Goldman Environmental Prize
Islands & Island Nations 2006
http://www.goldmanprize.org/node/440
Anne Kajir
Papua New Guinea
Forests

English Bio
Indigenous Lawyer vs. International Logging Interests
Attorney Anne Kajir, 32, uncovered evidence that widespread corruption and
complicity in the Papua New Guinea government has allowed rampant, illegal
logging, which is destroying the largest remaining intact block of tropical
forest in the Asia Pacific region.
In 1997, her first year of practice, Kajir successfully defended a
precedent-setting appeal in the Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea, which
forced the logging industry to pay damages to indigenous land owners. Today,
Kajir is the chief executive officer of the Environmental Law Centre in Port
Moresby and is the lead attorney in a Supreme Court case aimed at stopping
foreign timber companies' large-scale, illegal deforestation practices,
often accompanied by threats of harm to local landholders who dare to
challenge them.
Timber historically is a corrupting force in the politics of Papua New
Guinea, whose government has long-standing, lucrative relationships with
timber interests. Although the country's constitution guarantees the land
rights of traditional communities living in the forest, the reality is far
different. Kajir has found evidence of widespread government corruption that
has allowed these companies to act as a law unto themselves, ignoring the
terms of the government-issued timber permits, and terrorizing the local
communities - at gunpoint in some cases - into signing over their land
rights.
Facing Great Personal Risks
Kajir has faced considerable personal risks in her nine years of posing
legal challenges. She has been physically attacked more than once, and
robbers forced their way into her home to steal her computer, which had
files on all her legal cases.
She continues to fight, building on her early legal success in representing
communities and landholder groups against the timber companies. A current
case alleges that the PNG Forest Authority, the state, and the lead logging
company, Rimbunan Hijau, repeatedly violated federal law by issuing and
using illegal logging permits in the forests of PNG's western Province. The
case includes evidence of logging company representatives refusing to get
informed consent and timber rights from landowners, and villagers' personal
accounts of extreme intimidation, including having to sign documents at
gunpoint and physical abuse and humiliation.
Industrial Logging Decimating Forests of Papua New Guinea
Since the 1980s, industrial logging has severely depleted and damaged PNG's
tropical forests. Malaysian companies dominate the business, led by Rimbunan
Hijau, a multinational timber conglomerate with logging operations in China,
Brazil, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, Vanuatu and
Papua New Guinea.
Forestry experts consider Rimbunan Hijau one of the most damaging and
irresponsible global logging companies. Besides controlling 80 percent of
logging in PNG, Rimbunan Hijau also owns one of the country's two national
newspapers. The current executive and legislative branches of the government
fully support the logging industry, and particularly Rimbunan Hijau.
The government's support has weakened landholder rights. In 2005, a new
forestry bill stripped language that had guaranteed consent of landowners as
a requirement for timber permits; it also removed the "NGO seat" on the
National Forest Board and replaced it with a seat for the timber industry.
Many NGOs and legal experts in PNG believe that the revised bill violates
protections and rights embedded in the country's constitution. In fact, PNG
is known for its pro-ecological constitution and sound environmental laws.

Dear Mr. Sahani,

   I understand your perspective and concern. We all must be extra concious while
planning our interventions, especially in the Nicobar groups.

   Here, I think, those who have a history of working in the islands and a
respectable perspective on the culture, should come forward to increase
awareness or support these organizations while charting their plans.

   A generic statement of the tribes taking all good care of their wards, perhaps
needs to be reviewed in context to Post-Tsunami. We are aware of families who
have adopted several kids of their kins who have been left orphans.

   They have received the benefit of the compensation packages etc but when we
have appreciated them for their broadmindedness, warmth etc and look beyond and
ddeper, we find that their bilogical child has access to school, but the adopted
ones don't.

   These are sporadic incidents, but call us to wake up from the 'ever
romanticising' mode towards the tribes and take stock of reailty- in its present
context.

   Children have strongly taken to substance abuse, for eg juveniles in Campbell
Bay have easy access to alcohol. Where are the law enforcement agencies who're
there to stop not only illegal sale of liquor et al...but also ensure the
protection of the child?

   A stock of UNCRC needs to be taken and the local situation in context to
children atleast reviewed.

   Regards
   Sharbendu

Ramesh Kumar Sahani <rameshrksahani@...> wrote:
   Dear Pankaj
   Since devastating Tsunami mostly group is receiving mail related to
development activities. I think it is too much for A& N Islands in respect to
its lesser population size and no. of few inhabitable Islands. Different
agencies were trying to involve themselves in their relted activities in
Islands, very much appreciable. Now, I think time come to review the whole
process and only need based assistance, but not development required.
Development activities badly required other parts of our country also.
The main problem of all the agencies related to developmental activities  were
that they are  generalizing the process, but will not fit  if we keep the
culture and geography i.e. region in mind.
But fortunately  UNICEF is stressing on the  issue of health, education and
nutrition. So it is good and very much suited for the community across the
ethnic or linguistic boundary.
    The word like " parents must show love and affection towards them (Children),
I think better to not mention here, who ever used it. Really, if we learn
something in this regard, better try to see the Nicobarese social relation
towards their all kins and kiths.So I feel here atleast we must become learner
rather than the teaching them something.
I will be very much thankful to you if you kindly give me email ID of UNICEF
representatives.
                                     yours


On Fri, 21 Apr 2006 Pankaj wrote :
>THE DAILY TELEGRAMS
>April 21, 2006
>
>2-day workshop on child protection begins
>Commitment for implementation of schemes concerning child development
>needed: MP
>Port Blair, April 20
>    Lot of efforts are needed to be taken in implementation of the various
>programmes of the Government in the field of child development. For this
>each and every individual should be mentally prepared to take up the
>protection of child rights for its successful implementation, said the
>Member of Parliament, Shri Manoranjan Bhakta, while inaugurating the two day
>workshop on child protection at Hotel Sentinel here this morning. The
>workshop is being organised jointly by UNICEF and the Directorate of Social
>Welfare of the Administration.
>    Expressing hope that the workshop will provide opportunity to the project
>implementing agents in child development to share their experience and
>views, the MP said that they must find out lacuna in the over all
>development of children. Children are the future citizens of our country and
>therefore they need to be brought up in a safe and healthy environment, so
>as to become responsible citizens, Shri Bhakta said.
>    Stressing the need for continuously organizing such workshops, the MP
>said, that this kind of workshop will apprise one and all, the measures need
>to be taken for child protection. Apart from schemes for children
>developments, volunteers of NGOs, officials of line Departments involve in
>child development and parents must show love and affection towards them,
>which will make them feel secure and safe, the MP said and lauded the
>efforts of UNICEF and other NGOs in helping the islands post tsunami.
>    The Commissioner-cum-Secretary (Social Welfare) Shri P K Gupta, while
>addressing the function, highlighted the significance of the workshop, which
>according to him, was very much relevant on children rights protection. He
>said that there was need for creating a safe and healthy economic and
>socio-cultural environment for better development of child.
>    Underlining the need for multi-pronged strategies to protects and improve
>the lots for children, Shri Gupta said that nutrition, health and education
>are the thrust areas, where trainings are need to be imparted to various
>social groups, agencies and parents and their involvement in the schemes.
>Administration, he said, is successfully implementing ICDS projects and
>other programmes related to child development in the islands. These include
>nutrition, immunization and education under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, he said,
>and wished the workshop success.
>    Shri Sony Kutty, Project Officer, Child Protection, UNICEF explained the
>objectives of the workshop. Shri Subhash Mishra, Prog. Coordinator, UNICEF,
>in his welcome address briefed about the significant aspects of the
>workshop. He said that although the primary focus is on children, there is
>need to focus on the improvement of health, education and sanitation of the
>people as well, which will lead towards the ultimate goal. The inaugural
>function concluded with the vote of thanks proposed by Shri R K Majhi,
>Superintendent (Juvenile).
>
>C/o Kalpavriksh
>Apt. 5, Sri Dutta Krupa,
>908 Deccan Gymkhana
>Pune 411004, India
>Tel: 020 - 25654239
>Web: www.kalpavriksh.org
>
>
>
>
>Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>


Ramesh Sahani
Asstt.Anthropologist(Physical)
Anthropological Survey of India
27, Jawaharlal Nehru Road
Kolkata-700016
Ph:091 33 22861781/33 (Office), 25931970 (Res.)


