Faroe islanders told to stop eating 'toxic' whales

Debora MacKenzie, New Scientist 28 Nov 08;

Chief medical officers of the Faroe Islands have recommended that pilot whales no longer be considered fit for human consumption, because they are toxic - as revealed by research on the Faroes themselves.

The remote Atlantic islands, situated between Scotland and Iceland, have been one of the last strongholds of traditional whaling, with thousands of small pilot whales killed every year, and eaten by most Faroese.

Anti-whaling groups have long protested, but the Faroese argued that whaling is part of their culture - an argument adopted by large-scale whalers in Japan and Norway.

But today in a statement to the islanders, chief medical officers Pál Weihe and Høgni Debes Joensen announced that pilot whale meat and blubber contains too much mercury, PCBs and DDT derivatives to be safe for human consumption.

"It is with great sadness that this recommendation is provided," they said. "The pilot whale has kept many Faroese alive through the centuries."

But in "a bitter irony", they said, research on the impact of the pollutants on the Faroese themselves has shown that mercury, especially, causes lasting damage.

The work has revealed damage to fetal neural development, high blood pressure, and impaired immunity in children, as well as increased rates of Parkinson's disease, circulatory problems and possibly infertility in adults. The Faroes data renewed concerns about low-level mercury exposures elsewhere.

The medical officers note that it wasn't the Faroese who created the pollution. But "these results have already led to tightened restrictions on pollution worldwide. We must therefore also ourselves acknowledge the consequences."

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Cheetahs, Dolphins and Falcons Among Species Proposed for Conservation Boost Across Countries and Continents

UNEP 28 Nov 08;

Governments Convene for International Wildlife Conference in Rome from 1-5 December

Rome/Bonn, 28 November 2008 - Whether they are speeding across the African savannah or navigating brackish waters in Asia, some of the world's most charismatic species need an urgent boost in international protection.

Over 100 governments meeting next week for the ninth conference of the parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) will consider proposals to strengthen conservation of close to 30 endangered land and marine animals that often cross international borders, by placing them on the Convention's appendices.

Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) which administers the CMS, said: "Species that migrate across countries and continents are facing ever greater hurdles from loss of habitat and feeding grounds to unsustainable use and the unfolding and often complex threats emerging from climate change."

"Indeed the world is currently facing a sixth wave of extinctions mainly as a result of human impacts. Urgent and accelerated action is needed to ensure that a healthy, productive and functioning planet is handed on to the next generation," he added.

"The Convention on Migratory Species is an important part of our international cooperative response to such challenges. It reflects the shared responsibility of nations for these species as each year they attempt their epic journeys across continents and oceans".

Robert Hepworth, Executive Secretary of UNEP-CMS, added: "Many migratory species are now important parts of the local and international economy generating income and supporting livelihoods via industries such as tourism. For example an estimated 150,000 people visit the Serengeti annually in order to see its famous wildlife. Based on 2003 figures, the park generates income of $ 5.5 million from tourists".

"Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin, Texas, is home to 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats which flock in the evening to feed. The spectacle attracts between 200 and 1,500 people daily and annually puts millions of dollars into the local economy. This underlines that migratory species are part of the world's natural assets and have their role in realizing a Green Economy," he added.

Racing against extinction

Cheetah, the world's fastest land animal reaching speeds up to 120 km/h, has suffered a dramatic 90 percent decline over the past century, becoming extinct in 18 countries of its original range. Less than 10,000 adult cheetahs now live in Africa while a meagre 50 survive in Asia, mainly around Iran's Kavir desert. Severe habitat loss, over-hunting and poor breeding in captivity are all to blame for cheetah's critically endangered status today.

The Saiga antelope, hordes of which used to roam the Eurasian steppes, are on the brink of extinction for the second time in just one hundred years. After being nearly exterminated in the 1920s, Saiga numbers went up to two million by mid-century thanks to USSR's conservation efforts. By the end of the twentieth century, however, their population has shrunk to just 50,000 due to hunting and obstacles on migration routes. Today Saiga antelopes are confined to isolated pockets in Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Mongolia. CMS administers an agreement to conserve saiga.

