July 25, 2008
Africa announces world’s largest protected freshwater site
The Ngiri-Tumba-Maindombe area in the Democratic Republic of Congo has become the world’s largest Wetland Site of International Importance, officially recognized by the Ramsar Convention. The 6,569,624-hectare site (65,696km²), more than twice the size of Belgium, is situated around the Lake Tumba region in the Central Western Basin of the DRC and contains the largest freshwater body in Africa, the second driest continent. Furthermore its rivers and lakes constitute a major sink for CO2.
Wetlands provide water for drinking and sanitation as well as food, fish, fuel and many raw materials and their total economic value is conservatively estimated to be in excess of $70 billion per year. Support for the DRC government in its effort to win recognition for the Ngiri-Tumba-Maindombe site began in 2004 and was provided jointly by the Central African Regional Program for the Environment (CARPE), a USAID initiative, as well as the Ramsar Convention and WWF, the global conservation organization which was also responsible for the technical aspects of the project.
Hippopotamus © Adam Scott Kennedy, from the surfbirds galleries
"WWF is delighted that Ramsar has recognized the importance of this extraordinary wetland and the efforts of the Democratic Republic of Congo to protect it," said James P. Leape, Director General of WWF International. "This is a significant step forward for the welfare of communities who depend on this wetland for their livelihoods and for the wildlife that lives there."
Cassava, sweet potatoes, sugarcane and bananas are all grown in the Ngiri-Tumba-Maindombe site while oil palm plantations, groundnuts and rice are the principal commercial products. Fish from the area also helps to stimulate the economies of big cities such as Kinshasa, Brazzaville and Mbandaka. Vegetation cover at the flood basin acts as a buffer zone against floods for towns all along the Congo River and provides fish with breeding sites, while different forest types help filter water and maintain its quality. It is estimated that, globally, 2.6 billion people lack adequate sanitation services and 1.2 billion people lack access to fresh water.
Until now the world’s largest Ramsar site was Queen Maud Gulf in Canada at 6,278,200 hectares, designated in 1982. The Lake Tumba landscape, encompassing approximately 80,000km2 in total, has one of the highest biodiversity concentrations anywhere in the world. It contains species of conservation concern such as forest elephants, forest buffalo and leopards, there are an estimated 150 species of fish, a wide variety of birds, and three types of crocodile as well as hippopotamus.
Near the centre of the site is Mbandaka, the capital of Equateur province with a population of approximately 750,000, and there are several smaller towns within the site populated by tribes of the Mongo people. Threats to the area’s welfare include illegal logging, fishing and poaching while a decline in water levels in Lake Tumba itself is most probably linked to climate change. Recognition of the site by the Ramsar Convention and the resultant proper management will offer much needed protection from unsustainable activities in future and should ensure the longevity of the water supply.
“The Ngiri-Tumba-Maindombe area contributes to the regulation of flooding and regional climate and ensures that the quality of the water remains good enough for millions of people who depend upon it,” said WWF Project Manager Bila-Isia Inogwabini. “Waters of this zone need to be managed appropriately and the classification of the site will help with a coherent planning process and mobilize all stakeholders to abide by the rules.”
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June 2, 2008
WWF applauds “Stern-like” recognition of biodiversity loss as key global issue
At the end of May 2008 WWF welcomed the long overdue recognition of biodiversity as a key development issue, in a major report released today at the 9th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Bonn, Germany.
The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) , initiated by CBDhost government Germany and the G8 Environment Ministers and supported by European Commission, has been likened to the equivalent for biodiversity of the key Stern report which transformed the climate change debate by clearly outlining adverse consequences to the world economy.
“Biodiversity is not just a green issue – it is the life support system of our planet providing food, fuel, fibre, medicines and services such as pollination, soil fertility and clean water, said Gordon Shepherd, WWF International’s Director of International Policy.
“We have to integrate biodiversity in all policies. The loss of biodiversity is now affecting the economy of our countries through the depletion of fish stocks in our oceans through overfishing and illegal fishing to agricultural activities polluting river basins.”
“The TEEB report recognises the economic value of biodiversity both to our global economy and for the millions of people directly dependent on natural resources for their livelihoods.”
WWF’s report 2010 and Beyond: Rising to the Biodiversity Challenge, released as the CBDcommenced, revealed that biodiversity has declined by more than a quarter in the last 35 years andd highlighted the inequitable burden placed by developed countries on the world’s biodiversity through unsustainable production and consumption.
Another WWF report released at the CBDestimated that the value of goods and services provided by our oceans is $US21 trillion, with only 0.5 per cent of ocean areas within protected areas.
“The loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services is undermining efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and is reducing nature’s natural resilience to adapt to the impacts of climate change,” said Shepherd.
WWF believes that financial resources are urgently needed to meet the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity. In addition to traditional sources from international financing and national budgets, new and additional funding should be sought through the identification of innovative financial mechanisms such as payments for ecosystem services.
The EU also has a role to play in raising awareness on the importance of addressing biodiversity and the value of the ecosystem services as central issues for achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
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April 26, 2008
Climate change hitting Arctic faster and harder
Climate change is having a greater and faster impact on the Arctic than previously thought, according to a new study by the global conservation organization WWF.
The new report, called Arctic Climate Impact Science – An Update Since ACIA, represents the most wide-ranging reviews of arctic climate impact science since the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA) was published in 2005.
The new study found that change was occurring in all arctic systems, impacting on the atmosphere and oceans, sea ice and ice sheets, snow and permafrost, as well as species and populations, food webs, ecosystems and human societies. Melting of arctic sea ice and the Greenland Ice Sheet was found to be severely accelerated, now even prompting the expert scientists to discuss whether both may be close to their “tipping point” (the point where, because of climate change, natural systems may experience sudden, rapid and possibly irreversible change).
Little Auk, Spitzbergen © SG Davis, from the surfbirds galleries
“The magnitude of the physical and ecological changes in the Arctic creates an unprecedented challenge for governments, the corporate sector, community leaders and conservationists to create the conditions under which arctic natural systems have the best chance to adapt,” said Dr Martin Sommerkorn, one of the report’s authors and Senior Climate Change Adviser at WWF International’s Arctic Programme.
“The debate can no longer focus only on creating protected areas and allowing arctic ecosystems to find their balance. At the same time, we need to simultaneously reduce the vulnerability of social and environmental systems of the Arctic by reducing threats from human activity and building ecosystem resilience — the ability of ecosystems to remain stable when
under a lot of pressure.”
WWF will launch this report at a meeting of the Arctic Council, the intergovernmental forum of arctic nations at the end of April. “It is now in the hand of the arctic nations to act upon this evidence for climate impacts,” said Sommerkorn.
“They can make a difference if they act strongly, and fast. It is not too late to throw the wheel around. It is just way too late for business as usual.” According to last year’s reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, if the entire Greenland Ice Sheet were to melt, sea levels would rise 7.3 metres, making its status a global concern. While it is currently impossible to accurately predict how much of the ice sheet will be melting, and over which time, the new report shows there has been a far greater loss of ice mass in the past few years,
much more than had been predicted by scientific models.
Likewise, the loss of summer arctic sea ice has increased dramatically, with record lows reached in 2005 and — way more dramatic — in 2007. In September 2007, the sea ice shrank to 39 per cent below its 1979-2000 mean, the lowest since satellite monitoring began in 1979 and also the lowest for the entire 20th century based on monitoring from ships and aircraft.