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



---------------------------------
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http://in.groups.yahoo.com/group/andamanicobar/

    To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
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---------------------------------
Talk is cheap. Use Yahoo! Messenger to make PC-to-Phone calls.  Great rates
starting at 1&cent;/min.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Dear Pankaj
   Since devastating Tsunami mostly group is receiving mail related to
development activities. I think it is too much for A& N Islands in respect to
its lesser population size and no. of few inhabitable Islands. Different
agencies were trying to involve themselves in their relted activities in
Islands, very much appreciable. Now, I think time come to review the whole
process and only need based assistance, but not development required.
Development activities badly required other parts of our country also.
The main problem of all the agencies related to developmental activities  were
that they are  generalizing the process, but will not fit  if we keep the
culture and geography i.e. region in mind.
But fortunately  UNICEF is stressing on the  issue of health, education and
nutrition. So it is good and very much suited for the community across the
ethnic or linguistic boundary.
    The word like " parents must show love and affection towards them (Children),
I think better to not mention here, who ever used it. Really, if we learn
something in this regard, better try to see the Nicobarese social relation
towards their all kins and kiths.So I feel here atleast we must become learner
rather than the teaching them something.
  I will be very much thankful to you if you kindly give me email ID of UNICEF
representatives.
                                     yours


On Fri, 21 Apr 2006 Pankaj wrote :
>THE DAILY TELEGRAMS
>April 21, 2006
>
>2-day workshop on child protection begins
>Commitment for implementation of schemes concerning child development
>needed: MP
>Port Blair, April 20
>    Lot of efforts are needed to be taken in implementation of the various
>programmes of the Government in the field of child development. For this
>each and every individual should be mentally prepared to take up the
>protection of child rights for its successful implementation, said the
>Member of Parliament, Shri Manoranjan Bhakta, while inaugurating the two day
>workshop on child protection at Hotel Sentinel here this morning. The
>workshop is being organised jointly by UNICEF and the Directorate of Social
>Welfare of the Administration.
>    Expressing hope that the workshop will provide opportunity to the project
>implementing agents in child development to share their experience and
>views, the MP said that they must find out lacuna in the over all
>development of children. Children are the future citizens of our country and
>therefore they need to be brought up in a safe and healthy environment, so
>as to become responsible citizens, Shri Bhakta said.
>    Stressing the need for continuously organizing such workshops, the MP
>said, that this kind of workshop will apprise one and all, the measures need
>to be taken for child protection. Apart from schemes for children
>developments, volunteers of NGOs, officials of line Departments involve in
>child development and parents must show love and affection towards them,
>which will make them feel secure and safe, the MP said and lauded the
>efforts of UNICEF and other NGOs in helping the islands post tsunami.
>    The Commissioner-cum-Secretary (Social Welfare) Shri P K Gupta, while
>addressing the function, highlighted the significance of the workshop, which
>according to him, was very much relevant on children rights protection. He
>said that there was need for creating a safe and healthy economic and
>socio-cultural environment for better development of child.
>    Underlining the need for multi-pronged strategies to protects and improve
>the lots for children, Shri Gupta said that nutrition, health and education
>are the thrust areas, where trainings are need to be imparted to various
>social groups, agencies and parents and their involvement in the schemes.
>Administration, he said, is successfully implementing ICDS projects and
>other programmes related to child development in the islands. These include
>nutrition, immunization and education under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, he said,
>and wished the workshop success.
>    Shri Sony Kutty, Project Officer, Child Protection, UNICEF explained the
>objectives of the workshop. Shri Subhash Mishra, Prog. Coordinator, UNICEF,
>in his welcome address briefed about the significant aspects of the
>workshop. He said that although the primary focus is on children, there is
>need to focus on the improvement of health, education and sanitation of the
>people as well, which will lead towards the ultimate goal. The inaugural
>function concluded with the vote of thanks proposed by Shri R K Majhi,
>Superintendent (Juvenile).
>
>C/o Kalpavriksh
>Apt. 5, Sri Dutta Krupa,
>908 Deccan Gymkhana
>Pune 411004, India
>Tel: 020 - 25654239
>Web: www.kalpavriksh.org
>
>
>
>
>Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>


Ramesh Sahani
Asstt.Anthropologist(Physical)
Anthropological Survey of India
27, Jawaharlal Nehru Road
Kolkata-700016
Ph:091 33 22861781/33 (Office), 25931970 (Res.)


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Dear All,
There is a very interesting series of maps at the following link that shows the
uplift and submergence that have taken place after the earthquake of December
2004

http://www.andaman.org/mapstsunami/4local/4local.htm#anda
pankaj

C/o Kalpavriksh
Apt. 5, Sri Dutta Krupa,
908 Deccan Gymkhana
Pune 411004, India
Tel: 020 - 25654239
Web: www.kalpavriksh.org


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

THE DAILY TELEGRAMS
April 21, 2006

2-day workshop on child protection begins
Commitment for implementation of schemes concerning child development
needed: MP
Port Blair, April 20
    Lot of efforts are needed to be taken in implementation of the various
programmes of the Government in the field of child development. For this
each and every individual should be mentally prepared to take up the
protection of child rights for its successful implementation, said the
Member of Parliament, Shri Manoranjan Bhakta, while inaugurating the two day
workshop on child protection at Hotel Sentinel here this morning. The
workshop is being organised jointly by UNICEF and the Directorate of Social
Welfare of the Administration.
    Expressing hope that the workshop will provide opportunity to the project
implementing agents in child development to share their experience and
views, the MP said that they must find out lacuna in the over all
development of children. Children are the future citizens of our country and
therefore they need to be brought up in a safe and healthy environment, so
as to become responsible citizens, Shri Bhakta said.
    Stressing the need for continuously organizing such workshops, the MP
said, that this kind of workshop will apprise one and all, the measures need
to be taken for child protection. Apart from schemes for children
developments, volunteers of NGOs, officials of line Departments involve in
child development and parents must show love and affection towards them,
which will make them feel secure and safe, the MP said and lauded the
efforts of UNICEF and other NGOs in helping the islands post tsunami.
    The Commissioner-cum-Secretary (Social Welfare) Shri P K Gupta, while
addressing the function, highlighted the significance of the workshop, which
according to him, was very much relevant on children rights protection. He
said that there was need for creating a safe and healthy economic and
socio-cultural environment for better development of child.
    Underlining the need for multi-pronged strategies to protects and improve
the lots for children, Shri Gupta said that nutrition, health and education
are the thrust areas, where trainings are need to be imparted to various
social groups, agencies and parents and their involvement in the schemes.
Administration, he said, is successfully implementing ICDS projects and
other programmes related to child development in the islands. These include
nutrition, immunization and education under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, he said,
and wished the workshop success.
    Shri Sony Kutty, Project Officer, Child Protection, UNICEF explained the
objectives of the workshop. Shri Subhash Mishra, Prog. Coordinator, UNICEF,
in his welcome address briefed about the significant aspects of the
workshop. He said that although the primary focus is on children, there is
need to focus on the improvement of health, education and sanitation of the
people as well, which will lead towards the ultimate goal. The inaugural
function concluded with the vote of thanks proposed by Shri R K Majhi,
Superintendent (Juvenile).

C/o Kalpavriksh
Apt. 5, Sri Dutta Krupa,
908 Deccan Gymkhana
Pune 411004, India
Tel: 020 - 25654239
Web: www.kalpavriksh.org

From: <smallislandsvoice@...>
Sent: Tuesday, April 18, 2006 8:30 PM
Subject: [SIV Global:] What are the prospects for sensible development?