Agile climbers of the Saharan desert and the Sahel region, the Barbary sheep, are also threatened by unsustainable and illegal hunting after the 1968 ban. The species is proposed for Appendix I listing, which entails a commitment by all parties to prohibit hunting and removing obstacles to their migration like fences or habitat conversion.

The African Wild Dog has been eradicated from western and most of central Africa. Fewer than 8,000 animals are estimated to survive as a result of conflict with humans, other animals, as well as infectious diseases. Fences on their migration paths further endanger these roaming predators. The proposed Appendix II listing would call on nations to establish regional agreements for their protection

Swimming against extinction

Seven cetacean species - more commonly known as whales, dolphins and porpoises - are expected to join CMS Appendices I and II, pending decisions by the Convention's member states.

The reclusive Irrawaddy dolphins used to inhabit coastal areas and estuaries throughout south-east Asia. But today, habitat loss, live capture, entanglement in fishing nets, electrocution and boat collisions put the survival of the remaining small populations at risk.

Unique to one of the most degraded marine environments in the world, the Black Sea Bottlenose Dolphin has also suffered from uncontrolled hunting and bycatch despite the ban on cetacean fishery in the sea since 1983.

Both dolphins are proposed for Appendix I listing. Other cetaceans up for listing are: the Atlantic Humpback Dolphin, Clymene or Short-Snouted Spinner Dolphin, Risso's Dolphin, Mediterranean population of the Bottlenose Dolphin, and harbour porpoise.

One of the world's most camera-shy species, the West African Manatee migrates in search of food as a result of changes in water levels in lagoons, rivers and sweet waters of Northern, West and Central Africa.

The manatees act as a key clean up and recycling mechanism of the river ecosystems by controlling floating algae and processing the limited nutrients. Although crocodiles and sharks occasionally kill manatees, their only significant threats are from humankind, such as poaching, habitat loss, and other environmental impacts.

Manatees'listing on Appendix I would complement the conservation efforts laid out in the CMS agreement on Western African small cetaceans and manatees concluded in October.

Furthermore, three shark species have been identified as candidates for Appendix II listing. These are two species of mako sharks, the Porbeagle shark and the Spiny Dogfish, which continue to be seriously threatened by over-fishing.

The populations of Spiny Dogfish, which is sold as "rock salmon" in fish and chips shops throughout Britain, have plummeted by more than 95 percent in the northeast Atlantic in just 10 years. The species is known for particularly slow reproduction rates with gestation lasting up to two year. It currently lacks any form of international protection.

Despite being one of the fastest swimming fish in the sea, mako sharks in the western and central Mediterranean declined by over 96 percent in recent years. The shortfin mako is popular with anglers and shark fin soup lovers alike. A recent study reveals that up to one million mako sharks enter the shark fin trade each year regardless of finning bans in 19 countries.

Flying against extinction

Seven birds have been identified for the Appendix I listing and another two for Appendix II listing.

Prized as hunting companions by royalty and the aristocracy, the Saker falcons have suffered an almost 70 percent decline since 1990. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan may have lost up to 90 percent of their populations to meet the increasing demand in falcons.

Pesticides are to blame for the high mortality rates in Egyptian Vultures, which get poisoned by feeding on carcasses of feral animals. Birds of prey such as falcons and vultures are important indicators of healthy ecosystems, and are most vulnerable to environmental changes.

In Latin America, the Peruvian Tern numbers have halved over the past decade, to less than 2,500 birds recorded in the twelve known breeding sites in Peru and Chile. The principal direct threat to the species is disturbance in its breeding grounds caused by human activities.

With a range spreading from South-East Asia to the Korean peninsula and Japan, Baer's Pochards - a duck considered a delicacy in Asian cuisine - number less than 5,000 and are in urgent need for legal protection all along its migration route.

