Wetlands NewsLink

A Compilation of Wetland News from Around the World

[Home]   [Current Issue]   [Archives]  [Calendar]

August 2001

Links Have Been Removed
The information provided is time sensitive and links are routinely broken.
To save you from the frustration of broken encounters they have been removed.
Please refer to the source from which the information came if you want to know more.



Contents of the August 2001 Issue

 

–  Note from the Editor

–  News from Wetland Friends

–  Wetland News –  in the News –  from Around the Globe

–  Migratory Bird News

–  Wetland Publication

–  Wetland Internship Opening

 

For U.S. Wetland News go to: http://www.aswm.org/wbn

 

For past issues of Wetlands NewsLink on the web go to:  Go to:   http://www.aswm.org/wetlandsnewslink

 

 

 

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

 

Dear Wetland Friends:

 

It’s rather quiet out there these days.  Thank you to those of you who did send in news contributions.  

 

Until next month –

 

Heidi

 

Heidi Luquer

Wetlands NewsLink Editor

Luquer@vermontel.net

 

 

NEWS FROM WETLAND FRIENDS

 

International Crane Foundation (ICF) Spearheads Conservation Efforts for Cranes in Bohai, China

 

ICF is working with Phillips Petroleum Company on the project "Conservation of Migratory Cranes and Their Habitats at Bohai, China." The sea coast at Bohai is a critical flyway for six crane species, four of them endangered, and for numerous other waterbird species. But Bohai is close to Beijing, Tianjin, and other large cities.  As this coastal zone rapidly develops, conservation efforts are urgently needed for the cranes and the places where they rest on migration.  For the full article go to: http://www.savingcranes.org/whatsnew/default.asp

 

IUCN (World Conservation Union) Offers Online Debate on Ecosystem Approach to Water Management

 

The ecosystem approach to water management aims to integrate the social, economic and environmental interests within the wider framework of the basin.  People depend on their ecosystem and therefore the capacity of the ecosystem to deliver goods and services should be maintained over a longer timeframe.  The online discussion focuses on three main questions:  1) What are key watershed management interventions to apply an ecosystem approach to water resources management?  2) What are good cases of the application of an ecosystem approach to water resources management? 3)  What institutional and legal entry points can be identified to mainstream an ecosystem approach to water resources management?  Everyone is invited to share experiences, questions and suggestions at http://www.worldwaterforum.org.

 

IUCN Will Play a Lead Role in the Management Plan for the Okavango Delta, Botswana

 

July 26, 2001, Gland, Switzerland  –   Several organisations and donors working in Botswana met recently to discuss a project to develop a management plan for the Okavango Delta.  Besides agreeing on the need for the plan to coordinate activities in the Okavango, the meeting also confirmed the leading role of IUCN in the development of this Management Plan. An appraisal mission to finalise the proposal is scheduled for October this year and the project itself is likely to start early next year.

 

 

The Latest From the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands…

 

-- Azerbaijan Joins Ramsar  [officially in September)

Two wetlands have been designated as the new Party's first additions to the List of Wetlands of International Importance: "Agh-Ghol" and "Ghizil-Agaj”  For more details about these sites go to:  http://www.ramsar.org/

 

-- Sri Lanka Designates 12th Century Reservoir System for the List

 

-- Nominations are Sought for Ramsar Wetland Conservation Awards

This award recognizes and honors the contributions of individuals, organizations, and governments around the world for  promoting the conservation and wise use of wetlands.  Nominations should be sent to Ramsar before 31 December 2001, using the form available upon request from the Ramsar Bureau, or on the Ramsar web site:  www.ramsar.org  Three winning individuals or organisations will be chosen by the Standing Committee and the Awards will be presented at the 8th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties (Valencia, Spain), on 18 November 2002.

