New population of rare giant-mouse lemurs found in Madagascar

WWF 25 Mar 10;

A new population of rare giant mouse lemurs was discovered in southwestern Madagascar’s Ranobe forest, WWF said.

Last year during a night survey monitoring biodiversity along the gallery forest of Ranobe near Toliara while on a mission for WWF, Charlie Gardner, and Louise Jasper, came across a giant mouse-lemur (Mirza), foraging within fruiting Ficus spp.

Two species of Mirza are currently known; Mirza coquereli and M. zaza. Mirza coquereli (Coquerel's Mouse-lemur) is found in the southwestern spiny forest eco region, but has never been seen in this particular area before.

Coquerel's Mouse-lemurs are “near threatened” according to IUCN which means that they might qualify for vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered in the near future. Their population trend is decreasing. The discovery of a new population is exciting as it raises hopes for the species’ survival.

The observed species from the Ranobe gallery forest, according to the researcher Charlie Gardner exhibits “significant differences in the coloration of its coat from the other two species. “

“The specimen that we observed appears to have a lighter dorsal coloration than is noted for M. coquereli, and has conspicuous reddish or rusty patches on the dorsal surface of the distal ends of both fore- and hind-limbs. The ventral pelage is also conspicuously light in color, and the animal possesses a strikingly red tail, also becoming darker at the end.”

“This is to suggest that it may not only be a new population, but a new species or subspecies”. However, Gardner says that the animal has to be trapped, examined and tested before it can be officially described as a new species.

These findings not only highlight the biological importance of the area, but also emphasise how little we know about these rapidly disappearing forests. Without the creation of new protected areas, we would risk losing species to extinction before they have even been discovered or described.

These animals, in turn, can attract tourism and conservation revenue to the site which can help local communities to find less destructive ways to meet their development needs.

This new lemur population is not the first exciting discovery from Ranobe in recent years. In 2005, scientists described the rediscovery of Mungotictis decemlineata lineata, a subspecies of the narrow-striped mongoose that had not been observed since 1915, and which was only ever known from a single specimen. This subspecies may be entirely restricted to the new protected area.

The representative of the new Mirza population was discovered just outside the limits of the protected area. It highlights the critical need to extend the limits of this protected area.

This area PK32-Ranobe, which is co-managed by WWF and the inter-communal association MITOIMAFI, received temporary protection status in December 2008. However, due to the presence of mining concessions, the limits of the protected area did not extend to include the gallery forests of Ranobe.

“It is a hotspot of biodiversity clamped on almost all sides by mining concessions. WWF is currently applying for the extension of the PA to include more key habitats within the decree of definitive protection,“ Malika Virah-Sawmy, WWF’s Terrestrial Programme Coordinator in Madagascar said.

Every year, large areas of Ranobe forests are felled by charcoal sellers, and in the past, much of the region was granted for mining concessions for the various minerals deposited in its rich sand soils. Meagre crops of maize are also planted on the calcareous soils, after felling and burning the forests.

The new protected area is part of a new philosophy promoted by WWF for the Durban Vision which aims to triple the surface area of Madagascar protected areas. WWF aims to empower communities to co-manage PA and to find ways for communities to benefit economically protecting their environment.

Gardner’s research, based at the University of Kent, is focused on reconciling conservation and sustainable rural development within new protected areas. This research will inform the management of PK32-Ranobe, allowing the identification of win-win scenarios that benefit all stakeholders.

“We hope the area will not only represent the single most important conservation area within the Spiny forest, but also a place where communities are benefiting from conservation through ecotourism and other sustainable livelihoods”. says Virah-Sawmy

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New Act to provide greater protection for wildlife in Malaysia

The Star 26 Mar 10;

PETALING JAYA: The proposal to repeal the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and replace it with a new act for greater protection of wildlife will presented to the Cabinet for approval today.

Natural Resources and Environ-ment Minister Datuk Seri Douglas Uggah Embas said once it was approved, the Wildlife Conservation Bill would be tabled in Parliament.

“The proposed act has taken feedback and recommendations from relevant parties in the Government and non-governmental organisations, into consideration,” he said in a statement after the launch of the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) research gallery in Kepong yesterday.

He said under the Bill, the penalties provided for crimes have been increased by between 10 to 30 times besides mandatory jail sentences for serious offences.

The new act, he said would also provide better enforcement on wildlife derivatives to prevent them from being used for traditional medicine.

“Under the existing Act, protection is limited to mammalians, reptiles, birds and insects while the new act will also provide protection to amphibians (frogs), arachnids (spiders) and gastropods (snails).

“It will also provide wider powers on new activities such as circuses and exhibition of wildlife,” he said.

He added that the new act would also cover the issue of invasive alien species which contribute to the extinction of local wildlife. The existing act was last amended in 1998.

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Economy trumps ecology at UN wildlife meet

Marlowe Hood Yahoo News 25 Mar 10;

DOHA (AFP) – Commerce beat out conservation at a UN wildlife trade forum on Thursday, with Japan, China and pro-fisheries interests scoring a clean sweep in defeating proposals to protect high-value marine species.

At its final session in Doha, the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) reversed the only decision it had taken in 13 days to list an endangered ocean animal of commercial value, the porbeagle shark.

Lobbied aggressively by Tokyo, the 175-nation CITES last week massively rejected a so-called Appendix I ban on cross-border commerce in Atlantic bluefin tuna, a sushi mainstay.