>                      SMALL ISLANDS VOICE
>
>                 Do you live in a small island?
>                    Tell us what you think.
>
> ***************************************************************************
>
> The issues raised in this discussion have been at the forefront of the
> Caribbean development dialogue for some years now, writes Athie Martin
> from
> Dominica. In some cases, the dialogue about the management of waste has
> led to
> initiatives in coastal zone management (Barbados), solid waste management
> (Grenada, St. Lucia, Dominica) and sewage management (Dominica). In many
> cases
> the response has been inadequate and inappropriate, leaving these small
> islands even more vulnerable to the impact of waste on our natural
> environment. And the prospects for development that is sensible and
> sustainable have been reduced.
>
> In the case of coastal zone management, the power of the tourism industry
> coupled with the absence of proper planning, has intensified the effects
> of
> sea level rise and natural disasters on important coastal fisheries as
> well as
> coastal settlements.
>
> Included here are effects of inadequate septic tank and soakaway
> facilities
> for businesses as well as households; the inappropriate disposal of used
> engine oils; the indiscriminate dumping of solid waste along the coastal
> cliffs; the continued use of agricultural chemicals and their runoff into
> streams and coastal waters; inappropriate arrangements for the anchoring
> of
> pleasure craft etc.
>
> The recent construction of new solid waste disposal facilities in several
> Caribbean islands to allow cruise ships to dispose of their garbage in
> these
> islands is a new twist to the problem, as the number of visitors far
> exceeds
> the resident population. In the case of Dominica, the resident population
> is
> 70,000, while the annual number of cruise visitors is 300,000. Added to
> this
> is the fact that the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association helped arrange
> the
> loan for these new facilities from the World Bank, an institution that
> promotes sustainable development. Now the importation of cruise ship
> garbage
> is a component of our trade.
>
> Less than five years ago, the Canadian Government and the Kuwaiti Fund
> financed the construction of a sewage treatment plant in Dominica, which
> is
> not a treatment plant at all. The plant, located at the mouth of a river
> in
> the centre of our capital, Roseau, simply removes paper and other solids
> from
> our sewage and lets the raw sewage out into the coastal waters 200 m
> offshore.
> Instead of having nine small outfalls, we now have all the sewage from the
> main population centre (almost half the population of the island) being
> released from one large outfall into the coastal waters where our people
> bathe
> and the visitors snorkel and scuba dive, and where whales live and breed.
>
> The tragedy is that all attempts by local environmental organizations and
> other interested parties to get the Canadian government officials and the
> consultants to build a tertiary or higher level treatment plant failed. We
> were told that the waters offshore were sufficiently deep and the currents
> would disperse the sewage to the point where it was not a hazard. Does
> this
> sound familiar to the plight of the Haida Nation in the Queen Charlotte
> Islands?
>
> The pain for us is that Dominica has been promoting itself as the Nature
> Island of the Caribbean where land and marine ecosystems are in very good
> condition. The design and construction of such a facility by a government
> that
> prides itself on protecting the environment is a shame.
>
> The other concern is that governments and the international financial
> agencies
> are now partners in ignoring the principles of sustainable development so
> well
> established in the international agreements that our countries have
> acceded
> to: Agenda 21, the Plan of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small
> Island Developing States, the Framework Convention on Climate Change and
> others.
>
> It seems very important that civil society and community based
> organizations
> take on the responsibility for protecting and managing our vital
> resources.
>
> http://babelfish.altavista.com/tr allows for translation into other
> languages.
> For those who prefer, you may respond to this forum in Español, Français
> or
> Português.
>
> Title:   What are the prospects for sensible development?
> Author:  Athie Martin
> Date:    Tuesday, 18 April 2006
>
> ***************************************************************************
>
> Please send your comments to <mailto:smallislandsvoice@...>
>
> To see all the messages in this global forum, visit
> <http://www.sivglobal.org/>
>
> To find out more about Small Islands Voice, go to
> <http://www.smallislandsvoice.org/>
>
> If you wish to be removed from the mailing list, please email to
> <mailto:smallislandsvoice@...>
>

THE DAILY TELEGRAMS
April 19, 2006
CASA signs MoU with A&N Administration
To construct 572 Permanent Shelters in Carnic
Port Blair, April 18
    Church's Auxiliary For Social Action (CASA) has offered to take up
construction of 572 Permanent Shelters in Car Nicobar. Out of these 240
units would be constructed in Malacca village while the remaining 332 would
be constructed in Tamaloo village.
    A Memorandum of Understanding to this effect has been signed between CASA
and the A&N Administration on Tuesday in the chamber of Shri. Dharam Pal,
Commissioner-cum-Secretary (R&R). Shri. T.L.N. Reddy, Suptd. Engineer
(APWD), Shri. Jitendralal Shah, Executive Engineer, APWD, Car Nicobar and
Shri. Billy K. Graham, Project Coordinator were present on the occasion.
    CASA had initially committed to take up construction of 1000 Permanent
Shelters in Car Nicobar and 200 Permanent Shelters at Bambooflat in South
Andamans as per the design and the material approved by the Tribal Council.
However, following the Government's decision about the uniformity in design
and materials to be adopted by the NGOs for construction of permanent
shelters to be built in the islands and the relative cost implications, CASA
has now decided to take up construction of only 572 permanent shelters.
    CASA will, however, continue to lobby with the Government to bring about
changes in the Housing Policy so that the hopes and aspirations of the
people of Car Nicobar are given due cognizance.
    In addition to the permanent shelters, CASA has taken up construction of
seven schools in Nancowry group of islands.
    CASA will also construct two more schools in the Andaman District.
Construction of Multipurpose Disaster Shelters, Birth & Death Houses, Panam
Hinengo in Car Nicobar are also in the pipeline besides taking up of long
term sustainable Disaster Mitigation Programmes. CASA has provided 59 boats
to the beneficiaries under the Rajiv Gandhi Rehabilitation Package in
collaboration with the Directorate of Fisheries, A&N Administration and in
addition 25 boats were distributed to Cooperative Groups in Wandoor area.

Dear Friends,
I had sent a mail a few weeks ago saying that we have some copies of the Andaman
and Nicobar Gazetteer and to let us know if anyone is interested in procuring
one. The last of a few copies are with us and if there is anyone who is still
interested, they are still available. Please do let me know at the earliest.
pankaj

C/o Kalpavriksh
Apt. 5, Sri Dutta Krupa,
908 Deccan Gymkhana
Pune 411004, India
Tel: 020 - 25654239
Web: www.kalpavriksh.org


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

MAP News, 169th Ed., 2 of 2, 4-17-06 Edited.See especially item on ecotourism
and Andamans--MM


MAP News, 169th Edition, Part 2 of 2, 4-17-06


S. ASIA

India
Steps taken to protect Bhitarkanika wildlife from heat
wave
Take Action to Save Bhitarakanika!!
A DIRTY WORK TO CLEAN MANGROVES

LATIN AMERICA

Brazil
Super-port to be constructed in world's largest mangrove area
King Sugar Threatens The Mangroves In Brazil
Mega-shrimp project in Bahia suspended

Ecuador
Ecuador: Shrimp farming impacts on a mangrove reserve

Mexico
Natural Gas Development Threatens Migratory Waterbirds and Local Communities at
Laguna de Cuyutlan

The Caribbean

The Bahamas
ENVIRONMENTAL COALITION DETERMINED TO SAVE BIMINI AND GUANA CAY FROM DESTRUCTIVE
GOLF RESORTS
Letter of Protest Against Government Collusion In Bimini Loss

N. AMERICA

USA
***ACTION ALERT!!!***
Oppose efforts to open Florida's gulf coast to destructive drilling!

STORIES/ISSUES
Massive wetlands restoration key to slashing future threats of bird flu - UN
report
Restoring Wetlands Key to Curbing Bird Flu - Report
Donations Of Badly Constructed Boats For Tsunami Relief Noted
all indicators of the diversity of life on Earth are increasingly negative
India reports on the Eighth Conference of Parties of the Convention on
Biological Diversity

ANNOUNCEMENTS
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION ON MANGROVES
OF INDIAN AND WESTERN PACIFIC OCEANS --21-24 August 2006
Strategies, and Stakeholders, April, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China

AQUACULTURE CORNER
Massive escape of Marlborough Sounds farm salmon (New Zealand)
Aquaculture keeps poor countries hungry
Krill Fishery Ban Set In Place


=========================================




S. ASIA

India

Steps taken to protect Bhitarkanika wildlife from heat
wave

Rajesh Behera/Kendrapara

Anticipating A bad summer and accompanying humidity
ahead, the Forest Department has taken elaborate steps
to protect the wildlife in Bhitarkanika. Special care
has been taken to protect the penned estuarine
crocodiles, including an albino 'Gori' as water in
small ponds, where these reptiles have been kept,
quickly evaporates during summer.

The department will renovate the ponds in which the
albino Gori has been staying since its birth as silt
developed in the pond over the last couple of years.
The officials will also remove the weeds from these
ponds. Similarly, another pond, where salt water
crocodiles are living, will be renovated as during
summer water level here will substantially drop.

About 50 baby crocodiles, which were staying in the
crocodile breeding and research centre at Dangamala
within the park areas are being taken care of by the
authorities to save the baby reptiles from scorching
heat.

It may be noted that reptile hatchlings are more
susceptible to heat waves. Wet curtains will be hung
on all sides of their iron barricades to help baby
salt water crocodiles to withstand heat, forest
officials of Bhitarakanika National Park said.

Forest guards will spray enclosures of pythons and
black-cobras with water. "We are making all
arrangements to ensure that the heat wave does not
cause any casualty this year too," said an official.

Bhitarakanika's mangrove forest is the abode of about
5,000 endangered spotted deer and about 1,200 wild
boars. In summer many deer and wild boars venture out
from the park areas to nearby ponds and other water
bodies to quench their thirst as the hoofed animals
could not get sufficient sweet water to drink in the
forest.

Summer is the paradise for poachers who kill deer and
wild boars by laying traps near the ponds of villages
where these animals come to drink.

However, this year the forest officials are renovating
at least 10 ponds in the Bhitarkanika National Park to
provide sufficient water to reptiles and the hoofed
animals. Ditches will be dug at Chandibaunsamula and
nearby villages under Bhitarkanika National Park to
provide water to spotted deer and other animals. As
every year during summer fire breaks out in the park,
the forest department has carved out two teams
equipped with fire extinguishing instruments.

From: chittaranjan das chittaranjan100@...

From: chittaranjan das chittaranjan100@...

===========================================


Take Action to Save Bhitarakanika!!

