WWF - Conservation news

Dogs to sniff out the state of Vietnam's critically endangered rhinos

2009-11-20

Vietnam – Highly trained detection dogs are being used help to determine the population status of the Javan rhino in Vietnam, in an attempt to save one of the world’s rarest mammals from extinction.

WWF researchers have teamed up with national park rangers using two detection dogs from the United States to determine the population status of the Javan rhinos in the forests of southern Vietnam, home to one of the world’s last two remaining populations of the species.

Javan rhino (Rhinoceros sondaicus annamiticus) were thought to be extinct on mainland Southeast Asia until hunters in Vietnam killed an individual rhino in 1988. It is believed less than ten remain, but no conclusive survey has ever been conducted to verify this.

“The Javan rhino is possibly the rarest large mammal on Earth,” said Sarah Brook, leader of the WWF rhino project in Vietnam. “This field survey aims to reveal the secrets of Vietnam’s little known Javan rhino population in an effort to save it from extinction.”

Samples of the dung will be sent to Queen’s University in Canada where DNA analysis will detect the sex and number of animals. The Zoological Society of London will carry out a hormone analysis to show the animal’s breeding capability.

After just five days of surveying the area, seven rhino dung samples have been found. These specimens have given the project team confidence that they will be able to gather all the necessary scientific information. The results of these analyses will be used to formulate an urgent rhino conservation plan.

“The rhino is not only a rare animal unique to this country, but protecting the rhino is a flagship for conservation efforts in Vietnam,” said Hien Tran Minh, Country Director for WWF Vietnam. “If we lose the rhino the future does not look good for Vietnam’s other rare and endemic species.”

The Javan rhino is a highly valued commodity in the illegal wildlife trade, with the rhino horn, skin and faeces used for medicinal purposes. Habitat encroachment from agricultural expansion and planned hydropower development also pose increasing threats to this small population.

To improve protection for rhinos and other wildlife threatened by poachers, WWF in collaboration with the Asian Rhino project is supporting local communities to join the Forest Protection Department and national parks staff.

‘Rhinomania’, a blog written by the WWF team, will keep the public up to date on the rhino survey as well as on life in the national park.

A chance to kiss and make up in Copenhagen

2009-11-20

Have we lost trust in each other?

Is there a chance can still kiss and make up?

The upcoming climate change conference in Copenhagen is our best chance to reafirm our love for our one and only, cuddly blue marble.

Share the video and help us fight for our planet’s love!

Brazil sets example on halting forest loss

2009-11-18

Brasilia, Brazil: The recent announcement by Brazil – one of the world’s top emitters of greenhouse gases from deforestation - that it is adopting new emissions reduction targets could help steer negotiators in Copenhagen toward a stronger climate change deal.

Brazil’s top environment ministers said late last week the country is committing to an emission reduction target of between 36.1 and 38.9 percent by 2020. Brazil announced those figures only a day after saying new data showed the lowest deforestation rates in the Amazon in the past 21 years.

The new commitment can help unblock and steer climate negotiations toward a new global agreement in Copenhagen, which will be considered next month, said WWF-Brazil CEO Denise Hamú.

"As Brazil announces these figures, it moves from a situation where it merely holds developed countries to account to a situation where it can be a role model in the establishment of a new low-carbon development model for the world," Hamú said.

"It should be noted, however, that the data needs to be more detailed,” she said. “We are not sure which baseline scenario was used, that is, how the Brazilian government estimated Brazil's emission growth trends by the end of the next decade. Neither do we know how we will reach those targets.”

“No detailed information is available on all actions across the various industries and on our low-carbon plan of action. It is fundamental that all government policies be consistent with the announcement made today," Hamú said.

As far as international climate negotiations are concerned, Brazil now has a more legitimate case to demand a clearer financial support commitment from the developed nations for the establishment of adequate actions to adapt to the effects of global warming, according to WWF.

Data released by the Brazilian government earlier this month showed that the deforestation rate in the Amazon fell between August 2008 and July 2009. Overall, the deforested region is a 45 percent smaller than Amazon land cleared the previous year, or between August 2007 and July 2008.

This is the lowest rate of deforestation in the Amazon since record-keeping began in 2000, and down from a high of more than 27,000 square kms in 2004.

However, deforestation also must be reduced in other damaged forest areas in Brazil, such as in the Cerrado, according to WWF:

Despite conservation efforts, global deforestation continues at an alarming rate – 13 million hectares per year, or 36 football fields a minute. It generates almost 20 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and halting forest loss has been identified as one of the most cost-effective ways to keep the world out of the danger zone of runaway climate change.

Data shows illegal ivory trade on rise

2009-11-16

Cambridge, UK: The illicit trade in ivory, which has been increasing in volume since 2004, moved sharply upward in 2009, according to the latest analysis of seizure data in the Elephant Trade Information System (ETIS).

ETIS, one of the two monitoring systems for elephants under CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) but managed by TRAFFIC, holds the world’s largest collection of elephant product seizure records.

The analysis, undertaken in advance of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP15) to CITES, was based upon 14,364 elephant product seizure records from 85 countries or territories since 1989, nearly 2,000 more records than the previous analysis, in 2007.

The remarkable surge in 2009 reflects a series of large-scale ivory seizure events that suggest increased involvement of organized crime syndicates in the trade, connecting African source countries with Asian end-use markets. The ETIS data indicate that such syndicates have become stronger and more active over the last decade.

There continues to be a highly significant correlation between large-scale domestic ivory markets in Asia and Africa and poor law enforcement, suggesting that illicit ivory trade flows typically follow a path to destinations where law enforcement is weak and markets function with little regulatory impediment.

Indeed, the rise in illicit trade in ivory indicates that implementation of a CITES “action plan for the control of trade in African elephant ivory,” the Convention’s principal vehicle for closing such unregulated and illicit domestic markets in Africa and Asia, has failed to drive any significant change over the last five years.

The ETIS analysis identifies Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Thailand as the three countries most heavily implicated in the global illicit ivory trade. Illegal trade involving each of these nations has been repeatedly singled out for priority attention since the first assessment in 2002, but they continue to feature as critical hotspots in the trade as sources, entrêpots and consumers of ivory.

