WWF - Conservation and environmental news & publications: Mexico

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.”

Cierre de la reunión del clima de Naciones Unidas en Barcelona

2009-11-06

Según WWF, con voluntad política todavía es posible lograr un tratado ambicioso sobre el clima en Copenhague.

Barcelona, 6 de noviembre de 2009.- A pesar de que la mayoría de los líderes políticos se están centrando en lo que no pueden conseguir, en lugar de concentrarse en lo que sí pueden hacer para evitar las consecuencias nefastas del cambio climático, WWF hace un llamamiento urgente a su sentido de la responsabilidad. El mensaje de la organización es que deben demostrar su voluntad política y concretar lo que se puede conseguir en Copenhague, superando esta postura negativa con el fin de salvar al mundo de un aumento catastrófico de las temperaturas.

WWF considera que los líderes están todavía a tiempo de actuar de forma adecuada. Mientras los países desarrollados han rebajado el nivel de sus expectativas sobre el tratado, el resto del mundo las ha aumentado.

“Barcelona no ha conseguido un resultado sustancial y es realmente una pena. Sin embargo, lo más importante no es el factor del tiempo, sino la voluntad política y eso se puede mostrar en cuestión de segundos”, afirma Kim Carstensen, líder de la Iniciativa sobre el Clima de WWF.

Al tiempo que las naciones ricas han perdido la voz en Barcelona, los países en desarrollo han empezado a expresarse de una forma más contundente y unificada. Los países africanos han demostrado que defenderán sus derechos. Y mientras que la posición del mundo desarrollado se vuelve cada vez más caótica, las naciones emergentes están mostrando una postura más clara y determinada.

En las últimas semanas, algunos países desarrollados han afirmado que no esperan ya que se firme un acuerdo legalmente vinculante y sólido en Copenhague en diciembre. Muchos delegados han intentado jugar con las palabras, esperando que sus mensajes ambiguos confundieran a la población mundial y pretendiendo rebajar sus expectativas.

En cualquier caso, sugerir que Copenhague dará como resultado un acuerdo no satisfactorio es algo totalmente improductivo. “Es el momento de demostrar el liderazgo, por lo que pedimos al Presidente del Gobierno que haga oír su voz en los foros internacionales apostando por un acuerdo sustancial y legalmente vinculante en Copenhague”, afirma Mar Asunción, responsable del Programa de Cambio climático de WWF España.

“Necesitamos un acuerdo sobre el clima que sobreviva a las recesiones, a las elecciones y a los desastres naturales, y no un trozo de papel sujeto a los cambios de gobierno. Un tratado que no sea vinculante es un terreno movedizo, deja mucho espacio para culpar a las otras partes y para incumplir promesas”, añade Mar Asunción.

WWF, Greenpeace y otras ONGs hacen propuesta a Ministros Iberoamericanos

2009-09-11

A menos de 90 días a Copenhague ministros de medio ambiente reciben documento "Tratado Climático a Copenhague" .

Santiago, Chile. 10 de septiembre de 2009.- El documento técnico “Tratado Climático de Copenhague” elaborado por un grupo de organizaciones no gubernamentales (ONG), entre las que se encuentran WWF y Greenpeace, fue entregado a la Ministra de Medio Ambiente de Chile, Ana Lya Uriarte, anfitriona del IX Foro Iberoamericano de Ministros de Medio Ambiente, con el fin de que ella pueda ponerlo a disposición de los ministros y autoridades regionales que se encuentran participando de este Foro, celebrado los días 9, 10 y 11 de septiembre de este año.

Ricardo Bosshard, Director de WWF Chile, Gustavo Ampugnani, Coordinador de Políticas de Greenpeace en Latinoamérica y Rodrigo Herrera, Director de Greenpeace Chile, tuvieron la oportunidad de reunirse con la Ministra chilena, minutos antes de que se inaugurara el Foro de Ministros, para entregarle los tratados y expresarle su interés de que esta información pueda ser discutida en la reunión.

El Tratado insta a los países que participan de las negociaciones del cambio climático a combinar acciones ambiciosas y urgentes sobre una propuesta que refleja una visión compartida en donde se resalta el esfuerzo internacional necesario para abordar el cambio climático y, simultáneamente, cumplir con los objetivos de desarrollo sostenible.

Esa visión expone los objetivos globales a largo plazo respecto a cuatro piedras angulares: mitigación, adaptación, tecnología y financiación, indicando que es necesario para una transición del mundo hacia una economía con cero emisiones de carbono a lo largo de las próximas décadas, incluyendo una reducción global de las emisiones de al menos el 80% en 2050 respecto a los niveles de 1990.

Por su parte, Ricardo Bosshard, Director de WWF Chile, hace un especial llamado al Gobierno de Chile, país anfitrión, para que aproveche esta oportunidad de liderar las discusiones que permitirán tomar las decisiones, difíciles pero necesarias, que permitan enfrentar los efectos negativos del cambio climático.

Son alrededor de 14 ministros y viceministros de toda Iberoamérica, los que están participando, durante estos dos días, en un encuentro que tiene como fin discutir acerca de los planes nacionales que los países están adoptando frente al cambio climático, con miras a la próxima Conferencia de la ONU sobre Cambio Climático que se realizará en diciembre en Copenhague.

Los resultados y conclusiones de esta reunión serán elevados a la consideración de los mandatarios durante el desarrollo de la XIX Cumbre Iberoamericana de Jefes de Estado y de Gobierno, que se celebrará a fines de noviembre en Portugal.

Colaboración Sur-Sur busca romper un paradigma: pagar por disfrutar de áreas protegidas bien manejadas

2009-03-06

Pagar por el uso de las áreas protegidas y pagar el precio real por disfrutar de éstas es algo que los guatemaltecos y la mayoría de visitantes en otros países no están muy dispuestos a hacer. Este es el paradigma que será roto por el Pasaporte Verde. Esta iniciativa liderada por el Consejo Nacional de Áreas Protegidas –CONAP–, en alianza con los ministerios de turismo y finanzas, su homóloga mexicana –CONANP– y con organismos internacionales como el Programa de USAID para la Conservación de Cuencas Centroamericanas (CCAW), TNC y WWF.

Del 23 al 26 de febrero, se celebró el Taller de Mecanismos de Recaudación por Cobro de Visitación Turística en el SIGAP marcando el inicio del camino hacia la implementación del Pasaporte Verde: mecanismo de cobro por los servicios ambientales que prestan las áreas protegidas.

El taller se enfocó en un análisis exhaustivo del modelo mexicano, donde el proceso para implementar el Pasaporte de la Conservación inicia desde el 2001. Los colegas Amaya Bernárdez y Marco Sánchez de la CONANP (Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas) abiertamente compartieron las experiencias y lecciones aprendidas durante el desarrollo y operación del Pasaporte Verde y discutieron sobre los retos y oportunidades de Guatemala al replicar la experiencia.

CONANP/México está comprometido con acompañar el proceso para la exitosa implementación del Pasaporte Verde en Guatemala que incluye un reto significativo de cambiar el paradigma del usuario que ahora paga poco o nada por apreciar la riqueza natural y cultural guatemalteca.