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Bhitarkanika: Port threatens olive Ridley turtle nesting grounds
Orissa,February 2001


Bhitarkanika is a site of global conservation significance, as a mass nesting
ground for the endangered olive Ridley turtle. In recent years, as many as
250,000 turtles have been known to nest at the Gahirmatha beach during one
season, making it the world's largest rookery for olive Ridleys. The Dhamra port
poses a serious threat to these nesting turtles. The increase in shipping
traffic would devastate the offshore turtle congregations and the increased
illumination in the night would disorient turtle hatchlings and prevent them
from finding their way to the sea after they hatch. Adults also rely on light
cues for directional orientation.__Recent studies have shown aggregations of
nesting turtles 6 km. offshore and 12 km. south of Gahirmatha. This is probably
just a small fraction of the total population and there will be other
aggregations both south and north of Gahirmatha. The presence or absence of
these must be confirmed before large scale maritime traffic is allowed to trash
the area.__The Environment Impact Assessment report conducted for the project
has neglected these aspects. And since the assessment was undertaken in the
month of August - not the breeding season - it is difficult to understand how it
could reflect the true ecological value of the area.__The project is reported to
be worth Rs. 1,200 crore and is being promoted by International Seaports Ltd. of
Singapore, with the participation of ICICI and Larsen and Toubro. The port will
be an all-weather, deep water, modern bulk terminal port, occupying 900 acres
with a total shipping berth of 500 m. Other land development associated with the
project will occupy another 3000 acres, all within the proposed park extension.
__Under the Coastal Regulation Zone Rules no formal clearance is required for
the expansion of an existing port or harbour. The Orissa State Government has
used this legal loophole, claiming that a port existed at Dhamra in the 19th and
early part of the 20th centuries! On this basis, the Ministry of Surface
Transport granted clearance for the project in January 2000.__When the
Bhitarkanika National Park was constituted in 1988, it covered 367 sq. km.
However, this was reduced to 145 sq. km. in the final notification in September
1998, excluding ecologically important areas such as the site of the proposed
Dhamra port. Not surprisingly, this was soon after the state government had
entered into the Dhamra construction contract with International Seaports
Ltd.__In recent months, the Orissa Government, with NGOs such as the Wildlife
Protection Society of India and the Wildlife Society of Orissa have put in
commendable effort to protect the turtles. Such action is in the national
interest and any steps to destroy this natural heritage must be thwarted.
__Since the presence of olive Ridleys in the waters off the port site is not
disputed, the next step must be the cancellation of plans to construct this port
at Dhamra. And if better sense does not prevail, perhaps the next step must be
both, an international campaign against the project and preparation to find
redress from the Supreme Court.__To ask that the Dhamra project be dropped Write
a letter.



To:_The Secretary, _Ministry of Environment and Forests, _Paryavaran Bhavan, CGO
Complex, _Lodhi Road, New Delhi - 110 003.
Chief Minister of Orissa, Secretariat,_Bhubaneshwar, Orissa.
The Managing Director,_International Seaports Ltd. of Singapore,_Mount
Poonamallee Road, Manapakkam, _P.O. Box 979, Chennai - 600 089.
The Chairman, _ICICI, ICICI Towers, _Bandra Kurla Complex, _Mumbai 400 051.
Dear Sir,
Gahirmata is the world's largest rookery for olive Ridley turtles. The 1,200
crore Dhamra port promoted by International Seaports Ltd., Singapore, with the
participation of ICICI and Larsen and Toubro, poses a serious threat to these
nesting turtles. The envisaged all-weather, deep water, modern bulk terminal
port, would occupy 900 acres with a total shipping berth of 500 m. Other land
development associated with the project will occupy another 3000 acres, all
within the proposed park extension.
Increased shipping traffic would devastate the offshore turtle congregations and
the increased illumination in the night would disorient turtle hatchlings trying
to find their way to the sea.
The Environment Impact Assessment report conducted for the project has neglected
these aspects. And since the assessment was undertaken in the month of August -
not the breeding season - it is difficult to understand how it could reflect the
true ecological value of the area.__Since the presence of olive Ridleys in the
waters off the port site is not disputed, I request you to ensure that the
decision to construct the port is revoked with immediate effect.
Yours sincerely,
From: "Bittu Sahgal" bittusahgal@...
===========================================

A DIRTY WORK TO CLEAN MANGROVES

               In the early morning of 23.3.2006, I started my motorbike at
Pattukkottai to move to Muthupet Forest Department office.  Feeling the little
bit cold environment, I accelerated my bike on the unmanned road that awaited
the sun raise.  After reaching the Pettai village which is located close to the
Muthupet Mangrove Reserve Forest, I talked with a forest ranger, who arranged
the boat for our trip. Our team, which included 9 volunteers and 3 staff of
OMCAR, had been waiting for the boat and myself.

Background and Mission of the Expedition:

          This natural paradise is the best place to find peace and is a weekend
escape for local tourists.  The Forest Department has constructed a boardwalk to
walk through the mangroves without disturbing them, which is a first for Indian
mangroves.  Wooden shelters at the Chief's Corner, Mullimunai and Rettai Vaikkal
are wonderful places to relax with the natural beauty of this fragile ecosystem.

          In recent years, increasing numbers of tourists talk about the
attraction of this placid beautiful environment.  But, the tourism has its own
effects not because of actual tourism, but because of the carelessness of
tourists.  They throw plastics and bottles, which are concentrated, densely
around the resting shelters of the above three locations.

          Our mission was to clean those three places to make them free from
plastics, bottles and damaged fishing nets.  The school students who just
finished their final exams the previous day, had joined this mission.

Chief Corner

          After 55 minutes of boat journey through Korai river creek, we reached
our first target: Chief's Corner.  As decided before, two of our members walked
quickly on the boardwalk to identify the location of trash.  With gloves and big
bags, the remaining team started to collect whatever litter is found at the
site, while two members collect the bottles inside the dense bushes of mangrove
associated plants and under the floor of the forest shelter and along the board
walk.  With 2 bags full of garbage, we moved towards the second place.

  Mullimunai

This is the central place for tourists who can enjoy viewing a vast lagoon and
mangroves.  We continue our mission under the burning hot sun and salty wind. 
When we arrived, it seemed to be a small place when compared to Chief's Corner,
but we found two times more garbage in this small area, which has been hiding
under the bushes.  Hundreds of broken bottles, drinking water pockets, plastic
wrappers and carry bags were collected.  A few of our volunteers were totally
exhausted by the heat, while few others were injured on the arms while searching
for plastics through thorny bushes. Four bags full of garbage were collected,
and this place shines again, showing its natural beauty.  After a short break
with oranges and lemon we rose all refreshed and feeling better to move to the
next place.  The time has already passed 1pm.

Rettai Vaikkal

             As the shelter is newly constructed here, the garbage is reduced to
one bag in Rettai Vaikkal, but we could see a large amount of fishing nets
thrown away by fishermen.  The clogged nets between mangroves have been catching
the wild crabs and fishes, (The thrown nets inside the sea will catch
continuously fishes, turtles, and dolphins for several years, but no one will
collect the fish.  (This is called in marine biology "Ghost Fishing").  So, we
removed some mud crabs from the clogged nets but we could not push the large
mass of fishing nets inside our bags so the nets were directly transported onto
the boat deck.

               Though the hot sun burned our skin, especially our German
volunteer Miss. Jule Appelt we have successfully completed the mission "Clean
Mangroves".  The garbage was then transported out of the forest through boat and
a tempo van.  We finally disposed of it in the Municipal garbage place of
Muthupet town.

A notable point was our rental boat driver did not know about our mission, who
after realizing actively participated throughout the programme.

It may be a small work, which is unknown to each person who has thrown at least
a water pocket inside mangroves but OMCAR volunteer team plans to clean those
places, in  6 months - when the outside world doesn't know what is happening to
a volunteer student's hand while picking up a broken bottles, inside the dense
bushes of fragile mangroves.
23.3.2006
MUTHUPET MANGROVE RESERVE FOREST

V.BALAJI
Director
Organization for Marine Conservation, Research and Awareness (OMCAR)
Tamil Nadu, INDIA
<http://www.omcar.org/>www.omcar.org

  STORIES/ISSUES

Massive wetlands restoration key to slashing future threats of bird flu - UN
report