Another nine countries and territories—Cameroon, Gabon and Mozambique in Africa and Hong Kong SAR, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam in Asia—were also identified as important nodes in the illicit ivory trade.

China, which along with Japan was an approved destination of the legal, CITES-sanctioned one-off ivory sale in 2008, faces a persistent illegal trade challenge from Chinese nationals now based in Africa. Ongoing evidence highlights widespread involvement of overseas Chinese in the illicit procurement of ivory, a problem that needs to be addressed through an aggressive outreach and awareness initiative directed at Chinese communities living abroad.

The results are less clear-cut concerning the impacts of the CITES approved one-off ivory sales in 1999 and 2008.

Following the first such sale, in June 1999, there was a progressive decline in the illicit trade in ivory for five years, with no evidence to suggest that the sale had resulted in an increase in the illicit ivory trade globally.

After the second CITES-approved ivory sale, in late 2008, the results are unclear as to whether it has stimulated increase demand or whether it has simply coincided with an increase in supply that was already underway over the last four years. The collection of more data over an extended time period will throw further light on this vital issue.

The full ETIS report can be downloaded from the CITES website as document at http://www.cites.org/common/cop/15/doc/E15-44-01A.pdf

Atlantic bluefin trade ban now vital as tuna commission fails to take action again

2009-11-15

Porto de Galinhas, Brazil: The Atlantic tuna commission today came up with only inadequate or delayed actions to ensure the recovery of the eastern Atlantic bluefin tuna, global conservation organization WWF warned today. Saving the tuna will now depend largely on an international trade ban due to be discussed in March.

The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas today endorsed a proposal from its chair, the EU, Japan, Morocco and Tunisia to drop the 2010 eastern bluefin quota from 19,500 tonnes to 13,500 tonnes, still far too high to enable stock recovery.

A key study presented to ICCAT in Recife showed even a strictly enforced 8,000-tonne quota would have only a 50 per cent chance of achieving a recovery in eastern Atlantic bluefin tuna by 2023 and another ICCAT study showed only a total fishing halt yielded significant chances of the bluefin population to recover enough to no longer qualify for high-level trade restrictions by 2019.

It is now more than ever necessary for member countries of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to line up behind global trade restrictions on Atlantic bluefin tuna. CITES is to consider a Principality of Monaco proposal that bluefin be listed for the highest level of trade restrictions at a meeting in Doha next March.

“Today’s outcome is entirely unscientific – and entirely unacceptable,” said Dr Sergi Tudela, Head of Fisheries at WWF Mediterranean. “This reduction of allowable catch is not based on any particular scientific advice to recover the stock with high probability – it is just an arbitrary political measure and only for one year. Now more than ever WWF sees a global trade ban as the only hope for Atlantic bluefin.”

Dr Tudela said a new provision for a 2011 fishery closure if the fishery was detected as being at serious risk of collapse was difficult to reconcile with the scientific committee’s recent data that the stocks are already at less than 10-15 per cent than unfished levels. “The trends for bluefin tuna are very clear and we need to act on the forward view rather than the rear mirror view to avoid collapse,” Dr Tudela said.

WWF had lobbied the meeting for a fishing suspension and determined action against illegal fishing, estimated to considerably inflate the most recent (2008) catch estimates of 34,120 tonnes. During the Recife meeting almost all harvesting countries were formally identified by ICCAT for breaking its rules – like EU tuna fattening farms accepting fish without proper documentation.

The massive overcapacity of industrial fleets in the Mediterranean also continues to hamper conservation efforts, yet the problem remains insufficiently addressed by the tuna commission.

The season for industrial fishing for bluefin tuna with purse seine fleets was reduced from two months to one, but remains open during the peak of the spawning period of 15 May to 15 June when the tuna are most vulnerable. ICCAT also continued to ignore long-standing calls to establish sanctuaries in key bluefin tuna spawning grounds such as the Balearic Islands off Spain.

“Common sense says that a trade ban supported by a temporary fishing closure is currently what is needed for the recovery of Atlantic tuna,” Dr Tudela said. “To close the fishery is what ICCAT needed to do to save the tuna and to save its own reputation.”

Dr Tudela called on CITES member countries “not to be fooled by ICCAT’s promises to save Atlantic bluefin tuna in the coming years. We have seen too many empty promises in ICCAT’s forty years of not conserving tuna. The tuna commission has failed in the most crucial moment of its history – how can it be expected of anything better? Now is the time for action elsewhere”.

Adding more fuel to the compelling case of ICCAT’s overall failure, contracting parties endorsed a further two years of the use by Morocco of illegal driftnets to catch swordfish. The nets, known widely as ‘walls of death’, kill 4,000 dolphins and 25,000 sharks in Mediterranean waters every year.

Bans on driftnets are covered in a large array of international agreements dating back to 1992 and including the UN, ICCAT, the EU which is the main market for the Moroccan swordfish, and Morocco itself.

“This year all contracting parties talked of the need to restore ICCAT’s credibility, and to do so they endorse the slaughter of 50,000 more sharks and 8,000 dolphins, violating UN resolutions? It is beyond belief, and is one more proof of the total dysfunction of ICCAT as a serious fisheries management organization,” said Dr Tudela.

ICCAT was also unable to agree on substantial measures to protect vulnerable shark species.

Economists fail to account for ‘natural capital’ – report

2009-11-13

Gland, Switzerland: Many economists are failing to assess the value of their countries’ natural resources, putting billion’s of people’s well-being at risk and contributing to catastrophic species loss, according to a new United Nations Environment Programme report.

The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity for National and International Policy Makers 2009 (TEEB), released today, states that governments must adopt better accounting systems that measure the true value of natural resources, and integrate them in government decision-making.

WWF welcomed the report, urging governments to heed the call to reform their economic policies to halt the destruction of natural resources.

“Governments need to pay attention to this report and start looking at nature in a more holistic way”, said WWF Director of Global and Regional Policy Gordon Shepherd, “With smarter approaches to economics this can change but right now we are paying for their ignorance.”