Notes to editors:

UNEP/CMS is an international environmental Convention dedicated to the protection of avian, aquatic and terrestrial animals, which migrate across political borders. Countries which have become Parties to the Agreement commit themselves to implementing measures to conserve migratory animals and the habitats on which they depend. Currently 110 Parties in Europe, Africa, America, Asia and Oceania have joined the Convention. Montenegro will shortly become the 111th Party.

Appendix I of the Convention lists migratory species in danger of extinction, while Appendix II lists species suffering from unfavourable conservation status and would benefit from international cooperation. In this respect, the CMS acts as a framework convention from which independent instruments evolve, including legally binding treaties to less formal instrument such as Memoranda of Understanding targeting regional or international cooperation.

Full list of species included in Proposals for Amendment of Appendices of the Convention at COP 9 is online at: http://www.cms.int/bodies/COP/cop9/cop9_species_proposals1.htm

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What's Killing Florida's Coral Reefs?

Hector Florin Time Magazine 26 Nov 08;

The disaster in south Florida is invisible from above water but the damage is horrific. Hundreds of yards of sensitive coral reefs, part of the largest such ecosystem in the United States, have been sliced through by boats in two incidents over the last month. Indeed, because of choppy conditions, the assessment of the damage at one site, a mile offshore from the famed Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach, was not possible until this week. It is now believed that a cable line from a tug boat, or possibly lobster traps, cut a swath estimated at about 200 yards long and 70 feet wide. A diver with the state's fish and wildlife conservation commission who surveyed the area Tuesday called it "as bad as it's been portrayed. It's extensive."

One diver who scoped the 50-foot-deep waters off Palm Beach before the state could examine the damage called it the worst he's ever seen from a single incident. Added Ed Tichenor, director of Palm Beach County Reef Rescue, who reported the damage to state agencies: "As far as I've been diving here, I haven't heard of a similar incident of this magnitude." The other damaged reef is located off a state park just south of Port Everglades. There, sponges have been sliced, and soft and hard corals cut and turned over. (See pictures of imperiled coral reefs here.)

State crews will monitor the Breakers reef, a popular diving spot, next week, weather-permitting, in order to curtail private divers from entering the damaged area and flipping and moving corals. Those divers may believe they are doing good but such movement may actually further damage the reef and inhibit government restoration efforts. Sponges should be left to recover alone; but damaged brain, maze, great star and other hard corals will have to be cemented in placed at their old location. Such hard corals are so sensitive and take decades to grow back, at a rate of a few centimeters a year.

Aside from providing homes for fish life and plants, coral reefs also produce billions of dollars in related eco-tourism and thousands of jobs in South Florida. They are also a buffer for beach erosion, a problem exacerbated by each new oceanside high-rise condo, as well as the storms and hurricanes that have battered Florida over the last four years. A joint federal and state study released in 2001 showed the reef-related economy — including money spent by eco-tourists for diving, chartering boats and the like — resulted in a $4 billion industry and more than 35,000 jobs during a 12-month period.

Nevertheless, the reefs are declining because of human activity. A 2008 report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration concluded that half of the U.S. reef ecosystem is in poor or fair condition and it foresees no improvement in the future. "Reefs all over the world and in the U.S. are suffering," says Dr. Richard Dodge, dean of Nova Southeastern University's Oceanographic Center in Dania Beach, Fla. Vessel-related damage continues to be a big problem, and the two latest incidents are just "one more nail in the coffin."

What makes the latest damage to the reefs so heartbreaking is that the condition of south Florida's reef ecosystem seemed to be improving this year, if ever so slightly. The state seemed to be doing its share to safeguard the natural treasure. Lawmakers, for example, agreed to a long-term timeline to prohibit water utilities from dumping partially-treated sewage into the ocean. Federal and state agencies also finally moved a commercial ship anchorage that had caused years of sustained reef damage off Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale.

