness are other important roles. Before joining MAP, Vathana spent five years working as a script writer at Women’s Media Center of Cambodia (WMC), and produced a weekly TV program on women’s issues such as domestic violence, human trafficking, rape, education, health, and the environment. She is in the final phase of completing her BA (Ed.) in English Literature.
Vathana spent her first month working in the MAP-Asia office as an intern in order to become more familiar with MAP and its activities. She undertook internet based research on water hyacinth and the flooded forest at Tonle Sap, both of which will be a focus of the DATe-MAP project. Some research was carried out on Environmental Resource Centers in Cambodia, as PMCR has plans to build the capacity of resource center staff and develop a network amongst centers. Vathana also had the opportunity to join MAP staff in the field to observe coral reef environmental education with Phra Thong island school children in Phang Nga. Also some time was spent surveying the Ecological Mangrove Restoration (EMR) site in the Krabi Estuary RAMSAR site.
We look forward to having Vathana as part of the MAP team and having her media skills to help support project activities, something we've been lacking. Her e-mail address is map.cambodia@gmail.com
MAP-Asia Says Thanks and Goodbye to Intern Student, Mary Battcock
MAP-Asia wishes to extend thanks to Mary Battcock, our Intern graduate student from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University who is the process of completing a Master of Arts degree in Sustainable International Development (SID). Mary has been with us for the past six months, assisting our office with a number of tasks, many of which would not have been done without her help and computer skills. Some of the things she has helped us with include setting up a monitoring and evaluation scheme for our Cambodian project, producing an information sheet on shrimp aquaculture issues, designing a display banner, editing documents and helping with several project proposals. Mary has also learned to upload materials to MAP's website and gave a "Plone lesson" to our incoming volunteer Sarah Hornby and MAP staff before departure.
We wish Mary success with the final paper ahead, and all the best in the world of job opportunities. Mary is the first Intern student MAP has hosted from the SID program at Brandeis University. To learn more about this multi discipline program in Sustainable International Development (SID) with students from around the world please see http://heller.brandeis.edu/sid/
NOTE: The same e-mail address will be maintained for all MAP-Asia office Interns/volunteers volunteer.mapasia@gmail.com
Nigeria
Editor’s Note: I am placing this news item under the Africa section heading because of the significant problematic environmental and social issues brought on by the ongoing oil production activities of Shell, especially in Nigeria. This partnership between Shell and Wetlands International seems like an odd match, and we are quite concerned as to what significance this will have for the mangroves and local communities of Niger Delta.
Shell and Wetlands International start partnership
05-03-2008 Announcement
Royal Dutch Shell and global NGO Wetlands International have established a five-year partnership to enhance the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands by Shell and its affiliates. It will strengthen the capacity of Wetlands International through building in-house business skills and sharing knowledge in the communication, HR and finance disciplines. The partnership was signed by Jeroen van der Veer, Chief Executive of Royal Dutch Shell and Jane Madgwick (CEO Wetlands International).
The partnership is in recognition of the disproportionately high global significance of wetland ecosystems in terms of biodiversity, water provision, people's livelihoods and climate change. Wetlands such as deltas, shallow marine systems, inter-tidal marshes, rivers and peatlands are also particularly vulnerable to the impacts of the energy industry policies and practices.
As part of this new partnership, Shell will seek to develop new strategies, policies and tools to protect wetlands biodiversity and people, and to fulfill its sustainable development objectives. Wetlands International will provide the knowledge about wetland areas, their values and advice on how to manage them in a more sustainable way. The cooperation will in general aim to minimise the loss of nature and negative impacts on associated livelihoods.
The activities under the partnership will promote the efficient use of wetlands in river basins and along flyways of migratory birds; develop and demonstrate innovative mechanisms to address environmental poverty in wetlands and address climate change mitigation and adaptation. Jane Madgwick, CEO Wetlands International: "This ambitious partnership provides a great opportunity for Shell and Wetlands International to combine their competencies and to learn from each other. We aim to leave a positive legacy from these joint activities for wetlands and their peoples, especially in developing countries".
Jane Madgwick
CEO of Wetlands International
Contact for more information:
Wetlands International
Thailand
Thailand: Mangroves eyed as carbon sink project
Source: Copyright 2008, Bangkok Post
Date: January 31, 2008
Byline: Apinya Wipatayotin
The Marine and Coastal Resources Department is considering applying for mangrove forest planting as a carbon sink investment project with the United Nations, department chief Nisakorn Kositratna said. Thailand loses mangrove forests along the coast every year, she said. The expansion of shrimp farming and tourist resorts had led to severe erosion along the country's 2,667km coastline.
Better measures were needed to protect and preserve the remaining areas as Thailand has only 1.4 million rai of mangrove forest left, down from 1.5 million rai in 2000.
The department planned to turn 4,500 rai of abandoned shrimp farms back into mangrove forests, she said.
However, this year's planting would not be included in any carbon sink investment proposal.
The agency would have to designate areas for the project first.
''More information is required before we go ahead. But even if there is no carbon sink deal the country will benefit from the expansion of mangrove forests, which will act as a natural wall to prevent soil erosion,'' said Ms Nisakorn.
Joining a carbon sink project would entitle communities which allocate a planting area and care for the forest to financial support, she said.
Over the last 30 years, Thailand had lost over 113,042 rai of land to soil erosion, or about 21% of the shoreline.
Prasertsuk Chamornmarn, acting deputy director of Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organisation, expressed concern over carbon sink investments in mangrove forests.
''We need to identify the areas that would be included in a carbon sink project. The existing mangrove forests must be excluded from any such investment approved by the UN.
''We also need strict regulations to ensure that mangrove forests are well kept,'' she said.
The project required cooperation from local communities willing to give up land to plant mangrove forests for carbon sink credits rather than use it for other activities. Otherwise, the department must find deserted areas.
Carbon sink projects are part of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) approved under the Kyoto Protocol to ease the impact of global warming.
Sirithan Pairojboriboon, executive director of Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organisation, said the agency planned to promote electricity generation from garbage under the CDM framework.
Japan and European countries had shown interest in the project, which the agency would promote in a road show.
Copyright 2008, Bangkok Post
Via: Forests.org
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Editor’s Note: This reminds me that when I was in Bangkok in January, I saw farmed tiger prawns being sold on the streets at the open markets there for the first time in all my years of travel in the region. I thought, "Finally, these prawns are being consumed by the locals." I am not sure what the price was, but assume it was low enough that the Thai consumers could afford to purchase them.
The NATION
LOW PRICES ARE KILLING US,' STRICKEN SHRIMP INDUSTRY TELLS GOVT
Published on Mar 7, 2008
Prantalay, the country's leading producer of frozen seafood, with support from the Agriculture Ministry, recently urged the prime minister to remedy the critical problem of low prices, otherwise the shrimp-processing industry would no longer exist.
"The government must urgently enact concrete measures to save the shrimp industry, or else the industry might disappear as it will always face the same problem of oversupply and falling prices every year," Anurat Khokasai, chief marketing and operating officer of Prantalay, a subsidiary of Union Frozen Products, said yesterday.
Following an annual cycle, shrimp prices have fallen again this year, causing farmers to cut back on shrimp raising. Fears of inadequate supply have driven producers to call for the government to allow imports of shrimp.
The industry's plan proposed to the premier includes promoting cluster development by establishing contract farming between all shrimp farmers and producers to guarantee farmers a minimum price, and setting aside a budget for soft loans to buy freezers to ensure sufficient supply during the harvest season.
Solving the perennial problem of falling shrimp prices is one of the challenging tasks for the new government, Anurat said. Shrimp prices always face trouble during the harvest season.
Previous governments could only help relieve the problem through a price-pledging programme that usually took a big bite of the government budget. Last year the loss to the state was about Bt300 million.
Shrimp prices normally soften in the middle of the year, as US importers slow down their purchases in order to force down prices.
Anurat said contract farming would not only do an efficient job in easing the pain from falling prices, it would also help the government save money in the long run. The government should be a middleman to help set up the project so that farmers feel more confident about joining.
The price for medium-sized shrimp has already plummeted from Bt145 a kilogram to Bt120-Bt125, and will drop below Bt100 soon due to oversupply and lower demand from overseas markets, particularly the US and the European Union.
To make contract farming work, the government must set a floor price of Bt120-Bt125 for medium-sized shrimp, as production costs run at Bt110-Bt115.