Industrial-scale fishing has depleted populations of the gleaming, fatty fish by 80 to 90 percent in the Mediterranean and eastern Atlantic, the regions covered by the failed bid.

Two other sharks fished to satisfy a burgeoning demand for fins -- a prestige food in Chinese communities worldwide -- were barred from Appendix II, which requires export monitoring and proof that fishing is sustainable.

The slow-maturing scalloped hammerhead and the oceanic whitetip, harvested by the millions every year, are listed as globally "endangered" and "vulnerable" by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Japan also led opposition to CITES oversight of precious red and pink corals, mined from deep seas in the Mediterranean and the Pacific Ocean to make jewellery, mainly in Italy.

All told, seven such proposals -- all supported by the United States -- were rebuffed.

US and European delegates expressed deep disappointment in the conference, which also took trade-related decisions on African elephants, polar bears, tigers and several reptiles and smaller fauna teetering on the edge of extinction.

"I am disappointed that our proposals were not adopted," said Julius Langendorf for the European Commission.

"It is a significant setback for species," said Jane Lyder, head of the US delegation. "At least it brought a shining light on the status of marine species."

Japan's top negotiator Masanori Miyahara said he was satisfied with the outcome, but added that he "felt a very big responsibility for the future" of high-value marine fauna.

At the same time, he was sharply critical of the way CITES functions, suggesting that the UN body discouraged collective action.

"This organisation is only talking about winning and losing," he said, referring to the system of up-or-down votes requiring a two-thirds majority to pass.

"It is too much. We must work hard together to reach some consensus action," he told journalists.

The job of keeping tuna from tipping beyond the threshold of viability remains with the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), whose representative said the body was ready to "assume its responsibilities."

Critics point out that the body has for decades been unable or unwilling to respect its own quotas.

Japan acknowledges that tuna and other marine species are in trouble, but argued that CITES -- the only global body with the power to regulate wildlife trade -- was not the solution.

CITES: tuna, sharks still on the hook, ban on tuskers holds

CITES Secretary General Willem Wijnstekers disagreed.

"Japan thinks that CITES should keep its hands off of commercial species. I think that is wrong," Wijnstekers said, pointing out that the reach of regional fisheries such as ICCAT stops at national borders.

"If species cross borders both legally and illegally -- and unsustainably -- then CITES can have important added value, and should be used for commercial species as well."

Environmental groups slammed the decisions, warning that the consequences could be severe, perhaps irreversible.

"This is a very sad day for conservation," said Sue Lieberman, policy director for the Washington-based Pew Environment Group.

"Japan and China pushed countries to vote against conservation. We put the endangerment of these species at their feet," she said.

Many campaigners questioned the ability of CITES to carry out its mandate.

"It appears that money can buy you anything -- just ask Japan," said David Allison of Oceana, a marine conservation group based in the United States.

"The very foundation of CITES is threatened with collapse."

Lieberman said: "CITES has always been a treaty that restricts trade for conservation. Now it restricts conservation for the sake of trade."

Trade Beats Conservation At U.N. Wildlife Talks
Regan Doherty, PlanetArk 25 Mar 10;

Trade interests trumped conservation at a U.N. wildlife conference at which proposals to step up protection for polar bears, bluefin tuna, coral and sharks all fell flat, delegates said.

Short-term economic concerns hampered efforts to restrict trade in several lucrative marine species at the 175-nation Convention on International trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which wrapped up a two-week meeting in Doha, Qatar, on Thursday.

"As soon as big money gets involved, the 's' of science is crossed out by two vertical stripes," CITES Secretary General Willem Wijnstekers told reporters, meaning it becomes "$cience" spelt with a dollar sign.

"There is an enormous economic interest in catching and trading these species, and a CITES piece of paper is really a nuisance (for traders)."

Resistance from Asian countries, particularly Japan, to ban trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna received most attention. The fish is prized as sushi but stocks have plunged more than 80 percent since 1970, according to CITES.

Japan imports about 80 percent of the catch, mostly from the European Union. Delegates rejected the proposed ban after Tokyo argued that lax regulation of catches is the main problem.

"It's been a difficult conference from a conservation standpoint, perhaps because of the economic environment," U.S. Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish, Wildlife and Parks Tom Strickland told Reuters. CITES meets once every 2-1/2 years.

SHARK SOUP

After a conference that denied protection for many marine species, delegates on the final day even overturned a decision to step up trade restrictions for Porbeagle sharks, hit by overfishing in the Atlantic and Mediterranean.

Calls to step up trade curbs on seven other types of shark, including hammerheads caught as ingredients in shark fin soup in Asia, had already failed earlier in the talks.

"It is shameful that many CITES governments ignored science in favor of political gain," said Carlos Drews, head of WWF's Species Program.

Susan Lieberman, director of international policy at the Pew Environment Group, said: "We cannot continue to empty our oceans without consequence."

Amid the disappointments for conservation advocates, there were some successes. Kenya scored a victory with its proposal to combat the escalation of rhino poaching by placing the animals on a protective list.

Rhinos in countries such as India, South Africa, Nepal and Zimbabwe are killed by organized crime groups that control the smuggling of rhino horns to the far east of Asia, where they are sold on the black market for thousands of dollars, CITES says.