 

 

The World Bank Supports Sustainable Tourism Project in Honduras for the Caribbean Coast

 

July 26, 2001, Washington – The World Bank yesterday approved a US$5 million, interest-free credit by the International Development Association (IDA) to promote sustainable tourism along Honduras's North Coast and offshore Bay Islands.  The Sustainable Coastal Tourism Project will develop a national strategy for coastal tourism on Honduras' North Coast, based on the results of a national dialogue on sustainable tourism, that takes into account social and environmental concerns, such as land security and HIV/AIDS as well as conservation of the marine environment.

 

 

WWW Global Network Reports High Bycatch Rates Threaten Harbour Porpoise in the North Sea

 

Berlin, Germany  –  In a new report, WWF warns that harbour porpoises could become extinct in the North Sea unless urgent measures are taken to stop them being caught unintentionally in fishing nets.  According to the study, "Fresh fish, dead whales", produced by WWF-Germany, the harbour porpoise is highly threatened in the North Sea, as some 7'500 animals die each year mostly in the gillnets of the Danish, British and Swedish fishing fleets. These are levels that are not sustainable according to experts, and there are fears that numbers could be even higher. Therefore, WWF calls for a serious reform of the European Common Fisheries Policy - which is under review until the end of 2002 - in order to reverse this trend.  For the full story go to:  http://www.panda.org/news/press/news.cfm?id=2446

 

 

 

WETLAND NEWS – IN THE NEWS – FROM AROUND THE GLOBE (by most recent date)

 

Study Supplies Fuel for New Fisheries Conservation Act

 

August 4, 2001,  Michael Kwon, Earth Times News Service  –  Overfishing is the primary culprit for the destruction of coastal ecosystems, according to a study released on July 26 in the journal "Science."  Scientists said that this study, titled "Historical Overfishing and the Recent Collapse of Coastal Ecosystems" provides even more scientific support for the 2001 Fisheries Recovery Act, which seeks to preserve the United States' marine resources.  "This study shows, through hard scientific evidence, what many of us have long feared," said Lee Crockett, Executive Director of the Marine Fish Conservation Network. "Our oceans and marine resources are in a crisis of our own making."  For the full article go to:  http://earthtimes.org/aug/environmentstudysuppliesaug4_01.htm

 

 

Iran Drought Turns Lakes to Scorched Earth

 

August 1, 2001, By Ali Raiss-Tousi, Reuters, Dasht-E-Arjan, Iran  –  The cool waters of Lake Arjan in southern Iran were once a haven for migrating birds, wild animals, and diverse plant life.  Now the sun beats relentlessly on the dried and cracked lake bed, and nomads, who could once depend on pastures further afield, have brought their goats and sheep to forage for the last scraps of greenery.  "There is agricultural water here for our livestock, but we have sold a lot," said Mohsen Rostami, a member of the Qashqai tribe, as he stood next to his tents in the middle of the scorched landscape.  For the full story go to: http://www.enn.com/news/wire-stories/2001/08/08012001/reu_iran_44508.asp

 

 

Whalers Block South Pacific Sanctuary

 

July 24, 2001, Environment News Service, London, United Kingdom  –  Delegates from 37 countries opened the 53rd meeting of the International Whaling Commission in London Monday by turning down a sanctuary for whales in the Pacific Ocean.  Twenty countries voted in favor of the South Pacific Whale Sanctuary, thirteen against it. Ireland, Oman, Morocco and the Solomon Islands abstained on the vote.  Despite strong support from countries across the South Pacific, a hard core minority of whaling countries blocked the establishment of the protected area. The proposal, brought before the IWC for the second time by the governments of Australia and New Zealand, required a three-quarters majority for passage.  http://www.ens-news.com/ens/jul2001/2001L-07-24-03.html

 

 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Proposes No Discharge Zone Designation for the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

 

July 20, 2001   –  The U.S. EPA announced that it has proposed to designate waters of the State of Florida within the boundaries of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary as a no discharge zone.  A no-discharge zone designation would prohibit the discharge of sewage, whether treated or not, from a vessel into state waters of the marine sanctuary.  This action was taken in response to requests from Monroe County, Florida Board of County Commissioners and the Governor of Florida. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is pursuing the designation of a no discharge zone for all federal waters within the sanctuary. 

