November 10, 2009
Guyana's Forests and the World's Climate Get a Boost From Norway
A monumental agreement signed today between Norway and Guyana will mean that up to $250million will be invested in protecting Guyana’s forests to tackle climate change. It is the first time that a nation with a history of conservation will be financially rewarded its continuing efforts to mitigate climate change through protecting its forests.
The agreement between the two nations provides Guyana with an initial payment of $30million dollars into Guyana’s REDD+ (Reduction of Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation) development fund and Norway will offer further investment in the country of up to $250million if this initial investment succeeds in reducing emissions and tackling poverty as expected.
Throughout preparations for this bilateral agreement Conservation International has provided advice and support to the Government of Guyana on its Low Carbon Development Strategy – which this agreement supports – and has worked to ensure that the nation’s efforts to protect its forests while offering development opportunities to its people is informed by the best science, effective consultation with local communities and sound monitoring standards.
Great Jacamar © Bradley Davis, from the surfbirds galleries.
Dr. Russell A Mittermeier, President of Conservation International, and a world expert on the biodiversity of the Guianas said: “The foresight of both President Jagdeo of Guyana and the Government of Norway deserve real praise – this is a truly monumental agreement that has dramatic positive implications for rainforest countries around the world, and for the global climate. It means a better future for the people of Guyana, and has major implications for other tropical rainforest countries as well.”
Three years ago President Jagdeo said that Guyana might be willing to place its entire rain forest under long-term protection “to help in the world’s fight against climate change, providing our peoples’ sovereignty is respected.” At the signing of the MOU, which took place in the indigenous community of Fairview, the President said “that goal just came closer.”
Dr Fred Boltz CI’s Senior Vice President and Climate Change Lead added: "This is a historic agreement with great relevance to the decisions that must emerge from Copenhagen to ensure that nations with a great conservation history are rewarded for their continued commitment to protecting forests. It is a visionary act, demonstrating the leadership of Guyana and Norway in ensuring the future of the Earth's remaining wilderness areas – forests critical to resolving the global climate crisis and securing the future for all life on Earth.”
Posted by Surfbirds at 7:30 PM | Comments (0)
November 1, 2009
Colombia creates new National Park
The Government of Colombia announced last night that it was creating a new national park at the request of the local indigenous community. This is a major step forward in the complicated relationship between conservationists and indigenous groups, Conservation International said today.
The Yaigojé Apaporis Park – which was announced today by the government of Colombia – was created to safeguard an area of more than 1,056,523 hectares (about 2,610,725 acres) of forest at the intersection of the Amazon Basin and the Guiana Shield, and will be managed by the indigenous groups who inhabit the Connecticut-sized area.
Buff-tailed Coronet, Colombia © Pete Morris/Birdquest, from the surfbirds galleries.
The area – which straddles the banks of the Caquetá River and its tributary, the Apaporis River – is home to the Tanimuka, Letuama, Makuna, Yuhup, Barasano, Itana, Eduria and Tatuyo ethnic groups, and was previously classified as an indigenous reserve. However, this status – under existing Colombian legislation – did not provide the communities with the power to protect their land when a Canadian gold-mining company began prospecting in the area two years ago.
So the communities looked to a solution that would increase their rights to oversee the future of the land – the creation of a national park. They worked with Conservation International and the Gaia Amazonas Foundation to appeal to the country’s National Parks Unit to better protect the region’s resources.
Fabio Arjona, Executive Director of Conservation International in Colombia said: “The announcement is a hugely significant step forward for conservation, both globally and in Colombia. It has helped to break-down barriers that have existed between conservation and indigenous groups – who initially resisted efforts to increase protection in their forests because of concerns that it would reduce their ability to manage the lands as they wish to. But in creating this new park we have worked together to create an area that protects both the rights of indigenous people and this hugely important area of forest.”
The area’s lowland forests have great biodiversity and shelter unique and threatened species such as the black curassow (Crax alector), the brown wooly monkey (Lagothrix lagotricha) and the endemic Apaporis river caiman (Caiman crocodilus apaporiensis).
As managers of the new park, the indigenous communities can restrict gold mining and other activities. They will continue to be free to use the park’s resources for their daily needs and cultural traditions, as long as certain conservation standards are met. The National Parks Unit and Association of Traditional Authorities of the Yaigojé Apaporis (ACIYA) will work together to determine and enforce these standards.