It wasn't until the last decade or two that more attention was given to these forests of the sea. Vessel groundings, coastal construction, pollution and climate change have all severely affected and continue to have a detrimental impact on sea life around the world, with more and more coral threatened with extinction. In 2006, the staghorn and elkhorn corals, prevalent along South Florida waters, were listed as threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act (Staghorn coral is present in the Breakers reef, but it is not believed to have been damaged this time around).

Last week, heftier federally regulated fines were enacted for vessels that damage coral reefs. Florida's Department of Environmental Protection is investigating an 80-foot dive boat called the Nekton that ran aground and caused the reef damage in Broward County, sending a crew out on Tuesday for an assessment. "We have a lot of broken corals there that need to be removed," said Chantal Collier, manager of the state's Coral Reef Conservation Program. Meanwhile, the non-profit volunteer group Palm Beach County Reef Rescue on Tuesday announced a $2,500 reward for any information leading to the culprits who caused the latest damage in the Breakers.

The people who caused damage might never be found. "In this case, it's a big ocean and something passed through without anyone noticing what happened," says Erin McDevitt, a habitat coordinator with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and one of four divers who assessed the underwater damage off Palm Beach on Tuesday. Unless someone comes forward, finding the culprit is extremely difficult. "It's a needle in a haystack."

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Frog-killing fungus to be tackled in the wild

Issue 2684 of New Scientist magazine 28 Nov 08;

A FUNGAL disease is decimating amphibian populations around the world, and so far the only way to save a species at risk is to remove individuals from the wild. Is it time to try taking out the disease as well?

So far the majority of amphibian conservation efforts have focused on identifying species at high risk of extinction, and establishing captive breeding programmes in biosecure units where they will be protected from Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), the chytrid fungus that is responsible for the devastating scourge.

"The immediate response has been the right one: to get species that are at risk into captivity," says Trent Garner of the Institute of Zoology in London. However, he adds, "we're potentially missing out on some very important species" because, inevitably, some are prioritised over others.

Now an alternative strategy is emerging, which many had previously thought impossible: to reduce the amount of Bd in the wild, and perhaps even to enable amphibians to survive alongside it.

In lab experiments, Garner and colleagues have shown that it is possible to cure tadpoles infected with Bd by bathing them in the antifungal drug itraconazole for 5 minutes a day for seven days. "Even using extremely low doses, we showed that you can eliminate Bd from tadpoles," says Garner, who presented his results at a meeting on amphibian decline at the Zoological Society of London last week.

What's more, detailed inspection a month later showed the tadpoles had suffered none of the drug's possible side effects, which can include liver damage.

Early next year, Garner and his team will travel to Majorca, Spain, where Bd is taking its toll on the Majorcan midwife toad - currently ranked 55 on a list of the 100 amphibian species most at risk of extinction, according to the Zoological Society of London.

The team plans to remove midwife toad tadpoles from the clear limestone pools in which they live, and subject them to similar treatments, before releasing them back into the wild. Because Bd may still be present in the pools, Garner's team will experiment with how many tadpoles need to be treated, and how often, for the population to survive at viable levels. "The goal is mitigation, not elimination," says Garner. Since symptoms of the disease vary according to the amount of fungus amphibians are exposed to, such mitigation could make Bd infection less deadly and mean fewer new infections.

"It's a very ambitious experiment," says Richard Griffiths of the University of Kent in Canterbury, UK. He also warns that a different strategy may be needed to combat Bd in other parts of the world. Garner agrees that things get more complicated if, for instance, the number of species living in the habitat is large. His team also plans to build artificial ponds to investigate dosing more complex ecosystems than Majorca's with antifungal drugs.

Another option discussedat the meeting for protecting amphibian populations from Bd and other threats is to preserve their sperm and eggs, so that genetic diversity can be maintained as numbers dwindle. For example, since June, the Amphibian Ark project has been discussing the establishment of regional amphibian "biobanks".