Although farmers might be reluctant to participate in contract farming at first, as their margins will be lower than during the peak season, they will find that it would mean they never lose their investment, despite lower demand for shrimp each year, Anurat said.
According to the Agriculture Ministry, more than 200,000 families are in the shrimp industry. The Kingdom is the world's largest shrimp producer and supplier among the 30 producing countries worldwide. Thai shrimp exports reached US$2.15 billion (Bt67.8 billion) last year.
If the proposed shrimp plan is successful, the government will ensure sustainable development for the industry, Anurat added.
Petchanet Pratruangkrai
The Nation
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1 USD = 31.83 baht
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Thailand Developing New Shrimp Markets Outside US
News Summary: March 17, 2008
The Thai Shrimp Exporters Association believes that shrimp output will be flat this year, but expects to see higher prices. Somsak Paneetatyasai says that raw material costs are up 10% to 20%. Thailand will make a major push to diversify away from the U.S. market, increasing sales to Europe, and looking to expand shrimp sales to Russia and Eastern Europe. This is continuing a trend where the weak dollar is leading to higher shrimp prices in the U.S.
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Indonesia
Asia: Return of coral proving key to disaster prevention
02/28/2008BY EKI YANO THE ASAHI SHIMBUM
WEH ISLAND, Indonesia--It has been just over three years since the 2004 Boxing Day earthquake off Sumatra Island and subsequent tsunami killed 220,000 people across Asia. On the Indonesian island, which suffered extensive damage, reforestation projects of coral and mangrove are finally taking root.
The island had been surrounded by reefs and covered with tropical plants, but land development and the 2004 tsunami have since badly damaged the coral and trees.
Due to the fact that reefs and mangroves are expected to act as breakwaters in the case of a tsunami as well as offering breeding grounds for sea creatures, governments, islanders and researchers are now focusing on rejuvenating them to capitalize on their anti-disaster functions.
Weh Island, which is surrounded by tranquil shoaling beaches, is located about an hour's ride by high-speed boat from Banda Aceh at the northern tip of Sumatra Island.
Diving shop owner Dodeng, 55, has developed his own coral planting method and is now helping to regenerate the reefs.
He affixes coral branches to concrete blocks and takes care of them, getting rid of moss and shellfish.
In 2004, the earthquake and tsunami damaged many houses on the island. Coral along the coastline was also heavily damaged.
But the island's 24,000 people largely escaped from harm. Fewer than 20 were killed in the disaster.
"One of the reasons that so few people died was the fact that the reefs absorbed the impact of the tsunami," Dodeng said.
This function of coral has since gathered attention among the scientific community.
In 2005, a team of researchers, including academics from Arizona State University and other institutions, surveyed the coastlines in Sri Lanka hit by the tsunami.
The coastlines were devastated in some areas where locals illegally used explosives to collect coral and catch fish.
But some nearby areas that had similar coastline features escaped severe damage. The team found that coral had been protected by tourism companies in those areas.
Dodeng started planting coral in 2006, spending about 2 million yen. Besides preventing disasters, he hopes it will help rehabilitate the ecological system.
Currently, about 70 percent of local fishermen remain out of work due to the scarcity of fish caused by damage to the coral, which acts as a bed for the fish to lay their eggs.
"Since coral plays a big role in the islanders' lives, it is essential for their recovery (from the earthquake)," Dodeng said. "I don't know how long it will take, but I want to bring the ecological system back on track."
The mangrove's disaster-prevention functions have also attracted attention.
From 2005 to 2007, a team of researchers from Tohoku Gakuin University and Tohoku University, both located in Sendai, northern Japan, surveyed the relationships between mangrove vegetation and data taken from Banda Aceh and other places on the 2004 earthquake. Factors such as the height of the tsunami and death tolls were examined and compared.
They concluded that if there were enough mangrove swamps, they could protect communities from tsunami waves of up to 6 meters in height.
On Sumatra Island, natural mangrove forests have been wiped out since the 1960s for the development of shrimp cultivation farms and other projects.
The research team estimated that the area of mangrove swampland at a survey spot in Banda Aceh in 2003 was only 12 percent of the amount that should exist naturally.
The team found that natural mangrove forests, with about 2,500 trees of around 20-centimeter-in-diameter stems per hectare, would lower the height of tsunami by up to 73 percent.
It also pointed out that natural mangrove forests would have saved about half the casualties caused by the 2004 quake.
"We proved that mangrove forests can help prevent disasters," said Toyohiko Miyagi, a professor of environmental geomorphology at Tohoku Gakuin University and a member of the research team.
"In addition to planting mangrove trees continuously, it is necessary to establish a framework in which local communities maintain the forests," he added.
Reforestation projects have spread in the tsunami-hit areas.
In Nanggroe Aceh province, the capital of which is Banda Aceh, mangrove forests decreased from 350,000 hectares to 220,000 hectares due to the tsunami. After the disaster, however, the government started reforestation projects. As a result, more than 7,000 hectares have been recovered.
In December last year, the Japanese Red Cross Society (JRC) started a two-year project to plant about 1.2 million mangrove trees on 600 hectares of lands in 12 villages within the province.
Yutaka Oiwa, 60, who heads the JRC's office in Indonesia, said: "It will be difficult to plant (mangrove) trees in the areas where shrimp cultivation farms are located because they are supporting the lives of local residents.
"Our problem is whether we can find large areas for tree planting."(IHT/Asahi: February 28,2008)
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Editor’s Note: With the rehabilitation of the shrimp farms along the still quite vulnerable coast of Aceh Province, what will serve as this area’s defense against future natural disasters, such as tsunamis, cyclones and storm surges? Would not a rehabilitation of this coastal area towards a multiple-use area, not a single-use area, be more beneficial and wise in the long run? Shrimp farming may ensure immediate profits for some for a while, but in the long-term, this is still a volatile industry that does not have a good track record for alleviating poverty and protecting coastal regions from natural disasters.
Shrimp video is a blockbuster hit in Aceh
Date 21/2/2008 | Topic: Shrimp
A newly released video on better management practices for shrimp farming in Aceh is drawing large crowds in coastal shrimp farm villages in Bireuen District. The video attracted an audience of more than 700, 60% of them women, on its premier screening. The second night was full house with 1,000 viewers. Admission was free.
The BMP video was produced by IFC and FAO, drawing on the widely distributed BMP manual, and experiences in better management of shrimp farming from Indonesia and around the region. There are plans are for another 98 shows on the road - in villages, town squares and meeting centres - to be completed by August. The video seeks to stimulate awareness among Acehnese farmers on improved management practices. It is expected that the knowledge will make them farm better, obtain higher yields and earn higher incomes, thus helping the people go up further the road to recovery.
Aquaculture is an important livelihood for 100,000 people in the coastal areas of Aceh, and income from progressive and responsible shrimp farming, can hasten recovery and fuel the development of the local economy. Aceh produces some of the largest and best quality tiger shrimp in Asia, but the industry‚s progress has been severely crippled by years of civil strife, and the 2004 tsunami. Following the peace accord in 2005, and the ongoing reconstruction work, aquaculture in the province is gradually moving forward.
Aquaculture rehabilitation, infused with a good dose of responsible practices, is being support by a number of donors and agencies, including ADB, FAO, IFC, NACA, UNDP, WWF, ACIAR and others. The manual, the basis for the popular video shows, is available for download.
Source: ENACA
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Source: thejakartapost.com
Fishermen seek pass on licenses
National News - March 08, 2008
Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Traditional fishing communities have called on the government to drop the law on coastal management that requires them to secure fishing licenses.
They say the 2007 law on the management of coastal areas and small islands will only benefit bigger businesses, not small-scale fishermen.
"The law will be detrimental to small fishermen," Arbani Nikahe, head of South Kalimantan's fisherman association, told The Jakarta Post after a rally Thursday.
Dozens of fishermen representing 13 provinces staged a rally at the ministry of fisheries and maritime affairs, calling on the government to side with low-income fishermen.
The law allows fishermen and the private sector to manage coastal areas and small islands by showing ownership certifications effective for 20 years.
"It will only profit big entrepreneurs as they have the capital to manage ownership certificates. We can't afford (that)," Arbani said.
The protest came in response to the government's preparations to implement the law, slated to take effect in June.
The fishermen also criticized the government for a lack effort in protecting seawater resources.