“When you look in detail at the science behind the recent arctic changes it becomes painfully clear how our understanding of climate impacts lags behind the changes that we are already seeing in the Arctic,” said Sommerkorn. “This is extremely dangerous, as some of these arctic changes have the potential to substantially warm the Earth beyond what models currently forecast. That is because climate models don’t currently adequately incorporate important underlying drivers of the arctic changes we are already observing, such as the interaction between sea ice thickness and water temperature.”
The Arctic is not only one of the places on Earth most vulnerable to climate change, but also a place where vulnerability is of urgent global relevance. WWF calls for a two-pronged strategy to minimize the impacts of climate change. “We need to reduce global emissions of greenhouse gases to levels that will avoid the continued warming of the Arctic and the anticipated resulting disruption of the global climate system,” said Sommerkorn.
Posted by Surfbirds at 7:02 AM | Comments (0)
March 27, 2008
More of Africa urged to boost rhino numbers
After bringing Africa’s black rhinos spectacularly back from the brink of extinction and securing a future for its once-thought-extinct southern white rhino, one of the world’s most successful conservation programmes is to celebrate its first decade by seeking to extend its operations to more of Africa.
Representatives of the governments of Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia have been invited to WWF’s African Rhino Programme (ARP) 10th anniversary celebration in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. They will join government and wildlife representatives, community representatives and eco-tourism operators from the current ARP participating States of in South Africa, Namibia, Kenya and Zimbabwe.
White Rhinoceros, South Africa, Kruger National Park
© Ian Barnard , from the surfbirds galleries
“What we have shown is that in partnership with governments and communities and business it is possible to stave off extinction for the rhino in some of its former range,” said Dr Susan Lieberman, WWF International’s Global Species Programme Director. “The task now is to secure a future for the rhino in the rest of its range, where threats from poaching and development urgently need to be addressed.”
Africa’s savannas once teemed with more than a million white and black rhinos. However, relentless hunting by European settlers saw rhino numbers and distribution quickly decline. The southern white rhino was thought to be extinct by the late 19th century.
Added to hunting and habitat loss, trade in rhino horn peaked in the 1960s and 1970s, when huge quantities were shipped to the lucrative markets of the Middle East and Asia.
Responding to the crisis, both species of African rhino were listed in 1977 in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which prohibited all international trade of rhino parts and products. Despite this international legal protection, the black rhino population at its lowest point dipped to 2,400 in 1995.
In 1997, there were 8,466 white rhinos and 2,599 black rhinos remaining in the wild. Today, there are 14,500 white rhinos and nearly 4,000 of the more endangered black rhinos.
Today, most of Africa’s black rhinos are found in South Africa, Namibia, Kenya and Zimbabwe, where the species’ decline has been stopped through effective monitoring and increased security, experience of the value of wildlife-based tourism and extensive assistance to enable communities to benefit from rather than be in conflict with wildlife.
According to the African Rhino Specialist Group of the IUCN Species Survival Commission, Africa’s white and black rhino numbers have shown annual growth rates of 6.8 per cent and 4.5 per cent, respectively, since 1995.
“What we know from looking back at the last ten years is that sustained conservation can and does work,” says George Kampamba, WWF International’s African Rhino Programme Coordinator.
Although WWF has worked on Rhino conservation throughout its 45-year history, the ARP was notable for its overall approach. Working through field projects, it combined action at every level from local communities to global policy.
One striking, if unanticipated, indicator of the success of the programme is that land prices immediately increase in areas where rhinos are re-introduced. The ARP, which has had experience reintroducing rhinos to national parks, also passed a milestone last year when a KwaZulu Natal community received black rhinos for community-owned land dedicated to wildlife and ecotourism uses.
“Rhino conservation in Africa is going from strength to strength,” said Dr Susan Lieberman, Director of WWF’s Global Species Programme. “But poaching, illegal trade, and development remain significant problems across the rhinos’ range and there is no room for complacency.”
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March 3, 2008
Destruction of Sumatra forests driving global climate change and species extinction
Turning just one Sumatran province's forests and peat swamps into pulpwood and palm oil plantations is generating more annual greenhouse gas emissions than the Netherlands and rapidly driving the province's elephants into extinction, a new study by WWF and partners has found.
The study found that in central Sumatra's Riau Province 4.2 million hectares of tropical forests and peat swamp have been cleared in the last 25 years. Forestloss and degradation and peat decomposition and fires are behind average annual carbon emissions equivalent to 122 percent of the Netherlandstotal annual emissions, 58 percent of Australia's annual emissions, 39 per cent of annual UKemissions and 26 per cent of annual German emissions.
Banded Pitta, at risk from habitat destruction on Sumatra © Marc Thibault, from the surfbirds galleries
Riau was chosen for the study because it is home to vast peatlands estimated to hold Southeast Asia’s largest store of carbon, and contains some of the most critical habitat for Sumatran elephants and tigers. It also has Indonesia's highest deforestation rate, substantially driven by the operations of global paper giants Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) and Asia Pacific Resources International Holdings Limited (APRIL).
At last December's Bali Climate Change Conference, the Indonesian minister of Forestry pledged to provide incentives to stop unsustainable forestry practices and protect Indonesia's forests. The governor of Riau province has also made a public commitment to protect the province's remaining forest.
“If the commitments by the Indonesian government are implemented, it will not only save its endangered species but actually slow the rate of global climate change through the carbon savings,” said Ian Kosasih, director of WWF-Indonesia's forest programme.
Carbon emissions are likely to increase, the study predicted, as most future forest clearance will be conducted in areas with deep peat. “If government and local industry were to create positive incentives for projects to reduce emissions by saving forests in Riau Province, it would both protect the province’s massive carbon stores and also contribute to the economies of local communities that are dependent on these forests,” said Kosasih.
The report by WWF, Remote Sensing Solution GmbH and HokkaidoUniversitybreaks new ground by analyzing for the first time the connection between deforestation and forest degradation, global climate change, and population declines of tigers and elephants.
The province has lost 65 per cent of its forests over the last 25 years and in recent years has suffered Indonesia's fastest deforestation rates. In the same period there was an 84 per cent decline in elephant populations, down to only 210 individuals, while tiger populations are estimated to have declined by 70 per cent to perhaps just 192 individuals.
“We found that Sumatra's elephants and tigers are disappearing even faster than their forests are in Riau,” said WWF International's Species Programme Director, Dr Susan Lieberman. “This is happening because as wildlife search for new habitat and food sources, they increasingly come into conflict with people and are killed.
“The fragmentation and opening up of new forest areas also increases both the access and the opportunities for poaching. Therefore, a concerted effort to save these forests will contribute significantly to slowing the rate of global climate change, and will give tigers, elephants, and local communities a real chance for a future in Sumatra.”
Led by global paper giants APP and APRIL, the pulp & paper and palm oil industries are driving Riau's Sumatran tigers and elephants to local extinction in just a few years by destroying their habitat, the study found.
As part of its efforts to save Sumatra’s remaining natural forests, WWF is working urgently with the Indonesian government and the pulp and palm oil industries to identify and protect the forests that are home to elephants, tigers, orang-utans and rhinos. Sumatra is the only place on
Earth where all four species co-exist.
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February 19, 2008
Body part by body part, Sumatran Tigers are being sold into extinction
Laws protecting the critically endangered Sumatran Tiger have failed to prevent tiger body parts being offered on open sale in Indonesia, according to a TRAFFIC report launched this week.
Tiger body parts, including canine teeth, claws, skin pieces, whiskers and bones, were on sale in 10 percent of the 326 retail outlets surveyed during 2006 in 28 cities and towns across Sumatra. Outlets included goldsmiths, souvenir and traditional Chinese medicine shops, and shops selling antique and precious stones.