Para este cambio de paradigma, se contempla una estrategia de mercadeo y de sensibilización ciudadana. El plan de trabajo también contempla optimizar los procesos financieros que recaudan y distribuyen fondos para que éstos puedan ser reinvertidos en las áreas protegidas que los generaron. “Los guatemaltecos sabrán que vale la pena pagar por apreciar y recrearse en las áreas protegidas porque sus fondos apoyan la conservación de estas mismas áreas”, recalcó la Licda. Claudia Santizo, Secretaria Ejecutiva del CONAP.

El taller culminó con la firma de un Acuerdo de Buenas Intenciones entre las instituciones de gobierno y el CONANP que incluye lo siguiente:

Velar por el fortalecimiento del SIGAP a través de la implementación de Mecanismos de Sostenibilidad Financiera.
Promover el turismo de naturaleza como un segmento turístico que aporta el SIGAP al desarrollo turístico del país, promoviendo la valoración de los bienes y servicios ambientales que presta la biodiversidad y áreas protegidas a presentes y futuras generaciones.
Apoyar esfuerzos de mercadeo y promoción del Sistema Guatemalteco de Áreas Protegidas como tal, comentando la visita responsable y ordenada.

Por las instituciones de gobierno firmaron: Guillermo Díaz, Director Patrimonio Cultural, Claudia Santizo, Secretaria Ejecutiva del CONAP, Luis Ferraté, Ministro de Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, Jorge Guillermo Escobar, representante Ministerio de Finanzas, Jorge Mario Samayoa, Representante del INGUAT

Para mayor información: Yuri Zenteno, Oficial de Finanzas para la Conservación, CCAW

yzenteno@wwfca.org

Earth Hour 2009 setting new records in climate concern

2009-02-05

Already twice the participating countries of Earth Hour 2008
Archbishop Desmond Tutu leads call for action on climate change
Obama artist Shepard Fairey likens flicking switch to climate vote

With eight weeks still to go, citizens, businesses and public authorities in 375 cities across 74 countries have already committed to turning off their lights for one hour at 8.30pm on 28 March in a graphic show of support for decisive action on climate change.

The list of cities confirming their participation in Earth Hour 2009 includes 37 national capitals and some of the great cities of the world, including London, Beijing, Rome, Moscow, Los Angeles, Rio de Janeiro, Hong Kong, Dubai, Singapore, Athens, Buenos Aires, Toronto, Sydney, Mexico City, Istanbul, Copenhagen, Manila, Las Vegas, Brussels, Cape Town and Helsinki.

The WWF-sponsored event continues to show amazing momentum, from being a Sydney, Australia awareness-raising event in 2007, to the astounding 371 cities across 35 countries total last year. As participation for Earth Hour 2009 storms past this level of municipal involvement in more than twice the number of countries, discussions are under way or nearing completion in hundreds of other cities.

WWF Director General, Mr James Leape, said he is optimistic about the campaign’s potential to drive key decision making on the issue of climate change.

“With hundreds more cities expected to sign up to switch off in the coming months, Earth Hour 2009 is setting the platform for an unprecedented global mandate for action on climate change,” he said.

Along with the great metropolises of the world, Earth Hour 2009 will also see the lights go out on some of the most recognised landmarks on the planet, including Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Table Mountain in Cape Town, Merlion in Singapore, Sydney Opera House, CN Tower in Toronto, Millennium Stadium in Cardiff and the world’s tallest constructed building Taipei 101.

A host of high profile ambassadors across the world have also lent their support to the campaign, most notably Nobel Peace Prize recipient Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Academy Award-winning actress Cate Blanchett.

Shepard Fairey, the artist noted for his graphic portrayals of Barack Obama during the recent US Presidential Election, has likened flicking the switch to casting a vote on climate change in artwork for the Earth Hour campaign.

Earth Hour Executive Director, Mr Andy Ridley, said the 2009 campaign as an opportunity for the people of the world to cast their vote on this important global issue.

"Earth Hour by its very nature is the essence of grassroots action. This is the opportunity for individuals, from all corners of the globe to unite in a single voice and demand action on climate change”, said Mr Ridley.

2009 is a critical year for action on climate change, with the world’s leaders due to meet at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December to sign a new deal to supersede the Kyoto Protocol.

Green economy will help fight climate change

2009-01-26

Brussels - New figures released today show that moving to a “green” global economy could not only protect the planet from the worst effects of climate change but is surprisingly affordable.

Pathways to a Low Carbon Economy- a new study by McKinsey and Co – shows that global warming can be kept below the critical 2°C rise and that it is well within our means to do so. The study spells out in detail the costs of cutting damaging carbon emissions, but makes it clear that only by acting now will we avoid the worst impacts of climate change. According to WWF, one of the report's sponsors, world leaders now have all the information they need to shape a global climate deal for both developed and developing countries.

The study – one of the biggest and most detailed of its kind ever compiled – lists more than 200 opportunities, spread across ten sectors and twenty-one geographical regions, which could cut global greenhouse gas emissions by about 40% below 1990 levels by 2030.

By 2030, wind, solar and other sustainable renewable energy could provide almost a third of all global power needs; energy efficiency could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than a quarter and deforestation in developing countries – one of the biggest drivers of climate change and a major threat to sustainable development – could be almost fully halted. And all at a cost of less than half a percent of global GDP.

“The McKinsey study shows once and for all that taking action on climate change is both urgent and affordable”, said WWF Director James Leape. “The figures show clearly that not only can we move to a low carbon economy, but that the costs are manageable. Adopting these measures will be a major step towards avoiding the worst effects of climate change.”

Speaking at the launch of the report in Brussels, Mr Leape continued, “As governments now invest in rebuilding the global economy, they have a unique opportunity, and indeed the imperative, to build a low-carbon economy that will both create jobs and stabilize the climate. The low-carbon technologies and production models already exist and they make economic as well as environmental sense.”

“When the world's leaders meet in Copenhagen in December to agree a global deal on climate change, they will have no excuse for inaction. The world will be watching and expecting those leaders to adopt measures which will lead to a low-carbon economy, giving a fighting chance of keeping climate change below the crucial 2°C level.” said Mr Leape.

The McKinsey study has been extensively peer-reviewed by scientists, economists and expert bodies including WWF. It presents its findings in the form of an “abatement cost curve” which graphically illustrates the sectors where the most cost-effective carbon reductions can be made, including saving 14 billion tonnes of CO2 by replacing carbon-based power generation with – amongst other things - existing and proven clean, renewable energy; 14 billion tonnes through more sustainable use of land in the agriculture and forestry sectors; and 11 billion tonnes from energy efficiency. McKinsey identify another 9 billion tonnes of potential emissions reductions which either are more expensive or represent behaviour changes that are difficult to quantify.

In Pathways to a Low Carbon Economy, McKinsey analyses the potential, based on emissions and cost, for abatement across all sectors including nuclear power. WWF believes the costs for nuclear have been underestimated. But more importantly, nuclear power is not a viable option when the risks from proliferation, highly radioactive waste and plutonium leaks are taken into consideration. We believe that further substantial reductions are possible from combined heat & power (CHP,) biomass, better energy efficiency and low-carbon products which will protect the climate without the need for nuclear power.