Calls by Zambia and Tanzania to relax a trade ban on elephant ivory were rejected. But a U.S. proposal to protect polar bears, which thrust the issue of climate change onto the agenda of the conference for the first time, was defeated.

(Editing by Alister Doyle and Noah Barkin)

Factbox: Trade decisions by U.N. wildlife talks
Reuters 25 Mar 10;

(Reuters) - Following are major decisions at a conferencem of the 175-nation Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in Doha from March 13-25.

Many proposals to step up protection for commercial species failed to win support, with many delegates saying economic interests won over long-term conservation.

MARINE SPECIES

BLUEFIN TUNA - Delegates rejected a proposal, backed by the United States and the European Union, to ban trade in bluefin tuna that is prized as sushi in Japan. Stocks have fallen by more than 80 percent in the main fishing grounds in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean since the 1970s, CITES says. Japan says poorly regulated fishing, not trade, is the main threat. A single fish can sell for more than $100,000 in Tokyo.

SHARKS - Proposals to step up protection for eight types of shark -- at risk from rising demand for shark fin soup in Asia -- were voted down. The oceanic whitetip, scalloped hammerhead, great, smooth and dusky hammerhead, sandbar and spiny dogfish sharks failed to win extra protection. A vote to set trade limits on the porbeagle shark was overturned on the final day.

RED AND PINK CORALS - The conference rejected a proposal to restrict trade in 31 species of red and pink corals used in jewelry. Catches have fallen to about 50 metric tons a year in the main coral grounds in the Pacific and the Mediterranean from 450 in the mid-1980s. The proposal would have made exporters ensure that harvests were sustainable.

MAMMALS

POLAR BEARS - A U.S. proposal to ban trade in polar bears, mainly from Canada which exported about 300 a year from 2004-08 as rugs or trophies, was rejected. Washington argues that climate change will melt the bears' icy Arctic habitat. But even some environmentalists opposed the U.S. plan, saying trade was a distraction and that the focus should be on cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

RHINOS - Kenya scored a victory with a proposal to combat the escalation of rhino poaching by placing rhinos on a protective list.

ELEPHANTS - The conference voted against calls by Zambia and Tanzania to relax a trade ban on their elephants that could allow a sale of their stockpiled ivory. The two countries say elephant numbers have risen in their countries and are a threat to people in rural areas.

OTHER

HOLYWOOD, BRAZILIAN ROSEWOOD - Delegates imposed trade controls on the two trees used in the cosmetics industry after decades of over-harvesting. The Holywood, found in South America, is used for products ranging from flooring to perfumes. Oils from the Brazilian rosewood are used as fragrance in perfumes.

KAISER'S SPOTTED NEWT - The conference approved a trade ban on Kaiser's spotted newt, a type of salamander from Iran. The newt is under threat from trade agreed over the Internet by collectors.

(Compiled by Alister Doyle in Oslo, editing by Noah Barkin)

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Death of coral reefs could devastate nations

Brian Skoloff, Associated Press Yahoo News 25 Mar 10;

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Coral reefs are dying, and scientists and governments around the world are contemplating what will happen if they disappear altogether.

The idea positively scares them.

Coral reefs are part of the foundation of the ocean food chain. Nearly half the fish the world eats make their homes around them. Hundreds of millions of people worldwide — by some estimates, 1 billion across Asia alone — depend on them for their food and their livelihoods.

If the reefs vanished, experts say, hunger, poverty and political instability could ensue.

"Whole nations will be threatened in terms of their existence," said Carl Gustaf Lundin of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

Numerous studies predict coral reefs are headed for extinction worldwide, largely because of global warming, pollution and coastal development, but also because of damage from bottom-dragging fishing boats and the international trade in jewelry and souvenirs made of coral.

At least 19 percent of the world's coral reefs are already gone, including some 50 percent of those in the Caribbean. An additional 15 percent could be dead within 20 years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Old Dominion University professor Kent Carpenter, director of a worldwide census of marine species, warned that if global warming continues unchecked, all corals could be extinct within 100 years.

"You could argue that a complete collapse of the marine ecosystem would be one of the consequences of losing corals," Carpenter said. "You're going to have a tremendous cascade effect for all life in the oceans."

Exotic and colorful, coral reefs aren't lifeless rocks; they are made up of living creatures that excrete a hard calcium carbonate exoskeleton. Once the animals die, the rocky structures erode, depriving fish of vital spawning and feeding grounds.

Experts say cutting back on carbon emissions to arrest rising sea temperatures and acidification of the water, declaring some reefs off limits to fishing and diving, and controlling coastal development and pollution could help reverse, or at least stall, the tide.

Florida, for instance, has the largest unbroken "no-take" zone in the continental U.S. — about 140 square miles off limits to fishing in and around Dry Tortugas National Park, a cluster of islands and reefs teeming with marine life about 70 miles off Key West.

Many fishermen oppose such restrictions. And other environmental measures have run into resistance at the state, local, national and international level. On Sunday, during a gathering of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, restrictions proposed by the U.S. and Sweden on the trade of some coral species were rejected.

If reefs were to disappear, commonly consumed species of grouper and snapper could become just memories. Oysters, clams and other creatures that are vital to many people's diets would also suffer. And experts say commercial fisheries would fail miserably at meeting demand for seafood.

"Fish will become a luxury good," said Cassandra deYoung of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization. "You already have a billion people who are facing hunger, and this is just going to aggravate the situation," she added. "We will not be able to maintain food security around the world."