The survey conservatively estimates that 23 tigers were killed to supply the products seen, based on the number of canine teeth on sale.
Tiger, Bandhavgarh NP, India © Dave Pullan, from the surfbirds galleries
“This is down from an estimate of 52 killed per year in 1999–2000”, said Julia Ng, Programme Officer with TRAFFIC Southeast Asiaand lead author on The Tiger Trade Revisited in Sumatra, Indonesia. “Sadly, the decline in availability appears to be due to the dwindling number of tigers left in the wild”.
All of TRAFFIC’s surveys have indicated that Medan, the capital of North Sumatra province, and Pancur Batu, a smaller town situated about 15 km away, are the main hubs for the trade of tiger parts.
Despite TRAFFIC providing authorities with details of traders involved, apart from awareness-raising activities, it is not clear whether any serious enforcement action has been taken.
“Successive surveys continue to show that Sumatran tigers are being sold body part by body part into extinction”, said Dr Susan Lieberman, Director of WWF International’s Species Programme. “This is an enforcement crisis. If Indonesian authorities need enforcement help from the international community they should ask for it. If not, they should demonstrate they are taking enforcement seriously”.
The report recommends that resources and effort should concentrate on effective enforcement to combat the trade by arresting dealers and suppliers. Trade hotspots should be continually monitored and all intelligence be passed to the enforcement authorities for action. Those found guilty of trading in tigers and other protected wildlife should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
“We have to deal with the trade. Currently we are facing many other crucial problems which, unfortunately, are causing the decline of Sumatran Tiger populations” explained Dr Tonny Soehartono, Director for Biodiversity Conservation, Ministry of Forestry of Republic of Indonesia. “We have been struggling with the issues of land use changes, habitat fragmentation, human–tiger conflicts and poverty in Sumatra. Land use changes and habitat fragmentation are driving the tiger closer to humans and thus creating human–tiger conflicts”.
As a recent show of commitment, the President of the Republic of Indonesia launched the Conservation Strategy and Action Plan of Sumatran Tiger 2007–2017 during the 2007 Climate Change Convention in Bali.
Sumatra's remaining few tigers are also under threat from rampant deforestation by the pulp and paper and palm oil industries. The combined threats of habitat loss and illegal trade—unless tackled immediately—will be the death knell for Indonesian tigers.
“The Sumatran tiger is already listed as Critically Endangered on IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species, the highest category of threat before extinction in the wild,” said Jane Smart, Head of IUCN’s Species Programme. “We cannot afford to lose any more of these magnificent
creatures”.
“The Sumatran tiger population is estimated to be fewer than 400 to 500 individuals. It doesn’t take a mathematician to work out that the Sumatran Tiger will disappear like the Javan and Bali tigers if the poaching and trade continues” Julia Ng adds.
As Indonesia currently chairs the ASEAN-Wildlife Enforcement Network, TRAFFIC National Co-ordinator Dr Ani Mardiastuti suggested the country “demonstrate leadership to other ASEAN countries by taking action against illegal trade, including in tiger parts.”
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February 2, 2008
Congo Wetlands reserve to be world’s second largest
WWF has welcomed the World Wetlands Day announcement of the world’s second largest internationally recognized and protected significant wetlands reserve in the Congo“as a clear sign of the world’s increasing interest in the green heart of Africa.”
“This underlines the importance of the Congoregion as an area that is vital to global climate regulation, biodiversity, and the rights and welfare of indigenous peoples,” said WWF International Director General James Leape.
Around 300,000 people live in the 5,908,074 hectare Grand Affluents RAMSAR wetland, with the four major tributaries to the Congoflowing through it being the origin of its name as well as making the area an important transport network.
African Elephant © Jeff Hazell, from the surfbirds galleries
The world’s largest RAMSAR wetland is the 6,278,200 ha Queen Maude Gulf Migratory Bird Sanctuary in Canada.
Other Congoarea RAMSAR sites declared on World Wetlands Day included wetlands on major Congotributaries such as the Libenga and the Sangha in The Cameroons and two coastal wetland reserves important to migrating birds at Cayo-Loufoualeba and Conkouati-Douli.
"WWF lauds the effort in this, the second driest continent, to secure clean and abundant water for millions of people. Wetlands are a critical source of water and other countries would do well to take Africa's lead," said Richard Holland, WWF's Freshwater Director.
WWF International’s wetlands manager Denis Landenbergue, a veteran of the long and challenging process of achieving the declarations, said they were “an outstanding achievement” of the governments and agencies concerned.
"This will help secure water and livelihoods for millions of people and the conservation of important water features, forests and habitats,” he said. “Areas of these wetlands are particularly important dry time refuges for elephants, hippopotamuses and buffalos and for many migratory bird species.”
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January 24, 2008
Cuba ends turtle hunt
Cuba has banned the harvesting of all marine turtle species and products from its beaches and seas for an indefinite period, according to a Ministry of Fisheries Ministerial Resolution.
Conservationists have applauded the decision as a lifeline for the Caribbean’s endangered marine turtles and the communities that co-exist with them. It benefits all turtle species hatching on beaches throughout the Caribbean and coming regularly to feed in Cuban waters, including the critically endangered hawksbill turtle.
“For many years, Cuba retained a legal “fishery” of 500 hawksbills a year, with the hope of being able to trade their shells internationally, said Dr. Susan Lieberman, Director of WWF International’s Species Programme.
Green Turtle, an endangered species that will now benefit © Matthew Hobbs
“This far-sighted decision represents an outstanding outcome for Cuba, for the wider Caribbean, and for conservation. 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,” she added.
The phase out of the marine turtle fishery in Cuba is the result of a joint effort by WWF and the Cuban Ministry of Fisheries, with financial support from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
The two remaining fishing communities that used to harvest marine turtles in Cuba will be helped with funds and technical assistance to find sustainable economic alternatives, modernize their fishing fleets, re-train their inhabitants and engage them in hawksbill turtle protection activities.
The WWF/CIDA grant of over $US 400.000 will also support the Ministry's Centre for Fisheries Research to become a regional hub for marine turtle conservation and research, capitalizing 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.
Along with other marine turtles, Hawksbill turtles are threatened by the loss of nesting and feeding habitats, egg collection, entanglement in fishing gear, climate change, and pollution. But the main threat to the Hawksbills comes from continuing illegal trade in tortoiseshell.
The species is now classified as critically endangered after population declines estimated at 80 per cent over the last century. Its preference for feeding on sponges also 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.
The decision can be found at:
http://www.cadenagramonte.cubaweb.cu/noticias/enero_08/190108_01.asp
The species that will benefit from Cuba’s decision are the green, loggerhead, and hawksbill turtles. Greens and loggerheads are endangered, while hawksbills are critically endangered, according to the IUCN Red List and international trade in hawksbill turtle products is banned under the CITES convention. The ban reduces the pressure on turtles from hunting for meat and tortoiseshell.
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January 10, 2008
New logging in Sumatra threatens endangered species
A recently released investigative report finds that paper giant Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) and its affiliates are constructing a massive logging highway that will split in half one of Indonesia’s most important forests. The legally questionable highway threatens to devastate one of Sumatra’s last large forest blocks, home to two tribes of indigenous people and endangered elephants, tigers and orangutans.
The Bukit Tigapuluh Forest Landscape in central Sumatra contains some of the richest biodiversity on Earth, with more than 250 other mammal and bird species. Field investigations by WWF and its partners found evidence of illegal logging and constuction of a logging highway there by APP, one of the world’s largest paper companies, and its partners. The highway allows logging trucks easier access to APP’s pulp mills in Jambi Province; the clearing took place after APP’s forestry operations in neighboring Riau Province were halted due to a police investigation of illegal logging. APP partners have cleared an estimated 20,000 hectares of natural forest in the Bukit Tigapuluh landscape and some of the clearing appears to be in violation of Indonesian law.