WWF welcomes the study's principal findings which show that if all the technology options were put into practice, it would be possible to achieve a global reduction of approximately 40% of greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2030 compared with 1990 levels – which equates to a 70% reduction of “business as usual” levels. That would be enough to put the world on track to keep global average temperature rises below the 2°C level which WWF and others have identified as the maximum allowable before widespread irreversible environmental damage kicks in.

Contacts:

For interviews with WWF Director General James Leape, contact
Martin Atkin, Director, External & Media Relations matkin@wwfint.org +41 79698 2985

For expert analysis and further information, contact
Dr Stephan Singer, Director, Global Energy Policy, WWF International SSinger@wwfepo.org
+32 2743 8817

For copies of the McKinsey study “Pathways to a Low Carbon Economy – Version 2.0 of the Global Greenhouse Gas Abatement Cost Curve” contact
Ed Petter, External Relations ed_petter@mckinsey.com +44 20 7961 6235

Pacific tuna face risky fisheries meeting

2008-11-27

Yellowfin tuna and bigeye tuna fisheries in the western and central Pacific also face collapse if a forthcoming management meeting doesn't dramatically change the way they are harvested, WWF warned today.

The call follows this week's disastrous decision by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) which discarded recommendations from its own scientists and a high level internal review to continue with what the review labelled “a travesty of fisheries management” widely regarded as “an international disgrace”.

“We have to face the possibility that fishing nations will drive the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) will come up with a similar outcome when it meets in Busan, Korea, in December,” said Peter Trott, Fisheries Program Manager for WWF-Australia.

“With tuna, it seems we are just not learning – we have lost the fisheries of the North Sea bluefin, the southern Bluefin, the West Atlantic bluefin collapsed and is failing to recover and the Mediterranean Bluefin is now well on its way to collapse with rampant legal and illegal overfishing allowed to go on.”

In 2006 scientists estimated that overfishing of bigeye tuna, on the IUCN Red List as “vulnerable” since 1996, was occurring in the western and central Pacific, with a high probability it had been occurring since 1997. They have also warned that urgent action needed to be taken on overfishing of yellowfin tuna in the region.

“This is not just a warm and fuzzy call to preserve a magnificent open ocean species, it’s about preserving the world’s most valuable tuna fisheries with a landed value of close to US$4 billion in 2007 and a market value of US$6-8 billion every year,” said Trott.

“It’s a fishery that adds considerably to the economies of many of the developing Pacific Island nations in the region and to the livelihoods of millions in the region known as the Coral Triangle.”

The future of the tuna fisheries in the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries will be decided at its commission meeting during December 8 -12 this year.

For the first time the commission will seriously consider management measures to reduce the take of bigeye and yellowfin tuna by 30 per cent. These measures include closing large parts of the fishery to purse seiners and the banning of fish attractant devices from July to September every year.

“It’s a reflection of how dramatic the situation has become that the Commission has got to this point,” Mr Trott said.

“It’s beyond environmental concerns, it is about commercial self-preservation.”

WWF-Australia strongly supports the call for these closures from July to September but also wants the commission to ramp up catch documentation methods.

“Scientists have been calling for large reductions in bigeye tuna catch for over a decade,” Mr Trott said.

“But on past performance the Commission is, at best, slow to respond to such advice and at worst shows little spine when it comes to standing up to the pressure from fishing nations who continue to decimate tuna stocks.”

“Such wavering could lead to the commercial extinction of the bigeye and yellowfin tuna fishery in the Western and Central Pacific if effective management action isn’t adopted at this year’s Commission meeting.”

Improved catch documentation can also identify the size of the illegal tuna catch in the region which is estimated to in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Timely documentation of the legal catch can be measured against fish sold at markets and used to determine how much illegal tuna is being taken.

“If the Commission doesn’t move fast on restoring stocks and preventing illegal and unregulated fishing, it will directly impact the viability of the region’s tuna fisheries, the economies of developing countries and the cost and availability of tuna for every consumer in the very near future,” Mr Trott said.

www.panda.org/media for latest news and media resources

Fishing Technology That’s Letting Turtles Off the Hook

2008-08-26

Santiago de Cali, Colombia - Alternative fishing technology has been shown to save turtles while not affecting fish catches, according to a report released by WWF and the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC).

The report demonstrates how changing from the classic J hook to circular hooks, providing adequate training and tools to release turtles accidentally hooked and enhancing sustainable fishing practices, can dramatically reduce incidental catch (bycatch) of marine turtles without impacting fishing activity.

“The results keep demonstrating that changing to circular hooks is the right choice, since it favours turtle conservation without having an impact on the economy of artisanal fisheries. Together with fishermen we are building a culture for sustainable fishing practices that will guarantee fish stocks in the long term,” said Moises Mug, Coordinator of the WWF Bycatch Initiative for the Eastern Pacific.

The report - Bycatch Initiative: Eastern Pacific Program, A Vehicle Towards Sustainable Fisheries - is a comprehensive analysis of data collected during four years of work in eight different countries in the Eastern Pacific - Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.

“Our goal is to reduce the incidental catch of marine turtles from the long-line fishing operations without affecting the fisheries activity which is a main source of food and income for local communities,” explained Martin Hall, Principal Researcher for the IATTC.

The program was carried out with the voluntary participation of nearly 1,300 fishermen, conducting over 1,400 fishing trips on 305 artisanal fishing boats. Data gathered by independent on-board observers show an overall significant trend of bycatch reduction for both TBS (tuna, billfishes and sharks) and mahi-mahi fisheries, with reductions up to 89% in the marine turtle bycatch per thousand hooks; 95% of all turtles caught in long-line fishing were recovered alive; and circle hooks performed as well as J hooks in the catch rates of tuna, billfishes and sharks fishery.

“This programme is going beyond an initial focus of saving sea turtles from bycatch, and is creating the groundwork toward sustainable artisanal long-line fishing in the eastern Pacific,” said Amanda Nickson, Global Leader of WWF’s Bycatch Initiative.

“By working co-operatively, collecting data and learning how to improve practices, this programme is living proof that conservation and industry can work together for sustainability.”

END

Editor’s Notes

- Participants to this program are: the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), The Ocean Conservancy, the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (WPRFMC), Overseas Fisheries Cooperation Foundation of Japan (OFCF - Japan), and WWF (Known as World Wildlife Fund in the United States and Canada).

- The WWF Regional Bycatch Program for the Eastern Pacific develops, test, and implement new fisheries techniques that reduce Bycatch (incidental capture of sea turtles). It also works on sea turtle conservation by developing legislative framework on bycatch, and raising awareness among fisheries communities about sustainable fishing.

The Program seeks a participatory approach by working with fisheries’ organizations, fishing companies and captains, fisheries authorities, academic and training institutions, buyers, exporters, and local NGOs. Currently, the program is being carried out in eight countries: Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Mexico. Nicaragua is expected to join next.

Basic components of the program include: recruiting partners; talking to fishermen to get them to try circle hooks instead of the classic “J” hooks; training observers to collect data on the fish that are caught as well as the sea turtles that are incidentally catch; providing gear and techniques to fishermen to release marine turtles, as well as enhancing sustainable fisheries practices.