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Best of our wild blogs: 28 Nov 08

Singapore Waters
Nature Society (Singapore)'s feature on our marine life is on YouTube, on the Midnight Monkey Monitor blog

29 Nov is Buy Nothing Day
on the wild shores of singapore blog

Bird Strike at Singapore’s Changi International Airport
on the Bird Ecology Study Group blog

Climate change events
and essay competition and upcoming talk on the Midnight Monkey Monitor blog

Pink mangroves? Killer giant clams? and other questions answered
a compilation of recent blog posts about our reefs and shores on the singapore celebrates our reefs blog

Fun with Kampong Games @ the NSS Get-Together
on the Fun with Nature blog

Semakau walk
on the discovery blog

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Protected areas in the oceans a matter of great urgency say scientific community

IUCN website 21 Nov 08;

More protected areas in strategic ocean locations need to be set up and benefit from proper enforcement in order to address the rapid degradation of the world’s marine environment.

This is one of the recommendations put forward by nearly 600 marine life scientists from 42 countries gathered at the World Conference on Marine Biodiversity in Valencia, Spain from 11-15 November to review recent research relevant to marine biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and ocean management.

IUCN, as an invited speaker at a special Policy Roundtable, assisted the scientists in identifying priority actions to address the loss of marine biodiversity. Kristina Gjerde, IUCN High Seas Policy Adviser, made a well-received presentation about “Protecting Areas beyond National Jurisdiction’.

The conference resulted in the “Valencia Declaration: A Plea for Protection of Marine Biodiversity”, consolidating some of the most important findings and concerns of the present scientists.

Key findings include:

• Marine biodiversity and ecosystems are essential to the functioning of our biosphere and hence to human well-being.
• The pace and scale of anthropogenic changes occurring in the oceans and the impact of these changes on marine biodiversity and ecosystems are cause for grave concern.
• When effectively designed, managed and enforced, marine protected areas can deliver many ecological and socio-economic benefits as well as building the resilience of marine ecosystems in the face of increasing global pressures.
• Research efforts to explore marine biodiversity and assess its status are insufficient lagging well behind similar efforts on terrestrial biodiversity.
• To be effective, networks of marine protected areas must be ecologically coherent and should be embedded in integrated ocean management frameworks that address the range of human activities and impacts both within and beyond the protected areas.
• Deep sea ecosystems differ significantly from coastal ones such that the dynamics of most deep-sea fish stocks are so fragile and slow to recover that they should be approached with an exceptionally high degree of precaution.

The priorities for urgent action include:

• Integrated ocean management be put in place covering human activities impacting on marine biodiversity and ecosystems both within and beyond national jurisdiction
• Ecologically coherent networks of marine protected areas be developed at an urgent and accelerated pace based on existing scientific data and understanding.
• Research efforts to explore and better understand marine biodiversity be enhanced and promoted to provide the knowledge base necessary to underpin an adaptive management process.
• Deep-sea fisheries be authorised only where evidence has been gathered to conclusively demonstrate that a stock can be sustainably exploited in full compliance with FAO Technical Guidelines for deep-sea fishing in the high seas.
• The United Nations General Assembly builds on the Law of the Sea and the Convention of Biological Diversity to achieve an international governance regime for the effective stewardship of marine areas beyond national jurisdiction and the fair and equitable use of living resources for the benefit of human kind.

The Conference was organized by the Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning (MarBEF), a network of excellence funded by the European Union. It was held in the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, inside the largest aquarium in Europe.

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Cut water use by 10%, PUB urges firms

Grace Chua, Straits Times 28 Nov 08;

SINGAPORE'S national water agency is calling on businesses across the country to cut their water use by 10 per cent, as part of a new conservation drive.

The PUB's 10% Challenge, launched on Wednesday, in particular is urging hotels to rein in their water consumption, a call that is expected to be expanded to other industries in the future.