In a 10-point list of complaints submitted to the ministry, the association urged the government to cease reclamation projects and toxic waste dumping activities in seawater.
Iing Rohimin, a fisherman from Indramayu, West Java, said the government had no clear agenda to improve the fishermen's welfare.
"The fact is, fishermen are neglected and poor in the country," he said.
"The government is more interested in big businessmen and foreign investors than the local fishermen."
The association also pushed the government to combat poaching across the country.
The ministry reported non-tax revenue in the forms of fees from seawater catches dropped by 44.6 percent last year to Rp 112.5 billion (US$12.5 million), from Rp 203.4 billion in 2006. Catches reached 4.94 million tons last year.
The ministry said there were currently 590,610 fishing vessels operating in Indonesian waters, with 99 percent of the ships owned by traditional fishermen and only 1 percent of the ships more than 30 gross tons.
The fishermen said they would reach out to other communities similarly affected by the law.
"We will set up a national fishermen's association to voice our concerns to Jakarta," said Arbani.
Their meeting in Jakarta was facilitated by the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), Women's Solidarity (SP) and the Indonesia Green Association (SHI).
Riza Damanik of Walhi said the zoning system as set in the 2007 law would limit the movement of the fishermen communities.
"The zoning system does not support traditional fishermen, who can only operate along the border of coastal areas," he said.
Riza said the policy would also create the opportunity for the private sector, including foreign investors, to increase operations in the country's marine areas.
"We are worried that it will cause further environmental destruction to the sea," he said.
The secretary for the directorate general of coastal areas and small islands at the ministry, Irwandi Idris, said the law was aimed at improving the management of coastal areas and small islands.
"So far, the coastal areas are open for anybody and can be used as they like," he said as quoted by Antara.
He said the law would benefit the interests of traditional fishermen.
"Traditional fishermen who hold ownership (rights) ... will never be expelled from their area."
From M.Riza Damanik, (WALHI)
email: riza@walhi.or.id or mriza_damanik@yahoo.com
=================================
Cambodia
The Earth Times
More than 150 Cambodian turtles rescued from becoming dinner
Posted : Wed, 30 Jan 2008 04:41:02 GMT
Author : DPA
Category : earthtimes.org/ (Environment)
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Phnom Penh - Scores of Cambodian turtles described as "endangered" have been rescued from the near-certain fate of a dinner plate and released back into the wild, local media reported Wednesday. The English-language Cambodia Daily reported 169 turtles in the central province of Pursat, 200 kilometres north-west of the capital, were released into the Tonle Sap lake after being confiscated from local fishermen.
The paper did not specify what species was released, but described them as "threatened." Local fisheries officials were not available for further comment Wednesday.
"People love to eat turtles," the paper quoted a government official as saying.
Despite a concerted government education programme and an increasing number of Cambodian turtle species being declared endangered, roasted turtle and turtle eggs remain local delicacies, especially in the lead-up to Chinese New Year.
Copyright, respective author or news agency
====================================
The Philippines
Laguna de Bay, Philippines' largest lake, under threat
Pollution, slums and an invasion of foreign fish species are threatening the Philippines' largest lake, one of the nation's major fish farming regions, according to a study published on Tuesday.
Laguna de Bay on the outskirts of eastern Manila covers more than 90,000 hectares (222,300 acres) but since 1965, fish pens and cages have been built out across some 15 percent of the lake.
The study, by the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center, said the lake's ecosystem was also being threatened by pollution caused by residential, commercial and industrial development and the encroachment of squatters along its shores.
"The worsening water quality in Laguna de Bay, which is caused mainly by water pollution, leads to water algae that kill fish through oxygen depletion as well as taint the flesh of the surviving fish," the report said.
Foreign fish species, such as the janitor fish, destroyed nets and competed for natural food and living space with the cultured species, it added.
Fishermen are being hemmed into ever smaller fishing areas, while illegal construction of fish pens along navigational lanes is causing friction between them and farming industry operators, the report said.
The study said the silting-up and pollution of the Pasig river connecting Laguna de Bay with the sea on Manila Bay also obstructed the natural backflow of saltwater to nourish aquatic life.
Source: Agence France-Presse
From: icsf@icsf.net
India
A Brief Report of the Mangrove Consultation organized by the Coastal Poor Development Action Network:
A Consultation on Mangrove on eco-system in the Bay of Bengal Region for enhancing Biodiversity and Disaster Risk Reduction was held at Inter Church Service Association, Chennai 600 008 on January 28, 29, 30, 2008 brought environmentalists, scientists, academicians, civil society leaders, heads of voluntary organisations, local coastal people to look critically of conservation activities of mangrove ecosystem in the Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean regions and evaluate the degradation in Tsunami affected countries and the long term threat and pressures and to nurture the environmental values, enhance a sense of oneness and promote cooperation among all stakeholders including government agencies, scientists, environmentalists, civil societies, voluntary agencies and above all grass root organisations and movements of the coastal population.
A high proportion of human population live in coastal zones heavily dependent on the resources for their livelihood and economic activities, but are vulnerable to the effects of environment especially during disasters such as storms, cyclones, floods and even Tsunami. Therefore the Chennai Consultation aimed at restoring their biodiversity and provide specific ecological service.
The Consultation deliberated on participatory approaches to planning, implementing and monitoring any initiatives. Strengthening local capacity by dialogue and consultation meetings and joint action between different sectors and groups was seen as the key to long term sustainability of coastal ecosystem.
It was proposed to prioritize threatened ecosystem in cyclone prone coastal areas in the region. As a follow up, regular national, sub-regional and regional meetings and workshops have to be planned and projected to facilitate the information provided by various resource persons for need assessments and for promoting. Institutional mechanisms and investment plans. Above all, finding suitable donars to support such plans and activities are the most important requisites.
More such initiatives are needed in such areas where climate change and global warming cause fear and panic for the future survival of humankind.
From: Felix N. Sugirtharaj, Hony. Secretary – COPDANET
Chennai 82. 11/03/2008
================================
10 February 2008
Indian herb prevents cancer progress
Posted By Susanna Ng
An Indian medicinal plant Acanthus ilicifolius shows encouraging results in preventing liver cancer cells from progressing, dubbed chemoprevention, according to a study.
What is chemoprevention? The aim of cancer chemoprevention is to circumvent the development and progression of malignant cells through the use of non-cytotoxic nutrients, herbal preparations/natural plant products, and/or pharmacological agents. Encouraging dietary intake with herbal supplements may therefore be an effective strategy to limit DNA lesions and organic injuries leading to cancers and other chronic degenerative diseases.
(Another CM NEWS article talks about an herb that triggers cancer cell death.)
Acanthus ilicifolius, popularly known as “Holly Mangrove”, is distributed widely throughout the mangroves of India, including Sunderbans in West Bengal, west coasts, and the Andamans, and in other Asian countries like Singhal, Burma, China, Thailand etc.
How has Acanthus ilicifolius been used to traditional medicines? The leaves of Acanthus ilicifolius are used to treat rheumatism, neuralgia and poison arrow wounds (Malaysia). It is widely believed among mangrove dwellers that chewing the leaves will protect against snake bite.
The pounded seeds of Acanthus ebracteatus are used to treat boils, the juice of leaves to prevent hair loss and the leaves themselves to ward off evil (Malay). Both species are also used to treat kidney stones.
The whole plant is boiled in fresh water, and the patient drinks the solution instead of water, half a glass at a time, until the signs and symptoms disappear (Thailand). Water extracted from the bark is used to treat colds and skin allergies. Ground fresh bark is used as an antiseptic.
Tea brewed from the leaves relieves pain and purifies the blood (widespread in both the Old and New World).
Liver cancer is the fifth most common cancer in the world with a poor prognosis. About three quarters of the cases of liver cancer are found in Southeast Asia, including China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, India, and Japan. The frequency of liver cancer in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa is greater than 20 cases per 100,000 population. Moreover, recent data show the frequency of liver cancer in the U.S. overall is rising.
The study was done at the Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Jadavpur University, India. The research team, led by Dr Malay Chatterjee, investigated the primary chemopreventive mechanisms of Acanthus ilicifolius in an in vivo tumour-transplanted murine model.
The results showed the aqueous leaf extract (ALE) of the plant was substantially effective in preventing hepatic DNA alterations and sister-chromatid exchanges (a type of chromosomal damage) in tumour-bearing mice.
