MAP News Issue 406, Dec 24, 2016

The MAP News 406th Edition                               December 24, 2016
FEATURE STORY   Keep MAP growing with your generous help Dear Friend of the Mangroves Yes, it’s the end of the year, and of course this is an appeal for your generous support for Mangrove Action Project! Since its inception in March 1992 (almost 25 years ago!), MAP has been actively engaged in conserving and restoring the mangroves and people who depend on these unique and vitally important coastal ecosystems.  With projects in Asia, Latin America and Africa, in collaboration with our local partners throughout the Global South, MAP has been building capacity of communities to protect and conserve these highly valued “roots of the sea” – the mangrove wetlands.  Via our ongoing programs, we are striving to ensure that mangroves will remain to benefit the lives of future generations. I invite you to read more about our most recent successes and to learn about the challenges still facing our planet. We’re proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish with YOU. Thank You and Happy 2017! READ MORE     AFRICA Africa must lead if Trump rescinds US climate change commitments SOUTH AFRICA - Scott Pruitt, United States president-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the US Environmental Protection Agency, publicly questions the existence of climate change. He, and presumably Trump, opposes President Barack Obama’s environmental initiatives to limit greenhouse gases that cause global warming. US withdrawal from these agreements would imperil Africa. It is the region least responsible, most vulnerable and least able to afford the cost of adapting to global climate change. Southern Africa is already suffering the effects of global warming rates that are twice as high as the global average. If Trump forsakes US support for the 2015 Paris Climate Accord, endorsed by 193 members of the United Nations, as well as Obama’s bilateral climate agreement with China, the resultant rise in global warming and extreme weather events will wreak havoc throughout Africa. READ MORE  ASIA Bloomberg reports tainted Chinese shrimp reaching US tables CHINA - A new Bloomberg Businessweek investigation has shed light on a process that is allowing Chinese shrimp producers to sneak antibiotic-tainted products into the United States via transshipment. Through the use of forged records and lax oversight in China, the United States, and third-party, pass-through countries, Chinese companies have managed to import tens of millions of dollars of shrimp into the United States, the article claims. The article details the business workings of a large Chinese company that typifies the process being used to bring Chinese shrimp into the U.S. under the guise of being a product of Malaysia. Through a lawsuit filed in Texas against its U.S. subsidiary American Fisheries, China’s Shanghai Fisheries was found to have shipped shrimp labeled as “Product of Malaysia” that tested positive for an antibiotic that was banned in the U.S. U.S. authorities then discovered that the shrimp was actually from China, not Malaysia. In April, following several similar discoveries, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an import alert allowing its district offices to detain and test shrimp and prawn imports from peninsular Malaysia. READ MORE  Deficiencies in the audit of Kuliarchar Shrimp Farm conducted by Bureau Veritas BANGLADESH - In June 2016, a shrimp farm in Bangladesh was audited to determine its compliance to the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) Shrimp Standard. Nijera Kori sent a team to monitor the audit, which was conducted by Bureau Veritas -- Nijera Kori’s presence is mentioned in the draft report submitted by the auditors to ASC. Khushi Kabir, Coordinator with Nijera Kori says “Our criticism of the ASC Shrimp Standard is well documented. However, our principle concerns at this stage are not the deficiencies in the ASC Shrimp Standard, but the manner in which audits (to determine compliance to the standard) are being conducted.” The following are excerpts from Nijera Kori's report on the audit conducted at the shrimp farm with comments added after Bureau Veritas's draft report was published by ASC. READ MORE  Symposium tackles mangroves for coastal defense PHILIPPINES - The importance of mangroves as primary defense against the effects of typhoons and storm surges was emphasized yesterday during the symposium dubbed as Mangrove for Climate – Adaptive and Resilient Communities, attended by at least 200 participants in the Visayas. The symposium aims to encourage the planting of mangroves and get the participation of the different sectors. Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Undersecretary Isabelo Montejo, in his speech, said when Super Typhoon Yolanda hit the country in 2013, it was very clear that there was a lack of natural barriers in the coastline like mangroves.“The communities were hugely devastated by storm surges sending five-meter high, tsunami-like waves. Many families were left homeless, sending thousands of people in complete disarray as evacuation centers were severely damaged,” Montejo said. READ MORE  AMERICAS Mangrove Restoration: Letting Mother Nature Do The Work USA - The ecological importance of coastal mangrove forests is common knowledge today. The trees’ gnarled roots , submerged in saltwater for part of the day, make ideal underwater perches for barnacles, oysters, crabs and other marine organisms. These, in turn, make a plentiful feast for juvenile fish, as well as birds, reptiles and an abundance of other wildlife both above and below the water’s surface.However, this is a relatively new notion. “Mangroves prior to 1970 were generally considered to be mosquito-infested swamps that nobody needed really to worry about, and if you wanted to destroy them, that was okay,” says Robin Lewis, an ichthyologist-turned-wetland scientist who now restores mangroves around the world.  