Investing in conservation, management and restoration of ecosystems will provide economic returns and services to society that outweigh the immediate monetary returns of unchecked use of natural resources, such as the clear-cutting of forests or overfishing, according to the report.

“We are running down our natural capital stock without understanding the value of what we are losing” the report states.

“Degradation of soils, air, water and biological resources can negatively impact on public health, food security, consumer choice and business opportunities. The rural poor, most dependent on the natural resource base, are often hardest hit,” according to the report.

“The problem is that economists do not give market prices for ecosystem services and biodiversity,” according to the study. “This means that the benefits we derive from these goods (often public in nature) are usually neglected or under-valued in decision-making.” “This in turn leads to actions that not only result in biodiversity loss, but also impact on human well-being.”

The report also makes several recommendations for policy-makers.

They include, for example, that policy must address reforming environmentally harmful subsidies – up to a third of which currently support fossil fuel use – and invest in ‘ecological infrastructure’. The latter “can provide cost-effective opportunities to meet policy objectives, such as increased resilience to climate change, reduced risk from natural hazards, and improved food and water security as a contribution to poverty alleviation.”

In addition, Shepherd said businesses must likewise re-evaluate their use of the natural resources on which they depend to ensure their long-term profits. In doing so, they can be part of the solution to current environmental crises, such as species loss and deforestation.

“Ultimately, this must be a wide-ranging effort to re-evaluate natural resources and it must involve everyone, including private industry, governments, international agreements like the Convention on Biological Diversity, and indigenous and local people,” said Shepherd. “It will take a concerted effort to make our planet healthy again.”

TEEB’s study on The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity was launched by Germany and the European Commission in response to an earlier G8+5 Environment Ministers proposal to develop a global study on economics of biodiversity loss.

Asia governors call for forest focus in climate deal

2009-11-13

Singapore: Asian governors from forest-rich countries, gathering in Singapore on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting this week, are urging world leaders to place forests at the forefront of climate change discussions.

The participating governors, convened by the Asian Development Bank, are discussing compensation under the emerging global forest carbon market – including the Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) mechanism – to support local development in their regions and protect forests.

Specifically, the Heart of Borneo (HoB) Initiative was raised as a prime example of the sort of action needed in the region to mitigate the effects of climate change.

The HoB was established in 2007 by joint declaration of the three Bornean governments - Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei - and commits to the preservation and sustainable development of around 240,000 km2 area of continuous forest in the Heart of Borneo.

Speaking at the meeting, Indonesia’s governor of central Kalimantan (on the island of Borneo), the Honourable Augustin Teras Narang, said:

“The Heart of Borneo Initiative is an opportunity to address climate change through REDD, sustainable forest management and payment for environmental services, but we need real incentives and equitable financing mechanisms to realise the ambitious goals of the Heart of Borneo.”

Large scale carbon-rich forest landscapes such as the Heart of Borneo can play a major role in achieving emission reduction targets while conserving and sustainably managing the forests of Borneo.

The Heart of Borneo is one of the most important centres of biodiversity with record rates of endemism. In addition, the tropical forest and important peatlands of the region hold significant amounts of carbon and play a vital role in mitigating global warming.

"The Heart of Borneo is a global treasure chest of ecosystem goods and services, but these life-sustaining functions are not valued or properly compensated,” said Adam J. Tomasek, WWF's Leader for the Heart of Borneo Initiative. “It is important that the bold commitments made by the three governments under the Heart of Borneo are met with new and viable financing mechanisms for large-scale forest conservation and sustainable management. Equitable compensation for REDD is not just a good idea, it is absolutely necessary,” he said.

At the closing reception, Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Haruhiko Kuroda highlighted the importance of initiatives such as REDD in addressing climate change.

“Addressing climate change, via reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation, is one of the central goals of the ADB,” he said.

The ADB and WWF are jointly supporting the Heart of Borneo initiative by mobilizing much needed financial and technical resources to deliver the goals agreed by the three Bornean governments.

Falling Amazon deforestation rates create opportunity for other damaged forests

2009-11-13

Brasilia, Brazil: Fewer trees were cut down in the Amazon this year, creating an opportunity to apply sound government policies to halt deforestation in other damaged forests, WWF says.

Data released Thursday by the Brazilian government shows that the deforestation rate in the Amazon fell between August 2008 and July 2009. Overall, the deforested region is a 45 percent smaller than Amazon land cleared the previous year, or between August 2007 and July 2008.

This is the lowest rate of deforestation in the Amazon since record-keeping began in 2000, and down from a high of more than 27,000 square kms in 2004.

However, the Amazon did lose 7,008 square kms of forest this year, according to government officials and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who attended a ceremony Thursday to announce this year’s deforestation figures.

According to Denise Hamú, WWF-Brazil's CEO, although it is essential to recognize the efforts made by the federal and state governments as well as Brazilian society in general, further action is required.
"Deforestation needs to continue falling in a sustainable manner and must take place in other Brazilian biomes in addition to the Amazon, such as the Cerrado", she stated.

Hamú also said that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to be held in Copenhagen in December, will be a good opportunity for Brazil to defend the adoption of clear and ambitious emission reduction commitments by the participant countries.

"Deforestation numbers such as the ones showed today by President Lula strengthen Brazil's credentials to lead the climate negotiations and take the forefront in building a new development model for the world that respects the environment and the people", Hamú said.

Among the other biomes, the most critical situation is found in the Cerrado. While deforestation in the Amazon has finally fallen below 10,000 km2, in the Cerrado it surpasses 20,000 km2.

Despite conservation efforts, global deforestation continues at an alarming rate – 13 million hectares per year, or 36 football fields a minute. It generates almost 20 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and halting forest loss has been identified as one of the most cost-effective ways to keep the world out of the danger zone of runaway climate change.

According to Cláudio Maretti, WWF-Brazil's Conservation Director, apart from decreasing emissions caused by deforestation in the Amazon the country needs to work on achieving reductions in the industry and transport sectors, and especially in energy generation and transmission processes.