Cancerous mice treated with the ALE significantly reduced viable tumour cell count by 68.34% when compared to the control, and restored body and organ weights almost to the normal values.
The study further demonstrated that ALE treatment was able to limit liver metallothionein expression, a potential marker for cell proliferation, and lengthen the mean survival of animals to a significant extent. The findings suggest that Acanthus ilicifolius may be used as a potential chemoprotector against hepatic neoplasia.
The results obtained from this in vivo study seem interesting and encouraging. Lack of toxicity favours further preclinical evaluation of Acanthus ilicifolius in a defined chemical carcinogenesis model.
“Our data indicate that, ALE is beneficial in restoring haematological and hepatic histological profiles and in lengthening the survival of the animals against the proliferation of ascites tumour in vivo,” the researchers write.
Elucidation of its anticarcinogenic mechanisms of action at the intricate molecular circuits, and isolation and characterization of its active principles, will provide a better understanding of the anti-cancer/chemoprevention strategy of Acanthus ilicifolius.
“If these studies are found to be really functional, we will have the beginning of a new chemoprevention program with herbal supplements that could have the broadest implications for the well-being of society,” the researchers say.
Source: Chinese Medicine News
=================================
14 March 2008
Authorities blamed for illegal prawn farming
By Manoj Kar
Kendrapara (Orissa): Influential bureaucrats and politicians are the patrons-in-chief to the money-spinning prawn farming activity in and around Bhitarkanika wildlife sanctuary that has been posing immense threat to the fragile mangrove cover, according to green activists.
Noted conservationist Biswajit Mohanty said here on Friday that Bhitarkanika has turned into a safe haven for unauthorised prawn farming because of bureaucratic and political patronage.
"Unscrupulous officers are conniving with local prawn mafias in handing over the prime mangrove forest land to prawn farmers. Since top bureaucrats and politicians have heavily invested in this money-spinning trade, they ensure that files move at snail's pace, thereby paving the way for encroachers to make hay," Mohanty charged.
Declining to name the bureaucrats and politicians who have dabbled in unlawful prawn trade, Mohanty said that elaborate details on this nefarious and environment-damaging activity would be submitted to the
Orissa High Court.
The influential sections have played a dominant role that has led to the fast disappearance of country's second largest mangrove forest in Bhitarkanika.
The forest blocks still enriched with mangrove are yet to be conferred reserved forest status. Bureaucrats are dragging their feet over the issue because it would come in the way of illegal prawn farming, he alleged.
Since long, 26 forest blocks comprising of mangrove forests in Mahanadi delta and Bhitarkanika have been proposed for declaration as reserved forests u/s 4 and u/s 21 of the Orissa Forest Act, 1972. The
total area is 12,638 hectares. Without declaration of the exiting forests as forests under the OFA, these forests can be diverted easily for prawn cultivation and other non-forest use.
These forests are located in Rajnagar, Mahakalpada and Kanika Range of Rajnagar Mangrove Forests (Wildlife) Division.
Even though the proposals are pending since 2002, the district administration for strange reasons has done little to complete the process of settlement of claims before final declaration as forests. Some of the forest blocks like Kalibhhanjadia, North Mahisamada, Kantiakhai, Ragadapatia do not have any human settlements and can be easily declared as "forests" without delay.
Apart from these 26 forest blocks, 15 forest blocks that are declared as proposed reserve forests and protected forest have been heavily encroached by prawn farm cultivators.
The forest department officials carried out the eviction exercise during the period 2004-2006 within five-forest blocks.
The official claim was that 1,140 hectares of forestland was made encroachment free. 610 hectares had been taken up for mangrove regeneration activity. But the present scenario is indicative of the fact that the acquired land has been taken over by the prawn farmers.
Of the 6,231 hectares green area in 15 proposed reserve forest and protected forest blocks, 3,765 hectares is still encroached by prawn farmers. The encroachers have filed various civil suits in local courts. The cases are mostly frivolous in nature.
The Orissa High Court in response to a public interest petition filed by Wildlife Society of Orissa had directed that no prawn farm can thrive within Coastal Regulation Zone territory and had directed the District Collectors to demolish existing prawn farms and also prevent their reconstruction. But the authorities concerned watch silently as wanton destruction of mangrove is the order of the day.
Source: Kalinga Times
============================
3 March 2008
World’s largest mangrove centre in city
By Ashwin Aghor
To be built over an area of 452 ha., it will help create awareness about the importance of mangroves
With the state forest minister Babanrao Pachpute announcing the world’s largest mangrove wetland centre in the city on Saturday, environmentalists have reason to celebrate.
The Conservation Action Trust will develop the centre in association with the state forest department.
The centre, first in India, is the brainchild of the trust and a result of the efforts of Vivek Kulkarni of Conservation Action Trust. It will be developed over 452 hectares at Bhandup along Eastern Express Highway.
“Mumbai cannot survive without mangroves. Despite their importance, mangrove forests are being neglected by a majority of the population. The centre aims to reach out to every resident of the city and increase awareness on the importance of mangroves,” said Debi Goenka of Conservation Action Trust. The centre would not just be an educational hub. It will have recreational value as well, Goenka added. The centre would be ready in next three years, he said.
The project also aims at providing employment to local people. “The success of a project depends on the support and involvement of local people. We have decided to involve local fisher folk in activities related to the centre, such as being a guide to the visitors,” said Kulkarni.
The key features of the centre include state-of-the-art visitor centre, orientation centre, information hubs, nature trails, bird ponds, boat rides, flamingo watch and curriculum based education modules and exhibits for children.
“The idea was conceived in 2001 with the objectives of mangrove protection by involving locals and to provide recreational space to Mumbaikars,” Kulkarni said. In all, 22 ponds would be developed to attract different kinds of birds, he said.
“Every year, around 1.5 million migratory birds visit the area. Over 200 species have been recorded from here,” Kulkarni said. Birds like flamingos, Ibis, Openbill Stork, Brahmani Duck, Teal, Steppe Eagle and Imperial Eagle visit the area.
“The centre is being developed on the lines of the Hong Kong Wetland Centre,” Kulkarni said. There are two mangrove wetland centres in the world - one at Hong Kong and the other at Singapore. The area of these centres is 80 acres and 60 hectares respectively.
Romulus Whitaker, the man who developed Crocodile Park in Chennai, will provide guidance on the species of reptiles found in the area, Kulkarni said. “We aim to include Thane creek under the Ramsal Convention for Wetlands, which was signed by 140 countries, including India, in 1971 to save wetlands all over the world,” he said.
Source: Daily News Analysis (India)
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8 February 2008
National institute for mangrove research planned in W. Bengal
Aim is to provide a scientific approach to preserving the country’s mangroves
BANGALORE: The Director, Ministry of Environment and Forests, J. R. Bhatt, on Thursday said the Union Government had decided to set up a national institute for mangrove research and biodiversity management for providing a scientific approach to preserving the country’s mangroves as well as biodiversity.
Addressing a national workshop on “Mangroves in India: Biodiversity, protection and environmental services” organised by the Institute of Wood Sciences and Technology (IWST) here, Dr. Bhatt said the institute would come up in the Sundarbans of West Bengal.
He said the Coastal Regulation Zone notification, issued by the Union Government, had given priority to conservation and development of mangroves by categorising them as ecologically sensitive areas.
A national committee on mangroves and coral reefs had identified 38 areas in the country, including four in Karnataka, as suitable for preserving and also developing mangroves. This included Kundapura, Honnavar, Karwar and Mangalore, Dr. Bhatt said.
The Centre would encourage States to preserve important ecosystems like mangroves by providing financial assistance, he said. The Centre had recently sought proposals from the States on the steps to be taken for preserving mangroves.
Director of the Institute of Wood Science and Technology Suresh Gairola noted that mangroves in India accounted for about 5 per cent of those in the world and were spread over 4,461 sq km along the coast of 12 States. West Bengal had the largest mangrove area in the country, followed by Gujarat and Andaman and Nicobar islands. West Bengal itself accounted for 46 per cent of the country’s mangroves.
India, which had lost nearly 50 per cent of its mangroves in the last 50 years, had the dubious distinction of being one of the leading countries in destruction of mangroves.
Over-harvesting, coastal aquaculture, agriculture, reclamation of land for development, pollution and oil spills were mainly responsible for large-scale destruction of mangroves, he said.