 

In the U.S.A. Fisheries Bill Would Put Conservation First

 

July 19, 2001, By Cat Lazaroff, Environment News Service,  Washington, DC  –   At least 31 species of fish managed in U.S. waters for commercial fishing are now at risk of extinction, the Marine Fish Conservation Network announced today. The report was released to accompany the introduction of the Fisheries Recovery Act of 2001, a bill to make the primary goal of fishing regulation conserving ocean resources. For the full story go to:   http://www.ens-news.com/ens/jul2001/2001L-07-19-07.html

 

 

Four Zambezi River Nations Make Joint Conservation Plans

 

July 18, 2001, By Singy Hanyona, Environmental News Service, Lusaka, Zambia  –  The African Wildlife Foundation has launched a new regional conservation project known as the "four corners natural resource management project."  The transboundary four corners project refers to the Caprivi Strip, the only place in the world where four African countries  Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe meet.  They share the Zambezi River, one of the longest rivers in Africa. Based in Washington, DC and Nairobi, Kenya, the African Wildlife Foundation together with the people of Africa, "works to ensure the wildlife and wild lands of Africa will endure forever," the organization says.  http://www.ens-news.com/ens/jul2001/2001L-07-18-01.html

 

 

Dry Weather Hard on America's Ducks

 

July 18, 2001, Environmental News Network  –  Breeding duck populations have declined for the second year from the record high reached in 1999, according to the annual spring aerial surveys conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  For the full story go to:  http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/2001/07/07182001/ducks_44329.asp

 

 

MIGRATORY BIRD NEWS

 

Migratory Bird Education Makes Headway in Japan

 

World Wildlife Fund of Japan has just completed a Japanese edition of an "Arctic Nesting Shorebirds Curriculum" designed to teach teachers about migration so that they in turn can teach their students.  Five (or more) Japanese elementary schools are slated to try out the new curriculum this school year.  Further, environmental educators from China and Korea have been  introduced to this neat educational tool and they plan to make translations into their respective languages. 

 

 

The Nature Conservancy:  Save a Bird!!! 

 

Take One Minute to Trigger a One Dollar Donation (on behalf of Nature Valley)  If you visit the Nature Conservancy’s main page, you will see “Save the Birds”  click right below it and you will automatically active a $1.00 donation toward conservation for the more than 1,000 species that are now in decline or dangerously scarce in the Americas.  Go to:  http://nature.org/

 

 

 

WETLANDS PUBLICATION

 

Wondrous Wetlands of the West Indies

 

This book is published in the United Kingdom by Archmain Publications.  If you are interested in learning more about this publication, or how you can get a copy contact:  Lisa G. Sorenson, Co-chair, West Indian Whistling-Duck Working Group of the Society of Caribbean Ornithology, Tel: (617) 353-2462, Fax: (617) 353-6340, E-mail: lsoren@bio.bu.edu

 

 

 

WETLANDS INTERNSHIP OPENING

 

Ramsar Seeks Intern for Europe

 

The position of Intern for the Europe Region / Assistant to the Regional Coordinator for Europe is a 14-month posting (with possible extension to 18 months) to begin 22 October, 2001.  The post offers an opportunity for young graduates to become acquainted with the workings of an intergovernmental treaty dealing with the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Candidates for this internship should be nationals of countries in Europe and have lived most of their lives in the region. Full ability to work in English is required for this post, while fluency in Spanish and/or French would be a clear asset. Candidates should view the General Terms of Reference for Ramsar internships which include conditions of service and salary structure.  To find this information go to:  http://www.ramsar.org/about_internships.htm   The deadline for applications is 31 August 2001.

 

 

THE END

August 7, 2001