"After all, the planet urgently needs expressive greenhouse gas emission reductions", he said.

Positive efforts made by the Brazilian government that should be applied in other areas include: Creating and implementing protected areas, promoting sustainable forest management, restricting public credit for land grabbers and deforesters, and promoting land tenure regularization actions. Also important are efforts to minimize the impacts of large-scale infrastructure projects such as roads and dams.

In addition, Maretti said it is essential to implement a consistent payment mechanism for ecological services - which consists in compensating producers who conserve the standing forest.

Talk climate and money, not climate vs money, WWF tells APEC

2009-11-13

Singapore – Leaders gathering in Singapore for the APEC summit this weekend must commit to strong and ambitious climate actions if they want to achieve sustainable growth for their region and help their countries to avoid disastrous consequences of global warming.

The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation – bringing together world leaders like US President Barack Obama, Chinese President Hu Jintao and Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama – must look beyond the group’s usual areas of interest and focus on the common challenges posed by climate change.

“Solving problems of protectionism, trade zones, banks and exchange rates is very important, but what is all of this worth if the world slips into chaos because of devastating climate change?” said Kim Carstensen, Leader of the WWF Global Climate Initiative.

“APEC leaders must open their eyes and look into the real threats and challenges of this world and their region. We cannot talk about sustainable growth without solving the most intractable problem the planet is facing.”

UN climate talks are floundering due to attempts by some governments to lower expectations for a new treaty and efforts to delay the deal.

The production of a legally binding framework at Copenhagen together with an amended Kyoto Protocol will help secure the survival of countries, cultures and ecosystems and clear the way towards a low carbon economy.

“If APEC countries would tackle the climate crisis with the same rigor they showed in protecting their economies from the financial meltdown, the world wouldn’t have to worry about a lack of political will or insufficient levels of ambition in the UN climate talks”, said Carstensen.

“We urge APEC leaders to bring economic recovery and climate recovery in sync, so that money spent on keeping growth levels high also helps bringing emission levels down.”

In WWF’s view, the Pacific region should become a model of technology cooperation, where developed APEC countries assist their developing country partners with adaptation and mitigation, through clean technologies, financial support and capacity building.

“Many want the APEC region to become a free trade zone, but they should also exploit its potential as a clean tech zone”, said Carstensen.

“There is probably no better regional network of countries in the world for piloting smart concepts for technology cooperation like those discussed in the UN climate talks. To boost the international negotiations, we urgently need pioneers who show what’s possible and how to make it happen.”

Dhaka, Manila and Jakarta top list of Asian cities facing brutal climate future

2009-11-12

Hong Kong – Dhaka, Manila and Jakarta are topping a WWF ranking of the climate vulnerability of 11 major cities in Asia.

As Heads of States gather in Singapore for the APEC summit, WWF says that developed and developing countries must cooperate to prepare these cities for a brutal climate future, highlighting that their vulnerability is yet another compelling reason for a fair, ambitious and binding deal at the Copenhagen Climate Summit in December.

According to Mega-Stress For Mega-Cities, many of the cities analyzed are extremely exposed to threats such as storms and flooding, while huge numbers of people and assets at stake result in worrying levels of socio-economic sensitivity. At the same time, the cities often lack capacity to protect themselves from devastating impacts.

“Climate change is already shattering cities across developing Asia and will be even more brutal in the future”, said Kim Carstensen, Leader of the WWF Global Climate Initiative. “These cities are vulnerable and need urgent help to adapt, in order to protect the lives of millions of citizens, a massive amount of assets, and their large contributions to the national GDP.”

“The APEC summit this week in Singapore provides an opportunity to exploit the true win-win potential offered by low carbon growth strategies for countries in the Asia Pacific region, with benefits for both the economy and the climate.”

The WWF report covers 11 urban centers across Asia, all located in coastal areas or river deltas. Following Dhaka (9 out of 10 possible vulnerability points), other cities at high risk are Manila and Jakarta (8 each), Calcutta and Phnom Penh (7 each), Ho Chi Minh City and Shanghai (6 each), Bangkok (5), and Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong and Singapore (4 each).

“Asia is urbanizing rapidly, and we can be certain that urban areas will be crucial battlegrounds in the fight against climate change”, said Carstensen.

“Cities are responsible for most of the world’s energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, but they are also pioneers when it comes to developing innovative solutions. We can’t afford to surrender them to climate change. Instead, we must empower them to become change agents and protect both rural and urban areas from devastating impacts.”

The report also includes rankings for sub-categories such as environmental exposure, socio-economic sensitivity and adaptive capacity. Poorer cities often lack sufficient adaptive capacity and generally rank higher in terms of their overall vulnerability.

“Leaders in hotspots of danger like Dhaka, Manila or Jakarta need urgent support from their counterparts in the industrialized world. Effective near-term and long-term adaptation will depend on financial support, technology cooperation, and capacity building”, said Carstensen.

According to WWF, this week’s APEC summit in Singapore provides leaders from developed and developing countries around the Pacific with a great opportunity to boost cooperation on adaptation to climate impacts as well as low carbon economic growth.

“Now we are only a couple of weeks away from the Copenhagen Climate Summit, but so far leaders have failed to clear the way for success next month in Denmark”, said Carstensen.

“APEC is the last chance before Copenhagen for leaders from a number of key countries to show that they really want to protect the planet from climate change.”

Mediterranean bluefin catches continue to mock quotas and science

2009-11-12

Porto de Galinhas, Brazil: New bluefin tuna catch estimates show Mediterranean fishing fleets continuing to make a mockery of fishing quotas set by the beleaguered Atlantic tuna commission.

The new catch estimates – themselves likely to severely underestimate the effect of continuing rampant illegal fishing – are also around four times the level scientists estimate would give the collapsing tuna population only limited chances of recovery over a time span of more than a decade.

Scientists attached to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) estimated the 2008 bluefin catch at 34,120 tonnes, well over last year’s quota of 28,500 tonnes set under the discredited 2006 ICCAT “recovery plan”.