The forest is home to two tribes of indigenous people, one of which lives nowhere else on Sumatra. The landscape also was designated one of just 20 “global priority” landscapes for tiger conservation by a global team of tiger scientists in 2006. It is the location of a successful conservation project to reintroduce orang utans, which now reside in a part of the landscape that is proposed for protected status but is already being cleared by APP-affiliated companies, the report found.
Rufous-collared Kingfisher, Sumatra, © Pete Morris/Birdquest,
from the Surfbirds galleries
Conservationists urge APP and its partners to stop clearing any more natural forest whose ecological, environmental and cultural conservation values have not been determined and to stop sourcing any of its purchased wood from such forests. Conservationists also call on the government to ensure an end to all forms of forest clearance found to violate national Indonesian laws and regulations.
“With its high conservation values, the Bukit Tigapuluh Landscape should be protected and thus all natural forest clearance in the area has to be stopped,” said IanKosasih, WWF-Indonesia’s Forest Program Director. “APP is one of the world’s largest paper companies and we believe its global customers expect it to act like a responsible corporate citizen. The company should commission independent assessments of the conservation values of these areas in a publicly transparent manner before any conversion takes place, and commit to protect and manage conservation values identified in these areas.”
Indonesian law has a set of criteria and requirements to be fulfilled prior to conversion of natural forest. Yet evidence found during the investigation indicates APP-affiliated companies converted hundreds of hectares before fulfilling these requirements, thus violating Indonesian law. Part of the area being cleared is in a proposed Specific Protected Area that serves as habitat for about 90 Sumatran orang utans recently introduced into the area for the first time in more than 150 years.
The full report on APP’s activities in Bukit Tigapuluh can be downloaded at http://www.panda.org/news_facts/newsroom/
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November 16, 2007
Too early to tell on Black Sea oil spill
The full environmental impacts of this week's oil spill in the Black Sea would not be known for some time, the global conservation organization WWF has said.
At least four ships sank, including one tanker believed to be carrying about 1200 tonnes of oil, and four others were in danger of breaking up after a severe storm hit the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea on Sunday.
“This is a tragic incident because lives have been lost, and there are some people who are still missing,” said Guillermo Castilleja, Programme Director of WWF International. “WWF deeply regrets this loss of life, and, beyond that, all we can say at the moment is it is too early to say for sure what the environmental impacts will be.
Cormorant © Jon Hall, at risk, from the surfbirds galleries
“The eco-system in this area has been degraded in the past by other spills and pollutants, and this latest spill will be a further setback.”
However, three experts from WWF-Russia, highlighted the need for a greater focus on safety.
WWF-Russia’s Director of Conservation Policy, Dr Evgeny Shvarts, said: “WWF hopes that the accident will lead to the adoption of a law guaranteeing safety of oil operations in seas and rivers, similar to the Oil Pollution Act adopted in the US after the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989.”
Alexey Knizhnikov, head of WWF-Russia’s oil and gas programme, said: “The accident is a natural consequence of the situation when ships constructed for rivers sail in the sea. In the Strait of Kerch, river vessels and sea vessels change cargos, as sea vessels cannot enter the Don and Volga rivers because of small water draft. But vessels constructed for rivers cannot stand strong sea storms."
Oleg Tsaruk, head of WWF-Russia Caucasus branch: “To minimize the consequences of oil spills in the sea, it is important to create a permanent Russian-Ukranian group capable of coordinating emergency services of the two countries. This agency should not only be responsible for cleaning up oil spills. Its main function should be preventing potential accidents. Everyone had been warned about the coming storm before November 11, but there hadn’t been any strict command to take ships with poisonous cargos to safe places.”
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October 16, 2007
Southern Bluefin Tuna fleets endanger wildlife, warns WWF
Thousands of seabirds, and significant numbers of sharks and marine turtles, are caught and killed each year in long-line fisheries targeting Southern Bluefin Tuna (SBT), reveals a new WWF report.
Japan’s long-line SBT fleet killed between 6,000 and 9,000 seabirds per year in the 2001 and 2002 fishing seasons. About three quarters of the species taken were albatrosses, and one fifth petrels.
Salvins Albatross © Nigel Voaden
It’s estimated the annual deaths of seabirds from all SBT fishing could be as high as 13,500, including about 10,000 albatrosses. Of the 22 species of albatrosses, 19 are classified as threatened with extinction according to the World Conservation Union.
“SBT long-line fleets are fishing blind, with little or no understanding of their devastating impact on threatened species,” says Dr Simon Cripps, Director of WWF’s Global Marine Programme. “Responsible countries must urgently implement measures to dramatically reduce the death toll.”
The new report exposes ten years of inaction by members of the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT), and calls for reform measures to be agreed at their annual meeting in Australia next week to stem the catch of endangered wildlife and reduce chronic overfishing.
Southern Bluefin Tuna, a migratory fish found mainly in the southern waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, is fished predominantly by Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan, and several other Asian countries. Long-line fishing fleets take around two-thirds of the reported catch of SBT.
“Currently the Commission only requires the use of tori poles, devices used to scare away seabirds from fishing lines, whereas they should be calling for a whole suite of bycatch reduction measures to be enforced.” adds Dr Cripps. “CCSBT now lags well behind other Regional Fisheries Management Organizations’ efforts to tackle bycatch.”
The report urges members of the CCSBT to immediately agree mandatory requirements for the collection and submission of data on the impact of SBT fishing on non-target species and to ensure their on-board observer programme prioritise the collection of this data.
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October 3, 2007
New animal and plant species found in Vietnam
Scientists have discovered 11 new species of animals and plants in a remote area in central Vietnam, WWF said today (26 September 2007).
The species were found in the Thua Thien Hue Province – a region known as the Green Corridor. They include two butterflies and a snake, as well as five orchids and three other plants, all of which are exclusive to tropical forests in Vietnam’s Annamites Mountain Range. Ten other plant species, including four orchids, are still under examination but also appear to be new species.
“You only discover so many new species in very special places, and the Green Corridor is one of them,” said Chris Dickinson, WWF’s Chief Technical Adviser in the area. “Several large mammal species were discovered in the 1990s in the same forests, which means that these latest discoveries could be just the tip of the iceberg.”
The rainforests of the Central Annamites likely existed as continuous undisturbed forest cover for thousands of years, and, as a result, offer unique habitats for many species, WWF says.
The new snake species, called the white-lipped keelback, tends to live by streams where it catches frogs and other small animals. It has a beautiful yellow-white stripe that sweeps along its head and red dots cover its body. It can reach about 80 centimetres in length.
The butterfly species are among eight discovered in the province since 1996. One is a skipper – a butterfly with quick, darting flight habits – from the genus Zela, the other is a new genus in the subfamily of Satyrinae.
Three of the new orchid species are entirely leafless, which is rare for orchids. They contain no chlorophyll and live on decaying matter, like many fungal species. The new other plants include an aspidistra, which produces a flower that is nearly black. Aspidistra-relatives plants are used as houseplants and are able to withstand very low light conditions. And a newly discovered species of arum has beautiful yellow flowers. Arum plants have funnel-shaped leaves surrounding the flowers.
According to WWF, all these species are at risk from illegal logging, hunting, unsustainable extraction of natural resources and conflicting development interests. However, the Thua Thien Hue Province authorities – in particular the Forest Protection Department – have committed to conserve and sustainably manage these valuable forests.