Posted by Surfbirds at 7:18 AM | Comments (0)
October 6, 2009
Madagascar rainforest survey doubles known localities of world's rarest lemur
A scientific expedition into Madagascar’s rainforests has doubled the number of locations where the world's rarest lemur, the Greater Bamboo Lemur (Prolemur simus), is known to occur.
Dr Russ Mittermeier, president of Conservation International and renowned lemur expert, hailed the discovery as "another milestone in saving one of the world's most threatened primates".
Greater Bamboo Lemur © Ian Merrill, from the surfbirds galleries
The Greater Bamboo Lemur – which, like China's giant panda lives on a diet consisting almost exclusively of bamboo – was thought to be extinct until rediscovered in the early 1980s. It is the only species within the Prolemur genus, and current scientific knowledge indicates that it is the most endangered of all lemurs – with less than 100 thought to survive in the wild.
Occurring only in Madagascar, there is evidence to show it was once widely distributed across the island, but it is now restricted to a small part of the remaining eastern rainforest belt and a handful of outlying degraded forest fragments. The animals' population has been declining for years due to rainforest destruction, over-exploitation of the Giant Bamboo it feeds on, hunting, and, potentially, climate change.
"When we first realised the extent of their decline it was clear that we had to respond, and fast", revealed Tony King of The Aspinall Foundation's bamboo lemur project. "These remarkable discoveries give us renewed hope for the challenge ahead of us".
The survey was undertaken by The Aspinall Foundation, Conservation International, Association Mitsinjo and GERP. The team of researchers and local guides headed for remote areas of Madagascar’s Ankeniheny-Zahamena rainforest, soon to be officially declared the island nation's latest protected area. They trekked several hundred miles in total, often off-road, on foot or in dug-out canoes, focussing their efforts on remaining stands of giant bamboo, searching for characteristic feeding remains, fresh droppings, or even a rare glimpse of the lemur itself, with its black face and orange eyes contrasting with its distinctive white ear tufts.
"We found evidence of Prolemur simus at eleven different sites throughout this 370,000 hectare forest", Conservation International primatologist Tovonanahary Rasolofoharivelo explained. "The new localities lie in the southeastern and central parts of Ankeniheny-Zahamena".
The team enjoyed tremendous support by local communities who will play a key role in the management and conservation of the new protected area. "If you want to succeed in finding an animal as rare and secretive as the Greater Bamboo Lemur, you have to work with the local communities who have an intimate knowledge of the forest they live in" states Rainer Dolch of Association Mitsinjo.
"This is an extraordinary success for our efforts to save the species," said Dr Jonah Ratsimbazafy of the Malagasy Primate Group GERP. "It should put nature conservation back on the agenda in Madagascar, after recent lawlessness and a surge in illegal logging within national parks, which risked annihilating previous conservation successes".
"Searching for the world’s rarest and most elusive lemur in this remote forest was a big gamble" added Damian Aspinall of The Aspinall Foundation, "but sometimes that's what it takes to help save a species from the brink of extinction".
Posted by Surfbirds at 6:47 PM | Comments (0)
September 5, 2009
The Pillage of Madagascar - the International Community must act
New evidence indicates a massive upsurge in the illegal hunting of lemurs in Madagascar that threatens the survival of many species, and the international community must act immediately to stop the pillage of the island – Conservation International (CI) said recently.
Ring-tailed Lemur © Ian Merrill, from the surfbirds galleries
Madagascar’s unique biodiversity is being wiped-out on a shocking scale by criminal gangs who are taking advantage of a break-down in law and order after the recent coup. After numerous reports of illegal logging and export of hardwoods, the latest scandal is the sale of lemurs (see attached pictures) as bushmeat to restaurant owners who have been ordering the killing of the animals – 15 people have been arrested on the island for this offense.
After the island’s coup earlier this year many international bodies including the World Bank and the US government suspended conservation and development work in Madagascar, providing only “life-saving” aid. This withdrawal of international support has weakened environmental governance in the country and has created the perfect conditions for criminals to profit from the situation. Since March 2009, there have been a set of environmental catastrophes in one of the world’s most important countries for biodiversity conservation ranging from the illegal felling of trees in national parks for export to Asia, collection of animals for the pet trade, and now the hunting of lemurs for bushmeat, the first evidence we have had of this since the coup.