Last year, ICCAT set a 22,000-tonne catch quota for 2009 in a controversial response to its scientists’ recommendations for a quota as low as 8,500 tonnes.

The new estimates come as ICCAT considers radical amendments to management measures in the face of rising calls for an international trade ban on Atlantic bluefin tuna and a supporting suspension of the fishery.

“New estimates lodged with ICCAT’s science committee show that one quarter of the latest estimated bluefin tuna catch would give us just a toss of the coin chance of recovering the tuna population by 2023,” said Dr Sergi Tudela, WWF Mediterranean.

Dr Tudela said he believed the latest estimates themselves were well under the real catch.

“To accept these figures at face value we have to accept a huge reduction in the amount of illegal fishing over the previous year,” he said. “I just don’t see the evidence or the reasoning for this miraculous drop in illegal fishing, while there is abundant evidence that pirate fishing remains rampant.”

ICCAT’s scientific committee notes that the estimates take no account of illegal fishing by unregistered boats.

The French navy reported dubious catch data and a lack of observers in intercepted Turkish bluefin boats, investigations are underway into the reflagging of vessels in Algerian waters and a Spanish study revealed laundering of undersize tuna through tuna fattening farms for the Japanese fresh tuna trade.

Opening the ICCAT meeting, chair Dr Fabio Hazin of Brazil said ICCAT had to set up “an efficient mechanism for the monitoring and control of the fishing fleets” and capable of “applying penalties proportional to the infringements detected”.

“We have been very much able to impose sanctions on non-members in the past and time has also come for ICCAT to show it does not have double standards, and that it is equally determined to also impose sanctions on its members in the same way it does with non-members,” he said.

Romanians protest lift of sturgeon fishing ban

2009-11-12

Bucharest, Romania – A government decision to overturn a ten-year ban on the fishing of wild sturgeon in the Danube River basin drew protests in the capital this week, led by WWF and a contingent of local NGOs.

The controversial legislation, allowing sturgeon fishing for purposes other than restocking, was adopted in September by the Agriculture and Environment Committees of the Romanian Parliament. The new law in effect legalizes fishing of sturgeons for commercial purposes.

Meanwhile, some Romanian politicians are calling for the elimination of the current ban on gillnet and trawler fishing in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve.

To counter this destructive decision, 34 Romanian environmental NGOs, including “Save the Delta” Association and WWF, organized a bitter protest in the Romanian capital Bucharest on Tuesday.

“The new fishing law practically throws away the EUR 4 billion spent by the Romanian Government for the sturgeon restocking programme, which was developed during the last four years,” said Luminița Tănasie, Director of WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme Romania. “If the 200,000 young sturgeons which were bought for restocking the Danube, are not given the necessary time to mature and reproduce naturally, the sturgeon fisheries will not be able to recover, and both the economical and the ecological loss will be enormous.”

In front of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forests and Rural Development building in Bucharest, protesters on Tuesday held a “sturgeon fair”, offering the public the opportunity to view sturgeons caught in a fishing gillnet. Environmentalists also displayed the photographs of the MPs who proposed the amendments.

At the end of the protest, the sturgeons were sent to the MPs. The MPs who proposed the elimination of the ban on gillnets and trawlers within the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve received the gillnet used during the protest. Each of the MPs also received a letter of protest signed by the 34 participating NGOs, asking them to reconsider their actions and adopt new legislation.

Scientific reports indicate that among the sturgeon species which populate Romanian waters, are the critically endangered (possibly extinct) Ship Sturgeons, the endangered Russian and Beluga Sturgeons, as well as the Sterlet Sturgeon, considered to be vulnerable.

The Black Sea once harboured some of the most productive sturgeon populations. However, research on age structure of sturgeons captured in Romania has revealed a critical decrease in the number of sturgeons born during 1990–99 that survived to sustain the population.

Sturgeons are fished mainly for caviar, although their meat and skin are also widely used in the region. Poorly regulated fisheries have caused severe decline in populations due to overfishing, which almost entirely disrupted the fish species' natural spawning in the Danube River.

Due to concern about the sustainability of international trade in sturgeon caviar and meat, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) has been regulating such trade in all sturgeon species since 1998 and has, from time to time, been forced to recommend trade suspensions.

Fishing of sturgeons for commercial purposes was banned in Romania in 2006 for a period of ten years. The relatively long period of prohibition is explained by the long life cycle of the sturgeon (the maximum age being between 24 and 100 years), by the long period necessary for the sturgeon to reach reproductive age (between 6 and 26 years), and by the fact that the sturgeon does not reproduce every year.

The letter of protest was also sent to the Romanian President Traian Băsescu, to the Interim Prime Minister Emil Boc, to the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR), to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and to the Romanian National Commission to UNESCO.

Neglected UK seas catch break with new legislation

2009-11-12

Godalming, UK – The UK Government has today introduced new legislation that will make the region’s neglected seas much healthier, reversing years of overfishing and habitat loss.

The UK Marine and Coastal Access Act requires the UK government, for the first time, to conserve and protect marine species and habitats. The law’s passage is a result of more than a decade of campaigning by WWF-UK.

The UK as an island nation has a remarkable 20,000 kms of coastline. Nationally important species and habitats can be found under the waves which have, until now, been left exposed to a multitude of pressures, including fishing, aggregate extraction, oil and gas exploitation, and emerging threats such as the impacts of climate change.

Research into UK seas shows that key species and habitats, such as Atlantic salmon, harbour porpoises, deep-water coral reefs, and seagrass beds are under threat. Of the 16 flagship species and habitats monitored by WWF in 2005, 13 were found to be in decline and a new investigation this year concluded that none were at healthy levels.

“This is a pivotal moment for UK conservation efforts and shows what can be achieved through tireless campaigning efforts,” said David Norman, Director of Campaigns at WWF-UK. “This long-awaited piece of legislation has the potential to really make a difference to thousands of species, including not just dolphins and sharks, but seahorses, turtles, commercially important fish stocks, and lesser-known species like pink sea fans and sunset cup corals.”