“The area is extremely important for conservation and the province wants to protect the forests and their environmental services, as well as contribute to sustainable development,” said Hoang Ngoc Khanh, Director of Thua Thien Hue Provincial Forest Protection Department.
Recent surveys have shown that many threatened species are found in the Green Corridor, including 15 reptiles and amphibians and six bird species. The area is also home to Vietnam’s greatest number of white-cheeked crested gibbons, one of the world’s most endangered primates. The Green Corridor is believed to be the best location in Vietnam to conserve the saola, a unique type of wild cattle only discovered by scientists in 1992.
According to WWF, forests in the Annamites also help preserve critical environmental services, such as water supplies for thousand of people who depend on the region’s rivers. They also provide non-timber forest resources for local ethnic minority groups who earn more than half of their income from these products.
Posted by Surfbirds at 5:27 PM | Comments (0)
September 11, 2007
Timing running out for polar bears
A new report on the fate of polar bears in a world of climate change predicts disaster for one of the world's most charismatic species, the global conservation organization WWF said today.
"We now have official confirmation that the largest living land predator is going to go extinct in our lifetime,” said Dr Neil Hamilton, Director of the WWF Arctic Programme.
The report by the US Geological Survey predicts that changes in sea ice will result in the loss of about two-thirds of the world's polar bear population by 2050. This is almost certainly an underestimate of the predicted impact because of the consistent underestimates in sea-ice loss (currently about 25 per cent ) of current models.
Polar Bear, Nunavut, Canada, James Bay July 2006 © Paul Jones
"The world is still discussing whether or not to take rapid action against climate change," said Dr Hamilton. "Politicians are fiddling at the edges while the Arctic wilderness succumbs to global warming; but in the meantime, they are sending one of the world’s greatest species on its way to extinction."
The full report can be found at:
http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/special/polar_bears/
Posted by Surfbirds at 6:53 AM | Comments (0)
August 24, 2007
Satellite tracking reveals threats to Borneo pygmy elephants
A new WWF study tracking pygmy elephants by satellite shows that the remaining herds of these endangered elephants, which live only on the island of Borneo, are under threat from forest fragmentation and loss of habitat.
Borneo pygmy elephants depend for their survival on forests situated on flat, low lands and in river valleys, the study found. Unfortunately, it is also the type of terrain preferred for commercial plantations.
Over the past four decades, 40 percent of the forest cover of the Malaysian State of Sabah, on the northeast of Borneo – where most of pygmy elephants are – has been lost to logging, conversion for plantations and human settlement.
“The areas that these elephants need to survive are the same forests where the most intensive logging in Sabah has taken place, because flat lands and valleys incur the lowest costs when extracting timber,” said Raymond Alfred, Head of WWF-Malaysia’s Borneo Species Programme.
“However, the Malaysian government’s commitment to retain extensive forest habitat throughout central Sabah, under the “Heart of Borneo” agreement, should ensure that the majority of the herds have a home in the long term,” Alfred added.
This study, the largest using satellite collars ever attempted on Asian elephants, suggests that pygmy elephants prefer lowland forests because there is more food of better quality on fertile lowland soils.
But the study also shows that elephants’ movements are noticeably affected by human activities and forest disturbance. Data gathered so far reveals there are probably not more than 1,000 pygmy elephants left in Sabah – less than the 1,600 or so estimated previously.
And, one important area for the elephants, the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, may be too small and too fragmented to support a viable population for the long term, according to the report.
Five pygmy elephants were darted and outfitted with collars two years ago by the Sabah Wildlife Department with WWF assistance, after tracking the elephants on foot through the dense jungle was found too difficult over long periods.
The collars sent GPS locations to a WWF computer via satellite as often as once a day. This was the first long-term study done of Borneo pygmy elephants.
“Satellite tracking is clearly one of the most effective ways of obtaining information on wild elephants in Sabah because they spend so much time inside the forest,” said Mahedi Andau, Director of the Sabah Wildlife Department. “We now have a good idea of the home range, size and location of some individual elephant herds.”
The information provided by the research might also help predict locations where elephants and farms may come into future conflict.
While pygmy elephants can live in logged and secondary forests, it is crucial that their remaining habitat is managed sustainably and not converted into plantations, WWF says. Logging in elephant habitat should only take place if there is a long-term forest management plan in place, and oil palm plantations should be established on degraded, non-forested land devoid of elephants and orang-utans, according to the conservation organization.
Posted by Surfbirds at 7:16 AM | Comments (0)
July 26, 2007
Four gorillas killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Three female mountain gorillas and one male silverback gorilla have been killed in the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The bodies were discovered in the southern sector of the park by rangers from the Institute for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN), the DRC’s wildlife and protected areas authority. All four mountain gorillas were shot, but it is unclear who killed them and why.
Gorilla, copyright Andrew Moon
Just over 700 mountain gorillas survive in the wild today, and none exist in captivity. For such a small population the unnecessary and indiscriminate killing of four mountain gorillas is a huge loss. The gorillas belonged to the Rugendo group that lived in the area visited often by tourists - providing valuable economic benefits for local communities.
The male silverback was an alpha male. Alpha males fulfil a leadership role within a group, and in their absence, the integrity of the group is often compromised. Before the killings the Rugendo group comprised 12 individuals. Six are confirmed as safe, but two gorillas, a female and an infant, are missing.
ICCN patrols have been increased within the southern sector of the park with support from the DRC army. Guard posts are being constructed to provide 24-hour surveillance of the park. “Just two months ago, we celebrated the increase of the gorilla population in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda," says Dr. Kwame Koranteng, Regional Representative of WWF's Eastern Africa Regional Programme Office. "Seven gorillas killed in 7 months is a horrifying statistic and a trend that cannot continue," he added.
Chief Executive of Fauna & Flora International, Mark Rose, said: "We are deeply concerned about this incident which follows more than 20 years of successful collaboration for mountain gorilla conservation. Whatever the motive underlying this tragedy, the gorillas are helpless pawns in a feud between individuals."
Earlier this year two silverback male gorillas were shot dead in the same area of the park. The perpetrators were believed to be supporters of Laurent Nkunda. The skin of one of the dead gorillas was recovered from a latrine in a nearby rebel camp. In May, a female gorilla was shot dead in the same park. Her infant is now being hand reared by the ICCN in Goma.
Post mortem examinations on the four gorillas are being carried out. The bodies will be buried near Bukima, an outpost within the park.
Posted by Surfbirds at 10:31 PM | Comments (0)
June 27, 2007
One river’s flood is another’s drought – river basin transfers threaten world’s most vital resource
Gland, Switzerland - Increasingly popular schemes to pour water from one river into another less endowed are putting the very source of life at risk, says WWF in a new report entitled Pipedreams? Inter-basin transfers and water shortages.
The report from the global conservation organization shows that inter-basin transfers are inevitably costly schemes that damage the natural environment, interrupting flows between rivers and compromising their ability to provide food and water.
Along with dams and other highly technical approaches to make up for water shortages, transfer schemes entail elaborate systems of canals, pipes and dredging over long distances. Already less than 40 per cent of the world’s rivers over 1,000km long remain free-flowing and this fact along with the water crisis is no mere coincidence.
“An overemphasis on engineering to address growing water needs is an artificial way to fix the water crisis,” says Jamie Pittock, Director of WWF’s Global Freshwater Programme. “More lasting is a commitment to healthy rivers and wetlands as the first step to water conservation, complemented by other methods as sustainable as possible and only if necessary.”
The report explores schemes completed in Australia, South Africa and Spain and others proposed in Brazil, China, Greece and Peru. It is worth noting that hundreds more exist including some that are not publicly known because of their often controversial nature.