The economic damage could be enormous. Ocean fisheries provide direct employment to at least 38 million people worldwide, with an additional 162 million people indirectly involved in the industry, according to the U.N.

Coral reefs draw scuba divers, snorkelers and other tourists to seaside resorts in Florida, Hawaii, Southeast Asia and the Caribbean and help maintain some of the world's finest sandy beaches by absorbing energy from waves. Without the reefs, hotels, restaurants and other businesses that cater to tourists could suffer financially.

Many Caribbean countries get nearly half their gross national product from visitors seeking tropical underwater experiences.

People all over the world could pay the price if reefs were to disappear, since some types of coral and marine species that rely on reefs are being used by the pharmaceutical industry to develop possible cures for cancer, arthritis and viruses.

"A world without coral reefs is unimaginable," said Jane Lubchenco, a marine biologist who heads NOAA. "Reefs are precious sources of food, medicine and livelihoods for hundreds of thousands around the world. They are also special places of renewal and recreation for thousands more. Their exotic beauty and diverse bounty are global treasures."

___

Associated Press Science Writer Seth Borenstein contributed to this report from Washington.

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Attenborough aghast at global decline of butterfly population

Disappearance of species points to catastrophic environmental damage, says Sir David. Michael McCarthy reports, The Independent 26 Mar 10;

Butterfly numbers are declining rapidly all around the world, Britain's leading conservationist, Sir David Attenborough, warns today. The celebrated television presenter is sounding the alarm that butterfly loss, a concern in Britain for decades, has become a global problem, with species disappearing in every continent.

They range from the giant swallowtail of Jamaica to the Atewa dotted border from the Atewa mountains of Ghana, from the Oregon silverspot of America's Pacific coast to the Apollo butterfly of the Alps. And their disappearance is a clear indication, Sir David says, of something going very wrong in the background environment.

He is signalling the threat in a speech to the largest-ever gathering of butterfly experts, who come together today for a three-day symposium in Reading.

"Butterflies are sensitive indicators," Sir David said. "They decline when habitats are destroyed and when man harms the environment. We have known about butterfly losses in Britain for over 50 years. Now there is mounting evidence that it is a global problem."

The symposium, attended by 300 scientists and organised by the British charity Butterfly Conservation, has been called to assess the success of efforts around the world in meeting the United Nations target of halting biodiversity declines by 2010. However, the agenda reflects fears in countries throughout Europe and as far apart as Japan and the United States that there is still a long way to go to achieve this.

"Halting biodiversity loss is the coming decade's great challenge," Sir David said. "It's on a par with getting a man on the moon. An increase in butterfly numbers around the world could be the first indication that we've achieved this goal. Like that first step on the moon, it would be a giant leap for mankind."

Dr Martin Warren, Butterfly Conservation's chief executive, said there was increasing evidence that the problem was a global one. "We have just published a new "red list" of European butterflies showing that around 10 per cent of European butterfly species are facing possible extinction," he said. "We are getting the same message from elsewhere. Symposium delegates come from all six continents and they are all saying the same. Declines on the scale of those occurring in Britain and in Europe are happening in their part of the world too. Habitats are being destroyed; butterflies and other wildlife are in decline."

Dr Warren said that it was already apparent that the 2010 deadline for halting biodiversity loss had not been met. But he added that trying to achieve it had been important. "I think we now know the enormity of the challenge. We must make it a top priority in the coming decade."

Monitoring of butterfly numbers started in the UK in 1976 and has spread around the world. The "red list" of European butterflies, published last week, stated that one species, the Madeiran large white, had already probably become extinct in recent years. Other endangered European butterflies include the Danube clouded yellow, now confined to a few sites in Romania, and the violet copper, a beautiful wetland species that has undergone drastic declines in many countries.

Four British butterflies that are in serious decline at a European level are the large blue (reintroduced after going extinct in the late 1970s), the large heath, the Duke of Burgundy and the Lulworth skipper.

The latter two had their worst ever year in Britain last year, and have declined by 65 per cent and 87 per cent respectively since 2000.

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UK Minister signals ban on circus wild animals

Martin Hickman, The Independent 26 Mar 10;

Wild animals are to be banned from circuses, ending hundreds of years of performing elephants, tigers and lions in the big top, the Government will say today.

In response to a public consultation. Environment minister Jim Fitpatrick said he was ‘minded’ to bring in a ban after 94 per cent of people backed the idea.

“I agree with the clear view emerging from the huge response to the Government’s consultation that keeping wild animals to perform in travelling circuses is no longer acceptable. So, I am minded to pursue a ban on the use of these animals in circuses,” said Mr Fitzpatrick, a minister in the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

He added he wanted to make sure animals no longer able to perform were well looked after. “Nobody wants to see them simply destroyed, and we will work with all concerned to secure a future for these animals,” said Mr Fitzpatrick.

Campaigners have been calling for a ban on performing animals in circuses for decades and their appearance has become less and less popular with the public.

Four British circuses currently use wild animals, the biggest of which is the Great British Circus, which entertains crowds with tigers, lions, camels, and zebras.

The others are: Peter Jolly’s Circus (camels, zebras, snakes and crocodiles); Circus Mondao (camels and zebras); and Bobby Roberts Circus (camel and elephant.)

