An Opportunity for Growth and Prosperity in Indonesia's Waters

Only about 1% of the world’s oceans have been designated as protected. This leaves most marine life vulnerable to destructive fishing practices, overfishing, pollution, development and climate change. These threats not only endanger the marine environment, but also jeopardize the livelihoods of local communities.

The Sunda Banda Seacape in eastern Indonesia includes a wide variety of communities with diverse cultural backgrounds and religious beliefs, many of whom rely on the ocean for their livelihoods and sustenance. The seascape also provides critical habitat for many marine species, especially critically endangered leatherback turtles. These magnificent animals weigh up to 2,000 pounds and rely on the sandy beaches for their nesting grounds.

WWF is working with the Indonesian Government to create a network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Sunda Banda Seascape. This network of MPAs will span thousands of square miles and help protect the ocean environment. It will shelter endangered species and benefit local communities by promoting healthy commercial fish populations and tourism.

“These waters provide important migratory routes for several species of whale and vital fish populations for local peoples,” explains Catherine Plume, managing director for WWF’s Coral Triangle Program.

Why Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) Matter
For MPAs to be successful, it is important that communities understand why MPAs need to be created. Support and management of MPAs by local peoples is critical for their long-term success. For example, on the island of Kei Kecil in the Sunda Banda Seascape, WWF is working with four formerly warring kingdoms to:

• limit the harvest of the critically endangered leatherback turtle
• stop the use of dynamite and cyanide for fishing, which damage coral reefs and reduce fish populations
• ensure community buy-in and participation in marine protected area management

Approximately 30 percent of the residents on this island live in poverty, making about 50 cents a day. WWF will continue to work to improve the health of the waters around this island, which will benefit the people of Kei Kecil over the long term.

Celebrating 50 Years of Conservation Work
WWF’s Indonesia team is celebrating 50 years of conservation work on land and at sea across the massive archipelago that spans an area greater than the continental United States. A significant part of this work is being implemented in the Coral Triangle, a marine area located in the western Pacific Ocean which includes the waters of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor Leste.

The Coral Triangle has the richest marine biodiversity on Earth and contains:

seventy-six percent of known coral species and more than 3,000 fish species
six of the seven species of marine turtles
many species of whales, dolphins and sharks
an abundant tuna population that supplies markets worldwide
More than 120 million people rely on these marine resources for food and livelihoods. Yet this plentiful marine area is under more pressure than ever before.

With WWF’s experience in conservation work, input from local communities, support from partners and the Indonesian government, WWF anticipates that the marine environment and local villages, kingdoms and communities will grow and prosper—sustainably—in the Sunda Banda Seascape and within the greater Coral Triangle region.
Take Action; Sign the Petition
read more at the original post

PETITION: Ban the use of neonicotinoid pesticides before they devastate bee populations in the USA

Sign the petition and send this letter:

To: Lisa Jackson, EPA Administrator, jackson.lisap@epa.gov

 

Neonicotinoid, known as “neonics” for short, is a farm pesticide produced primarily by the German chemical giant Bayer, widely used in the U.S. to coat a massive 142 million acres of corn, wheat, soy and cotton seeds. They are also common ingredients in many home gardening products. However, three new studies* link neonics to declining bee populations nationwide - fully a third of commercial beehives, over a million colonies, have disappeared over the past year. The pesticide works as a nerve poison, infecting their insect victims and interfering with their homing ability, which in turn prevents them from making it back to their hives.

 

Germany and France have already banned pesticides known to cause the death of bees and there is still time to save bees in this country if you follow suit. We urge the EPA to protect nature’s hardest workers; please ban the use of neonicotinoid pesticides from being used on crops and in household products.

Sign the Petition

Saving the Jaguar

From biologicaldiversity.org

Revered as deities amongst the Mayan and Aztec peoples, jaguars inspire through their grace and power. These agile hunters once roamed from South America through the southern and central United States, but lost habitat and were killed off in the east in the 1700s. They were reduced through Spanish bounties and fur hunting in the southwestern United States, and the last animals were systematically hunted down by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the 20th century, only to reappear sporadically due to migration from Mexico.

After the jaguar was listed as endangered in the United States in 1997 in response to a Center campaign, we three times sued the Fish and Wildlife Service to obtain a recovery plan and critical habitat designation. Finally, in early 2010, the Service announced it would grant the jaguar protected habitat in the United States as well as develop a recovery plan. The Center has proposed the designation of more than 50 million acres of jaguar critical habitat in the Southwest; advocated for protection from government traps, snares and poisons; and opposed walling off the U.S.-Mexico border — which the Service said wouldn’t hurt the species — to ensure that jaguars will always have access to the full extent of their range.

