17
Apr 2008 - Just as canaries help miners
monitor underground gases, marine turtles
are emerging as excellent indicators of
the effects of climate change.
“Turtles are a really
good way to study climate change because
they depend on healthy beaches as well as
mangroves, sea grass beds, coral reefs and
deep ocean ecosystems to live”, said Dr.
Lucy Hawkes, coordinator of an initiative
to develop adaptation strategies for climate
change impacts to turtles.
As part of the initiative,
WWF launched a new website today, Adaptation
to Climate Change in Marine Turtles (ACT).
“Understanding of how
climate change may affect the beaches, the
reef and the open ocean will not only benefit
endangered sea turtle populations, but also
the millions of people who live along the
coastlines of the world and depend upon
marine resources and environmental services.”
The public, educators,
conservationists and scientists will be
able to share information and projects to
try to gain a better picture of how climate
change will affect turtles and what might
be done to combat the impacts.
According to the latest
reports by the International Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC), our environment will be altered
dramatically over the next years by increasing
temperatures, increased severity and frequency
of storm events and rising sea levels.
These effects could
be devastating within low situated tropical
areas, where the majority of the population
depends on coastal resources and tourism.
The Caribbean is one
such important region that is greatly threatened
by climate change and is also host to globally
important populations of sea turtles.
By 2010 the project
hopes to understand the current state of
knowledge about the impacts of climate change
on marine turtles and their habitats with
a global network of marine turtle and climate
specialists, and make management recommendations
for their conservation.
It is an initiative
of WWF through a grant from the MacArthur
Foundation and support from Hewlett Packard.
The website, hosting
free downloads, information and latest scientific
findings, can be accessed at: http://www.panda.org/lac/marineturtles/act
Lucy Hawkes,
WWF Central America,
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Media Advisory: Global
Conference on Responsible Soy Convenes Industry
Players and NGOs
18 Apr 2008 - Since
the 2nd Roundtable in 2006, the RTRS has
great momentum in its mission to promote
economically viable, socially equitable
and environmentally sustainable production,
processing and trading of soy. The RTRS
now boasts 78 members and includes some
of the biggest players in the industry.
The multi-stakeholder and participatory
process for developing sustainability criteria
is moving into its second round of public
consultation, which promises to be a prime
topic of discussion among stakeholders at
the conference. Other topics to be debated
are a model implementation and verification
system for the RTRS standards, the role
of biofuels in soy expansion, the expectations
and contributions of consumers and retailers
regarding the sustainability criteria, and
a focus on the soy sector in Argentina.
When: 23-24 April, 2008,
with the RTRS General Assembly meeting on
25 April
Where: Hilton Hotel,
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Background on Soy
Soy is one of the fastest growing industries
in South America. While its production is
a major source of income, the extensive
cultivation also brings about high ecological
and social costs, especially when it entails
the conversion of high conservation value
areas (HCVAs). When soy cultivation results
in the conversion of natural forest, it
contributes to climate change.
The cultivated area
for soybean has more than doubled over the
past 10 years in the main soy producing
countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and
Paraguay. Demand for soy, particularly from
the European Union and China, where the
crop is used to feed pigs, chicken and cattle,
is set to increase by 60% in the next 20
years. This could lead to the loss of an
additional 16 million hectares of savannahs
and 6 million hectares of tropical forests
in the region. Much of this could be avoided
if soy was grown on existing pastures, and
alternated with other crops and cattle ranching,
rather than at the expense of valuable natural
habitats.
WWF is convinced that
soy production can go hand in hand with
conservation of forests and with the preservation
of livelihoods of people by adopting proper
land-use planning and good practices such
as buffer zones, species protection, sustainable
water management, and responsible use of
agrochemicals. WWF is encouraging all parties
to participate in the broader global multi-stakeholder
process of the Roundtable on Responsible
Soy (RTRS).
In Brazil: Mariana Ramos, WWF Brazil
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Major success in the
fight against illegal fishing
23 Apr 2008 - Efforts
to clamp down on illegal fishing for cod
in the Barents Sea are paying off - with
a 50% cut in illegal fishing since 2005.
According to Norwegian
government figures, more than 100,000 tonnes
of illegal cod, valued at €225 million ($US350
million), was caught in the Barents Sea
in 2005. Last year, estimates put illegal
landings at about 40,000 tonnes. By way
of comparison, the annual legal catch is
around 450,000 metric tonnes.
“WWF and its many partners
in marine conservation are celebrating this
major reduction in illegal fishing in the
Barents Sea.” said James Leape, WWF International’s
Director General. “This impressive achievement
shows how concerted efforts by governments,
industry, and NGOs can make a real difference
in stopping criminal fishing activities.”
The Barents Sea is home
to the world’s last large cod stock and
supplies more than half the Atlantic cod
available on the global market. Illegal
fishing for Barents Sea cod threatens the
health of these culturally important fisheries
that are vital to the livelihoods of Arctic
coastal communities.
Illegal fishing is an
added stress that can reduce the capacity
of fish populations to adapt and survive,
and it undermines efforts to build sustainable
fisheries management regimes – a pressing
objective in the Arctic where temperatures
are rising at twice the global average.
Long-term cooperation
The recent drop in illegal
fishing in the Barents Sea is the result
of many years of fisheries management cooperation.
Norway and Russia have
a long history of dialogue on marine resource
management that started during the Cold
War. In recent years, however, illegal fishing
grew due to opportunities arising from globalization
of the industry and overcapacity in the
fishing fleet.
Taking action to fight
illegal fishing
The Norwegian and Russian
governments recognized the pressing need
to fight illegal fishing and proposed that
the Northeast Atlantic Fisheries Commission
(NEAFC) implement a port state control scheme.
A ban on transshipments
vessels flying a flag of convenience – a
system which provides a perfect cover for
illegal fishing, several new bilateral port
control agreements and voluntary initiatives
undertaken by the seafood industry are additional
measures taken in the Barents Sea that have
helped cut illegal fishing activity.
There is a risk that
the positive trends may not continue, as
illegal fishing can take new shapes and
illegal products can find new ways to the
market, for example through landing points
outside the jurisdiction of the NEAFC port
state agreement.
Looking forward
However, the Barents
Sea cod success shows that with sustained
political will and resources the battle
against illegal fishing can be won. By working
together, individuals in industry, government
and the NGO community have shown that it’s
possible to significantly improve environmental
and socioeconomic conditions.
The challenge now is
to completely eliminate illegal fishing
in the Barents Sea and to extend the better
fisheries management practices from the
Barents Sea to other fisheries.
“WWF calls for a global
port state agreement to address illegal
fishing activities,” added Leape. “We also
urge all EU countries to support the draft
European Commission regulation to deal with
illegal fishing, and appeal to processors,
retailers and consumers to not support criminality
in fishing.”
Writing the next chapter
of this success story will involve a united
effort including governments, fisheries
management organizations, the seafood industry
and NGOs.
“We are optimistic that
the Barents success can be extended to other
fisheries where illegal fishing is a serious
threat to fish populations and ecosystems,”
Leape concluded.