Managing Director of Karnataka State Forest Industries Corporation P.J. Dilip Kumar expressed concern that hunger for land with respect to industries, infrastructure, special economic zones and other development projects was shrinking the size of mangroves, which formed an important an unique ecosystem.
Stressing the need for preserving such ecosystem, he, however, expressed reservation over handing over the task of preserving and developing mangroves to industries. “I am sceptical about such an approach,” he said while “remarking that ecological security cannot be achieved if there are economic interests.”
Instead, all the stakeholders should be involved in the process of preserving such ecosystems, he suggested.
Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Development) M.H.A. Shaik too stressed the need for taking care of the interests of the stakeholders for better management of mangroves.
Source: The Hindu
================================
Tourist plan for world's largest mangrove forest
4 March 2008
India's eastern West Bengal state is preparing a detailed plan to develop the coastal Sundarbans area, the world's largest mangrove forest, as a global tourist destination, news reports said today.
The Sundarbans lies on the delta of Hooghly, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers, partly in India's West Bengal and part in neighbouring Bangladesh.
Recognised by UNESCO as a world heritage site, the mangrove forests are home to the royal Bengal tiger, the estuarine crocodile, a variety of snakes including the Indian python and over 260 species of birds.
The forests, with the breathing roots of mangrove trees along innumerable distributaries of the rivers, is ecologically fragile and environmentalists have expressed reservations over developing it as a major tourism site.
The United Nations World Tourism Organisation conducted a study in 2007 on development of coastal tourism and a masterplan for the Sundarbans delta, West Bengal's Tourism Department's top official Bijoy Chatterjee was quoted as saying by PTI news agency.
A particular site has been identified and a detailed masterplan was being drawn up for developing the area without disturbing the wildlife, Chatterjee said.
India's federal Planning Commission and Tourism Ministry had cleared a proposal to conduct a further detailed study with the support of UNDP.
The Sundarbans project was likely to draw global investment once it secured environmental clearance, Chatterjee said.
"We have to showcase the potential before the tourists to draw global attention to this UNESCO world heritage site," he said.
The West Bengal government would facilitate the project by providing infrastructure including roads, water and power, he said.
Source: The Age
==============================
Bangladesh
18 March 2008
EU mulls check on every frozen shrimp container
Bangladesh export likely to face setback; EU may discuss the issue April 2
by Sajjadur Rahman
The European Union is considering checking every frozen shrimp container shipped from Bangladesh in an effort to detect harmful germs, a move which will seriously hamper the country's second largest export earner.
„If the EU tests all containers of Bangladesh, it will take about two months to reach buyers from EU ports. So, the move will ultimately encourage buyers to switch to other countries,‰ a frozen food exporter said.
The EU plans to discuss the issue of testing every shrimp container from Bangladesh at its meeting on April 2 in its headquarters, sources said.
Currently, the EU checks shrimp containers from Bangladesh on a random basis.
Both the government and exporters said they hope the EU will not impose such a decision since Bangladesh is trying to comply with the EU standards for shrimp export.
„We've bought a testing machine worth Tk 3.5 crore as per the EU suggestions. The machine has been installed and operated by local technicians trained in India,‰ said a leading shrimp exporter preferring anonymity.
„But the EU is unwilling to accept the test reports conducted by local technicians. Now we've decided to get the technicians trained in the United Kingdom,‰ he added.
The exporter lamented: „We admit that we lack quality technicians for the work, but I think we need some time as we are trying our best to comply with EU standards.‰
Bangladesh earned Tk 3,702 crore from frozen fish and shrimp export in 2006-07 fiscal.
Bangladesh's largest export earner apparels fetched Tk 51,891 crore in 2006-07 fiscal year.
According to Bangladesh Bank data, during the first six months of the current fiscal year, the country earned Tk 1,974 crore from export of frozen fish and shrimp.
A member of Bangladesh Frozen Food Exporters Association said the government and exporters are trying to persuade the EU not to include the issue on the agenda of the meeting.
The exporter however blamed the government for its negligence to recruit quality technicians to do the testing.
„We've bought a machine and installed it in the Department of Fisheries Office. But the government fails to recruit efficient technicians,‰ he said.
When asked on the weakness of the test reports, a scientific officer at the Department of Fisheries, said: „We're conducting the tests as per formats set by the EU.‰
Source: The Daily Star
=================================
Unplanned construction destroying Kuakata's scenery: Master plan needed to preserve natural beauty, say locals
Nazrul Islam . back from Kuakata January 5. 2008 New Age.
Unplanned construction of unattractive buildings by a section of private landowners in Kuakata is spoiling the scenic beauty of the highly potential tourist spot in the south-west region of Bangladesh. 'Basically we have no plan for the development of Kuakata,' admitted the chairman of Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation, Md Hafizur Rahman Bhuiyan, while talking to New Age on Wednesday.
'We even have no mechanism to monitor the ongoing development activities,' he said, adding that there should have been an official plan for improvement of the site where thousands of visitors from home and abroad go every year to see the rising and setting of the crimson sun in the Bay of Bengal, far from the madding crowds.
Local people are also annoyed with the unplanned proliferation of buildings on the shore of the bay. 'Haphazard construction on small pieces of land seems to have made the small place crowded,' said one local landowner, venting his frustration over the probability that the beautiful place might turn into a concrete jungle if the authorities keep their eyes shut. It was seen, during a recent visit, that people were erecting concrete structures wherever they had a piece of land beside the sea-dyke, mainly to make money as many people go to this place for holidaying, especially in the winter.
On the other hand, a large number of small shanties, being used as makeshift shops or residences on the shore of the bay, have been posing a serious threat by causing marine pollution. Locals say that the land prices in Kuakata, some 320 kilometers south-west of Dhaka, have already gone up, and are continuing to soar as people from other parts are on a land-buying spree in a resort that has one of the world's most beautiful sea beaches. A local leader of the community, U Cha Chine, said that on an average a katha of land is now being sold for Tk 1,00,000. People from other parts of the country have already outnumbered the local Rakhyne tribe who came from Arakan and settled in the area some 300 years ago, Chine told New Age.
He said that 20 hotels have already been erected in the area, and construction for 20 more is underway. Many small business establishments have also been set up to take advantage of the tourist trade. 'But there should be disciplined and planned construction, and the government should control land use, to prevent the place from losing its picturesque beauty,' opined Chine. The sandy beach, the blue sky, the huge expanse of water of the Bay of Bengal and the evergreen forest in the area allure tourists from thousands of miles away. There is an eight-kilometer-long beach, stretching from east to west, where visitors enjoy the scenery from dawn to midnight in the peak holiday season. But official efforts to protect the beach's beauty and increase visitors' facilities are hardly seen in the area, located in Kalapara upazila in Patuakhali district. Some 200 motorbike riders, defying a ban on motorbikes, zoom up and down the beach, churning up the sand and destroying its beauty under the very nose of the administration. A 'sea beach management committee' was formed to check such irregularities, but neither its members nor the law enforcers are found on the spot. A motorbike rider, who earns money from passengers who enjoy being carried up and down the beach, said they need to pay bribes to the nearest police outpost on a regular basis.
One of the effects of such activities is the erosion of beach. Locals said a shoal emerged in the Bay of Bengal only a kilometer away, changing the course of water, resulting in constant erosion. Cyclone Sidr washed away six kilometers of the sea-dyke [flood protection embankment] constructed in the '60s, and many places have become weaker in the course of time. Mahbubul Islam, a tourist who was on his second visit to Kuakata, expressed his annoyance over the absence of planning to prevent the tourist spot from losing its natural beauty. 'The area is no longer secluded because of the greed of a section of the people and the authorities' indifference.' Many feel that the area should be brought under a tourism master plan to maintain its scenic beauty and make it a pleasure resort for the visitors in an environment-friendly manner. The plan must include preservation of the unique cultural heritage of the Rakhyne people, they said.
From: Rubaiyat AUMI, Asia and Middle East Division
Email: aumi@christian-aidbd.org
China
News Summary February 26, 2008
China Fights Back Against Bad Image Of Its Seafood Exports
The Japanese company, Nissui is looking at a 40% drop in forecast earnings for this fiscal year, ending March 31st. Problems seem to have arisen on all fronts…
…In Asia, the company has been impacted by shrimp farm management problems, and lower production. In Japan, the Chinese food scare has caused frozen food sales to slump. And in Chile, the company says that its salmon operations are impacted by ISA, and that it is still seeking government approval for certain treatment mechanisms. The net is that profit will fall to about 10 billion yen, 40% below last year, and about 50% below the original projection for the year.