1 April 2006 - Restoring tens of thousands of lost and degraded wetlands around
the world could go a long way towards reducing the threat of bird flu pandemics
by keeping disease-carrying wild birds away from infecting domestic poultry,
according to a United Nations report released today.
"What this research underlines is that the link between a healthy environment
and disease prevention is no marginal topic, but an important component in
public health policy particularly in a globalized world," UN Environment
Programme (UNEP) Deputy Executive Director Shafqat Kakakhel said.
The report, commissioned by UNEP from a team led by Canadian academic David
Rapport, recommends that governments, the UN and public health experts back
environmental measures to counter the spread of diseases like the H5N1 bird flu
virus over the medium and long term.
The loss of wetlands is forcing many wild birds onto alternative sites like farm
ponds and paddy fields, bringing them into direct contact with chickens, ducks,
geese, and other domesticated fowl - believed to be a major cause behind the
spread of bird flu out of South and Eastern Asia to the Middle East, Africa and
Europe.
Clearing intensive poultry rearing units from the 'flyways' of migratory birds
would also be prudent, the report said.
More than 200 million domestic birds have died from the virus or through culling
in the current outbreak that began over two years ago. There have been 192 human
cases, 109 of them fatal, ascribed to contact with infected birds, but experts
fear H5N1 could mutate, gaining the ability to pass from person to person and in
a worst case scenario unleashing a deadly human pandemic.
The report focuses on environmental factors underpinning the re-emergence of old
diseases and likely to be triggering the rise of new ones like H5N1.
Its preliminary findings, announced at a scientific seminar on avian influenza
taking place at UNEP's headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, concludes that current
"heroic efforts" focusing on "isolation, quarantine, culls and medications" are
likely to be quick fixes offering limited short term benefits.
Other possibly more controversial suggestions, aimed at reducing contact between
wild birds and poultry, include shifting livestock production away from humans
and other mammals such as pigs. The report accepts that in some parts of the
world, like South East Asia, separating poultry from people is at odds with
generational cultural traditions and practices.
"As unpalatable as this may be, where it is clearly in the interest of
preventing future pandemics with potentially catastrophic global effects, it can
and should be undertaken," said Mr. Rapport, Honorary Professor of the Ecoystem
Health Programme, Faculty of Medicine, University of Western Ontario.
Mr. Kakakhel said there were numerous pressing reasons for conserving and
restoring degraded ecosystems like wetlands, whose services to humankind are
vital, including the natural storage of natural water, filtering pollution and
absorbing floods.
"Their ability to disperse and keep wild birds away from domestic ones is now
yet another compelling argument for conserving and rehabilitating them," he
added.

From: icsf@...

===========================================

Restoring Wetlands Key to Curbing Bird Flu - Report

Mail this story to a friend | Printer friendly version

KENYA: April 12, 2006


NAIROBI - Restoring wetlands and clearing poultry farms from migratory flyways
could help curb the spread of bird flu by stopping wild birds from mixing with
domestic fowl, a UN-commissioned report said on Tuesday.


The clearance of wetlands due to drainage for agriculture or hydroelectric
projects is forcing some wild birds on to alternative sites such as farm ponds
and paddy fields, bringing them into direct contact with domestic poultry, the
report said.
This increases the spread of the virus, which has jumped from Asia to Europe,
the Middle East and Africa.
"There's a contraction for the habitat for wild birds and a natural situation
arising which promotes the inter-mixing of wild birds and domestic poultry,"
said David Rapport, a Canadian professor and lead author of the report.
"So should a pathogen arise in domestic poultry, it becomes more likely to be
spread into wild birds... because the health of those ecosystems has been
compromised," he told a news conference in Nairobi.
Wild birds are believed to have played a role in the spread of the H5N1 virus
into more than 45 countries.
Bird flu can infect people who come into close contact with infected poultry.
Since 2003, more than 100 people have died after being infected with the virus,
most of them in Asia.
Scientists fear the disease could mutate into a form that could pass easily
between humans, causing a pandemic in which millions could die.
The report, presented at a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) seminar
on bird flu, called for poultry and people to be kept apart, even though it
acknowledged such plans would meet resistance in some parts of the world.
In Asia and Africa, people often live alongside their chickens and other
domestic animals.
"As unpalatable as this may be, where it is clearly in the interest of
preventing future pandemics with potentially catastrophic global effects, it can
and should be undertaken," said Rapport, who is from the University of Western
Ontario.
Experts, who met at the UNEP bird flu seminar in the Kenyan capital, said that
all countries needed to undertake risk assessment and that national veterinary
services should meet certain minimum standards.
The experts also highlighted the need to compensate poor farmers for culling
poultry.
Weak veterinary services, few hospitals, lack of health education, poor
communications and the prevalence of a host of other deadly diseases all
mitigate against rapid detection of any cases of bird flu in Africa, the world's
poorest continent.
Egypt said on Tuesday that an 18-year-old woman had been infected with the
virus, the 12th human case in the country. Egyptian officials say the virus has
killed three people.

Story by Marie-Louise Gumuchian


REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=35975

From: erikschnabel@...

=========================================

Donations Of Badly Constructed Boats For Tsunami Relief Noted

From Seafood.com News

The FAO says that inexperienced NGO's hiring inexperienced boat builders has
resulted in many substandard and non-seaworthy boats being built for tsunami
relief. The agency says that a substantial portion of these boats will not last
more than two years, and that by then the NGO's will be gone, and fishermen will
be unable to pay to replace their boats.

From: "Elaine Corets" <manglar@...>

===================================

<http://www.physorg.com/news11960.html>Earth's diversity is diminishing, says
CBD report

The Convention on Biological Diversity, meeting in Brazil, says virtually all
indicators of the diversity of life on Earth are increasingly negative.

The UN organization commits governments to slow the decline in the planet's
living systems by 2010. But the convention's Global Biodiversity Outlook
released this week says "unprecedented efforts" will be needed to achieve that
aim, the BBC reported Tuesday.

The report notes Earth's fish are being harvested faster than their natural
replacement rate, water is being withdrawn faster than aquifers are replenished,
and the biosphere takes one year and nearly three months to renew what humanity
exploits in one year.

Other indicators, the GBO says, point to an accelerating decline, that has seen
the rates of species extinctions surge to their highest levels since the demise
of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago.

Environmental officials and ministers from more than 180 nations are meeting in
the Brazilian city of Curitiba during the next two weeks to discuss the report.

Source: <http://www.physorg.com/news11960.html>UPI

From icsf@...
==============================

Islands biological diversity- Time to rethink tourism
From Curitiba, in Brazil, Syed Liyakath, EQUATIONS,
India reports on the Eighth Conference of Parties of the Convention on
Biological Diversity
Background
At the seventh Conference of Parties, it was decided to consider island
biodiversity as a new issue for in-depth consideration at this (eighth) meeting
(decision VII/31). As a result of this decision, an ad hoc technical expert
group was convened in the Canary Islands, from 13 to 17 December 2004. The
expert group prepared a draft program of work and submitted it to the Subsidiary
Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) at its tenth
meeting as one of its main items for discussion, wherein SBSTTA adopted its
recommendation.
The recommendation under 'indicative list of supporting actions for parties for
the implementation of the program of work on island biodiversity' has identified
tourism as a key area under goal 5 & priority action 5.5 & 6.1; it suggests:
. Promotion of sites with potential for 'added-value' tourism
. Support pilot tourism projects that favor local biodiversity conservation
. Promoting 'non-consumptive' (!) ecotourism
A critique/analysis
A careful reading of the above 3 aspects of the recommendations shows that they
more or less suggest the same approach and thrust is on such forms of tourism
development as ecotourism.
Firstly, it is not clear what 'added-value' tourism is. However, ecotourism has
been the value addition to the tourism industry - thanks to international year
of ecotourism 2002 which has enabled the tourism industry to green-wash all its
operations -- with little change in its character but definitely more areas for
its operations! Islands would have therefore been a 'natural' choice. The
recommendations by suggesting pilot projects have only implied new areas for
tourism development. Ecotourism has been labeled as non-consumptive. But it has
been shown that ecotourism is not non-consumptive. No matter how low volume or
low infrastructure, ecotourism will have an impact on biodiversity and
ecosystems.
As an afterthought, like almost echoing the much maligned calls on tourism
impacts, it has suggested that an understanding needs to be developed on how
biodiversity is affected by pressures of economic activities like tourism that
are intensified in small islands (priority action 6.1). It has also suggested
under 8.1 to develop alternatives to prevent loss of habitats and
overexploitation of natural resources driven by inter alia tourism.
The recommendations indicate taking into consideration CBD tourism guidelines.
It must be noted: the tourism guidelines were adopted despite fervent requests
of indigenous groups. Tourism development has only raised their anxieties as
they find it difficult to deal with the way in which tourism has targeted,
commoditized and exploited lands inhabited by indigenous peoples. The
preparation process of the guidelines lacked meaningful participation of
indigenous peoples. Analysis of the guidelines also shows that the impact
assessment processes has been very much diluted. There are inconsistencies with
the guidelines and the Akwe:Kon Guidelines.
The International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity, an advisory body to CBD, has
strongly objected to lack of full and effective participation of indigenous &
local communities (ILCs) in the program of work in island biodiversity and has
demanded application of the precautionary principle for tourism in islands. The
precautionary principle states that where there is a threat of significant
reduction or loss of biological diversity, lack of full scientific certainty
should not be used as a reason for postponing measures to avoid or minimize such
a threat.
The Andaman & Nicobar Islands of Indian Ocean are being targeted for large scale
tourism development plans, which will prove disastrous to their fragile
ecosystems and endemic, endangered biodiversity. The Govt. of India has so far
not made a single comment on protecting biodiversity of its islands. It seems
they are tacitly agreeing to imperil island biodiversity by allowing such
consumptive activities like tourism.
The current form of tourism development envisaged for the Islands is
unsustainable because it seeks to lower the threshold of the coastal development
prohibition zone from 200m to 50m behind the HTL in areas scheduled for tourism
development; de-reserving forest lands in similar areas. This is against the
order of the Supreme Court in 2002 which has directed that tourism should be low
impact and sensitive to the ecological context of the Islands.
As per the recommendations of tourism master plans, like the Ministry of Tourism
(GoI) -WTO - UNDP, simplification of procedures for entry into forests or
protected areas is reflected in the working plans of the Dept. of Environment &
Forests that has identified about 40 islands for 'ecotourism' development.
In the presence of numerous master plans and development notes, there is concern
about why so many in the first place, and secondly why the tourism vision has
only identified the UNDP-WTO master plan prepared in 1996 as the guideline for
tourism development. Has this been done on the basis of scientific analysis and
participatory processes is an area of serious concern. The apathy of the
Administration is evident from the fact that such a statement has been included
in the tourism vision for the Islands. Probably there is no instance so far of a
government policy directive openly stating that a non-government agency's
recommendation has been made the basis of its action: that too regarding the
implementation of a resource intensive industry, with a proven track record of
colossal environmental impacts, in a sensitive and vulnerable ecosystem like
Andaman Islands.
Whether the concerns raised by indigenous and local communities will be taken on
board will be reported here later, when discussions of conference room papers
take place. (CRP: are final draft documents incorporating all interventions on
drafts discussed in working groups. These are usually taken up other matters
towards end of the conference)
For detailed document, refer CBD website:
http://www.biodiv.org/doc/meetings/cop/cop-08/official/cop-08-13-en.doc
From Ranjan Solomon--ECOT office@...