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) said it was “delighted” at the prospect of a ban, which is not scheduled to come into force before the general election.

Professor Bill Reilly, BVA President, said: “Although it only affects a small number of animals at present our ethics and welfare group felt that their needs and the needs of future animals could not be adequately met by the environmental conditions of a travelling circus.”

He added: “If the Government goes ahead with a ban it is vital each animal is individually assessed so that appropriate action can be taken. This could include re-homing to a zoo or sanctuary, living out the rest of its life with existing owners, or other options that can meet its needs.”

The Captive Animals' Protection Society, which has been campaigning for a ban since 1957, said it was “no surprise” that it was so strongly supported by respondents.

“Opinion polls always show a majority oppose animal circuses and political support for prohibition is strong too,” said the CAPS’ campaigns manager Craig Redmond.

“A Bristol University study last year found that circuses fail to provide some of the most basic welfare needs of wild animals, such as space and social groups. It is obvious to most people that carting an elderly arthritic elephant and caged tigers from town to town is an outdated form of entertainment.”

He said the Government should also extend the circus ban to horses, dogs and other animals.

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Wildlife traffickers ensnared by DNA

Marlowe Hood Yahoo News 25 Mar 10;

DOHA (AFP) – DNA analysis has become a potent weapon against the multi-billion-dollar traffic in wild animals and by-products, from ivory to tiger-bone wine to turtles cooked alive in top Asian restaurants, experts said.

The black market in endangered fauna and flora is driven by a global demand for exotic pets, precious jewellery, forbidden foods and potions with alleged curative and sex-boosting powers, the experts told a UN conference.

In the last decade, organised criminal networks drawn by a low-risk, high-profit business -- especially in Asia, where much of the trade is centered -- have made things worse.

But new gene-based investigative methods are helping resource-starved wildlife police even the playing field, at least a bit.

They have led to arrests, and can put the lie to claims by some vendors that the illicit wildlife they openly peddle is farm-raised or from non-endangered species.

"There is a lot of laundering of animals taken from the wild through captive breeding facilities," said John Sellar, the top enforcement official at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

Meeting in Doha during the past 13 days, CITES is the only convention with the power to ban or restrict cross-border commerce in animals, plants and their derivatives.

Until recently, it was often impossible to determine whether an ivory carving purchased in, say, Bangkok was made from legally from the tusk of a domesticated Asian elephant or illegally from its African cousin.

But today a simple DNA test costing a couple of hundred dollars can spot the contraband.

In November, it uncovered a major cache of African ivory in Thailand and led to the arrest of two men.

The evidence for that and other busts was processed at a forensics lab in Ashland, Oregon run by the US government and frequently used for CITES-related cases.

"It is the only one in the world dedicated to serving wildlife crime," explained Benito Perez, chief law enforcement officer for the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

The same methods were applied in a recent case involving sea turtles, he said.

"We bought products that we suspected were made of protected sea turtle skin, and all we had to do is determine what species it came from," he said.

But matching requires a reference library of genetic information, which only exists today for a handful of species.

"We have a large database of DNA profiles for elephants, tigers and sturgeon," the source of caviar, said Sellar.

But for hundreds of other species the database-building groundwork has yet to be done.

In the case of African elephants, which spurred acrimonious debate in Doha and at every CITES meeting in the three decades, DNA fingerprinting has already moved to the next level.

A nugget of ivory can tell University of Washington professor Steve Wasser not only which species of elephant it came from but where in Africa the animal once roamed.

"To track elephants genetically, you have to develop a genetic map of across the entire continent," Wasser said in an interview.

The least invasive way to do so was by collect dung samples, a project that took nearly a decade.

But two problems remained: genetic variation linked to region was limited, and the standard method for extracting DNA heat damaged its molecular structure.

Wasser looked at so-called "junk DNA," the 99 percent of genetic material that is not genes. Because these regions are more subject to mutation, he reasoned correctly, minor differences within herds were likely to show up.

Using a liquid nitrogen as a medium, he also found a way to crush the ivory without heating it.

The method revealed recent multi-tonne seizures of ivory in Asia came in significant measure from Tanzania and Zambia.

The findings helped sink proposals in Doha by both countries to carry out one-time sales of ivory stocks, bids based in part on the contention their populations were well managed.

They also showed poaching was concentrated geographically, suggesting the involvement of highly-organised crime networks able to execute large-scale raids.

Still, it may be years before DNA testing becomes routine, experts say.

"DNA analysis has major potential, but has not yet had a significant impact -- it is difficult to use as a tool a remains pretty costly," said Holly Dublin, head of the Elephants Specialist Group of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

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Watch what you throw into drains

The Star 26 Mar 10;

WHEN we talk about turtle conservation, the vision in our mind is either the turtles in the sea or laying eggs on the beach. And when there is a request for volunteers to help in turtle conservation, we would think of going to the beach, guard their nests or collect their eggs and relocate them at a man-made nest at a turtle conservation hatchery. But in truth, everyone can help in turtle conservation without even going to the beach or the sea.

We all know that all waterways, rivers and drains end up in the sea and eventually the ocean. This means that everything that goes into these waterways end up in the sea – all the toxic waste, plastic bags, plastic bottles, construction and domestic garbage, and even dead animals .

Yes, I have seen a floating dead cat in the sea and I have seen my neighbour’s maid put a dead cat into the trash bin!