Tilapia prices have already risen in the U.S. due to the cold snap in China that killed up to 60% of fish in some ponds. The overall impact on the tilapia market is still unclear, as it is sourced from many countries. But some major sellers raised prices 10 cents on the news ? and they expect prices to go higher in the future.
Adding to the problem of Chinese manufactured seafood in Japan, a Chinese company has suspended all its mackerel shipments to Japan, after it was accused by one of its Japanese buyers of shipping a product last year that contained an agricultural chemical. There is a tough situation developing, with the Chinese taking a position that they may cut off all shipments if food scares are not handled more responsibly. Meanwhile, Japanese consumers continue to shun food manufactured in China, which is a huge part of Japanese seafood production.
From: "Seafood.com News"
========================================
Friday, February 29, 2008
Chinese Alumnus Fanglin Tan on OPB!
OSU Researcher Sam Chan and WFI alumnus Fanglin Tan cooperated to bring OSU scientists to China to discuss invasive species issues. Oregon Public Broadcasting created a ten minute video of the trip, watch it here: VIDEO
The Corvallis Gazette Times featured the trip in an article.
And from OSU: oregonstate.edu
OSU Extension Specialist to Lead China Trip
CORVALLIS, Ore. - Sam Chan, an Oregon State University Extension invasive species expert, will lead a three-state delegation of invasive species, restoration, and science education and communications experts on an 11-day trip to China this month.
Its aim is to help the Chinese begin to assess the extent of a non-native marine grass invasion that threatens mangrove-dominated coastal forests in that country's Fujian province.
The long-term goal is to forge a relationship between invasive species experts in the United States and China that could help both countries better deal with the threats non-native plants and animals pose to local species and ecosystems ˆ and perhaps to reduce the transport of such organisms via trans-Pacific commerce.
Chan, who works with the OSU-based Oregon Sea Grant program, is an aquatic invasive species expert, watershed education team leader and an assistant professor in watershed health at OSU. He also chairs the education and outreach team of the Oregon Invasive Species Council.
The China venture came about as a result of Chan‚s earlier work with Fanglin Tan, a faculty member with the Fujian Academy of Science, the academic science arm of the provincial government's forest service. The two men met in 2001 when Tan was a fellow at the World Forestry Center and Chan ˆ then a research scientist with the U.S. Forest Service ˆ held a workshop about invasive species and restoration in riparian areas on the Pacific Northwest coast.
High on their list of mutual concerns were species of spartina, commonly known as cordgrass. Spartina plays an important ecological role in its native habitats, including the east coast of the U.S., but can be highly invasive and damaging to ecosystems outside its native range.
Sometimes planted for erosion control and salt marsh reclamation, or used as animal feed and packing material for oysters, spartina can be a vigorous invader, quickly colonizing estuaries, driving out native plants, and eventually creating islands that block the natural flow of water. Ecologically destructive spartina invasions have occurred on both the west coast of the U.S. and the south coast of China.
The threatened mangroves are salt water-tolerant trees that are the center of complex ecosystems (known as mangrove swamps or forests) along coastal estuaries in much of the world, including the seacoast of China's Fujian province. Adapted to survive in both salt and fresh water, the trees and the systems around them can serve as important buffers to coastal storms and flooding, as well as providing habitat for shellfish and other commercially important species.
Since the Indonesian tsunami of 2004, China has turned its attention to the importance of the Fujian mangrove forests, along with off-shore coral reefs, in protecting its densely populated coastline from similar disasters caused by tsunamis or far more frequent typhoons. Of particular concern is invasion by spartina, which chokes off the normal flow of water vital to the mangrove ecosystems' survival.
The plant's structure ˆ its rhizomes break loose easily and are transported by the water ˆ makes it spread rapidly. The Chinese estimate that as much as 100,000 hectares (nearly 250,000 acres) of mangrove forest are infested by spartina, almost all of it spread by invasion.
Chan's May 16-26 visit is part of a major Chinese initiative to save its remaining mangroves as a protective belt around its coastline and to reduce the threat from invasive species.
"Our goal is to work with the Chinese in sorting through the probable causes of mangrove forest declines, including invasive spartina, and to work cooperatively to develop the best courses of action to protect coastal ecosystems," Chan said.
Accompanying Chan on this initial visit are David Hannaway, an OSU professor of crop science and member of the university's China Initiative Working Group; Merritt Tuttle, a retired official of the National Marine Fisheries Service; Wendy Brown, invasive species manager for the Washington Department of Natural Resources' aquatic resources office; Mike Spranger, Florida Sea Grant Extension program leader; and Edward Jahn and James N. Fisher, producer and photographer for Oregon Public Broadcasting's Oregon Field Guide series.
The Chinese government is funding the trip.
While in China, the team will visit several local forestry bureaus, meet with local officials, tour and observe estuaries and wetlands ˆ both intact and spartina-infested ˆ and will give formal presentations on the potential for ecosystem management and restoration. Chan hopes the trip will result in future collaboration on estuarine wetland restoration, spartina control and related research and public education issues.
"This is an opportunity for members of our team, for OSU and for the Chinese government to work on invasive species as a global issue, and not just a problem caused by organisms transported here from the other side of the ocean," said Chan. "Both of our countries face similar ecologic, economic and health problems from invasive species. We both have concerns about tsunamis and other natural disasters.
„The opportunity to discuss our common problems could allow us to work together seeking comprehensive solutions."
Cuba
Cuba helps the hawksbill
Science Centric
28 January 2008 | 13:30 GMT
Cuba has thrown a lifeline to the Caribbean's endangered and critically endangered marine turtles with a ministerial resolution ending all harvesting of marine turtles.
Such a resolution, ending Cuba's long standing harvest of 500 critically endangered hawksbill turtles a year, has been sought by conservationists for more than a decade. It will benefit turtles hatching on beaches throughout the Caribbean and coming regularly to feed in Cuban waters.
Like marine turtles worldwide, the Caribbean's endangered green and loggerhead turtles are threatened by the loss of nesting and feeding habitats, egg collection, entanglement in fishing gear, climate change, and pollution. Hawksbill turtles are also threatened by hunting for tortoise shell and suffered global population declines of 80 per cent over the last century.
'This far-sighted decision represents an outstanding outcome for Cuba, for the wider Caribbean, and for conservation,' said Dr Susan Lieberman, Director of WWF International's Species Programme.
'Cuba is to be commended for the example it has set in intelligent decision-making informed by science and the long term best interests of its people.'
The phase out of the marine turtle fishery in Cuba is the result of a joint effort by the Cuban Ministry of Fisheries and WWF, with financial support from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
'This decision reflects the political will of the Cuban government to join the call of the international community to adopt measures that guarantee the conservation of marine turtles,' declared Dr Elisa Garcia, Director of Fishing Regulations at the Ministry of Fisheries of Cuba.
The two remaining fishing communities used to harvest marine turtles in Cuba are being provided with funds and technical assistance to help them implement specifically developed sustainable economic alternatives, modernise their fishing fleets, re-train their inhabitants and engage them in hawksbill turtle protection activities.
The WWF/CIDA grant of over $400,000 also supports the Ministry's Centre for Fisheries Research to become a regional hub for marine turtle conservation and research, capitalising on decades of experience by leading Cuban scientists. It will also strengthen the Office for Fisheries Inspection (the Cuban Fisheries law enforcement group) to ensure compliance with the ban.
Recent research has shown that the hawksbill's preference for feeding on sponges means it plays a significant but until recently unappreciated role in the continued health of coral reefs, by opening up new feeding opportunities for some varieties of reef fish.
Source: sciencecentric.com
Seafood industry split over antibiotics in prawns
By Jennifer Macey
12 March 2008
abc.net.au dispute has broken out between Australian farmers and importers about whether prawns with traces of antibiotics should be allowed into Australia.
The Food and Beverage Importers Association have applied to the food regulator to set a maximum residue limit for an antibiotic used in some imported prawns.
The importers say this will simply bring Australia into line with international standards, but Australian prawn farmers say prawns with any trace of antibiotics should be stopped at the border.
Nick Georgouras from Nickolas Seafoods at the Sydney Fish Markets estimates he will sell four to five tonnes of prawns next week.
He sells a combination of Australian wild and farmed prawns, and imports from Thailand.