================================

http://www.icsf.net/jsp/english/externalnews/newsDetails.jsp?id=27213

Joint NGO statement at CBD calls for participatory processes that involve
indigenous/local communities

A joint statement by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) at the ongoing 8th
meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 8) to the Convention on Biological
Diversity (CBD) in Curitiba, Brazil has urged Parties to adopt participatory
processes that fully and meaningfully involve indigenous/local communities and
NGOs.

The Joint NGO Statement on Protected Areas expresses alarm at the fact that in
many countries, indigenous peoples and local communities continue to face
dispossession by protected areas.

Such a trend is exacerbated by the widespread privatization of protected areas
over which indigenous and local communities have customary or traditional
rights, it adds.

The statement calls for steps to ensure that protected areas meet the
socioeconomic and equity needs of indigenous peoples and local communities.

It urged the Parties to the CBD to adopt specific reporting on how protected
areas are meeting the socioeconomic and equity needs of indigenous peoples and
local communities, in line with decisions taken at COP 7, Kuala Lumpur, 2004,
which stress poverty alleviation, and in accordance with the Millennium
Development Goals.

The statement was signed by several NGOs, including the International Collective
in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF).

The full text of the statement follows:

ONLY FOUR YEARS LEFT TO 2010!

JOINT NGO STATEMENT ON PROTECTED AREAS
COP8, Curitiba, Brazil, 23 March, 2006

As Parties to the CBD, you did yourselves proud by framing a historic Programme
of Work on Protected Areas. Civil society across the world saw this as a
potentially powerful tool to meet the global goals of halting biodiversity loss
on land by 2010, and at sea by 2012.

We acknowledge the progress made in implementing the Programme of Work. Several
countries, NGOs, and indigenous/local community organizations have achieved
considerable success on many fronts. We also acknowledge the work done by the
Expert group on Protected Areas, just before COP8, to design a more specific
Evaluation Matrix.

However, we are concerned that in general, progress with implementation of this
Programme of Work appears to be painfully slow. Our concern is both on
substantive and procedural matters.

On substance, we flag the following key issues:

1.      The world's biodiversity continues to face threats from unsustainable
land and water use activities, including inside many protected areas. In
particular, we are alarmed at the continuing spread of commercial plantations
and monocultures, unregulated commercial fisheries, extractive industries,
illegal and unsustainable logging and related trade, uncontrolled tourism, and
in general the still-unsustainable patterns of 'development' and consumption.
There is little sign of governments moving towards meeting the target laid out
in Activity 1.5.5 of the Programme of Work.

2.      In particular, we would highlight the need for urgent action to
safeguard relatively large intact forests from illegal and unsustainable logging
and extractive industry, and deep-sea biodiversity from the impacts of high-seas
bottom-trawling and industrial fishing. A representative network of protected
areas of such ecosystems is urgently needed.

3.  Very few countries appear to be moving towards the larger landscape- and
seascape-level planning that is required under Activity 1.2.2, as protected area
management remains an isolated, usually very weak, part of the overall
decision-making apparatus of government.

4.     Issues of governance, equity, and participation, as laid out in
Activities 2.1.2, 2.2.1, 2.2.2, and 2.2.3, remain weakly developed in most
countries. The paradigm shift that the Programme of Work represented, in terms
of democratizing protected area design and management, is yet to find a place in
the relevant legislation of most countries. On the contrary, in many countries
indigenous peoples and local communities continue to face dispossession by
protected areas. Local people still pay heavy costs, while the tourism industry
and global society receives substantial benefits. This trend is exacerbated by
the widespread privatization of protected areas over which indigenous and local
communities have customary or traditional rights.

5. In particular, very few countries have moved to recognize indigenous and
community conserved areas, though the Programme of Work explicitly requires
this.

Equally of concern are problems of process. In particular, we flag the
following:

1.   Most countries do not seem to have thought it important enough to report
back on their national-level progress, with only 15 having responded to the
Secretariat's questionnaire, and 50 having provided some information in their
National Reports. We note that the lack of financial and other implementation
support from donor countries is also a factor in this.

2.       The failure to provide funding to hold the second meeting of the Ad Hoc
Working Group on PAs (AHWGPA), scheduled for late 2005, is indicative of the
lack of interest shown in this Programme of Work.

3.        In general, funding commitments remain woefully inadequate.

Given the above concerns, we urge parties to the CBD to commit to:

·  Rescheduling, well within 2006, the aborted 2nd meeting of the Ad Hoc Working
Group on PAs; and making Element 2 a major focus at this meeting;

·        Adopting an Evaluation Matrix that requires very specific reporting on
progress of implementation, including in it the question of how protected areas
are meeting the socioeconomic and equity needs of indigenous peoples and local
communities (also in line with the Elaborated Programme of Work On Marine and
Coastal Biological Diversity, under Decision VII/5 (COP7, Kuala Lumpur, 2004),
that stresses that this programme of work aims to make a direct contribution to
poverty alleviation, in accordance with the Millennium Development Goals).
Specific revisions of the draft Evaluation Matrix are appended to this
statement.

·        Preparing, through participatory processes that fully and meaningfully
involve indigenous/local communities and NGOs, their national reports on
progress of implementation of the PA POW, especially with regard to the 2006
activity targets; and sending these reports to the Secretariat before the 2nd
meeting of the AHWGPA.

·      Finishing full transparent and participatory reviews on key measures
needed to comply with the Programme of Work, and initiating substantive actions
on each of these measures.

·        Exchanging key lessons from successes and failures in achieving the
various targets of the PA POW, bilaterally and through the CBD mechanisms.

The donor community too needs to realize that a renewed focus on protected
areas, using the paradigm of the CBD PA POW, would help address not only
conservation but also livelihood, poverty and sustainability issues. The PA POW
needs political commitment, skills and capacity, but it also needs funds, which
are currently sorely lacking.

In turn, we in civil society commit to taking the actions we can, to help
implement the Programme of Work.

We thank you for your attention.

[Delivered by Ashish Kothari, Kalpavriksh, on behalf of the undersigned
alphabetically listed NGOs, and several other NGOs, gathered at COP8]

Association of Private Nature Reserves of Minas Gerais, Brazil
CARE -- International
Equitable Tourism Options (EQUATIONS), India
Fauna and Flora International
International Collective in Support of Fishworkers
Global Forest Coalition
Global Justice Ecology Project, USA
Greenpeace International
International Institute of Environment and Development
Kalpavriksh, India
Pastoralist Integrated Support Programme, Kenya
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, United Kingdom
Social Equity in Environmental Decisions, United Kingdom
The Nature Conservancy
Wildlife Conservation Society
WWF

Source: ICSF

From: icsf@...