Almost all cases share common flaws: cost overruns, insufficient transparency, irreversible damage to rivers, lack of stakeholder consultation, displacement of communities, planned benefits falling short, and a lack of exploration of alternative sustainable options.
“In many cases, water transfer schemes are a ‘pipedream’, reflecting simplistic thinking that transferring water between rivers will solve the problem without bringing new ones,” adds Pittock. The solutions to the water crisis must be rooted in conserving wetlands while properly assessing and managing local demands for water.”
“We must also use traditional local water management methods where suitable and recycle waste water. Basin transfers must be the last resort after all other sustainable approaches have been explored.”
Posted by Surfbirds at 7:08 AM | Comments (0)
May 26, 2007
Disturbed, hungry and lost – climate change impacts on whales
Whales, dolphins and porpoises are facing increasing threats from climate change, according to a new report published by WWF and the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) ahead of the 59th meeting of the International Whaling Commission.
The report Whales in hot water? highlights the growing impacts of climate change on cetaceans. They range from changes in sea temperature and the freshening of the seawater because of the melting of ice and increased rainfalls, to sea level rise, loss of icy polar habitats and the decline of krill populations in key areas.
Blue Whale, Mexico, Baja, Bahia de Ballena © Matthew Hobbs
Krill – a tiny shrimp-like marine animal that is dependent on sea ice – is the main source of food for many of the great whales.
Accelerating climate change adds significantly to disturbances from other human activities, such as chemical and noise pollution, collisions with ships and entanglement in fishing nets, which kills some 1,000 cetaceans every day.
“Whales, dolphins and porpoises have some capacity to adapt to their changing environment,” said Mark Simmonds, International Director of Science at WCDS. “But the climate is now changing at such a fast pace that it is unclear to what extent whales and dolphins will be able to adjust, and we believe many populations to be very vulnerable to predicted changes.”
Climate change impacts are currently greatest in the Arctic and the Antarctic. According to the report, cetaceans that rely on polar, icy waters for their habitat and food resources – such as belugas, narwhal, and bowhead whales – are likely to be dramatically affected by the reduction of sea ice cover.
And as sea ice cover decreases, there will be more human activities, such as commercial shipping, oil, gas and mining exploration and development as well as military activities, in previously untouched areas of the Arctic.
“This will result in much greater risks from oil and chemical spills, worse acoustic disturbance and more collisions between whales and ships,” said the lead author of the report, Wendy Elliott, from WWF’s Global Species Programme.
Other projected impacts of climate change listed in the report include: reduction of available habitat for several cetacean species unable to move into colder waters (e.g. river dolphins); the acidification of the oceans as they absorb growing quantities of CO2; an increased susceptibility of cetaceans to diseases; and reduced reproductive success, body condition and survival rates.
Climate change could also be the nail in the coffin for the last 300 or so endangered North Atlantic right whales, as the survival of their calves has been directly related to the effects of climate variability on prey abundance.
WCDS and WWF are urging governments to cut CO2 global emissions by at least 50 per cent by the middle of this century. The latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change showed it was possible to stop global warming if the world’s emissions start to decline before 2015.
The report ‘Whales in hot water?’ can be downloaded at: www.panda.org/species/iwc and www.wdcs.org/publications
Posted by Surfbirds at 4:49 AM | Comments (0)
May 16, 2007
Wildlife trade convention: WWF’s top ten priorities
Ahead of the world’s major meeting on wildlife trade, WWF releases its top ten list of species needing urgent, global, action to reduce threats from trade.
Delegates from 171 countries are expected to attend the Conference of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), from 3-15 June in The Hague, The Netherlands.
Chimpanzee, Kibale, Uganda © Andrew Moon
Some of the species on WWF’s top ten priority list are among the most endangered. For example, the tiger and the Asian rhino have required constant and urgent action over the past decades, because of ever-present, pervasive threats to their survival, including poaching and illegal trade. Others, particularly marine species, are on the list because their populations have declined massively in recent years, to supply the global market.
“CITES has been addressing the trade threat to some of these species for more than 30 years, with many successes, while others are new on the agenda,” said Dr Susan Lieberman, Director WWF’s Global Species Programme. “For some, there are new threats, others are new on the agenda due to changing trade dynamics in the global economy, while for yet others, organized criminal elements continue to ply their trade across the globe.”
“Whatever the problem,” added Dr Lieberman, “nothing will change unless governments take this trade and its impacts on conservation and local people’s livelihoods seriously.”
WWF’s top ten “to do” list for the world’s governments includes the following species:
Porbeagle – Porbeagle shark is a powerful, medium-sized, highly migratory shark. There is international demand for, and trade, in its high-value meat and fins. It is also used as fertilizer. WWF calls upon governments to include the species in CITES Appendix II.
Spiny dogfish – Spiny dogfish is a slender, smaller sized white-spotted shark that grows to about one metre long and travels in schools. It is found in cool, coastal waters worldwide. Known as rock salmon, it is used in fish and chips in the UK and as a smoked meat delicacy in Germany, called Schillerlocken. WWF calls upon governments to include the species in CITES Appendix II.
Sawfish – Populations of the seven species of sawfish have drastically declined. They are traded as live animals for public aquariums, and also for their fins and meat. Their distinctive saw-like snouts are sold as souvenirs and ceremonial weapons, while other body parts are used for traditional medicines. WWF calls upon governments to include these species in CITES Appendix I.
Tigers – In addition to continuing threats from habitat loss and forest conversion, an old threat is about to re-emerge in China, which could put the last remaining tigers further at risk – the potential re-opening of trade from tiger ‘farms’. WWF calls upon governments to take concerted action to stop all trade in tigers, particularly in China, and to improve enforcement efforts across Asia (e.g., India).
Asian rhinos – Historically hunted for their horn, a prized ingredient in traditional Asian medicines, and devastated by the destruction of their lowland forest habitat, Asian rhino populations are now distressingly small. An upsurge in poaching over the last few is taking its toll even on populations that were thought to be stable. WWF calls upon governments to step up enforcement efforts, and assist countries such as Nepal to stop the poaching.
Red and pink coral – A jewel that comes from reefs and atolls, it is the most valuable of all the precious corals. Pink coral has been fished for over 5,000 years and used for jewellery and decoration. Over-harvesting and the destruction of entire colonies by bottom trawls and dredges have led to dramatic population declines. WWF calls on governments to include all species of red and pink coral in CITES Appendix II.
European eel – The European eel comes from coastal and freshwater ecosystems throughout Europe, including Mediterranean countries. Stocks have declined dramatically over the past several decades due to overfishing and poaching. There is significant international demand for this species, both for live juvenile eels (shipped from Europe to Asia) for rearing in aquaculture and for the highly valued meat of adults. WWF calls on governments to include this species in CITES Appendix II.
Elephants – The ongoing poaching of elephants and illegal international trade in ivory is stimulated by rampant ivory sales in some countries, particularly in Africa and Asia. Despite previous CITES decisions, and valiant efforts of some countries, these markets persist. The time has come to put political will behind serious efforts to close down these illegal and unregulated ivory markets, the true driver of elephant poaching.
Great apes – Wild populations of great apes (gorillas, chimpanzees and orangutans), continue to decline drastically and are threatened by the combined effects of illegal trade in live animals (usually for pets), poaching for meat, disease and habitat disturbance, fragmentation and destruction. WWF calls on governments and CITES to stop this trade – including by adequately enforcing existing laws and imposing deterrent penalties.