“The Marine and Coastal Access Act will bring together the many rules and regulations that currently govern our seas to ensure our seas are used sustainably, and this legislation will provide long-term benefits to many people who rely on healthy, well-managed seas – from fishermen to tourist operators.”

WWF began campaigning for a Marine Act at the start of the decade, realising that a single, comprehensive piece of legislation was vitally needed to govern UK waters.

The UK Marine and Coastal Access Act now puts a clear and unambiguous duty on the Government to designate a network of protected areas to conserve and improve the marine environment. A new Marine Management Organisation will manage and champion the UK's seas, and following WWF lobbying, a Chief Scientific Advisor will be appointed to provide a stronger scientific steer for its decision-making

WWF is pleased that the Government will now seek to ensure that new marine plans cover the whole of UK waters so that the multitude of activities at sea are planned strategically.

“We now have the tools to protect our marine species and habitats but we cannot rest on our laurels,” Norman said. “We must ensure that political momentum is not lost and both current and future Government’s are held to account on delivering the intentions behind this Act. With the right implementation the UK Marine and Coastal Access Act could become a leading piece of legislation that other countries across Europe can follow.”

Famed clam fishery first to receive MSC certification in Southeast Asia

2009-11-10

Hanoi, Vietnam – The Ben Tre clam fishery in Vietnam has received Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification, becoming the first fishery in Southeast Asia to meet the organization’s sustainability and management standards.

The nationally renowned Ben Tre hard clams (Meretrix lyrata) are hand picked using metal rakes and collected into mesh sacks. Once collected, the clams are sold to domestic markets and exported to Europe, the US, Japan, China and Taiwan.

Ben Tre province covers a 65-kilometre coastal area and contains more than 4,800 hectares of protected mangroves. In this important region of tremendous biodiversity, the clam fishery plays a vital economic role.

The fishery is operated by a local cooperative that provides close management and surveillance of the broodstock and harvestable clams within their area. Support and advice are provided to the cooperative by the Ben Tre People’s Committee Department of Fisheries and the Ben Tre Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD). Ben Tre DARD and WWF co-sponsored the MSC certification process.

“Although our clams are largely familiar to the EU market, we are still thinking of ways to better promote our business overseas,” said Tran Thi Thu Nga, Vice Director of Ben Tre DARD. “MSC certification gives us the right to promote our products with the credible MSC ecolabel to customers worldwide.”

“I congratulate the Ben Tre clam fishery on their MSC certification. This is an historic occasion – the first small-scale, community-based fishery in South East Asia to achieve MSC certification,” said MSC Chief Executive Rupert Howes. “I am also delighted to hear that certification is already bringing benefits to the communities who depend upon this sustainable resource and very much hope other Vietnamese fisheries will soon come forward into the third-party assessment process.”

In 1997, provincial authorities established the Rang Dong Fishery Cooperative, which is co-operated and managed by the fishing community. In 2007, the Cooperative’s profits reached 40 billion VND (approximately 2.2 million USD), greatly improving the income of its members. Already, ten additional clam cooperatives have now been established, forming an alliance of cooperatives that covers all clam areas in Ben Tre.

“It is our pleasure to contribute to the first MSC certification in Vietnam and in Southeast Asia,” said WWF’s Fisheries Officer Nguyen Thi Dieu Thuy. “One of our major tasks is to harmonize economic development with the maintenance of the natural environment. MSC certification of the Ben Tre clam fishery is such a success. Importantly, the Ben Tre fishery can now serve as a model sustainable fishery at both national and regional levels.”

“As the first MSC-certified fishery in Southeast Asia, the Ben Tre clam fishery will play a key role in demonstrating how certification can conserve resources, preserve local communities, and positively impact the bottom line for business – all at the same time,” said Meredith Lopuch, deputy director of the WWF-US Fisheries Program’s Major Buyer Initiative.

The government of Vietnam and the MSC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in May 2005 declaring their joint commitment to encourage sustainable fishing in the country by promoting and facilitating MSC certification. The initial agreement was for three years and renewed in 2008.

“Vietnam was the first nation-state to publicly commit to using MSC certification to promote sustainable fishing,” said Howes. “Today, with the certification of the Vietnamese Ben Tre clam fishery, we are celebrating the first successful MSC certification in South East Asia. This confirms Vietnam’s pioneering role in advancing sustainable fisheries management in the region.”

“I would also very much like to thank WWF for their partnership and support working with the Ben Tre fishery towards MSC certification,” said Howes. “Today, Ben Tre fishery joins ranks with a number of other fisheries that have achieved MSC certification with the support of WWF.”

The MSC recently announced the addition of a Risk Based Framework (RBF) to the MSC Fisheries Assessment Methodology (FAM). The RBF enables fisheries with limited data to undergo assessment to the MSC standard.

The Ben Tre clam fishery was one of the pilot fisheries involved in the testing of the RBF methodology, but was ultimately assessed using the conventional methodology in use at the time.

Yangtze warned to prepare for more droughts, floods and storms

2009-11-10

• First-ever large-scale report on the Yangtze and climate change adaptation released in Beijing
• Experts recommend taking “no-regrets” adaptation strategies

Beijing, China－ Temperatures across the Yangtze River Basin could increase from 1.5 - 2 Degrees Celsius over the next 50 years, while extreme weather events will also become more frequent, according to the largest river basin climate vulnerability assessment yet done.

The Yangtze River Basin Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptation Report, released today in Beijing, not only describes the impact of climate change but also offers specific adaptation strategies for the Yangtze.

“Extreme climate events such as storms and drought disasters will increase as climate change continues to alter our planet,” said Professor Xu Ming, the report’s lead researcher.

“Given the complexities and uncertainties associated with climate change, adaptation should firstly consider a ‘no-regrets’ strategy,” which does not require additional cost. If we take the right steps now, adaptation measures will pay for themselves.” he said.

Specific adaptation measures discussed in the report include strengthening existing infrastructure, such as power supply, transportation as well as river and coastal dike reinforcement. Other steps involve promoting Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM), switching to more flexible cropping systems, and reducing human impact on fragile ecosystems.