The non-domestic sector consumes 650,000 cubic metres of water a day, equivalent to about 260 Olympic-sized swimming pools. That amounts to about half of all water used in the country.

Saving water is even more imperative than usual, given the current economic downturn, said Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, at the scheme's launch.

'While we expand our water supply options through technology and sound planning, the good work will come to nought if we use water carelessly and do not manage our water demand,' he said.

The 10% Challenge will target hotels first, and will expand to include schools, commercial buildings and government offices over the next two years.

Under the scheme, building managers can attend a water efficiency course run by the PUB and Singapore Polytechnic.

The Government also launched yesterday a guidebook on designing water-efficient buildings and a website, www.tenpercent.sec.org.sg, to help building managers assess water use.

If hotels took steps like using low-flow shower heads, retrofitting washing machines and monitoring water use, they could make a big difference in consumption, the PUB said.

Mr Albert Teo, second vice-president of the Singapore Hotel Association, said reducing water use would not only help save the environment, but also reduce operating costs.

'I think it's in every general manager and entrepreneur's nature to find ways to save,' he said.

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Barack Obama's hopes of change are all in the mind

The US president-elect needs to tackle human behaviour before he can tackle climate change, says psychologist Adam Corner
Adam Corner, guardian.co.uk 27 Nov 08;

Barack Obama swept to power on a platform of change, with bold promises including an 80% reduction in US greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Clearly, though, targets and intentions are only part of the story when it comes to tackling climate change.

For America to reduce its emissions by four-fifths, an awful lot of citizens are going to have to be persuaded to change their behaviour — something notoriously difficult to achieve.

While the effect that human activity has on the environment is a question for climate scientists, the effect that humans have on each other is something that social scientists are better qualified to assess. The good news is that the process of persuasion is one that has been studied for nearly 50 years by psychologists. The bad news is that persuading people to change their environmental behaviour is not as straightforward as one might hope.

Many environmental appeals involve what social psychologists refer to as "social norms" — the standards that we use to judge the appropriateness of our own behaviour. The basic premise underlying these appeals is that people tend to act in a way that is socially acceptable.

So, if a particular behaviour (littering, for example, or driving a car with a large engine) can be cast in a socially unacceptable light, then people should be less likely to engage in that behaviour. However, a growing body of research suggests that attempting to change environmental behaviour using social norms is fraught with pitfalls and traps, so that even the best-intentioned persuasive appeal may backfire.

As Robert Cialdini and his colleagues at Arizona State University have demonstrated, the problem with appeals based on social norms is that they often contain a hidden message.

So, for example, an environmental campaign that focuses on the fact that too many people drive cars with large engines contains two messages — that driving cars with large engines is bad for the environment, and that lots of people are driving cars with large engines. This second message makes it unlikely that the campaign will work. Worse, it might even make it counterproductive: by conveying how common the undesirable behaviour is, it can give those who do not currently engage in that behaviour a perverse incentive to do so. Everyone else is doing it, so why shouldn't I?

Of course, this isn't a problem confined to environmental campaigning. Recent TV licensing adverts cheerfully inform would-be television watching criminals that more than 15,000 licence-evaders were caught during Wimbledon 2008 alone — 15,000 during one tennis tournament? And that's only the ones they've caught? That's an awful lot of people not paying their TV licence, and a powerful statistic with which to "normalise" one's own behaviour.

But whereas the Orwellian TV licensing adverts can only threaten £1,000 fines, much more is at stake when it comes to getting environmental messages right. Fortunately, there is a way of harnessing the power of social norms, so that the dreaded "boomerang effect" doesn't occur.

In a recent experiment, psychologists examined the influence of social norms on the household energy consumption of residents of California. The researchers, led by Wesley Schultz, picked houses at random and then divided them into groups depending on whether their energy consumption was higher or lower than the average for that area. Some low-energy-use households received only information about average energy usage — thereby setting the social norm.