Bigleaf mahogany – This highly valuable South and Central American rainforest tree species was listed in CITES Appendix II in 2002, in response to population declines and high levels of illegal logging and trade. Only one country still exports large commercial quantities, Peru, and after five years, these problems continue, and concerted action is needed.
Posted by Surfbirds at 6:46 AM | Comments (0)
May 15, 2007
Five years the key to planet’s future
The world has more than enough sustainable energy and technology to curb climate change, but only if key decisions are made within the next five years, according to new research by WWF.
Climate Solutions: WWF’s vision for 2050, a new report detailing the results of that study, was launched by the global conservation organization at an international press briefing in Geneva today.
The third report this year of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, released on 4 May, showed that the world could limit its heat-trapping emissions with known technologies and policy changes, but WWF’s Climate Solutions report shows how this can be done using only sustainable, environmentally friendly energy sources.
“The world has never been more aware of climate change, or the urgent need to slow its advance,” said James Leape, WWF International’s Director General. “The question for leaders and governments everywhere is how to rein in dangerously high levels of carbon dioxide emissions without stunting development and reducing living standards.
“The Climate Solutions report shows not only that this can be done, it shows how we can do it. We have a small window of time in which we can plant the seeds of change, and that is the next five years. We cannot afford to waste them.
“This is not something that governments can put off until the future. Governments in power now have a unique opportunity, a duty, to do something big for the future of the planet. If they fail, generations to come will have to live with the compromises and hardships caused by their inability to act.”
Princeton University’s Professor Robert Socolow, who in his work with Professor Stephen Pacala developed the climate stabilization wedges used in the WWF study, endorsed the Climate Solutions report. “The WWF study provides a much needed integration of climate change mitigation within a comprehensive framework of environmental stewardship,” he said.
Jorgen Randers, who in 1972 was one of the authors of Limits to Growth, the book known for linking economic growth and the state of the natural environment, also praised the report.
“The WWF Climate Solutions report is important first and foremost because it shows that it can be done. The plan shows it is possible to supply the world’s growing energy need in a climate-friendly manner, even if we choose to limit ourselves to existing and environmentally acceptable technologies,” said Professor Randers, who is also Chairman of WWF-Norway.
Climate Solutions is the report of WWF’s Energy Taskforce which was set up in December 2005. More than 100 scientists and experts contributed their knowledge.
The taskforce set out to answer the question: “Is it technically possible to meet the growing global demand for energy, using clean and sustainable energy sources and technologies that will protect the global climate?”
It began by reviewing 25 different commercially available sustainable energy sources or technologies and ranking them. From this process, three groupings emerged: those technologies with clear benefits, those with some negative but mostly positive impacts, and those where the negatives clearly outweighed the positives.
Those technologies found to have more benefits than negative impacts were then run through the newly designed WWF Climate Solutions model.
The findings were clear and had a note of hope: the model showed, with a high degree of probability (i.e. greater than 90 per cent), that known energy sources and proven technologies could be harnessed between now and 2050 to meet a projected doubling in global demand for energy while at the same time achieving the necessary significant drop (about 60-80 per cent) in carbon dioxide emissions to pevent dangerous climate change.
The model shows for the first time that this is technically and industrially feasible. It also shows that measures must be taken within five years to bring about a reduction in global carbon dioxide emissions within the next ten years.
The report identifies six key solutions to the problem of meeting global energy demand without damaging the global climate:
• Improving energy efficiency.
• Stopping forest loss.
• Accelerating the development of low-emissions technologies.
• Developing flexible fuels.
• Replacing high-carbon coal with low-carbon gas.
• Equipping fossil-fuel plants with carbon capture and storage technology.
For further information:
Moira O’Brien-Malone, WWF International, +41 22 364 9550 or +41 79 377 7958 (mobile), email mobrien@wwfint.org
Posted by Surfbirds at 7:20 AM | Comments (0)
May 9, 2007
Children to learn how to help save polar bears
WWF and Canon Europe launched today a “Save the Polar Bear” website as an educational tool to teach children about the environmental impacts of climate change.
The site – a microsite hosted on the enhanced WWF-Canon Polar Bear Tracker (www.panda.org/polarbears) – will have a variety of activities suitable for children aged from seven to eleven.
Polar Bear, Norway © Pete Morris, Birdquest
In fun and engaging ways, and with the aid of two animated polar bear cubs named Auro and Borea, children will learn about threats to polar bears’ habitat, about the issues and challenges of climate change, their own impact on the environment, and how they can each make a difference.
The Polar Bear Tracker was launched in 2002 by WWF’s Arctic Programme and the Norwegian Polar Institute to track polar bears in the Svalbard archipelago. Canon recognised the importance of the project and became involved because polar bears are a key indicator of climate change and its effects on the Arctic.
Due to global warming, the sea ice on which polar bears live melts earlier and earlier every year, leaving them with a smaller area in which to find food. Though pollution and hunting are other threats to polar bears, climate change is the biggest of them all. Unless humanity takes radical action to reduce its emissions of global warming gases such as carbon dioxide, we are unlikely to be able to save the polar bear.
The announcement of the children’s site is timed to coincide with Canon Europe’s 50th anniversary.
“Climate change and the associated issues of global warming and environmental consciousness are of crucial importance to the people of Canon, both as members of a socially responsible company and as individuals” said James Leipnik, Chief of Communication and Corporate Relations at Canon Europe. “By working with WWF to address some of the key challenges of environmental sustainability through better understanding, we hope to engage as wide an audience as possible, from children to their parents and teachers, and encourage them to do their part for the environment.”
Posted by Surfbirds at 7:04 AM | Comments (0)
April 24, 2007
WWF captures extraordinary video of rare Borneo rhino
A video “camera trap” positioned inside the jungle has captured rare footage of an elusive Borneo rhino, WWF and Malaysia’s Sabah Wildlife Department announced today.
The two-minute video – showing the animal eating, walking to the camera and sniffing the equipment – is the first-ever footage of observing the behaviour in the wild of one of the world’s rarest rhinos.
Scientists estimate there are only between 25 and 50 rhinos left on the island of Borneo. These last survivors of the Bornean subspecies of Sumatran rhinos are believed to remain only in the interior forests of Sabah, Malaysia – an area known as the “Heart of Borneo.” The rhinos are so secretive that the first-ever still photo of one was captured last year.
“These are very shy animals that are almost never seen by people,” said Mahedi Andau, director of the Sabah Wildlife Department. “This video gives us an amazing opportunity to spy on the rhino’s behaviour.”
The rhinos in Sabah spend their lives in dense jungle where they are rarely seen, which accounts for the lack of any previous photographs of them in the wild.
The video camera trap that captured the rhino footage was developed by Stephen Hogg, Head of Audio Visual at WWF-Malaysia. After successfully testing the newly developed camera trap on Malayan tigers in Peninsula Malaysia, it was set up in Sabah to capture the Sumatran rhino. Photos and video footage can determine the condition of rhinos, help identify individual animals and show how they behave in the wild.
“We did a pilot test with two of my video cameras in an area that the field team had determined was used by rhinos. The first time we checked them, after four weeks, there were these fantastic images,” Hogg said. “This is further proof that these video cameras do work and are of value to our conservation work. This footage is awesome and could not have been better.”
On Borneo, there have been no confirmed reports of rhinos apart from those in Sabah for almost 20 years, leading experts to fear that the species may now be extinct on the rest of the island. Major threats include poaching, illegal encroachment into key rhino habitats, and the fact that the remaining rhinos are so isolated that they may rarely or never meet to breed.
“The photos and video footage will be used to determine the condition of the rhinos in the wild,” said Raymond Alfred, project manager for WWF’s Asian Rhino and Elephant Action Strategy (AREAS). “But we have to realize that these rhinos could face extinction in the next ten years if their habitat continues to be disturbed and enforcement is not in place.”