How many of us would give a dead animal a burial? Not only is it a respectable thing to do but it is also a hygienic way to do it. A dead animal left to decompose on the road or anywhere is going to release zillions of bacteria onto the ground and the air will stink.

So, the very first step towards turtle conservation is taking care of what goes into our drains, waterways and rivers. A polluted sea is not going to sustain marine life, be it seaweeds, sea grasses, corals, fishes, turtles and everything else the ocean holds. Ocean “dead zones” have been linked to agricultural run-off and other pollution coming down major rivers and drains.

Shoreline development must be stopped. Any development along coastlines must meet perimeter limitations, if we really do care about our sea’s state of health which is at quite a critical level.

Corals are dying from pollution and slowly disappearing because of illegal harvesting. Corals have also been destroyed by over-excited tourists who step on them. Shoreline resorts are not educating their visitors on the do’s and don’ts of sea sports and recreation when they themselves are making money out of nature and its treasures.

Beach resorts should set themselves as examples of guardians of the beach and the sea and then it will be easier for the rest to follow. There are currently quite a number of turtle sanctuaries in Malaysia but the problem is there aren’t many turtle eggs to save any more. There isn’t even enough beach area for the turtles to lay their eggs, so much so that some turtles are digging pits on existing nests. How sad and critical!

I have just returned from beautiful Tioman island and hope real hard that this precious pearl of Malaysia will be preserved and taken good care of.

DATIN ROSSITI AISHAH RASHIDI,
Founder of Green Hopes Eco Warriors @ Facebook, Shah Alam.

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Plastic on UK beaches has doubled in 15 years, most of it is dumped by visitors

David Derbyshire, The Daily Mail 26 Mar 10;

Some of Britain's best-loved beaches are drowning under a tide of plastic, a survey has revealed.

The annual Marine Conservation Society study found the amount of plastic waste littering the coast - including bags, bottles, wrappers and rope - has soared by 121 per cent over the past 15 years.

Nearly half the litter is dumped on beaches by visitors, the survey found, while 15 per cent comes from fishing boats.

Small percentages come from sewage, shipping and fly tipping, but the sources of more than a third of the rubbish, including small plastic pieces, could not be identified.

The menace of plastic waste has been highlighted by the Daily Mail's Banish the Bags campaign.

It revealed how some of the 13billion free carrier bags handed out each year end up in the oceans where they are swallowed by whales and turtles.

The creatures' stomachs become so full of plastic that they eventually die of starvation. More than a third of stranded leatherback turtles have plastic in their stomachs.

Other species - from seals to birds - are killed after becoming tangled up in netting, bags and ropes.

The annual litter pick, carried out in September with help from more than 4,600 volunteers, found that overall levels of rubbish had fallen by 16 per cent compared with 2008.

However, litter levels were still far higher than when the survey began in 1994. Over 15 years, the amount of rubbish dumped on beaches has gone up 77 per cent.

Plastic, from small shreds to carrier bags, made up nearly two thirds of all litter found - a much higher proportion than in previous surveys.

Fragments of the material attract toxic chemicals and are then eaten by marine animals, potentially providing a path for the toxins up the food chain to humans.

Scientists say it stays in the environment for hundreds of years. It never fully degrades, but just breaks down into smaller pieces.

In some parts of the ocean there are six times as many fragments of the material as there are plankton - the tiny organisms that form the bottom of the food chain.

Rachel Bailey, of the Marine Conservation Society, said: 'Our seas and beaches are becoming overwhelmed with plastic litter which not only looks horrible, but kills and injures many of our fantastic marine animals every year.

'Over 260 species of marine wildlife become entangled in litter or mistake it for food.'

The list of most commonly picked up items from UK beaches was topped by tiny fragments of plastic, which accounted for a fifth of the items gathered.

Food wrappers, plastic rope, plastic caps and lids, drinks bottles, fishing nets and cotton buds - which are often flushed down the toilet and not caught by sewage works - were also among the top ten.

Litter pickers found 16,243 drinks bottles, 7,393 plastic bags and 7,025 pieces of plastic cutlery, trays, straws and cups in the 115 miles of beach surveyed. Stranger items collected included a laboratory incubator and a pile of spring onions.

Beach litter survey reveals plastics toll
Emily Beament, Press Association, The Independent 26 Mar 10;

Piles of plastic rubbish, ranging from thousands of drinks bottles and carrier bags to a joke severed finger and a set of vampire teeth, were collected in the latest annual survey of beach litter.

Overall levels of rubbish on UK beaches last year fell by 16 per cent on 2008 figures, according to the Marine Conservation Society which organises the annual litter pick.

But the conservation organisation is concerned about the continuing problem of plastic waste, which it says is overwhelming UK beaches and harming wildlife.

The MCS Beachwatch Big Weekend 2009, which saw volunteers out on almost 400 beaches collecting and recording rubbish, picked up some 1,849 items of litter per kilometre - compared to 2,195 items in 2008.

But litter levels are significantly higher than when the survey started in 1994, with the amount of overall rubbish picked up increasing by 77 per cent and plastic debris rising by 121 per cent, the MCS said.

Plastic, from small shreds to carrier bags, made up almost two thirds (64 per cent) of the litter found, making up a higher percentage of the overall total than in previous years of the survey.

The conservation group is particularly concerned about plastic rubbish because of its damaging impact on wildlife.