A second group of low-energy households had a positive "emoticon" (happy face) positioned next to their personal energy figure, conveying approval of their energy footprint. A third group of over-consuming households were shown their energy usage coupled with a negative emoticon (sad face), intended to convey disapproval of their higher-than-average footprint.

The researchers then measured energy consumption in the following months. As one might expect, the over-consuming households used the social norm as a motivation to reduce their energy use, but under-consuming households that had received only the social norm information increased their energy use.

Crucially, though, the under-consuming households that had received positive feedback did not show this boomerang effect: the addition of a smiley face next to their energy usage made all the difference. Despite the simplicity of the feedback, households that felt their under-consumption was socially approved (rather than a reason to relax), maintained their small energy footprint. This suggests that using social norms can be effective — but only if they are used in the right way.

Castigating the "majority" of people for driving cars with large engines, without simultaneously praising those who have chosen smaller models could spectacularly backfire. Environmental campaigns using social norms will have to be supplemented with information targeted at specific groups about the desirability of their particular behaviours. If people are doing something positive, they need to know about it.

To hit his carbon targets, Obama needs psychologists on his team, not just energy experts and economists. Otherwise "Yes We Can" will too often become "Yes we could, but now we know what everyone else is doing we maybe won't bother".

Adam Corner is psychologist at Cardiff University. His research interests include the communication of climate change.

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Branson backs bid to save Virgin Island mangroves from tourists

Tycoon funds challenge against planned tourism complex on Caribbean island

Robert Verkaik, The Independent 28 Nov 08;

Sir Richard Branson is backing a landmark legal challenge by environmental campaigners against a multimillion-pound luxury leisure complex which threatens to destroy some of the most eco-sensitive mangrove swamps in the British Virgin Islands (BVI), the paradise home of the British business tycoon.

The case, which is to be heard in full next year, is expected to have far-reaching consequences for the protection of the fragile Caribbean environment. Sir Richard, head of the Virgin group of companies, has paid for a team of barristers, led by the former chairman of the Bar Stephen Hockman QC, to fly to the group of islands and seek to stop plans to build a marina, five-star hotel and golf course in the British overseas territory.

The Branson family home is on Necker Island, which Sir Richard bought for £180,000 in 1979 and is located just over the water from Beef Island where the development is planned. At threat is one of the most important mangrove systems in the BVI, providing a vital home for hatchlings and juvenile fish, lobster and conch. Under the BVI government plans one of the golf holes is to be sited in the middle of the disputed area.

The Virgin Islands Environmental Council (VIEC), a charity supported by Sir Richard and other interested groups, says it has brought the action to seek legal protection of the environment in the BVI for future generations.

A council spokesman said: "This is a landmark case that addresses a number of important issues which will impact on the future of environmental law and practice throughout the Caribbean. The outcome of this case will definitely impact the way other large projects currently under planning review are dealt with, leading to a more sustainable future for the BVI.

"The case will serve to define more clearly the government's responsibility in adhering to environmental laws when granting or refusing planning permission."

Last month, the case went to the East Caribbean Supreme Court, which rejected legal objections by the BVI government and the developers to the legal action going ahead. The action will begin in full early next year.

The campaigners hope the legal action currently underway will lead to a reversal of the planning permission and the redesignation of Beef Island as a Caribbean national park.

"We believe this will result in a more sustainable solution for Beef Island and set a healthy legal precedent for BVI and Caribbean development. At best the land may even become available for acquisition by the government with the critical areas being declared national parks, leaving the remainder available for sustainable development.

"By taking legal action, VIEC is ensuring the natural resources of the BVI are preserved for the benefit of future generations, that the government adheres to the procedures set out in law when granting planning permission, and that the people have a voice when addressing environmental issues that affect every citizen's wellbeing," the VIEC spokesman said.

Sir Richard recently announced plans for a new eco-resort on Mosquito Island, another of the British Virgin Islands, which will include 20 villas and a beachfront restaurant powered entirely by wind turbines and solar panels.