=========================================

ANNOUNCEMENTS

ICEMAN 2006
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION ON MANGROVES
OF INDIAN AND WESTERN PACIFIC OCEANS
21-24 August 2006
BACKGROUND
Mangroves are a diverse group of predominantly trees, shrubs, palms and grounds
ferns, which have adapted to the extreme environmental conditions and develop
well in the intertidal zone along low energy in most tropical and sub-tropical
coastlines. As one of the most productive ecosystems, mangroves provide many
important goods and services, and contribute significantly to human, food,
economic and environmental securities. However, at globally as well as national
level, mangroves continue to disappear at an alarming rate despite their
significant roles and functions to human and environment. According to the
latest study by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
(FAO), 20% of the world's mangrove forests have disappeared since 1980. The
destruction of mangroves is positively related to the ever growing human
population density in the coastal areas and unsustainable human consumption of
coastal resources. Besides threatened by unsustainable exploitation of forestry
resources, many mangrove areas have been cleared for urbanisation, agriculture,
shrimp farming, tourism, infrastructure and industrial development. The global
warming and a rising sea level would also eliminate mangroves areas where the
migration inland is not possible. The future of mangroves is grim, unless more
proactive actions are to be implemented to address the issues and challenges.
The Maritime Institute of Malaysia (MIMA) is organising and sponsoring the
ICEMAN 2006 - International Conference and Exhibition on Mangroves of Indian and
Western Pacific Oceans. ICEMAN 2006, deals with problems and challenges related
to protection, management, conservation and development of mangrove resources.
An important part of the meeting is the discussion of problems and issues of
mangrove rehabilitation aftermath the Indian Ocean Tsunami. A core of regional
and international mangrove experts will be invited to discuss and deliberate on
the major issues, current and future challenges.
OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the conferences are:
  ¿ô To review on current aspects of mangrove management and policy;
  ¿ô To identify and promote discussion on emerging issues and challenges of
mangrove protection, conservation, management and development;
  ¿ô To identify new and innovative approaches to strengthen the protection and
management of mangroves;
  ¿ô Assess the opportunities for enhancing the research and development, and
ecotourism and education;
  ¿ô To generate information and to learn about international and regional
mangrove related programmes; and

From: nykjprim@...

==========================================

Strategies, and Stakeholders, April 18-28, 2006, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China


This workshop will be jointly carried out by INBAR and the Bamboo Industry
Associations of Lin'an and Anji counties in Zhejiang province, China. It focuses
on policies and case studies from the two counties, where impressive
developments have taken place over the recent years.


For more information,
<http://recoftc.net/newsletters/link.php?URL=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5pbmJhci5pbnQvbmV3cy9\
0YzA2MDEuaHRt&EncryptedMemberID=MzkyNA%3D%3D&CampaignID=39&CampaignStatisticsID=\
107&Demo=0&Email=mapasia@loxinfo.co.th>http://www.inbar.int/news/tc0601.htm

2. Participatory Watershed Management Study Tour

May 10 - 16, 2006

Local people, especially the poor and disadvantaged have organized themselves
with support from governments and NGO's to actively manage water and forest
resources to for sustainable development. The implementation of participatory
watershed management practices has enabled communities to overcome problems and
gain more control over their natural resources and
[CUT BECAUSE GARBLED--MM]

NEW ZEALAND
Massive escape of Marlborough Sounds farm salmon
Pete Beech, an ecotour operator and member of the Guardians of the Sounds group,
reports the escape of nearly 300,000 farmed salmon from cages owned and operated
by Nelson-based New Zealand King Salmon company; a subsidiary of the Tiong
Group, one of the largest private companies in Malaysia with substantial global
investments in forestry, property and the media.
The company managed to loose, not just some cages, but a whole farm, about the
size of a rugby field. According to NZ King Salmon ceo Paul Steere, a high tide
and strong currents caused the farm to break loose from its moorings. As a
result, the Tory Channel had to be closed to all shipping as a safety measure
whilst four tugs struggled to get the escaped salmon farm under control. "That's
nature for you," Mr Steere said.
Steve Beech and his colleagues in Guardians of the Sounds take a somewhat
different view. They are concerned that the escapee fish will feed on juvenile
wild blue cod stocks. In the past five years they estimate that 87% of blue cod
stocks have been lost in the area through environmental degradation and
over-fishing.
Mr Beech said, "We have told the industry that the only acceptable form of
salmon farming in the area of the sounds would be land-based closed-containment
systems, where they can filter their water and filter their waste."

From: "Bruce Sandison" <bruce@...>

===========================================

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/264135_wildfish24.html

Aquaculture keeps poor countries hungry

Friday, March 24, 2006

By ANNE MOSNESS
GUEST COLUMNIST

Ocean aquaculture has been erroneously described as a solution to our seafood
trade deficit, but scientists, conservation groups and many in the public know
the risks far outweigh the benefits.

Now, a huge marketing campaign has been launched promoting "taste" and
exclusivity. While a Seattle P-I article touched on some problems ("Guilt-free
fish farming arrives," Feb. 22), the inescapable flaw of marine aquaculture
remains. To provide delicacies for consumers in wealthier nations, oceans are
plundered and dinner plates in poorer countries are emptier.

Traditional freshwater fish farms produce species that convert plants and tiny
crustaceans into protein, thereby increasing nutrients needed in a hungry world.
Transnational corporations and private investment companies utilize publicly
owned marine waters to grow more profitable, carnivorous species, and contain
costs by not containing pollution. Atlantic and Chinook salmon, Kona Kampachi,
cod and other fish are also called "tigers of the sea" because they consume more
protein than they produce.

To grow carnivores, oceans are scoured of mackerel, sardines, anchovetas and
other small fish that are macerated into meal and oil, dried into pellets and
shipped -- often thousands of miles -- to marine farms. The resulting protein
loss is two-thirds to 90 percent.

Annually, 30 million tons of edible small fish are harvested for meal and oil
production and several international feed companies have acknowledged that ocean
exploitation has a limit. One major manufacturer, Skretting, predicted by this
year, fish oil supplies would not support increased growth in the industry and
alternative feeds needed to be developed from plants and through genetic
manipulation and synthetic production.

Adding feathers, poultry litter, industrial byproducts and waste material to
fish pellets increases the potential for transmission of avian flu and other
diseases. Scientists also have warned of risks to human health from high levels
of cadmium, dioxin, PCBs and other environmental pollutants concentrated in the
flesh of fish raised on artificial diets.

In the ocean's fluid environment, confined fish are susceptible to diseases and
acts of nature. Regionally, salmon farms have proved incapable of confining
fish. In four years, in the relatively sheltered waters of Puget Sound, more
than 613,000 salmon escaped from privately owned net pens. Sealice flushing from
salmon farms in British Columbia are causing collapses of entire populations of
wild pink salmon.

Marine fish farming has an aura of high-stakes gambling -- a "get-rich-quick"
scheme subsidized by tax dollars paid to gear manufacturers, researchers and
fish farmers. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is caught up
in the fervor and has introduced the "National Aquaculture Act (S.1195)," which
would allow fish feedlots, even foreign owned, as close as three miles to our
shoreline.

To ensure we pass on healthy oceans and a more stable world, it is important to
reassess our sense of entitlement to natural resources needed by others to
simply survive. The costs of feedlot production of fish may be under the
waterline and out of sight, but a huge bill will come due unless we base our
decisions on sound science, not wishful thinking.

From: Zach Corrigan <zcorrigan@...>
=====================================



--
Alfredo Quarto, Executive Director
Mangrove Action Project
PO Box 1854
Port Angeles, WA 98362-0279
USA
phone/ fax (360) 452-5866
<mangroveap@...>
mailto:mangroveap@...
web site: http://www.earthisland.org/map/map.html

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

MAP News, 169th Ed., 1 of 2, 4-17-06Edited to include only regional news--MM
-----
  Subject: MAP News, 169th Ed., 1 of 2, 4-17-06


The Mangrove Action Project News, 169th Edition, Part 1 of 2

Dear Friends,

This is the 169th Edition of the Mangrove Action Project News. Please contribute
both relevant news articles and funding support to help MAP's global network
stay in the fight in the long run!

Alfredo Quarto,
Mangrove Action Project

Partnering with mangrove forest communities, grassroots NGOs, researchers and
local governments to conserve and restore mangrove forests and related coastal
ecosystems, while promoting community-based, sustainable management of coastal
resources.

---------------------------------------------------

Back Issues available!