From seals entangled in fishing nets and lines to leatherback turtles which have swallowed plastic, the rubbish kills and injures many marine animals every year, the MCS warned.

And instead of biodegrading, plastic breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces - and in some parts of the ocean there are now six times as many of these particles than there are plankton, the tiny organisms that form the bottom of the food chain.

The conservation group warned plastic fragments also attract toxic chemicals and then are eaten by marine animals, potentially providing a path for the toxins up the food chain to humans.

The list of most commonly picked up items from UK beaches was topped by small and larger pieces of plastic, which together accounted for a fifth of the items gathered up.

Food wrappers, plastic rope, plastic caps and lids, drinks bottles, fishing nets and cotton bud sticks - which are often flushed down the toilet and not caught by sewage works - were all among the top 10 most frequently found items.

Litter pickers found 16,243 drinks bottles, 7,393 plastic bags and 7,025 pieces of plastic cutlery, trays, straws and cups in the 185 kilometres (115 miles) of beach surveyed.

Volunteers also picked up some 11,670 cigarette butts, 9,662 pieces of glass and 8,890 metal drinks cans.

Stranger items collected included a laboratory incubator, a message in a bottle from "Sly Sally", half a boomerang and a pile of spring onions.

In total more than 2,700 bags of rubbish were collected - and the public was the biggest culprit for dropping rubbish, the MCS said.

More than two fifths of rubbish comes from people dropping litter on beaches, or inland where it gets washed to the sea by rivers and drains.

Debris from fishing, including ropes, fishing nets and lines from anglers, is the second biggest identifiable source of rubbish on beaches, while small percentages come from sewage, shipping and fly tipping.

The sources of more than a third of the rubbish, including small plastic pieces, could not be identified.

MCS litter projects officer Rachel Bailey said: "Our seas and beaches are becoming overwhelmed with plastic litter, which not only looks horrible, but kills and injures many of our fantastic marine animals.

"Over 260 species of marine wildlife become entangled in litter or mistake it for food."

Levels of litter in 2009 dropped in the north-east and across the south of England compared to 2008, but rose in the north-west, while Scotland and the Channel Islands both saw amounts of rubbish on their beaches fall.

Wales saw a rise in litter, while in Northern Ireland, the number of items of rubbish per kilometre had almost doubled on the previous year.

The UK's main political parties have all pledged to take action on tackling litter in the seas.

Environment Minister Huw Irranca-Davies said: "Britain's coastlines, beaches, and seas deserve better than to be treated as a dustbin.

"The mountains of waste which people leave behind are a risk to the health of both people and marine wildlife.

"MCS does fantastic work cleaning up our beaches but the best thing people can do to help is not leave their rubbish there in the first place."

Britain's beaches 'drowning in plastic'
Piles of plastic rubbish, ranging from thousands of drinks bottles and carrier bags to a joke severed finger and a set of vampire teeth, have been collected in the latest annual survey of beach litter.
Louise Gray, The Telegraph 26 Mar 10;

Thousands of volunteers from the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) picked up 2,742 bags of litter from 400 beaches. On average some 1,849 items of litter were found for every 0.6 miles (1km) of beach.

Although this is a slight fall since last year it is a up 77 per cent since the annual litter pick began in 1994.

The main problem is plastic, which made up more than 60 per cent of the litter retrieved for the first time.

The list of most commonly picked up items from UK beaches was topped by small and larger pieces of plastic, which together accounted for a fifth of the items gathered up.

Food wrappers, plastic rope, plastic caps and lids, plastic bags, plastic cutlery, trays, straws and cups, drinks bottles, fishing nets and cotton bud sticks – which are often flushed down the lavatory and not caught by sewage works – were all among the top 10 most frequently found items.

Stranger items collected included a laboratory incubator, a message in a bottle from "Sly Sally", half a boomerang, a joke severed finger and a set of vampire teeth.

Rachel Bailey, MCS litter projects officer, said plastic was a particular problem for wildlife. For example seals entangled in fishing nets and leatherback turtles which have swallowed plastic.

She explained that plastic does not biodegrade but breaks down in to smaller and smaller pieces. In some parts of the ocean there are now six times as many of of these particles than there are plankton, the tiny organisms that form the bottom of the food chain, she said.

"Our seas and beaches are becoming overwhelmed with plastic litter, which not only looks horrible, but kills and injures many of our fantastic marine animals," she said.

"Over 260 species of marine wildlife become entangled in litter or mistake it for food."

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US bans Mexico shrimp on sea turtle concerns

Yahoo News 26 Mar 10;

WASHINGTON (AFP) – The United States has moved to formally ban the import of Mexican shrimp caught with trawl fishing methods that may affect sea turtles, the State Department said on Thursday.

The ban, which will come into effect in April, concerns slightly more than half of all Mexican shrimp exports to the United States.

"Wild-harvest shrimp from Mexico's commercial trawl fisheries may not be imported into the United States effective April 20, 2010," after the shrimping season has ended, a statement said on Thursday.

The State Department notified Congress of the decision on Wednesday.

US officials have provided technical recommendations to Mexico and will seek to help reinstate the shrimp certification "within the shortest period of time," the statement said.

Mexico's fishing authorities said at the start of March that they had been informed of the decision but that it would have a "minor impact" on shrimp exports.

They said they hoped to renew the affected exports for the new season in mid-September after showing that they met sea turtle protection standards.