Two-tailed Wilcoxon Signed-Rank tests for matched pairs were used to analyze the overall trend of the difference in hooking rates for J hooks and circle hooks. This non-parametric, two-tailed test considers both the direction of the difference between hooks and the magnitude of the observed difference.

Main challenges for the near future include a) how to make the circular hooks available in the marketplace at reasonable and competitive prices; b) how to encourage the institutional adoption of the fishing observers program by local actors for sustainability in the medium and long terms; c) carrying out education and communications campaigns; d) facilitating technological adaptation and transformation of the fishing fleet with appropriate regulatory measures; and e) developing potential markets for fish coming from fisheries with circular hooks and turtle-friendly practices.

Further information
Julio Mario Fernández b
Communications Coordinator - WWF Bycatch Initiative in the eastern Pacific
Communications Director - WWF Colombia
Tel + 57 2 558 25 77 Ext 117
Cel + 57 315 491 15 69 / 313 765 98 06
jmfernandez@wwf.org.co

Climate Witness: Octavio Mancilla, Mexico

2008-05-30

I am 31 years old and was born in Mexico City, where I have lived my whole life. From an early age, my parents taught me about nature’s value, so it was easy for me to grow up aware of the environment and how we impact it.

English | Español
Later on, I became involved in outdoor activities, thus increasing my love for all kinds of natural life. Now, after a short career in the IT industry, I took a step into photography. Currently I am working my way in nature and outdoor photography.

Away from the city, closer to the mountains

I have been practicing mountaineering for the last 10 years. I went into this because I needed to be closer to the mountains I always watched from my house.

At first it was very difficult because of the physical demands, but after a while this exactly became the most satisfying reward I could ever find: watching a sunset from the top of a mountain, very far away from the stressful and noisy environment of one of the most crowded cities in the world.

Those trips, two or three times a month, became like a therapy that got me closer and closer to the feeling that we were doing something wrong and that the real world was not what I was born into, but it was right here, between the trees and the rocks that had existed for quite a longer time than us.

Some of the daily activities for us Mexico City residents happen in the area between the two volcanoes: Iztaccihuatl (aprox 5,200 meters) and the active Popocatepetl (aprox 5,400m). This last one is closed to ascents because it is currently active.

Early memories of two volcanoes

As far as I remember, whenever I could I observed these two mountains from the roof of my parents’ house, so I have very vivid images of both of them fully covered with snow about three or four months a year, beginning from early autumn to early spring.

Less snow, and only 1 month per year

My first observation is that the time during which the mountains are covered by snow is getting shorter and shorter, and is now reduced to almost only one month per year.

My second observation is that although there is still snow at the mountain top throughout the year, it's easy to see that the area covered by snow is gradually decreasing.

Two generations ago, glaciers and thick snow

Recalling one of my grand-father's stories about him spending time in a hut located at about 4,000 meters, the first time I got up there with my mountaineering group I was surprised, and disappointed. There was no glacier to walk on, let alone any crevasse to avoid, as I remember in one picture I saw from the same area.

People of my grand-father’s age always talked about how making progress across this area was very difficult because of the thick snow and ice cover. As for me, I could now walk across the bare ground with no snow boots. I even remember having a member of my group reaching this altitude just by using plain tennis shoes, since no specialized climbing shoes were needed.

I am talking of a 30-40 year delay between my own experiences and those of my grandfather's.

Milder conditions up in the mountain

In the course of the last 10 years, I have been able to experience the lack of ice myself. My early climbing experiences required plastic boots, Goretex-like clothes to avoid getting wet, thick layers to protect me from the cold and even the common crampons.

Just about two years ago I got to the mountain summit with my hiking boots (plain leather), long-sleeve underwear, hiking pants and just a sweatshirt to protect me from the wind.

Impacts from reduced snow

One of the noticeable impacts from the loss of snow is that the surrounding rivers are almost dry. At first, the towns closer to the mountains used the water for their own purposes, but even from my first trips I could notice that the water these rivers were supposed to deliver would never be enough for the population's needs. I could only guess they rely on rain and alternative sources of water.

Groundwater reserves drying up, Mexico City sinking

My own city relies on one side on this mountain range, because part of the water is taken from the underground, where it flows from the humidity that is captured up the mountain. It's important to note that Mexico City is located in a valley surrounded by mountains.

Specialists have been announcing that groundwater reserves are being drained but no natural process is refilling them, at least not fast enough.

As a result, large areas in the city are literally sinking, a phenomenon anyone can see at any given time in the old buildings downtown.

Deforestation adds to local problems

As for the forests, tree felling is not helping either. Authorities have tried to control deforestation, but it has proven to be a better business than any other for the locals, so large areas are now bare.

While trekking up there I have never seen any animal naturally found in a forest other than cows and dogs, which are obviously introduced by humans. Wild cats, pumas, coyotes, deer, even snakes, are now all just nice pictures in the text books.

I am sure the water cycle is being deeply altered because of the changes I have described. Between increasing temperatures and deforestation, one can expect something will have to give eventually.

It’s easy to see that we are the ones who will eventually pay for this.

Scientific review

Reviewed by: Prof Ana Rosa Moreno, National University of Mexico, Mexico

The observation Octavio describes supports scientific evidence from the National University of Mexico regarding the impact of global warming on glaciers. The report identified climate change impacts in the Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl mountains of Mexico City: “As climate change evolved during the last century, glacier recession increased. Today (February 2006) the snout of Ayoloco Glacier is at 5069 m.”

There are also reports that describe many changes in Andean glaciers due to climate change that threatens drinking water availability for local communities.

I like the way Octavio describes how since he was a child has developed the sensibility to environmental problems. He has been close to his grandfather and has received information regarding local changes in the environment. Old people are very aware about how changes are noticed. This information is very important to everyday people, who are not able to understand scientific information.

IPCC 4th Assessment Report, Working Group 2, Chapter 13: Latin America (Describes impacts in Andean glaciers in Peru and Bolivia) link
Permafrost Distribution in Tropical Stratovolcanoes:Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl Volcanoes (Mexico).Geophysical Research Abstracts, Vol. 9, 05615. Palacios D., Zamorano J.J. and Andres N. 2007. link June 3rd, 2008
Glacier monitoring at Popocatépetl volcano, Mexico: glacier shrinkage and possible causes
Christian Huggel1 and Hugo Delgado, Geograpisches Institut, Universität Zürich-Irchel, Instituto de Geofísica, U.N.A.M., Circuito Exterior, C.U., Coyoacán, 04510, México, D.F., link

All articles are subject to scientific review by a member of the Climate Witness Science Advisory Panel.

This time, world should heed OECD call to action on environment

2008-03-05

Paris: The OECD’s Environment Outlook to 2030, issued today, was welcomed by WWF as yet another compelling argument that the costs of inaction on the environment will far exceed the costs of action.

The OECD Outlook is the latest - and at 520 pages one of the weightiest - in a run of reports from prominent economic institutions and commissions calling on governments and international institutions to face up to the seriousness and immediacy of global environmental problems.

“When a body such as the OECD says that on a range of environmental issues we need to act globally and we need to act now, then it is clear that as communities, countries and companies we need to roll up our collective sleeves and get on with it,” said WWF International Director General James Leape.