CI president Dr Russ Mittermeier, one of the world’s leading authorities on lemurs, said: “What is happening to the biodiversity of Madagascar is truly appalling, and the slaughter for these delightful, gentle, and unique animals is simply unacceptable. And it is not for subsistence, but rather to serve what is certainly a “luxury” market in restaurants of larger towns in the region. More than anything else, these poachers are killing the goose that laid the golden egg, wiping out the very animals that people most want to see, and undercutting the country and especially local communities by robbing them of future ecotourism revenue.
He added: “In the last week Madagascar has taken important steps towards resolving its political crisis and move towards the restoration of democracy. It is counterproductive of the international donor community to continue denying conservation and development funding because this only encourages poor governance of the country’s natural resources. The world community must act now to support the dedicated local wildlife authorities who are battling to prevent this globally important resource from being destroyed.”
The protection of Madagascar’s ecosystems and endangered wildlife is important for more than just its scientific value. The island’s 20 million inhabitants are hugely reliant on ecotourism – an industry that has collapsed since the coup, but can be quickly reinvigorated when the situation is resolved. The forests of Madagascar are also important in the battle against climate change and several demonstration projects run by CI on the island have shown how protection of standing forest and reforestation of degraded areas can bring significant benefits to local communities as well as reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
Dr Mittermeier concluded: “This is what happens when the global community attempts to punish a nation’s leaders by cutting virtually all aid. We need to rethink the global response to political upheavals in the future, and not to place the greatest burden on those most in need.”
Posted by Surfbirds at 7:32 AM | Comments (0)
August 10, 2009
Urgent action needed to protect the world's most diverse marine ecosystem from climate change
The most diverse marine ecosystem in the world is at risk because of climate change and needs urgent action to protect it, scientists announced this week.
A meeting of scientists organized by Conservation International to assess the impacts of climate change on the Verde Island Passage (VIP) – a narrow corridor of coral-filled tropical waters in the Philippines – called for immediate action from the global community to protect this hugely important site.
Whale Shark © Brian Egan, from the surfbirds galleries
The VIP has arguably the highest concentration of marine species of any region in the world’s oceans, including whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) and giant clams (Tridacna gigas). But the panel of scientists announced that the impacts of climate change in combination with over-exploitation of resources are threatening the marine habitats.
Climate change will not only affect marine habitats and species but also fisheries and the tourism industry of this extremely popular destination with consequences for the well-being of nearly 2 million people who rely on them for food and income.
The scientists found that:
Increasing ocean temperatures are causing coral bleaching – meaning that corals can no longer support the array of plants and animals that rely on them.
Sea level rise is causing coral drowning as the water gets deeper and coral growth is inhibited. Sea level rise is also damaging mangroves - a key costal habitat that protects the coastline and coastal communities from storms, reduces the impacts of floods and provides important habitats for juvenile fishes.
Increased storm frequency and intensity is affecting the marine habitats as well as coastal settlements and the tourist trade in the area.
Whale Shark © Brian Egan, from the surfbirds galleries
The scientists were joined by government officials and local people who discussed the changes in the environment, how the local community is being affected and what needs to be done to adapt. The islands are facing the collapse of fish stocks, damage from aquaculture activities like shrimp farming, and falling tourist revenues.
A series of measures to protect the area were recommended by the scientists, including ensuring that seagrass beds, mangroves and other habitats that provide important ecological services are included in protected areas, the promotion of alternative livelihoods such as seaweed farming, and construction of ports on stilts to allow sediments to move freely, hence reducing sediment loads that impact corals and other coastal marine ecosystems.
"The marine habitats and species of the Verde Island Passage are already threatened by human impacts, like overfishing, pollution and coastal infrastructure development. Climate change is intensifying these impacts, with severe consequences for the well-being of the people of the area, since they depend on fishing and tourism industry," said Dr. Giuseppe Di Carlo, CI's Marine Climate Change Manager. "This workshop tried to offer concrete solutions to adapting to the effects of climate change, so that the unique biodiversity of this place can survive for future generations."
Posted by Surfbirds at 8:55 PM | Comments (0)