Data collected from 147 monitoring stations across the 1.8 million km2 river basin points to a 0.33℃ temperature rise during the 1990s. This hotter weather led to a spike in extreme climate events and flooding across the Yangtze basin, a trend that is expected to become increasingly dire over the next 50 years.

Other findings show that from 2001 – 2005, the basin’s climate grew even hotter, increasing by an average of 0.71℃.

According to the new report, wetlands will be the hardest hit. Lower water levels will reduce the number of aquatic birds in the Central and Lower Yangtze while climate change strips wetland ecosystems of important resources.

Other impacts that could affect the 400 million people whose livelihoods depend on the basin include more frequent snowstorms and drought.

‘The Yangtze Vulnerability Assessment is an important symbol of China’s commitment to fighting climate change,” said Mr. James Leape, Director General of WWF-International.

“Beyond setting out the vulnerabilities, the Yangtze assessment also underlines how investment in climate change adaptation is a prudent investment in safeguarding the continuing functioning of a landscape vital to many millions”

Countries facing fiercest climate impacts call on conscience of the wealthy world

2009-11-10

Leaders of countries vulnerable to climate change have called for a redoubling of efforts to reach an ambitious outcome of the Climate Summit in Copenhagen in December and for world leaders to come to Copenhagen themselves.

The vulnerable countries are asking for immediate climate action in all countries and are committing themselves to green their economies as a contribution towards carbon neutrality.

The Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) in the Maldives brought together delegates from Kiribati, Bangladesh, Nepal, Vietnam, Kenya and other countries. They asked rich states to acknowledge their responsibility for climate change and provide at least 1.5 percent of their GDP annually by 2015 to assist developing countries in their transition to a low-carbon economy.

In a joint declaration after their meeting today, the forum expressed concern about downgrading of expectations for a positive outcome at the climate conference in Copenhagen.

“WWF shares the concerns expressed by these countries,” said Kim Carstensen, the head of WWF Global Climate Initiative. “Vulnerable developing countries have everything to lose from climate change, they are fighting for their future existence, and it is therefore very good to see them come out with a strong common voice.”

“We sincerely hope that their message will be heard by those countries that are actually responsible for climate change and who have the means to solve the climate crisis.”

“The world’s expectations for a climate treaty in Copenhagen are rising and leaders around the world need to understand that failure will come at a huge price.”

According to WWF, an ambitious climate treaty can still be achieved in Copenhagen despite most policy makers’ focus on what they cannot achieve rather than what they can do to prevent the worst consequences of climate change.

Governments at Copenhagen need to create a legally binding framework with an amended Kyoto Protocol and a new Copenhagen Protocol, which secures the survival of countries, cultures and ecosystems. They should also create a framework for immediate adaptation action, especially for vulnerable countries and ecosystems, including the provision of insurance and compensation.

“In Copenhagen, we need to listen to the voices of those who suffer from the consequences of global warming. That should already bring us on the right track,” Carstensen said.

International Energy Agency fails to light the way to a safe climate future

2009-11-10

London: The keenly awaited 2009 World Energy Outlook contains some remarkable analysis but does not light the way to a safe carbon future, WWF said today.

Emissions cuts canvassed in the outlook, the flagship annual publication of the International Energy Agency (IEA), are too small and too slow to keep the world out of the danger zone of unacceptable risks of catastrophic climate change, said Dr Stephan Singer, WWFs Director of Global Energy Policy.

Scientists, the UN and many governments including the G8 group have accordingly endorsed an objective of keeping average global warming less than two degrees Celsius over pre-industrial times - an objective WWF maintains would require developed nations cutting their emissions 40 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020.

But IEAs low emissions scenario sees OECD fossil fuel CO2 emissions down just 4.5 percent from 1990 levels by 2020.

“The proposed CO2 emissions reductions by the IEA for the energy sector of the rich nations are dismal,” Dr Singer said. “The reductions seen as low carbon by the IEA are less even than the inadequate reductions so far on the table from developed nations for the UN climate change conference in Copenhagen next month.”
Also according to the IEA, global energy emissions would be one quarter more in 2030 than in the 1990 reference year.

"World-wide fossil fuel emissions in twenty years must be on a pathway to be reduced to more than 80% below 1990 levels by mid-century to curtail the climate crisis. The IEA's scenarios violate this trajectory," Dr Singer said.

For WWF, with about two thirds of global greenhouse gas emissions, the energy sector has to lead the way to a low carbon future.

And although its alternative lower emissions scenario is clearly inadequate, WWF is pleased that the IEA identifies energy conservation as the measure with the best potential to bring it about.

“The IEA also finds most of the emissions savings mechanisms it identifies will be cost effective through the saving of fuel costs and this is a useful rebuff to those urging slow action or no action on climate on the basis of costs,” Dr Singer said.

“It is a pity that the IEA couldn’t stay up to date with the science on the level of emissions the atmosphere can safely digest and use this to point the way to a fully renewable power sector by mid-century.”

“What they are suggesting is not only dangerous, but it is much below what is technically possible.”

WWF and Green TV join forces to go Inside COP15

2009-11-09

Switzerland/London - November 8th 2009 - As the world's leaders prepare to gather in Copenhagen in December for crucial talks aimed at tackling runaway climate change, WWF and Green TV have teamed up for a ground-breaking online video project aimed at taking audiences Inside COP15.

Inside COP15 will deliver live and on-demand video news coverage throughout the two week UN summit and will report the highs, lows and everything in between in the negotiations for a global climate deal.

Online audiences will be able to experience the atmosphere and the inside stories as well as getting breaking news, expert analysis and commentary. From December 7th to 19th, regular on-demand video podcasts and a daily live-streamed talk show will be available at http://cop15.panda.org and will be syndicated via Green TV, iTunes, YouTube and many other sites.

"Inside COP15 is a major development in the way conferences like the Copenhagen climate talks are reported," said Martin Atkin, Executive Producer for WWF. "Instead of the usual procession of talking heads and grey men in grey suits, we aim to bring the talks to life for those who can't actually be there."