“It is sobering to think how much better off we would be today if the world, the wealthy world in particular, had heeded OECD's 2001 call to take action on many of these same issues. We should not make the same mistake again.”

James Leape said the OECD outlook should be commended for looking beyond the urgent challenge of climate change to other urgent issues of biodiversity loss, mismanagment of water resources and escalating health threats. WWF also welcomed OECD’s call to prioritise action in the key sectors of energy, transport, agriculture and fisheries.

“The OECD outlook underlines both the magnitude of the largely self-inflicted threats we face and the urgency of acting effectively on them,” said James Leape. “It is rapidly becoming the case that it will be as hard to find a sceptical economist as it is now to find a sceptical scientist."

While generally supporting market liberalisation, the OECD noted that in the absence of “sound environmental policy and institutional frameworks” globalisation “can amplify market and policy failures and intensify environmental pressures”.

The OECD repeated its 2001 call for the removal of subsidies to environmentally harmful activities, with special mention of subsidies to fossil fuel use, agricultural production subsidies, fishing overcapacity subsidies and the subsidy and underpricing of damaging transport modes.

The OECD also repeated that environment policy should not be just a concern of environment ministers, but has to be elevated into being a priority of central and economic policy making in particular.

“There is now no reason not to act," said James Leape. "The OECD outlook is emphatic that the policies and technologies to address urgent environment issues are available and affordable, that taking them will increase efficiencies and reduce costs and that the earlier we take action, the better the cost-benefit equation will be.”

Media release and contact details

Get smart: G8 should promote energy efficiency

2007-05-29

Gland, Switzerland – Despite the enormous potential of energy efficiency to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect the planet from dangerous climate change, too many existing efficiency policies and measures in the G8 industrialized countries are ineffective, WWF’s latest report reveals.

The global conservation organization shows in its report, Making Energy Efficiency happen: From Potential to Reality, what each of the G8 plus 5 countries can do to save energy and the climate while promoting their energy security with sustainable economic growth.

"There is no one silver bullet to stop dangerous climate change, but energy efficiency is the largest and most affordable solution available to avert the current crisis," says Hans Verolme, Director of WWF's Global Climate Change Programme.

"It shouldn't take long for the world's most powerful leaders to realize the immediate pay-off these efficiency measures offer."

WWF’s recommendations specifically focus on the building, transport and power sectors. For the G8 summit in Heiligendamm, Germany has suggested a 20 per cent increase in energy efficiency in each sector by 2020 compared to 2005.

The WWF report shows that G8 plus 5 countries have even greater energy efficiency potentials in these sectors and that endorsing these targets is technically and economically feasible for all countries. It estimates the efficiency potential for the transport sector at 25-50 per cent, for the building sector at 30-45 per cent, and for the power sector at 4-45 per cent by the year 2030, depending on the country.

The recommended measures include standard setting, labelling for energy efficiency, fiscal instruments such as subsidies or tax credits, and a CO₂ or energy tax. Increased energy conservation would result in cost savings, an increase in energy security, and provide new business opportunities and increased employment.

The WWF report reveals that the five developing countries analysed — Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa — all have some efficiency policies in place already but show a large scope for improvement as well.

“At its meeting in Germany next week, the G8 should first reach agreement on launching the UN negotiations this autumn and, second, commit to strong energy saving targets and technology support for developing countries," adds Verolme.

"In today's globalized world industrialized countries need to work more directly with developing economies, for instance in developing joint energy efficiency standards."

END NOTES:

• The G8 plus 5 are the world’s largest developed and developing countries, responsible for some 85 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. The G8 are: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, United Kingdom and United States, with the European Union as an observer. The G5 are: Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa.

• The 33rd G8 summit will be held in Heiligendamm, Germany, from 6 to 8 June 2007.

For further information:
Martin Hiller, Communications Manager
WWF Global Climate Change Programme
Tel: +41 22 364 9226
E-mail: mhiller@wwfint.org

Brian Thomson, Press Officer
WWF International
Tel: +41 22 364 9554
E-mail: +41 79 477 3553, bthomson@wwfint.org

WWF and TNC assess climate change impacts on the Mesoamerican Reef

2006-07-04

San José, Costa Rica – WWF and The Nature Conservancy are undertaking a major regional assessment of Central America’s Mesoamerican Reef to determine the impacts of climate change on coral reefs.

“The purpose of the survey is to assess the extent to which global warming is impacting the reef, and whether the network of marine protected areas is adequately protecting the range of habitats that comprise the reef ecosystem,” said Sylvia Marín, WWF Central America’s Regional Representative.

Stretching from the tip of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula to the Bay of Islands of Honduras, the Mesoamerican Reef is the second-largest coral reef in the world after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, and is home to a network of marine habitats that support nearly 60 coral species, 350 mollusk and 500 fish species.

The WWF-TNC survey will evaluate more than 400 sites throughout the Mesoamerican reef system to see which reefs are resilient and which are resistant to coral bleaching — a stress response caused by high water temperatures that can lead to coral death.

The assessment will help determine the status of the reef through the analysis of such factors as recent coral mortality, live coral cover, size and age of the coral colony, and abundance of species resistant to bleaching.

“Although it’s still a bit early in the process to make any general conclusions, our research has showed so far that global warming and bleaching resilience during 2005 have not resulted in high disease or mortality levels of the reefs,” said WWF Senior Fellow Melanie McField and leader of the Healthy Mesoamerican Reef Ecosystem Initiative.

Initial survey results already show that in-shore, darker, turbulent water reefs — which have a high degree of biodiversity — appear to have a higher resistance level to climate change and bleaching.

“These early observations could mean these reefs have a better chance of survival. They appear to have higher resistance to climate change disturbances and its consequences,” McField added.

The consequences of global climate change include increased sea temperatures, increasing acidification levels in the oceans, and strength reduction in the main marine currents that distribute heat around the planet, resulting in disturbances to coral reefs.

“The analysis of climate change impact on reefs will not only contribute to reef conservation, but it will also favor education and protection of coastal communities that base their subsistence on sustainable activities that use marine ecosystems responsibly,” said Marin.

WWF and TNC expect to complete the data gathering stage by the end of this year.

For further information:
Cinthya Flores Mora, Communications Officer
WWF Central America
Tel: +506 234 8434
E-mail: cflores@wwfca.org

Sustainable traps boost lobster conservation in Central America

2006-06-01

Cayos Miskitus, Nicaragua – In a joint effort between WWF and Nicaragua’s URACCAN University, fishermen here have tested and approved sustainable lobster traps in efforts to conserve the species.

The lobster traps are slightly modified compared with traditional ones, allowing for smaller lobsters to escape capture and mature. Overfishing for undersized lobster, as well as female specimens carrying eggs, is a serious conservation problem facing Central America’s Mesoamerican reef.

“We are delighted with the results of a recent test of traps that have the potential to curtail the illegal catch of hundreds of thousands of undersized lobsters,” said Sylvia Marin, Regional Representative for WWF Central America.

“Good management of fisheries, including lobsters, ensures that fishing remains a way of life for coastal communities.”