Recently, the ministers of the three Bornean governments – Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Malaysia – signed an historic Declaration to conserve and sustainably manage the Heart of Borneo. This has put the area on the global stage of conservation priorities.
The video, along with new still images of the rhinos, can be viewed at http://www.panda.org/borneorhino.
The rhinos found on Borneo are regarded as a subspecies of the Sumatran rhinos, which means they have different physical characteristics to rhinos found in Sumatra (Indonesia) and Peninsular Malaysia. The Sumatran rhino is one of the world's most critically endangered species, with small numbers found only in Sumatra (Indonesia), Sabah (on the northern end of Borneo) and Peninsular Malaysia. See WWF’s Asian rhino factsheet at http://www.panda.org/news_facts/publications/index.cfm?uNewsID=62840
Conservationists hope that the population is viable and will be able to reproduce if protected from poaching. However, a high proportion of females have reproductive problems. Many of the remaining rhinos are old and possibly beyond reproductive age. The death rate may be exceeding birth rate.
Sabah and the forests of the "Heart of Borneo" still hold huge tracts of continuous natural forests, which are some of the most biologically diverse habitats on Earth, with high numbers of unique animal and plant species. It is one of only two places in the world – Indonesia's Sumatra island is the other – where orang-utans, elephants and rhinos still co-exist and where forests are currently large enough to maintain viable populations.
Posted by Surfbirds at 6:45 AM | Comments (0)
April 11, 2007
Natural wonders feel the heat, warns WWF
From the Amazon to the Himalayas, ten of the world’s greatest natural wonders face destruction if the climate continues to warm at the current rate, warns WWF.
In its latest briefing, Saving the world's natural wonders from climate change, the global conservation organization reports on how the devastating impacts of global warming are damaging the world’s greatest natural wonders.
Green Turtle, Western Australia, Ningaloo Reef off Coral Bay May 2006 © Brian Egan
Released ahead of the International Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC’s) Second Working Group Report, the WWF briefing also details the work being undertaken in each of the ten regions to build defenses against the damaging impacts of climate change.
“While we continue to pressure governments to make meaningful cuts in heat trapping greenhouse gas emissions, we are also working on adaptation strategies to offer protection to some of the world’s natural wonders as well as the livelihoods of the people who live there,” says Dr Lara Hansen, Chief Scientist of WWF’s Global Climate Change Programme. “We are trying to buy people and nature time, as actions to stop the root cause of climate change are taken.”
The Great Barrier Reef is threatened by warming waters causing coral bleaching. The Yangtse River is facing water shortages as glaciers continue to retreat. In response to the crisis facing China’s Yangtse River, WWF is assessing the situation and setting up pilot projects which will show government and local communities how best to adapt to climate change impacts.
Meanwhile, increased incidence of forest fires could spell the end of one of the world’s greatest forests. The Valdivian forests in Chile and Argentina include trees up to 3,000 years old. WWF and local partners are fighting for conservation area protection status for all areas of resistant forests.
“From turtles to tigers – from the desert of Chihuahua to the great Amazon – all these wonders of nature are at risk from warming temperatures,” says Lara Hansen. “While adaptation to changing climate can save some, only drastic action by governments to reduce emissions can hope to stop their complete destruction.”
Posted by Surfbirds at 9:47 AM | Comments (0)
March 21, 2007
Borneo's clouded leopard identified as new cat species
Scientists have discovered that the clouded leopard found on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra is an entirely new species of cat. The secretive rainforest animal was originally thought to be the same species as the one found in mainland South-east Asia.
Click here for image and further links http://www.panda.org/news_facts/newsroom/press_releases/index.cfm?uNewsID=95660
The news comes just a few weeks after a WWF report showed that scientists had identified at least 52 new species of animals and plants over the past year on Borneo.
“Who said a leopard can never change its spots?" said Stuart Chapman, WWF International Coordinator of the Heart of Borneo programme.
"For over a hundred years we have been looking at this animal and never realized it was unique. The fact that Borneo’s top predator is now considered a separate species further emphasizes the importance of conserving one of the most biologically diverse habitats on Earth.”
Researchers at the US National Cancer Institute say the differences between the Borneo and mainland clouded leopard were found to be comparable to the differences between other large cat species such as lion, tiger, leopard, jaguar and snow leopard. They believe the Borneo population likely diverged from the mainland population some 1.4 million years ago.
“Genetic research results clearly indicate that the clouded leopards of Borneo should be considered a separate species,” said Dr Stephen O'Brien, Head of the Laboratory of Genomic Diversity, US National Cancer Institute. “DNA tests highlighted around 40 differences between the two species.”
The results of the genetic study are supported by separate research on geographical variation in the clouded leopard, based mainly on fur patterns and colouration of skins held in museums and collections.
“The moment we started comparing the skins of the mainland clouded leopard with the leopard found on Borneo, it was clear we were comparing two different species,” said Dr Andrew Kitchener, Department of Natural Sciences, National Museums Scotland. “It’s incredible that no one has ever noticed these differences.”
The Borneo clouded leopard has small cloud markings, many distinct spots within the cloud markings, grey fur and a double dorsal stripe. It is darker than the mainland species.
Clouded leopards from the mainland have large clouds on their skin with fewer, often faint, spots within the cloud markings. They are lighter in colour, with a tendency toward tawny-coloured fur and a partial double dorsal stripe.
By taking into consideration the forest conditions in Borneo, a total number of 5,000 to 11,000 Bornean clouded leopards are estimated to live there. The total number in Sumatra could be in the range of 3,000 to 7,000 individuals. However, further studies are needed to obtain better population data.
The last great forest home of the Bornean clouded leopard is the Heart of Borneo, a 220,000km2 wild, mountainous region — about five times the size of Switzerland — covered with equatorial rainforest in the centre of the island. Destruction of their habitat is the main threat they face.
Last month in Bali (Indonesia), the ministers of the three Bornean governments — Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Malaysia — signed an historic declaration to conserve and sustainably manage the Heart of Borneo. This has put the area on the global stage of conservation priorities.
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• Based on their general physical appearance, all clouded leopards were considered to belong to a single species. However, recent genetic analysis has shown that the ones found on Borneo are so different that they are best regarded as a separate species. DNA tests highlighted around 40 nucleotide differences between the two species. This is comparable to differences between the large Panthera species. Lions and leopards, for instance, have 56 nucleotide differences. The combined results of DNA analysis point to a 1–3 million years difference in separation, while the accepted distance of species is 1–2 million years.
• The clouded leopard was first scientifically described in 1821 by the British naturalist Edward Griffith. The scientific name of the clouded leopard from the mainland is Neofelis nebulosa, while the Bornean clouded leopard is now called Neofelis diardi.
• Clouded leopards occur in most forested habitats of Borneo, from coastal areas to the interior mountain ranges. Their preferred habitats, where most animals are found, are the dense lowland and hill rainforests of Borneo. They usually avoid open areas with few trees and are very sensitive to human disturbances.
• Bornean clouded leopards feed on monkeys, mouse deer, barking deer, young bearded pigs and sambar deer, which are stalked on the ground or jumped upon from tree branches. Occasionally birds and reptiles (such as monitor lizards) are eaten as well.
For further information:
Olivier van Bogaert, Senior Press Officer
WWF International
Tel: +41 22 364 9554
E-mail: ovanbogaert@wwfint.org
Stuart Chapman, Heart of Borneo Programme Coordinator
WWF International
E-mail: schapman@wwf.org.id
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