"The imported prawns fill a place - they're bigger if you want them bigger, they're convenient because they're frozen, we can buy them in by the tonne and we have a continuity of supply," he said.
Mr Georgouras says consumers are conscious about what they eat and would prefer their prawns free of antibiotics, preservatives or additives.
"Then we can sell the prawns with confidence and the consumer can buy it with confidence," he said.
"That would help the importer because they're marketing a product which is on par with our frozen product here, so in the lean times in winter when we don't have local farmed prawns, then we have a prawn to fall back on.
"But we need to be confident that it's a saleable product with no additives - then it's safe for everybody. This is Australia - we're clean as clean."
Importing proposal
Australia imports about 30,000 tonnes of prawns each year. Until now, the food regulator has insisted the prawns must contain no trace of antibiotics.
But now Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), is considering an application from food importers to change the rules.
The importers want the maximum residue limit so that prawns may contain up to 0.2 milligrams per kilo of prawns of the antibiotic oxytetracycline.
Harry Peters is the chairman of the Seafood Importers Association of Australasia. He says small residues of this antibiotic are already permitted in imported and local fish.
"Local producers are currently using antibiotics in farming of seafood and imported product has been stopped at the border because we do not have any maximum residue levels," he said.
"Food Standards Australia have examined the situation carefully, they have now permitted it in domestic seafood, so under WTO [World Trade Organisation] regulations, it's only right that the same applies to imported [seafood].
"There's no human safety issue here - this is an animal health issue only, no human health."
But local prawn farmers dispute this, saying they do not use any antibiotics.
The president of the Australian Prawn Farmers Association, Jeff Harrison, says the current default zero limit should remain for imported prawns.
"We pride ourselves on being a clean and green industry and there is a big push, particularly in Australia, to eliminate antibiotic use in food and we support that view," he said.
"Everyone would prefer to play it safe and keep it at zero."
Unnecessary?
A senior research scientists with CSIRO Marine Research, Dr Nigel Preston, says the use of antibiotics in aquaculture are unnecessary and the practice should be banned world wide.
"There are so many alternative techniques to remove bacteria, the most obvious one being filtering the water," he said.
"There's no way that [adding antibiotics] could happen in Australia, it's a primitive, rather stupid practice that we can't see the logic of it."
But importers such as Mr Peters say the domestic prawn industry is using biosecurity as a form of trade protectionism.
"These regulations have been brought in for no other reason other than to protect 23 prawn farms and about 15 wild catch fishing companies," he said.
Mr Harrison rejects that claim.
"They will continue to push that front," he said.
"Purely on a disease-risk matter it's got nothing to do with protectionists - we're happy to compete on a level playing field with imports and we have and we will continue to."
And concern remains about the long-term safety of consuming food products with residues of antibiotics.
Dr Stuart Smith is a senior lecturer of Food Sciences at Deakin University in Melbourne. He says Australia should actively discourage the presence of any antibiotics in food.
"As the level of antibiotics residues increase then we are going to potentially increase the risk of bacteria developing resistances," he said.
"Certainly if we're consuming food [with antibiotics in it] there's the risk that [bacteria in] the gut might develop resistances as well and therefore that is a concern."
Food Standards Australia New Zealand say they are considering the application and will make a decision later this year.
Source: ABC News
The Bahamas
Guana Cuay
Bahamas Court of Appeals Upholds Baker's Bay Ruling
The right of Baker's Bay Golf & Ocean Club, one of the finest new luxury communities in The Bahamas developed by Discovery Land Company, was granted permission to move forward with its development plan by the Bahamas Court of Appeal.
Marsh Harbour, Bahamas PRWEB March 18, 2008 -- The right of Baker's Bay Golf & Ocean Club, one of the finest new luxury communities in The Bahamas, to move forward with its development plan was affirmed Monday, February 18, 2008. President Dame Joan Sawyer, Justice Lorris Gantpatsingh and Justice Emmanuel Osadeby of The Bahamas Court of Appeal unanimously dismissed the Save Guana Cay reef Association's (SGCRA) appeal and upheld Justice Norris Carroll's October 12, 2006 Supreme Court ruling in favor of Baker's Bay Golf & Ocean Club…
…Baker's Bay Golf & Ocean Club is located in the beautiful Abaco Islands, Baker's Bay boasts more than six miles of spectacular beachfront with a luxurious beach club; a 180-slip deep-water marina; a world-class spa; a Tom Fazio golf course; a vibrant Caribbean village and breathtaking home sites.
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Bimini Island
Powerful Video On Bimini Island Posted On Web
Bimini video is on web. Have a look: HERE
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Bimini Finds A Local Voice In The Desert Of Government Complicity
In January of 2007, approximately 100 members of the community of Bimini held a 'strategic planning' meeting to discuss the problems facing this island, and the solutions desired to move towards a brighter future.
Through hours of discussion, the suggestions of a community were filtered down to 4 Key Goals:
1. Identify, preserve and enhance important cultural, historical, and environmental assets
2. More effective target marketing focusing in US domestic market, Latin America and Europe
3. Clean up the island, restore it to its pristine state and sustain the environment
4. Establish Bimini's Marine Protected Area/ Marine Park
At the end of the meeting, I was asked to lead the effort towards Goal 4. Since that meeting, as well as in the years prior, I have spoken with dozens and dozens and dozens of Biminites about their feelings towards establishing Bimini's proposed Marine Protected Area.
I have never heard anyone object to the idea of implementing Bimini's MPA.
What I have heard often, but not always, is frustration. Frustration that past letters, petitions, phone calls, and pleas have not produced the desired results. The local, national, and international news media have covered this issue for years, most recently in a stirring article by Larry Smith, titled "Will Briland Follow Bimini into Oblivion?" Briland
After seeing this article, I again have heard the frustrations and concerns of Biminites. One of the most thorough reactions to Larry Smith's article came in the form of the letter attached below.
I have sent out more e mails than I can keep track of in an effort to get information moving between Bimini and the other parties involved with this issue. And while I have tried to leave my opinions out of this discussion, as a non-Bahamian I understand and respect the notion that my view may be less relevant than those who are from this island. Fortunately, I can now present the view of someone who is from Bimini, who's life and livelihood are woven into this island.
Over the last 7 years, I've heard from a frightening amount of Biminites who shy away from speaking out due to fears of how their words will be perceived. The letter below is not only an act of bravery, but a sincere act of concern for this amazing island. I hope that this will be the first in a series of new letters from Bimini.
Sincerely,
grant johnson
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Bimini: An Island Ignored
People from Bimini, and around the world, have been calling for the preservation of this beautiful island for years. Back in 2000, we were told that our precious home was designated as the highest-priority site in the Bahamas for a Marine Protected Area, yet here we are in 2008 with no MPA. Bimini's MPA is widely supported, locally and internationally, and its implementation is a key factor to the economic and ecological future of the island, long-hailed as the Big Game Fishing Capital of the World. Just a few days ago, a news report suggested that the government is holding off on designating Bimini's MPA because of a perceived apathy from Bimini, rather than recognizing that for us here, this issue should have already been settled years ago. I am never one to take a defeatist's attitude but I can see why there appears to be a sense of apathy amongst the people of Bimini.
There have been inquiries, investigations, committees, surveys, studies and promises for years in regards to the current development on North Bimini and their wanton destruction and impact on the environment and ecology. We have talked to administrators, MP's, lawyers, church leaders, heads of state, scientists, and environmental groups. We have had meetings, forums, educational fairs, flyers, and petitions voicing our desire to have the project stopped and preservation of the wetlands implemented. And through all of this do you know what the general belief of Biminites is...?
We feel that it doesn't matter what we do because the government leaders do not have our best interest at heart, only profit - personal or otherwise. Our desire to preserve the natural heritage of Bimini for the future of Bimini, the very thing that brings people like the Bimini Bay developers to our islands, is for sale to the highest bidder. In the end our fate is not in our own hands but in the hands of a small few who know nothing of daily life in Bimini and the tragic effects that this development, even in just its beginning stage, has had on the economy and ecology of the island.
Most people feel this way and have adopted the attitude toward our leadership of "they're going to do what they want to do no matter what we say, so why waste your breath". I know it's unfortunate but it's a product of being let down by the same people for so long. So when the government says that the people of Bimini have not shown that they want a Marine Reserve or National Park, it's not true, we do. The people of Bimini have been ignored for too long, and for many their hopes for a better tomorrow have waned. I say shame on the leaders of our nation if they plan to use the plight of a weary community as their excuse to do the wrong thing.