Of all the fishing resources in this region, spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) is the most important income source for a large number of coastal communities, especially as it fetches high market prices. A Mexican fisherman, for example, can sell a 1kg lobster tail for US$22 in the market place. The same quantity will sell for about US$60–90 in a restaurant in the Mexican resort town of Cancun.

The Nicaraguan fishermen who tested the sustainable lobster traps found that the alterations do not diminish the catch of legally-sized lobsters.

“Fishermen appreciate the fact that there are longer-term benefits of letting the undersized lobsters go,” said Alicia Medina, WWF Technical Officer for the Mesoamerican Reef. “They recognize both the conservation and economic value of saving them.”

Also recognizing the importance of a sustainable lobster fishery is the Central American Fishing Organization (OSPESCA), which has included size restrictions for traps in its regulations.

“Although OSPESCA’s measurements are a bit smaller than the trap measurements we recommend, we consider their new regulations as an important step towards the conservation of spiny lobster and other fish caught in traditional traps used by local fishermen,” Medina added.

With fishermen in Nicaragua starting to adopt sustainable lobster traps, WWF is working to replicate the success in other Mesoamerican reef countries, including Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras.

The Mesoamerican Reef is the second longest barrier reef in the world, only surpassed by the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. It spans more than 1,000km, from the northern end of the Yucatan Peninsula to the northern coast of Honduras, including Belize and Guatemala. The reef contains a large diversity of coral reefs, in addition to other important ecosystems such as beaches, mangroves, lagoons, and seagrasses. This array of systems fosters the reproduction, nesting, and feeding of a great diversity of mammal, fish, marine turtles, and invertebrates, including the spiny lobster.

For further information:
Cinthya Flores, Communications Officer
WWF Central America
Tel: +506 234 8434
E-mail: cflores@wwfca.org

Alicia Medina, Technical Officer
Mesoamerican Reef Project
WWF Central America
Tel +504 668 2078
E-mail: amedina@wwfca.org

Conservacion de laud en Mexico

2006-03-29

This booklet illustrates the plight of the Eastern Pacific leatherbacks and lists the necessary conservation actions in Mexico. The book was written by Laura Sarti, produced by WWF and blessed by the Secretary of the Environment.

Monarch butterflies arrive in Mexico for winter hibernation

2005-11-03

After flying for 72 days — a total of 84 hours — an ultralight plane, dubbed the Papalotzin, has successfully ended its journey after following the Monarch butterfly migration route.

The journey, which started in Canada on 22 August and crossed the United States and Mexico, received enthusiastic support from scientists, Monarch butterfly experts, students and academic institutions, as well as government representatives.

“During the journey we reached thousands of people to talk about the importance of Monarch butterfly conservation and protection to its habitat," said Vico Gutierrez, pilot and creator of the Papalotzin project, which is supported by the WWF-Telcel Alliance and the local Mexican government of Michoacan.

"Understanding the cycle of migration and challenges of this small butterfly, which has the ability of fly over 3,000 miles, gives us a unique message: we can, and should learn to confront the diverse challenges of life.”

"During the journey we had the opportunity to observe the butterflies flying with the air currents at different altitudes — some even reached 12,000 feet."

After the 3,000-mile flight, the Papalotzin finally landed at Llano de las Papas in Angangeo, Michoacan, one of the Monarch hibernation sanctuaries in Central Mexico.

The Papalotzin team was welcomed in a ceremony — marked by an ancient ritual and dance — together with hundreds of villagers.

Attending the ceremony were Michoacan Governor Lazaro Cardenas Batel and Mexican State Governor Enrique Peña Nieto, as well as WWF-Mexico Director Omar Vidal, Telcel Corporate Marketing Director Marcela Velasco, USAID Director Edward Kadunk, Angangueo Municipal President Tomas Martinez, and others.

“This has been a valuable and unique experience," said Gutierrez. "We interviewed many scientists who provided us with valuable information, and we talked to artists and students, and gave around 30 press conferences."

The Papalotzin team also filmed 150 hours of material from interviews with experts to butterfly gardens, zoos, schools, forests, fields, lakes, cities and industrial areas that the Monarch butterflies crossed during their migration route. With all this material and thousands of aerial and terrestrial photographs, the Papalotzin project is planning to produce a one-hour documentary about the life, route and challenges that the Monarch butterflies face.

The ultralight plane, flying at an average of 60 to 70 miles per hour, landed in more than 40 locations in the three countries. Some 12,000 people visited the interactive website (www.papalotzin.com) which described every day activities and challenges.

“From this experience onwards I feel that the butterflies are part of my life," Gutierrez said.

"We also learned that there are many people interested in the conservation of our planet, not only willing to protect the Monarch butterfly, but also the forest, desserts, oceans, rivers, plants and animals."

END NOTES:

• Francisco “Vico” Gutierrez is a is a Free Flight and Ultralight instructor in Valle de Bravo, Mexico. He started flying when he was only 13 years old and his experience of more than 30 years has taken him throughout Mexico. Vico makes films regularly from his ultralight plane for commercials, documentaries and movies. Living in Valle de Bravo, so close to the Monarch butterfly colonies combined with his love of flying and adventure, secured Vico's commitment to the efforts in the conservation of the remarkable migratory phenomenon of the Monarch.

• WWF and Telcel signed an agreement for the conservation and sustainable management of the natural resources in Mexico. The WWF-Telcel Alliance is supporting, among other issues, monitoring of forest cover in the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, research and local community participation, promoting the importance of conserving the forest, and environmental education activities and publications.

For further information
Jatziri Perez, Communication Coordinator
WWF-Mexico
Tel. +52 (55) 52 86 56 31
E-mail: jperez@wwfmex.org

Monica Echeverria, Communication Coordinator
WWF Latin America and Caribbean Program
Tel. +1 202 778 9626
E-mail: monica.echeverria@wwfus.org

::: WWF Project :::
Papalotzin: Journey of the Monarch butterfly

2005-08-30

Mexico City, Mexico – WWF is helping to sponsor the tracking by plane of Monarch butterflies from the forests of eastern Canada to the central Mexican mountains. The aim is to raise awareness about the need to better conserve the Monarch's fragile habitats.

Every year, millions of Monarchs (Danaus plexippus) travel about 4,500km to hibernate from November to March in the pine and oyamel forests located in the Mexican States of Michoacan and Mexico.

The conservation of the hibernation forest in Mexico is crucial for the butterflies, for other species of flora and fauna, for the communities in the area, and even for the regional, national and international community. Furthermore, these forests supply environmental services like carbon capture, water catchment, and erosion prevention.

In order to protect the Monarch butterfly, the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve was created in Mexico in 2000 over 56,259ha. The Reserve’s main purpose is conservation and sustainable forest management.

Since 2003 the WWF-Telcel Alliance has assisted the Regional Monarch Butterfly Forum, an intersectorial coordinating forum, to strengthen the conservation and development actions of the Monarch butterfly. The alliance also assists in monitoring the state of the region´s forest and the butterfly colonies, as well as ecological restoration, tourism management and environmental education projects.

Francisco “Vico” Gutierrez, the director of the Papalotzin project (translated as tiny butterfly in the Nahuatl Indian language of Central Mexico) and pilot of an oversized handglider — decorated as a Monarch butterfly — will accompany the butterflies on their long journey. During the trip. Vico and his team will film a documentary about the life, flight, and challenges of the Monarch butterfly.