Unfortunately, a better understanding of mangroves’ importance hasn’t stopped their destruction. Nearly 14,000 square miles of mangrove forests were destroyed between 1980 and 2005, according to the United Nations, and the losses continue today. READ MORE  Environmental Leaders Receive Champions of the Earth Award - UN's Top Environmental Prize MEXICO - The President of Rwanda, Australian eco-innovator, Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy, Indian organizer of world's largest beach clean-up, Honduran indigenous activist Berta Cáceres, and veteran Mexican biologist all lauded as Champions of the Earth Award - UN's Top Environmental Prize. Six inspirational environmental leaders representing government, research and grassroots action received today the United Nations' highest environmental accolade, the Champions of the Earth award, during a global conference on biological diversity in Cancún, Mexico. The annual award recognizes outstanding figures from the public and private sectors and from civil society whose actions have had a significant positive impact on the environment. READ MORE EUROPE LONDON PICKET Of BRITISH MINERS Of DEVASTATIVE PHULBARI COAL PROJECT U.K. - Bangladeshi protesters from Phulbari were joined by transnational climate activists in a picket of directors of Global Coal Management (GCM) Resources Plc, an AIM-listed British mining company who want to build a massive open cast coal mine by forcibly displacing 130,000 people in Phulbari, Bangladesh. During the company’s annual general meeting (AGM) on Thursday 15 December in London a large group of protesters holding colourful banners and placards with powerful messages occupied the entrance of Aeronautical Society , an elite venue near Hyde Park Corner, where the AGM of GCM Resources was held.Anti-coal protesters outside and inside the AGM called to shut down GCM Resources because the company does not have a valid license for business with Bangladesh but they are selling shares in London and committing abuse and human rights violation of farmers and local businessmen in Phulbari. READ MORE  WORLD A Call for Global Day of Protest for the Sundarbans January 7, 2017 Scrap Rampal Power Plant, Save the World’s Largest Mangrove Forest- The Sundarbans BANGLADESH - The largest single tract mangrove forest, extraordinarily rich in biodiversity, a Ramsar Site, the UNESCO-declared World Heritage site is now in grave danger of losing its unique biodiversity and extra-ordinary eco-system for the planned coal fired power plant along with many other commercial projects in and around the forest. The Sundarbans, to preserve its outstanding universal value, now demand global public action for its survival. Let us raise our voice together on January 7 2017 in different parts of the world to save the Sundarbans and to make a step forward to save our mother earth from projects of mass destruction. We look forward to your participation and hope that our common struggle would further bind us together, and contribute to a stronger global movement for upholding public interest. READ MORE    Help Coastal Communities Restore Their Mangroves WORLDWIDE - Without the mangrove trees that used to protect them, Khun Nit and her grandchildren cannot sleep soundly because they’re frightened by the roar of the waves. Sometimes the waves reach the roof of their house. Khun Nit has lived on the coast her entire life, but she and her family can’t move any further inland. There is nowhere else to move. Villagers like Khun Nit and her grandchildren need support and training to protect and restore their mangroves so they can keep their home. You can give women like Khun Nit the skills and knowledge needed to become a local conservation expert, spreading awareness about the importance of mangroves, and empower her to train other women to do the same. LEARN MORE LAST WORD Hi Alfredo -   I want to Thank You on behalf of the entire Bio4climate Team for your participation in our Restoring Oceans Conference on November 18th to 20th. Your presentation, coming at the close of the formal conference, was a powerful send-off.   Bio4climate's mission is to shift our relationship to our life-support systems and to planet earth itself, so that eco-restoration, not endless growth, becomes the primary lens through which people view the world. The work of the Mangrove Action Project, and your passion, demonstrated the necessity for this shift very well.   Thank you for joining us in this work.   All the best,   Paula     Paula Phipps 617-441-3162 paula.phipps@bio4climate.org     And thanks for the calendar! BACK TO TOP Not yet a subscriber? Click here to subscribe. Please cut and paste these news alerts/ action alerts on to your own lists and contacts. Help us spread the word and further generate letters of concern, as this can make a big difference in helping to halt a wrongdoing or encourage correct action. ACTION ALERTS WANTED: MAP News is looking for links to calls to actions/petitions and letter writing campaigns on mangrove issues, tropical coastal communities and other related topics. Not all submissions can be selected, but we look forward to hearing about your work and want to let our readers' voice be heard! Email submissions to news@mangroveactionproject.org	Action Alerts: STILL TIME TO MAKE A 2016 TAX DEDUCATBLE DONATION DONATE TO MAP TODAY VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT Mira Maude Chouinard, MAP’s Latin America Assistant Project