Establishing Bimini's MPA and preserving whats left of Bimini will ensure that Biminites, tourists, and even foreign developers can enjoy this island jewel for future generations.
Marty Weech
Biminite, Born and Raised
From: "Grant Johnson" grantjohnson86@gmail.com
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Feb,26, 2008
Will Briland Follow Bimini Into Oblivion?
by Larry Smith Briland
Someone once said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. If that's so, then trying to replicate failed "anchor projects" throughout our islands would seem to make us certifiably insane.
And the craziest project of them all would have to be Bimini Bay - a hugely inappropriate development on a tiny island of less than 2,000 people. At least one senior government minister has already admitted that agreeing to Miami developer Gerado Capo's plans for Bimini in the late 1990s was a crazy "mistake".
So crazy, in fact, that Fabien Cousteau, grandson of famed ocean explorer Jaques Cousteau, has joined the chorus of voices calling for a halt to this development. Fabien, 40, visited Bimini last month to produce a short video for the Ocean Futures Society headed by his father, Jean Michel Cousteau. The Cousteaus are frequent visitors to the Bahamas.
"I was saddened by what I saw on Bimini," he told Tough Call recently. "The scar left by this unsustainable development will take generations to heal. The long-term cultural and economic livelihood of the people of Bimini is being traded for the short-term gain of a single developer. This is unacceptable."
The development's progenitor was the American-owned 100-room Bimini Bay Rod and Gun Club, which opened with its own casino and power plant in 1921 and closed four years later for lack of business before being swept away by hurricanes. In his History of Bimini, author Ashley Saunders described the club as "ahead of its time."
Bimini went on to become a celebrated game fishing destination popularised by well-known writers and industrialists like Ernest Hemingway, Van Campen Heilner, Zane Grey, George Lyons, Michael Lerner and Adam Clayton Powell. They each carved out a place in Bimini's modern folklore, and Tough Call's grandfather rubbed shoulders with some of them when he was commissioner there in the 1940s.
Over the years the derelict Bimini Bay property accreted (through several owners) into a 700-acre estate - incorporating about two thirds of North Bimini, where the settlements of Alice Town and Baley Town are located, and parts of East Bimini, which is a mangrove wetland surrounding a lagoon. Grandiose plans to build a mega-resort on this property in the 1980s foundered - but not until much dredging and land clearing had taken place.
In 1997 Bimini Bay was acquired by Miami developer Garardo Capo, who launched a new mega-development. The government signed off on a high-rise hotel, a 10,000-square-foot casino, hundreds of marina slips, thousands of residential units, a golf course and a commercial centre. The original plans called for building homes and dredging an 85-foot wide channel entirely around Bimini's mangrove-fringed lagoon - essentially killing the only marine nursery in the region.
The following year, in response to criticism from environmentalists, the agreement was scaled back to under 2000 rental units. The hotel was limited to only seven stories and efforts were made to downsize the casino. The scale-back also stopped the ring channel dredging at the head of the lagoon, and called for a specialised "links" golf course, to reduce fresh water demand.
In 2004 the agreement was revisited by the Christie administration - which had been highly critical of Bimini Bay while in opposition. Capo was given a five-year extension to complete the first phase, which included a 250-room hotel (now reduced to four stories), condos, villas and marinas. The 10,000-square-foot casino was now given an option to expand, and the total number of units increased to 2,130, some of which would be built on a 42-acre island reclaimed from the lagoon.
In 2006, the agreement was revisited yet again. The number of residential units dropped to 1887 while the number of marina slips increased - there are now 232. Although the former Ingraham administration had supposedly vetoed development on uninhabited East Bimini, the current master plan calls for residential and commercial areas, as well as a golf course, encircling the entire lagoon.
The developers then agreed to set aside 153 acres on East Bimini in return for additional reclaimed land in the lagoon, and as mitigation for clearing the mangroves. But the precise size of the resort continues to fluctuate. According to General Manager Patrick Perichon, current plans are for 2500 units, and up to 10,000 guests could be at the resort at any one time. They are walled off from the local community and must wear special wrist bands to gain access.
In fact, it is still unclear just how Bimini Bay will eventually turn out. Capo's proposals for the island at one time or another have included an airstrip, a heliport, a theme park, a bridge to South Bimini, and a cruise terminal jutting into the gulf stream that would have involved dynamiting the reef.
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The golf course and its associated facilities will occupy much of the northern mangrove wetland on East Bimini. But on its web site, the resort says it is "engaging in a habitat creation and restoration programme that will maintain the surrounding mangrove wetlands healthy and teeming with life."
Dr Sammy Gruber, a well-known University of Miami marine biologist who has worked on Bimini for years, is adamantly opposed to the development, along with many of his colleagues. Yet the resort's web site claims it is "working hard to help preserve the natural wonders of Bimini for generations to come, together with marine biologists and governmental organizations."
Fabien Cousteau was attracted to Bimini by Cindy Slater, a Floridian who has been visiting the island since childhood. She is devastated by what is happening there, and set up the Save Bimini Association to fight back: "You can tell the people who live at Bimini Bay," she says, "as opposed to those who come to enjoy the real Bimini - they wear high heels instead of flip flops. The resort should stop where it is now - there is no need for a golf course to fill in the mangroves."
Bahamian environmental expert Neil Sealey agrees. "The people of Bimini are now trapped behind a wall while most of their island has been taken over by a developer who wants to knock golf balls around. The North Sound and the entire mangrove area to the east are clearly deserving of some sort of protected status - it's an oasis in a vast expanse of water."
Cousteau and Slater were in Nassau last week to meet with a variety of politicos, enviromentalists and media folks. Slater said no one they spoke to could understand why the Bimini Bay development is allowed to continue in its present format: "Even Capo could turn this around and have a resort that draws on a marine park. Bimini's resources for ecotourism are huge."
According to Bahamas National Trust deputy president Pericles Maillis, Bimini Bay is one of a handful of development "anomalies" in the Bahamas, and the government has had the grace to admit it was a mistake. He noted that the project was on the upcoming BNT council meeting's agenda, and there are expectations that some sort of "green line" will be drawn to stop further development.
"I can tell you that there is a joint initiative right now between the BNT and the government to look at the agreements and the extent of compliance and to see how we can ameliorate the situation. But," he warned, "in a democracy, things that are done are not often undone."
Some say the future of Bimini is in the hands of those who live there. Environmentalists can point out what's wrong, but it's the local folk who must force the politicos to act. As one Biminite said in Cousteau's video, Paradise in Peril, "Bimini is the fishing capital of the Bahamas. If you gonna come to Bimini to play golf, then you going away from what Bimini is all about."
Briland Bustup
Bimini is a disaster - we can only hope to cut our losses and salvage what we can. But Harbour Island is a disaster about to happen....Continued HERE.
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Plans for protected marine reserves gaining momentum
15th March, 2008
By Taneka Thompson, Tribune Staff Reporter
tthompson@tribunemedia.net
Government "working feverishly" on proposals, says Cartwright
THE government is "working feverishly" towards turning five proposed marine protected areas into actual protected marine reserves. Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources Larry Cartwright told The Tribune.
During a telephone interview on Thursday, Minister Cartwright said a series of town meetings on the issue were held to raise awareness of the government's commitment and to get input from Family Island communities.
The first marine protected area (MPA) will be in North Bimini, Minister Cartwright said, and plans for the area are "well underway".
"We're workign feverishly on them," said the minister when asked of the status of the marine protected areas. "There have been several meetings in Bimini - the North Bimini Reserve is going to be the first one that we establish (into a protected area) - that's well underway. We are working on them and the ministry will soon be making an announcement on the Bimini one."
Government is also proposing MPAs in Exuma, South Abaco, Eleuthera and Conception Island, which is now a land reserve for foreign-owned land, Mr. Cartwright said. According to the website friendsoftheenvironment.org, talk of creating MPAs first surfaced eight years ago in 2000, when the Department of Fisheries, the Bahamas Reef Environmental Education Foundation, The Bahamas National Trust, and researchers proposed the establishment of the first of five nationwide "no-take" marine areas.
These areas are designed to protect grouper, conch, spiny lobster and Elkhorn coral.
When asked by The Tribune what challenges the government faced in bringing the MPAs to fruition,