The BVI dispute is expected to be used to illustrate the case for an international environmental court which will be debated at a high-profile symposium at the British Library in London today. An International Court for the Environment (ICE) has been championed by Mr Hockman and has been given a cautious welcome by Gordon Brown. The Prime Minister told MPs earlier in the year that the first stage of moving towards an international environment court would be persuading all countries to agree to binding targets.

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Tutu Launches New Global Anti-Whaling Campaign

PlanetArk 28 Nov 08;

CAPE TOWN - Archbishop Desmond Tutu launched a new global anti-whaling campaign Thursday, which seeks to ban all whaling.

"What makes it even worse is the brutality (of whale hunting)," said Tutu, a Nobel peace laureate, at the launch.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), which backs the campaign, says whales are usually hunted with grenade-tipped harpoons that explode inside the animal.

The world imposed a moratorium on all whale hunts in 1986 after many species were driven toward extinction by decades of exploitation for meat, oil and whalebone.

Japan, Norway and Iceland still hunt minke whales, arguing they are plentiful.

The campaign has other high profile supporters including British actor Pierce Brosnan.

(Reporting by Wendell Roelf)

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Researchers fear widespread reef coral bleaching

ABC News 18 Nov 08;

Marine researchers fear the Great Barrier Reef will suffer more coral bleaching than normal over the next 12 months because of rising sea temperatures.

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority is using data from the weather bureau to formulate its yearly forecast, which indicates there is a high risk the bleaching will be widespread.

The authority's Dr Paul Marshall says global warming is having a significant impact on the ocean.

"So particular species of coral reef fish that depend on coral either for food or for shelter, but those very very hot summers that affect the corals also affect many other sorts of plants and animals as well," he said.

"Seagrasses suffer a great deal from hot temperatures, sea birds and turtles can also suffer, particularly when they're nesting."

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Forests Under Threat From Climate Change: Study

PlanetArk 28 Nov 08;

OSLO - Forests are extremely vulnerable to climate change that is set to bring more wildfires and floods and quick action is needed to aid millions of poor people who depend on forests, a study said on Thursday.

The report, by the Jakarta-based Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), urged delegates at a UN climate meeting in Poznan, Poland, from December 1-12 to work out new ways to safeguard forests in developing nations.

It said climate change could have impacts ranging from a drying out of cloud forests in mountainous regions of Central America -- making wildfires more frequent -- to swamping mangroves in Asia as seas rise.

"Unless immediate action is taken, climate change could have a devastating effect on the world's forests and the nearly 1 billion people who depend on them for their livelihoods," a statement said. Measures include better fire prevention, selecting tree species in plantations suited to a changing climate, keeping out new insect pests and preserving forest corridors to help animals and plants to migrate when some forest areas were cleared.

People who rely on forests would need aid to adapt to changing conditions. Forests are a source of food, building materials, and medicines for millions of people.

"The imperative to assist forests and forest communities to adapt to climate change has been poorly addressed in national policies and international negotiations," said CIFOR director general Frances Seymour.

Possible mechanisms to be discussed in Poland include paying poor people to preserve tropical forests to slow climate change -- trees soak up greenhouse gases as they grow.

Burning of forests, mainly to clear land for farming, releases an estimated 20 percent of the greenhouse gases from human activities blamed for stoking global warming.

Peatland forests in Asia are among those vulnerable to drying out. "The ecosystem is getting more and more vulnerable ... with the possibility of releasing more carbon," Daniel Murdiyarso, one of co-authors, told Reuters.

"In many forests, relatively minor changes in climate can have devastating consequences, increasing their vulnerability to drought, insect attack and fire," said CIFOR forest ecologist Markku Kanninen, a co-author of the report.

"Burning or dying forests emit large quantities of greenhouse gases, so there is a chance that an initially small change in climate could lead to much bigger changes," he said in a statement.

(Editing by Alison Williams)

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