The ultralight plane will start its journey in Montreal and will continue to Toronto. In the following weeks it will fly across the US States of New York, Maryland, Tennessee, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, before moving on to the Mexican states of Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, San Luis Potosi, Queretaro, and finally to the butterfly sanctuaries in Michoacan.

During the journey, the Papalotzin team will organize informational events and press conferences with the attendance of local experts and those involved in Monarch Butterfly conservation. At the same time, the team will continuously communicate the journey’s progress through a real-time and interactive website — www.papalotzin.com — and will produce a one hour video, which will include aerial and land views about the life, route, and challenges that the Monarch butterflies face in each county.

Important Monarch butterfly dates:
August 20 & 21, Children’s festival at the Botanical Garden, Montreal, Quebec

August 22, Papalotzin official take-off, Montreal, Quebec

August 23 & 24, Royal Mint Event / Gatineau Park, Ottawa, Quebec

August 27, WWF-Canada, Toronto, Ontario

August 31, Landing event with Mexicans and sacred fire ceremony, Point Pelee, Ontario

September 1, Butterfly sighting and interviews, Point Pelee, Ontario

September 5, Visit to the Butterfly House at River Parkway,
Niagara Falls, Ontario

September 9, Arrival in New York City, New York

September 12, Event at Central Park (to be confirmed), New York City, New York

September 16, Press conference at WWF-US, Washington DC, Maryland

September 18, Music Festival at the Zoo, Washington DC, Maryland

September 25 & 26, Butterfly labeling and activities with Chip Taylor, Lawrence, Kansas

September 30, Butterfly labeling at the City Zoo, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

October 12, Buttlerfly sighting at the Maverick, Eagle Pass, Texas

October 16, Butterfly sighting, Ciudad de Acuña, Coahuila, Mexico

October 23, Cumbres de Monterrey, Chipinque, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon

October 24, Interviews with Profauna, Saltillo, Nuevo Leon

October 26, Meeting with Environment Federal Attorney’s (PROFEPA) staff, Real de Catorce, San Luis Potosi

October 28, Butterfly sighting, Queretaro, Queretaro, Mexico

November 2, Arrival event and field trip through the communal land areas, Michoacan. Mexico

November 4, Arrival event and fieldtrip of the hibernation forests, Valle de Bravo, Estado de Mexico

For further information:
Jatziri Perez Ojeda
Communication Coordinator
WWF Mexico
Tel: +52 55 52 86 56 31 Ext. 223
E-mail: jperez@wwfmex.org

Marine turtles: Facing danger at every turn

2005-04-20

by Carlos Drews

This lecture was adapted from a presentation detailing WWF's Latin America and Caribbean Marine Turtle Conservation and Action Plan.

Most experts recognize seven species of marine turtles: the green, hawksbill, loggerhead, Kemp's ridley, olive ridley, leatherback, and flatback. All but one - the flatback - can be found in the Latin American and Caribbean region, and all are threatened by extinction.

Both human induced and natural factors present challenges to the survival of sea turtles. These highly migratory, unique reptiles spend their life at the coast and off shore, combining terrestrial and aquatic habitat requirements - depending on their needs at particular life stages - that often span the political limits of several nations. Marine turtles require several decades to reach sexual maturity and are potentially long lived, dispersing and migrating over vast areas.

The huge size of individual home ranges and the vast area requirements of marine turtles during their life cycle are unusual for existing reptiles. Consequently, marine turtle conservation actions must be sustained over decades, carried out over vast areas, be relevant to diverse marine and terrestrial environments, and involve international cooperation.

The causes of decline and the present and future threats to marine turtles are diverse. Three realms, however, have been recognized as main threats to marine turtles worldwide: habitat destruction and alteration, overexploitation for meat, hides, eggs and shells, and incidental capture in fisheries. Currently, human induced mortality is having a greater impact on marine turtle populations than natural mortality.

Under natural conditions, turtles suffer high hatchling, post-hatchling and juvenile mortality, but those that survive the early days grow into long-lived animals with very low adult mortality. Unfortunately, conditions nowadays are far from "natural" and turtles suffer mortality at all stages of their life cycle, leading to increasingly regular population crashes.

The number of female leatherbacks nesting on the Pacific beaches of Mexico has declined more than tenfold in less than a decade; the number of nesting loggerheads in eastern Australia has declined by 50 to 80% since the mid-1970s; Kemp's ridley nearly went extinct. The list goes on, and makes depressing reading.

The causes of the population declines are many and varied, but have their roots in two basic characteristics of turtle biology which render populations particularly vulnerable to the pressures described above: (1) reproduction is highly localized in beaches allowing easy access to eggs and nesting females, and rendering this critical habitat vulnerable to alteration through coastal development, and (2) their slow maturation hides the effect of overexploitation for decades.

Turtle populations can be destroyed from the "bottom up" by over-exploitation of the eggs, and destruction of nesting sites. For example, as far as we know, green turtles take 30 to 50 years to reach sexual maturity and remain reproductive for about 20 years. Adults are the visible component of a turtle population; their numbers are maintained by the gradual maturation of juvenile and sub-adult turtles. This will continue to happen, even if no eggs are laid or if all the eggs are collected.

It will be many decades before the number of adults begins to decline, but over time the reservoir of juveniles and sub-adults will become progressively depleted until there are no more recruits. These "last adults" will, in theory, survive for another 20 years during which time the situation may not seem too serious. In reality, however, the population is on the verge of extinction because once these adults die there will be no hatchlings, juveniles or sub-adults to replace them. If juvenile and adults are being killed, e.g. as bycatch, then this will simply happen more quickly.

The design of effective management and conservation strategies - particularly on a regional scale - is challenged by a number of factors, including gaps in the knowledge about marine turtle life history patterns and the actual conservation status of some of these turtle populations; a lack of understanding of current levels of exploitation and trade and the effects these are having on particular species or populations; and the unregulated and unmanaged nature of turtle catches and trade.

Over the next 10 years, the goal of WWF's global efforts is the reduction of threats to marine turtles from the loss and degradation of their critical habitats, from the impacts of unsustainable use, and from incidental capture (by-catch).

Based in the Central America program office, Carlos Drews is WWF's Latin America and Caribbean marine turtle coordinator. A native of Colombia, he has a Ph.D. in Zoology from Cambridge University.

Bad News for Hawksbill SeaTurtles

2005-03-03

Savanah, Georgia. January 18th, 2005 –   The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) today called on the Mexican and all the Caribbean governments, as well as on the international scientific community to urgently restart regional dialogue and develop a joint strategy aimed at stopping the drastic decline of hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) turtle populations, and secure its recovery.

Until recently, the international scientific community believed this endangered population was on the rise. Current research shows otherwise, warned WWF through its new Hawksbill turtle website: (http://www.hawksbillwwf.org/). Analysis of reproduction data revealed that hawksbill nesting numbers had suffered a precipitous decline from 2000 to the present. The 2004 season registered less than half the usual nests, from a total of 5,595 in 2000, on the beaches of the Mexican states of Veracrúz, Campeche, and Yucatán, -- reverting back to the mid 90´s levels.