"The world is watching and expecting a fair, fast and effective deal to get us out of the climate change mess," he said. "Our audiences will be able to experience everything from the progress of the negotiations themselves, to the side events, concerts, lobbying and all the colour that goes with such a massive event. WWF is uniquely positioned to be at the heart of the action and to interpret what's going on."

WWF is partnering with Green TV for production, technical and online services as well as the social media campaign. Additional technical, logistic and production support is being provided by Berlin-based Greenfilm.

"More and more people want to watch video online and to interact with what they are watching," said Ade Thomas, CEO of Green TV. "Inside COP15 will allow online audiences to be part of the action, to comment and to contribute. It's the next best thing to being there - in fact it's better, because it will be cold, raining and dark in Copenhagen in December."

Tuna commission urged to add fishing halt to trade ban to save bluefin

2009-11-07

Recife, Brazil – WWF, the global conservation organization, is urging countries meeting in Brazil this week to agree urgently on a temporary fishing ban for the beleaguered Atlantic bluefin tuna, as an essential measure to avoid imminent stock collapse.

The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) is gathering in Recife, Brazil for its annual meeting, where the 48 contracting parties are under pressure to decide on measures that will ensure the long-term survival of a species that has long been the victim of illegal and over-fishing, disregard for rules and science, and being targeted by far too many boats.

“WWF wants to see Atlantic bluefin tuna surviving long into the future – both the amazing species and the fishing industry it has supported for thousands of years,” said Dr Sergi Tudela, Head of Fisheries at WWF Mediterranean.

“This is ICCAT’s role, to ensure the sustainable commercial exploitation of bluefin tuna, but it has failed spectacularly in this mandate and there is no option left but to stop fishing and let this wild animal recover. It is the only way forward, there is simply no Plan B.”

ICCAT’s own analysis shows that a moratorium will give the best chance of recovery to the seriously overexploited bluefin tuna stocks in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean.

The organization’s scientific committee analysed fish stocks at a special meeting in October, demonstrating with their data that Atlantic bluefin tuna fulfils the criteria to be listed on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), as proposed by the Principality of Monaco and to be voted on next March – a step that would ban all international commercial trade.

WWF sees the trade ban as a necessary parallel measure to a moratorium on fishing. ICCAT’s scientific analysis also shows that a suspension of fishing is the only measure with a chance of ensuring Atlantic bluefin tuna stocks no longer meet the criteria for CITES Appendix I by 2019.

The tuna commission astonished the world with a scheme
for continued overfishing that it labeled a recovery plan.

“Atlantic bluefin tuna stocks are sadly collapsing even faster than ICCAT’s reputation,” added Sergi Tudela of WWF. “For ICCAT to justify its existence and show the world it is capable of responsible fisheries management, how can it do anything but stick to the best available science, close the Atlantic bluefin tuna fishery now and give the fish a breather?

"Anything else would be a slap in the face to science, a slap in the face to those who care about sustainable seafood, and a slap in the face to ICCAT’s own survival – if there’s no more fish, there’s no more fish to manage.”

The latest science shows that Atlantic bluefin tuna’s spawning population has declined to below 15% of pre-fishing levels – and may even have dropped to under 10%.

Meeting just a year ago, ICCAT’s members ritually tossed overboard the advice of their own scientists and did not even put the fishing closure supported by its own review on the agenda. The tuna commission astonished the world with a scheme for continued overfishing that it labeled a recovery plan but that WWF named a “collapse plan”. In response, increasing numbers of global retailers, restaurants, chefs and consumers are stopping buying, selling, serving and eating this endangered species.

For more information: Gemma Parkes, +39 346 387 3237, gparkes@wwfmedpo.org

Notes to editor
 Footage and photos available on request
 For more on WWF’s tuna campaign, see www.panda.org/tuna

G20 finance ministers fail to reach green on climate financing

2009-11-07

St Andrews, Scotland – Finance ministers of the world’s dominant economies failed to reach agreement on the financing required for a global agreement to stave off catastrophic climate change, WWF said today as the G20 finance ministers meeting here broke up with no resolution to issues dividing developed and emerging economies.

The lack of progress made by the G20 in St. Andrews, follows another week of inconclusive negotiations in UN climate talks in Barcelona as the world heads towards the crucial UN climate conference in Copenhagen in a month’s time.

With the G20 now having considered the climate financing issue three times without reaching common ground, WWF remains sceptical about today's promise to make further progress before Copenhagen.

“The G20 Finance Ministers meeting turned out to be a mostly irrelevant sideshow on the way to the talks in Copenhagen in a months’ time," said Dr Richard Dixon, Director of WWF Scotland.

"Failure to come to agreement here is a major disappointment.

“This is a group that can throw money at collapsing banks but cannot find adequate figures for the far worse challenge to the global economy of a collapsing climate system."

In detail, the G20 ministers acknowledged the need to increase significantly and urgently the scale of funding but failed to make any reference to the sums required, estimated to be around $160bn a year of public financing.

They also failed to agree on new sources of funding for a climate deal, such as auctioning emissions credits and levies on aviation and shipping.

"Talk of a financial transaction tax which has the potential to raise hundreds of billions in new funding every year turned out to be a red herring without solid political support," Dr Dixon said.

The G20 agreed some principals on a mechanism to administer and distribute these funds but failed to turn these into concrete proposals and - despite last week's pledges from Europe - no new money was put on the table to help the most vulnerable countries adapt to a changing climate.

It is estimated the immediate need for the most vulnerable nations is around $10bn a year.

WWF endorsed the G20s continuing professed interest in winding back fossil fuel use subsidies, but said the group needed to focus its main attention on getting an effective global deal on climate.

“If we are to keep the planet below the danger threshold of a 2ºC temperature rise, the rich nations of the world are going to have to help developing countries follow a low-carbon development path and help them cope with the impacts of current and future climate change," Dr Dixon said.

"We wanted to see solid proposals on how the money would be raised, managed and distributed and an indication of how soon the countries most vulnerable to climate change will receive assistance. The G20 has failed to deliver and the real work will now have to be done at Copenhagen.”