 

In March 2009, the Arizona Game and Fish Department euthanized the last currently known U.S. jaguar — Macho B — after capturing and fitting him with a radio collar. The Center called for an independent medical investigation, which revealed that the jaguar’s death was at least in part due to agency mismanagement. We also called on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service law enforcement to do an independent investigation, which it did. In September, we filed suit against Arizona Game and Fish to prevent the killing of any more jaguars, and in January 2010, the Interior Department’s inspector general released a report concluding that Macho B’s capture had been intentional — and that Game and Fish had no permit to capture jaguars, either intentionally or incidentally. In April 2010, we filed a notice of intent to sue the predator-control branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture over its use of traps, snares and poisons that risk injuring or killing both jaguars and ocelots in the Southwest; two months later, we filed a notice over the Fish and Wildlife Service’s permit authorizing Arizona Game and Fish to “take” jaguars with traps and snares. Our actions became even more critical when, in 2011, a brand-new, 200-pound male jaguar was spotted roaming in the state.

In a big victory for this magnificent cat, in August 2012, the Fish and Wildlife Service formally proposed to protect 838,232 acres — an area larger than the state of Rhode Island — as "critical habitat" for endangered jaguars in southern Arizona and New Mexico.

California Wolves a Step Closer to Protection

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From MercuryNews.com

SAN FRANCISCO—As California's lone gray wolf continues roaming the state's far northern wilds, officials Wednesday decided to launch a one-year study to see whether the species should be given state endangered species protections.
The California Fish and Game Commission voted unanimously in Sacramento that a "status review" study—spurred by a petition from the Center for Biological Diversity and other groups—is warranted.
"Wolves, like grizzly bears, white sharks and mountain lions, have always been controversial," said Michael Sutton, the commission's vice president. "The status review we launched today will give us the information we need to make an informed decision on whether or not to protect the wolf in California."
Ranchers and at least three rural counties in the state's rugged, sparsely populated north opposed the plan, saying it was an unnecessary use of public money for a species that already has federal protection. While the actual cost of the state's one-year study is unknown, it will be at least partially funded by a $300,000 federal grant.
Endangered species protections for the gray wolf in California have been debated since December, when the Oregon-born wolf called OR-7 left his pack and wandered across the border seeking a mate.
It was the first hard evidence of a wolf in the state in more than 80 years, according to the California Department of Fish and Game. The wolf was hunted to extinction in California
in the early 20th century.
OR-7 is still believed to be the only wolf in the state. The male wolf is outfitted with a tracking tag so he can be studied by government scientists.
Noah Greenwald, the Center for Biological Diversity's endangered species director, said the vote moves the wolves closer to recovery in California.
"Protection of wolves under the California Endangered Species Act will help these beautiful animals return to extensive habitat in northern California and the Sierra Nevada, where scientists estimate there is plenty of room for them," he said.
Since December, California's lone wolf has become a celebrity, with its own Twitter account and frequent state updates on his whereabouts.
Gray wolves in California are already protected under the federal Endangered Species Act. But populations in some Western states have been increasing, meaning they could qualify for delisting. Wildlife advocates want the state to ensure future protections in California if federal ones are dropped.
In some states where wolf populations have thrived, officials have implemented hunting programs to control growth.
"(Hunting) may affect future expansion," said Eric Loft, chief of the Fish and Game Department's wildlife branch.
Officials in several counties in the far north said the department's resources should be used to develop a management plan for the wolf, not on a study for protections they see as redundant.
"The people promulgating this affair have shown no evidence of caring about the (financial) burden this places on the people of California," said Ric Costales, a natural resources policy specialist for Siskiyou County. "Added to this is the insult that this is occurring at a time when the state and counties are struggling financially."


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Time is now for South Korea to end bear farming

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from WSPA.org.uk

With a national poll showing that nearly 90% of South Koreans oppose bear farming and a new academic report detailing how the country can exit this cruel industry, the time has never been more right for South Korea to come good on its promise to end the bear farming and bile industry.

This week, South Korea is hosting the IUCN World Conservation Congress. WSPA and local partners Green Korea United are urging the government to seize this chance to demonstrate global leadership, by:

• announcing an end to farming within their own borders
• supporting an international agreement to end bear farming globally.

A cruelty that cannot continue
The horrors of the bear bile industry – where bears are slaughtered at age 10 and their gall bladders harvested for use in commercial products – are well documented. Now, sadly, while South Korean bear farms are thought to hold 1,000 Asiatic Black bears, only 20 are estimated to survive in the wild.

‘Farming’ these wild animals in cages so small they cannot turn around, for a lifetime, has been rejected by the South Korean public and – according to the commitment they made to end farming and the bile industry earlier this year – by the government too.

WSPA bear farming expert Chris Gee states: “The government has no excuse. Research conducted last year revealed that while just 1.2 per cent of South Koreans say they have purchased bear bile, 89.5 per cent are against the farming and slaughtering of bears for bile.”

Time for action
With the delivery of an independent report from Chungnam University that details how the government can end the bear bile industry, pressure is building on Environment Minister Yoo Young Sook to act quickly.