Mexico last year exported more than 40,000 metric tons of shrimp to the United States, at an estimated value of 332 million dollars.

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US firm queries Indonesian palm oil supplier

Yahoo News 25 Mar 10;

JAKARTA (AFP) – US food company Cargill has become the latest multinational to demand answers from Indonesian palm oil giant Sinar Mas about claims it is devastating forests rich in carbon and wildlife.

Sinar Mas rejects claims of environmental vandalism but has been hit hard by image-conscious buyers Unilever and Nestle deciding to drop the company as a supplier in recent months in response to protests by Greenpeace.

Cargill said it had asked Sinar Mas to respond to Greenpeace's allegations and had sought an investigation by the industry body, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).

"Cargill is keenly aware about the allegations made in December 2009 by Greenpeace about illegal forest clearance and the Indonesian palm oil company, Sinar Mas," it said on its website.

"When we became aware of the Greenpeace report we contacted Sinar Mas?s senior management and we have communicated to them that we are looking to them to address the issues in the Greenpeace report.

"Additionally, we urged the RSPO board to review this issue. We are pleased the RSPO Board has instructed the RSPO secretariat to get a response from Sinar Mas to the allegations in the Greenpeace report."

It said it expected answers from the company "by the end of April, 2010".

"If the RSPO validates the allegations of improper land conversion or illegal planting in deep peat land as alleged in the Greenpeace report and Sinar Mas does not take corrective action, we will delist them as a supplier," it added.

Sinar Mas Agro Resources and Technology (SMART) president director Daud Dharsono said the company was trying to "verify" Greenpeace's report.

"We are in touch with Cargill to assure them that we do not develop on high carbon stock and high conservation value areas," he said.

Clearing for palm oil plantations is contributing to the rapid destruction of vast tracts of Indonesian jungle, making the country one of the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases in the world.

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EU report signals U-turn on biofuels target: palm oil at the centre of debate

Pete Harrison and Charlie Dunmore Reuters 25 Mar 10;
* EU biofuels paper assumes 5.6 percent target in 2020
* Environmental risk seen above that target level

BRUSSELS, March 25 (Reuters) - The European Union appears to be backtracking on its biofuels policy with a new study showing that more than 5.6 percent of biofuel in road fuels can damage the environment.

EU leaders agreed in 2008 that 10 percent of transport fuels should come from renewable sources by 2020 -- mostly biofuels as electric cars would still be in their infancy.

But environmentalists criticised the target, saying it would affect the way land is used around the world, forcing up food prices and encouraging deforestation.

The EU's most comprehensive biofuels modelling exercise yet was made public on Thursday, but is based on having just 5.6 percent of biofuel in road fuels.

Experts say the 10 percent figure was shaved to 5.6 percent partly by exaggerating the contribution of electric cars in 2020, forecasting they will represent 20 percent of new car sales. That figure is between two and six times the car industry's own estimate.

They also say the study exaggerates to around 45 percent the contribution of bioethanol -- the greenest of all biofuels -- and consequently downplays the worst impacts of biodiesel.

Bioethanol's contribution is around 19 percent today.

But it was not clear if the Commission had intentionally given unrealistic data to the consultancy that handled the project, or whether it was preparing for a policy change.

"The 5.6 percent figure is not based on an honest reflection of reality, or else the Commission is preparing to backtrack on its target," one EU official said.

POLICY REVIEW

At the centre of the debate is an issue dryly referred to as "indirect land use change", which has put palm oil producers in Malaysia and Indonesia in the cross-hairs of environmentalists.

Critics say that regardless of where they are grown, biofuels compete for land with food crops, forcing farmers worldwide to expand into areas never farmed before -- sometimes by hacking into tropical rainforest or draining peatlands.

Burning forests and draining wetlands can pump vast quantities of climate-warming emissions into the atmosphere, cancelling out any theoretical climate benefit from the fuel.

But the study found the effects were not significant until EU biofuel use reached a certain point.

"Indirect land use change effects do indeed offset part of the emission benefits, but are not a threat at the currently estimated volume of 5.6 percent of road transport fuels required," a European Commission statement said.

The report said that if the amount of biofuels were raised above 5.6 percent, "there is a real risk that indirect land use change could undermine the environmental viability of biofuels".

"The EU is gambling with the future of tropical forests and with climate-damaging greenhouse gases," said campaigner Adrian Bebb of Friends of the Earth Europe. "This demands an urgent review of EU biofuels policy."

Vegetable oils can be used in biodiesel, which has led to worries of increasing food prices as food crops get diverted to feed Europe's growing car fleet. But the study found little impact at 5.6 percent.

"The effect of EU biofuels policies on food prices will remain very limited, with a maximum price change on the food bundle of plus 0.5 percent in Brazil and plus 0.14 percent in Europe," it said. This finding contradicts other studies by the Commission, which showed that EU biofuel targets could raise the price of cereals and vegetable oils by 10 percent and 35 percent respectively, creating food shortages in the developing world. [ID:nLDE6241OC]

The European Biodiesel Board said its members faced tougher scrutiny than other vegetable oil buyers in the food industry, power generation or oleochemicals.

"Once this directive is in place, EU biofuels will be the most monitored and scrutinised product in the world," said secretary general Raffaello Garofalo. (Reporting by Pete Harrison, editing by Dale Hudson and Anthony Barker)

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