Coordinator, is a graduate of the University of British Columbia with a degree in environmental science and of Humber College with a certificate in international program management. She worked for Falls Brook Centre and coordinated a community resilience and mangrove restoration project in Honduras, in cooperation with local NGOs and the multinational DOLE Food Company. As they encountered issues with the traditional planting method, she discovered MAP and the CBEMR method and was relieved to have found a successful long-term mangrove restoration method. She is fluent in French, English and Spanish. mira.chouinard@gmail.com  Marvellous Mangroves: Myths and Legends is Now Available! MAP Education Director Martin Keeley’s most recent book is Marvellous Mangroves: Myths and Legends, a compilation of stories from “Mangrove Peoples”—those who live on shorelines where mangroves thrive—from around the world. READ MORE MAP is happy to announce that we are now accepting orders for our 2017 Children's Mangrove Art Calendar . This is our 16th annual edition of Children's Mangrove Art, and this Calendar is celebrating MAP's 25th Anniversary! Please order your calendars now, and help us celebrate a quarter century of MAP's work to Save the Mangroves!" The world's largest mangrove forest is in danger from a massive coal plant. UNESCO can put pressure on India and Bangladesh to protect the forest, but they need to see that people around the world are speaking out. Click here to add your voice. Our new short documentary, Reducing the Risk of Disaster through Nature-Based Solutions : Mangroves Tell Red Lobster its "Endless shrimp" deal is damaging and unfair to the workers SIGN THE PETITION   Mangroves: Guidebook to Malaysia – available for download here   Mangrove rehabilitation in Asia – Local Action and cross-border Transfer of Knowledge for the Conservation of Climate, Forests and Biodiversity VIEW VIDEOS HERE Volunteer Opportunities with Mangrove Action Project CLICK HERE   STOP PLANTING MANGROVES ON SEAGRASS BEDS _ A CALL TO ACTION Want to learn more about mangroves? Our short presentation will give you a better understanding of the issues we are working to solve. WATCH PRESENTATION What is CBEMR? Easy to follow fact sheet – CLICK HERE SHARE MAP'S VISION  CLICK HERE to watch short introductory video. Together we can work "at the roots of the sea". Join us in saving our beautiful country! We hope you have been following the ongoing battle in Bimini, Bahamas. We are in need of your help more than ever Click here   Exclusive Interview with Alfredo Quarto, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Mangrove Action Project - See more Save the Sundarbans from Rampal power plant – View Sample Letter to Minister Sign the Petition   Question Your Shrimp- Don't Buy or Sell Imported Tropical Shrimp! Sign the Petition Marvellous Mangroves Curriculum Marvellous Mangroves Curriculum in Bangladesh - WATCH VIDEO MARVELLOUS MANGROVES IN BRAZIL En Portuges Marvellous Mangroves – A Curriculum-Based Teachers Guide. FOR MORE ON MAPs AWARD WINNING CHINA MANGROVE CURRICULUM VISIT VIMEO SHOW VISIT OUR "MM" WEBPAGE Check out our presentation for more details on Marvellous Mangroves “Education In The Mangroves" can now be seen on the  PhotoPhilanthropy website here! Read this 10 page history of the development of MAP’s educational curriculum VIEW DOCUMENT   Article in Canada's Green Teacher Magazine - Read More FREE MAP Mangrove e-cards CLICK HERE MAP’s e-Cards offer you a unique way to spread the word about MAP’s good works, while sharing beautiful photographs of the mangroves Donate to MAP via Paypal Giving could never be easier It’s the action, not the fruit of the action, that's important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there'll be any fruit. But that doesn't mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result. —Mahatma Gandhi Green Planet Fundraising Assists MAP – LEARN MORE MANGROVE ISSUES  View MAP’s uploaded Videos at MAPmangrover’sChannel The importance of restoring mangroves in an effective, long-term manner. Mangrove CBEMR video - VIEW Question Your Shrimp Consumer/Markets Campaign!  WATCH VIDEO Mangrove Restoration in Asia – Watch Short Video   READ A MOSAIC OF LIFE Peek into the underwater world of mangroves, "womb of the sea." By Liz Cunningham Photos By Wes Matweyew and Liz Cunningham   "Question Your Shrimp" Campaign Learn more about the affects of the shrimp industry on mangroves by visiting our blog Editor’s Note: Mangrove Action Project’s Executive Director, Alfredo Quarto was interviewed about shrimp by Green Acre Radio’s Martha Baskin LISTEN TO INTERVIEW Information sheds clear light on shrimp-mangrove connection SEE DETAILS MANGROVE/SHRIMP Join MAP on Facebook Sign the Consumer's Pledge to avoid imported shrimp Not yet a MAP News subscriber? Click here to subscribe. Mangrove Action Project Note to Our Readers: We strive to keep active links in our newsletter. However, due to circumstances beyond our control, occasionally links to stories may become broken. If you find a link to a story is not functioning, please cut and paste the headline into your browser search bar. In most cases you should be able to locate the original story. Help Mangrove Action Project through your recycled E-Waste.  List of Accepted E-waste Items: Injet Cartidges, Cell Phones, Pagers, GPS, Radar Detectors, Mobile Hot Spots, Calculators, eBook Readers, iPods/MP3 players, Digital/Video Cameras/Camcorders, PDAs, iPads/Tablets/Laptops, Video Game Consoles, Handheld Video Games Visit the Mangrove Action Project recycle website Click on the recycle button then click on the Download Shipping Label, and follow the instructions.
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