“These are alarming data, and unfortunately, we don’t know why there is such a dramatic decline. The trends are similar in each state, which may indicate that this is caused by a regional phenomenon,” said Carlos Drews, Marine Turtle Coordinator for Latin America and the Caribbean at WWF. "Illegal trafficking persists, as well as hawksbill egg extraction, capture for meat consumption, and habitat destruction. It is therefore urgent that governments of Mexico and the entire Caribbean region renew their dialogue and move forward with concrete conservation measures before it is too late,” added Drews.

This research was presented by marine turtle conservation specialists at the recent “XII Regional Workshop on Conservation Programs at the Yucatan Peninsula, and I for the Golf and the Caribbean” in Ciudad del Carmen, México. Following the meeting, the Mexican Government requested a joint investigation to find the causes of the hawksbill nesting decline and its status, at the COP II of the Inter-American Convention for the Protection and Conservation of Sea Turtles in Venezuela.

The hawksbill turtle is considered critically endangered. It lives close to coral reefs areas and feeds from sponges. Adults grow up to 60 kg. The most important breeding site in the Caribbean is Yucatan, México, from where they cross the Caribbean basin to foraging grounds throughout the region. No one knows exactly how long it takes the hawksbill to reach maturity, but the species all return to the same beach they were worn to nest their eggs.

Notes to the Editors:

·          Research data can be found in Spanish at www.hawksbillwwf.org. This WWF portal, was developed with the collaboration of Didier Chacon, a sea turtle specialist.

·         The hawksbill turtle is categorized and classified in the Red List of Endangered Species of UICN; July 2004 (http://www.redlist.org)

For more information:

Carlos Drews, WWF-Marine Turtle Coordinator for Latin America and the Caribbean, on-site at the sea turtle symposium in Savannah, Georgia. His phone numbers there are:
Cellular: (202) 271-2686
Hotel: (912) 238-1234
Email: cdrews@wwfca.org

For pictures write to: lsequeira@wwfca.org

WWF launches international competition to reduce marine bycatch

2005-01-24

Washington, D.C. – WWF-US, together with partner organizations, is sponsoring an international fishing gear competition to reduce marine bycatch.

The International Smart Gear Competition is aimed at encouraging fishermen, scientists, and acadmemics to come up with innovative fishing gear to reverse the decline of vulnerable marine species — including sea turtles, dolphins, and whales — accidentally caught in nets and other fishing devices.

“We have entries from 16 countries, representing people from a wide range of backgrounds," said Karen Baragona, deputy director of the WWF-US Species Conservation Program.

"Many of the entries are from fishermen, which isn't surprising considering they have produced so many of the bycatch solutions that are already out there.”

Some of the entries include: glow-in-the-dark ropes that may protect whales in Atlantic waters; rotating drums made in Mississippi that presumes the natural tendency of fish to follow a moving pattern; seabird-proof, "hidden" bait for long-line fishing vessels designed by Dutch inventors; and a simple 3-inch bamboo ring designed to keep dugongs from entering Philippine fishing nets

“This kind of participation, from every continent, was exactly what we were looking for when we launched the competition," Baragona said.

"Accidental bycatch is a global problem and it will take a multi-national collaboration to defeat it.”

The grand prize winner — to be chosen from a panel of 15 international judges — will receive an award of US$25,000. Two runners-up will be selected and awarded prizes of US$5,000 each. Winners will be announced March 9th in Washington, DC.

The winning entry will receive assistance from WWF to make the idea commercially available.

Notes:
• The International Smart Gear Competition was created by WWF-US in May 2004, to bring together partners representing fisheries, policy, and science to find solutions for the problem of accidental catch of non-target species. Participants responded by submitting ideas for ways to reduce the unnecessary deaths of whales, dolphins, porpoises, dugongs, sea lions, seals, manatees, sea turtles, sea birds, and non-target fish species.

• The competition's judging panel includes representatives from:

*American Fisheries Society
*Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Resources, Memorial University of Newfoundland
*Fisheries Conservation Foundation
*Hubb-Sea World Research Institute
*Institute of Marine Research in Norway
*Inter-America Tropical Tuna Commission
*Marine Wildlife Bycatch Consortium (comprised of the New England Aquarium, Duke University, the University of New Hampshire and the Maine Lobstermen’s Association)
*National Fisheries Institute
*New Zealand-based Sealord Group, Ltd.
*SeaNet (an extension service for fishermen in Australia)
*Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center
*U.K. Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science
*U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization
*U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
*University of Rio Grande in Brazil
*World Wildlife Fund (WWF-US)

For further information:
Michael Ross, Director of Strategic Communications
WWF-US
Tel: +1 202 778 9565
E-Mail: michael.ross@wwfus.org

WWF’s balloon welcomes the Monarch Butterfly

2004-11-26

To give a special welcome to the Monarch butterfly, which arrives in Mexico in November from the United States of America and Canada, WWF launched its hot air balloon in the state of Michoacán. The launching was part of the ‘Extreme Flight of the Monarch Butterfly’ festivities.

As a result of the Michoacán’s State Government and Sean Byrne’s initiative, the WWF’s Dutch pilot and copilot Ike Visser and Niels Jongejan participated in the activities aimed at emphasizing the importance of conserving the Monarch butterfly’s hibernation and migration habitats.

A well-preserved forest ecosystem in Mexico is critical for the survival of the Monarch butterfly overwintering, which has been recognized as an endangered biological phenomenon. Every fall, Monarch butterflies travel from Canada and the United States southward approximately 2,800 miles until they reach their overwintering habitat in central Mexico. Here they cluster in various colonies of millions of butterflies each for five months. In March they begin their migration north.

To support the conservation efforts toward the Monarch butterflies, Mexican, US, Slovenian, Dutch and United Kingdom pilots participated in an exhibition in the colonial and state capital city of Morelia, the morning of 18 November. The aerial exhibition was witnessed by hundreds of spectators. The start flag was raised by Michoacan’s Tourism Secretary, Mr. Genovevo Figueroa. Additional exhibitions were held that same day during the afternoon and then twice the following day. All of them were lead by the ‘Monarch Butterfly’s’ hot air balloon.

Afterwards, the balloons were taken to Tzurumútaro, a town near Pátzcuaro, Michoacán. There, along an acrobatic parachute team, a helicopter team, and the ‘Delta Wings’ and ultra-light flight team, the balloons took flight in November 20th and 21st during four more exhibitions.

In this event, Lazaro Cardenas Batel, Michoacan´s governor, flew in an ultra-ligth plane piloted by Vico Gutierrez, head of Proyecto Papalotzin, an initiative supported by WWF to raise the public profile on the migration of the Monarch butterfly. Papalotzin (“Butterfly” in Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs) is partnering with WWF to follow the Monarch’s migration route aboard an ultra-light plane, passing through Canada, United States and México. Papalotzin is a symbol of overlapping interests for the three North American countries, in conservation, social, and economic issues, and also for the cooperation needed to solve common problems.

All the pilots had the opportunity to visit the Monarch’s Biosphere Reserve along the borders of the states of México and Michoacán. The zone has been declared a ‘Protected Natural Area’ and includes the primary forests used by the Monarch Butterfly for hibernation.