The end of the bile industry is long overdue; the immense distress that the bears suffer is ongoing. Now WSPA wants to see the following actions from South Korea to protect bears, without delay:

• an immediate ban on the breeding of bears on farms
• the announcement of the end of the bear bile industry
• allocation of budget to accelerate the end of the industry and stop the suffering of bears
• immediate strengthening of enforcement of CITES requirements to prohibit the trade and sale of illegal bear products.

Read more about bear bile farming here >>
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Communities Lead New Effort to Protect Snow Leopards in Nepal

From The World Wildlife Fund

In the shadow of the world’s third highest mountain, people and snow leopards are learning to coexist. In the Buddhist faith, there is a strong belief that the snow leopard is god’s pet, but local communities in Kanchenjunga, Nepal often see the endangered species as a deadly threat.
Snow leopards hunt wild prey like blue sheep and also take domestic livestock. In many impoverished communities each loss of livestock is keenly felt. People rely on animals like the yak for milk, wool, meat and even transportation. As a result, the snow leopard often faces swift and deadly retaliation from communities.
In these harsh conditions, Himali Chungda Sherpa became a champion for the snow leopard. But he didn’t start out that way. Long before he was chairman of the local Snow Leopard Conservation Committee, Himali sought his own revenge against these mountain cats.
A Passion to Save Snow Leopards
When Himali was a young boy, his parents sent him into the pasture to care for the family’s herd of yaks. Early one morning, he discovered three calves were missing.
After hours and hours of looking for his calves, he caught a glimpse of the animals from high on a rocky ridge. Himali scrambled down to the spot, only to find scraps of his calves remained. Next to them were three full-bellied snow leopard cubs. Their mother had killed the calves to feed her young.
“At that moment, I was so angry that all I could think of was revenge,” recalls Himali. In a fit of anger he scooped the cubs into a sack and threw them in the river.
That night he heard the mother snow leopard crying for her children from up in the high mountains. In the pasture below, his yak was longing for her calves.
“It was then that I realized what a sin I had committed. I promised never to harm a snow leopard again,” says Himali. “Today, my passion is to save them.”
Community-led Efforts
Himali and others are now at the forefront of community-led efforts to save snow leopards. WWF supports their work by training them to survey and monitor snow leopards. We also help the community promote wildlife ecotourism and find solutions that benefit both people and snow leopards.    
One of these innovative solutions is a community-managed livestock insurance plan that compensates villagers for livestock losses from snow leopards. WWF and Zurich University set up an initial seed fund for the insurance plan at a local bank in 2005. Community members who join the insurance plan receive the prevalent market price if their livestock is killed by a snow leopard. A common verification mechanism was agreed upon to increase community ownership and decrease fraudulent claims.
Exceptional Results Provide Hope
As these conservation measures take root, snow leopard numbers are on the rise. In the past, an increase in snow leopards would have led to more livestock being killed and retaliation from local communities.  Instead the livestock insurance plan has allowed the community to withstand losses.
In the past four years, not a single snow leopard has been killed in retaliation by Himali’s village.  This community-led insurance plan is an effective and economically viable model for similar projects around Nepal.
Learn More
See photos and video of snow leopards caught on camera

World Water Day: Imagine if you woke up tomorrow and No Water Flowed from Your Taps

From Aid for Africa
Imagine if you woke up tomorrow and no water flowed from your taps. How far would you have to walk to get to the nearest fresh water source? How long would it take you? And what things could you have done during that time if you didn’t have to devote it to your very survival? Now, imagine this happens every day to a billion people. Yes, a BILLION people.
Water is our most basic need. Everything starts with water access, including how much food someone can grow or raise. A game by One Drop lets you build a meal and shows you how many liters of water were used to produce it. The results will shock you.

The point is this: the need for water goes well beyond having enough to keep someone alive. Easy access to water means better hygiene, more crops, and more hours to devote to other work and education. On World Water Day we come together to figure out the best ways to make that happen. Every year people come together looking for possible solutions to the water crisis that endangers the lives of 400 million people in Sub Saharan Africa alone.
The good news is that it is working; in Sub Saharan Africa access to safe drinking water has improved 22 percent since 1990. But there is still a long way to go. Every 14 seconds someone, usually a child, dies due to inadequate or unsafe drinking water.
All Aid for Africa members face water challenges everyday. Several Aid for Africa members are meeting this challenge head-on. At The Earth Institute at Columbia University, researchers are developing solutions for water conservation as it pertains to agriculture. Through their water projects, charity: water has made safe water accessible for more than 1 million people in Sub Saharan Africa. Last year World Hope International drilled its 700th well , bringing freshwater to 500,000 people. A Glimmer of Hope Foundation has funded more than 2,000 water projects in Ethiopia alone, made all the more important because at any given time, more than half of Ethiopia’s 75 million people are suffering from an unnecessary water-related disease.

Learn more about World Water Day and check out this video from charity: water, which highlights the amazing differences one well can bring to a village.

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 22nd, 2012 and is tagged: Agriculture, Community Development, Education, Environment, Health, Water.