Note: The latest issues of the MAP News are available on MAP's Website:  
http://www.earthisland.org/map/map.html


       Contents for MAP NEWS, 169th Edition

FEATURE STORY
An Editorial: Wal-Mart, the GAA Standards and Shrimp
An interview with Wal-Mart CEO H. Lee Scott

MAP WORKS
Volunteer Opportunities, Here and Abroad
MAP Announces Its 2007 Children's Mangrove Art Calendars

AFRICA
Mangroves an undervalued ecosystem in Africa

Nigeria
Niger Delta communities fight oil firms that devastate environment, livelihoods
Shell Shocked

S. Africa
South African company plans $587mn shrimp project

ASIA

S.E. ASIA

Thailand
Fishing for life
Kingdom takes US to WTO over shrimp

Indonesia
TO EMPHASIZE PEOPLE WISDOM IN WAKATOBI
Indonesia's coasts to bear brunt of climate change, say experts
Three die in tsunami

Vietnam
Agent Orange victims demand justice for toxic damage
US shrimp dumping respondents go AWOL
Shrimp die en masse in southern Vietnam farms
Malaysia
Malaysia can be major player in aquaculture

-------------------------------------------------

FEATURE STORIES

An Editorial: Wal-Mart, the GAA Standards and Shrimp

A very interesting and unsettling article from Grist Magazine (see the article
below) was recently sent my way that leaves me feeling the need to write this.
It also left me with an urge to try talking with Wal-Mart's CEO, Mr. Scott, to
explain why MAP stands with others to oppose the Global Aquaculture Alliance
(GAA) standards on shrimp that Wal-Mart, Darden and others are so glibly
accepting.

The following quote from a related article listed in this Grist edition is of
importance also, as it shows succinctly what we are fighting against, which also
reflects what might be called the "Industrial NGO" philosophy" on the world as
we know it:

"Environmentalists' disagreements on Wal-Mart offer a window on progressive
confusion about the retailer: Is Wal-Mart a purely rotten model, or merely
missing opportunities to be a force for positive change? Asked about the larger
concerns that Mitchell and Rogers raise -- worries that can't be easily allayed
by fuel-efficient trucks or organic cotton T-shirts -- Ruta is philosophical.
"The fact is, Wal-Mart exists," she says. "We might as well try and make it
better." ("A Good Switch, Or A Bad Switch", BY LIZA FEATHERSTONE , Christian
Science Monitor, Nov. 22, 2005, Quote by Gwen Ruta of Environmental Defense, my
inflection to make a point!)


This reflects the very same concept that WWF used to defend its shrimp
aquaculture consulting policies on "best practices" in Tanzania, Costa Rica and
Brazil (and now in Aceh, Indonesia), which are based upon the same idea--"if it
exists, we must somehow accept it and try to work with government and industry
to make it better". WWF's "best practices" is really all about reforming a
reality, rather than opposing it--kind of a "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!"
type of approach. Unfortunately, these big NGOs have a louder voice than our own
when they speak, and their compromises too often can override and undermine
efforts by grassroots groups addressing the same issues.

This same idea that something "exists," so we "might as well try and make it
better" is flawed however, because it is too easy to accept the bad qualities
along with the hoped for "improvements"... to accept the "best" practices along
with the "worst" ones, which too often are hidden social and environmental
factors that the consumer of the product remains aloof from and blissfully
ignorant of. This very acceptance catalyzes the further spread of both the good
and bad qualities of that industry, too often negating any true progress because
of the overwhelming nature of the bad qualities, which attain a much wider and
greater diffusion with such implicit acceptance. Adding some healthy vitamins to
a mixture containing poison will not eliminate the dangers of that poison, but
indeed, may well advance the numbers blithely drinking the poison solution.
This, in a sense, is where we are at with the "industrial solutions" being put
forward today because an industry "exists," and we can't ignore it!

How can we address those settling on questionable compromise-- on a dialogue
that sells us all short in our efforts to really effect long-term, progressive
reforms? I can understand the benefits that industry and governments bent on big
profits and import dollars will reap from these sorts of compromises today. They
stand to advance their business ventures and secure their market shares, while
assuaging the doubts of an increasingly "sensitized" public with a certification
stamp.

If anything truly "exists" that may need our unified inputs in changing, perhaps
it is these so-called "standards" which are now proliferating amongst so many of
perhaps good intention who appear so eager to be the ones finding a solution to
a long-troublesome problem. However, solutions to a problem which are based on
only half of the equation are coming up necessarily with the wrong answers, and
no matter what we may wish in our view for a better world, the emperors of
industry still have no new clothes!

For the Mangroves,

Alfredo Quarto,
MAP


Note: The full article and interview with Mr. Scott is found on the Grist
website:
<http://www.grist.org/news/maindish/2006/04/12/griscom-little/index.html?source=\
daily>http://www.grist.org/news/maindish/2006/04/12/griscom-little/index.html?so\
urce=daily
====

  ==================================

MAP WORKS

Volunteer Opportunities, Here and Abroad

MAP is looking for interns and volunteers who can cover their own expenses, such
as airfare and basic living expenses in country.   If you're interested please
send your CV to mangroveap@....

There are a number of tasks that qualified volunteers could help us with-- some
small, some larger, some not so interesting, and some things that could be quite
rewarding.   Anyway it would be a way to get your feet wet in the issues which
MAP deals with and we would try to be very flexible in matching your interests
with our needs.  Please do look at out web site:
http://www.earthisland.org/map/map.html for more information on MAP.
Though MAP office does not have the financial resources to provide room and
board, we would be happy to help find suitable inexpensive accommodation, places
to eat etc....   Often, sponsoring universities provide students with an
allowance for living expenses, but this depends on the arrangements interns make
with their schools.   The cost of living is fairly low in the Developing
countries, so this should not be too taxing on a limited budget.

Regarding work projects, we've several possible ideas that would be both very
challenging and would require the volunteer or intern to be very self-directed
and independent, while possibly involving fairly isolated locations, but which
can be very rewarding and interesting.    Language would be the greatest barrier
but with ingenuity and perseverance volunteers will find ways to deal with this.

Projects involve dealing with local communities to reduce environmental impacts
on coastal resources, and also involve building environmental education
awareness amongst them.   Sustainable livelihoods, eco-tourism, and waste
management could be work topics as well as.   In fact the possibilities are very
broad and there is a lot of flexibility.  Here is a very brief description of
three potential projects ideas:
1)  One of MAP's partners, Sandhan Foundation, located in Orissa, India is
building a Community Coastal Resource Centre (CCRC) on the boundary of
Bhitarkanika Conservation area, which is a  World Heritage Site and a UNESCO
Biosphere Reserve and will soon become a RAMSAR site as well.  The CCRC is being
built on the concept of other MAP partner CCRCs located in Nigeria, Senegal, Sri
Lanka, Indonesia, Honduras, and recently in the Andaman Islands.  Their purpose
is multi-faceted involving a place for community meetings, training, education
and a place for demonstration of sustainable concepts regarding coastal natural
resource management and conservation.  Sustainable livelihood is another aspect.
The centre is rather remote, located 5 hours from Bhubaneswar. There are
presently two Indian staff (one speaks English) at the centre to maintain the
facility and also doing limited community outreach, but soon they will be
looking for several staff persons to develop the resource centre and run
programs. Please see http://www.sandhanfoundation.info/  and
http://www.livejournal.com/users/sandhan

2) Another of MAP's partners in Thailand-- Naucrates, an Italian based NGO
working in Thailand for 8 years on sea turtle conservation-- has branched out to
mangrove conservation activities several years ago.  Their project site is on
Phra tong Island off Phangnga Province in Southern Thailand.   The island was
hit very hard by the tsunami and they lost all their facilities, equipment and
several staff.  One of the three villages was totally destroyed.   The island
has wildlife and has not been impacted by tourism like many other islands in
Thailand. The island still has a wild deer population and endangered stocks and
a few sea turtles still come to nest annually. The only resort was washed away
and there is a small group of Eco-houses on one beach owned mainly by
foreigners.  Many of these were also destroyed by the tsunami.  This year
Naucrates will continue their sea-turtle beach survey work with volunteers and
also do community environmental educational awareness raising.   Naucrates has
recently build a small environment centre beside the school with a tsunami
donation from Italy which they plan to use for children's programs and community
out reach so there would be any opportunity to do mangrove education activities
with several Thai staff who also speak English.
Naucrates is also doing a small mangrove restoration project in an area which
was tsunami damaged. Please see http://www.naucrates.org/

3.) One of MAP's recent new contacts "Organization for Marine Conservation
Awareness and Research" (OMAR) in Tamil Nadu, India has a Internship program and
they're involved in research, mangrove restoration and community outreach
through volunteers.  Please contact Balaji at <marine_balaji@...>  They're
just putting up a website http://www.omcar.org/  which already has good
information on their projects.

Organization for Marine Conservation Awareness and Research (OMCAR Inc)
56/2 Mannai Nagar Mattusanthai Road
Pattukkottai (post),Thanjavur (Dist),
Tamil Nadu   Telephone: +91 / 93 60 54 81 17
Vedharajan Balaji <marine_balaji@...>
Website: http://www.omcar.org/

From: "MAP / S.E. Asia" mapasia@...

======================================

MAP Announces Its 2007 Children's Mangrove Art Calendars. MAP is Looking for
contributions from schools from around the mangrove world for our 2007 Calendar!

MAP's new Children's Mangrove Art 2006 Calendars are now available. In addition
to these beautiful calendars, we are selling packets of 5 beautiful greeting
cards containing several mangrove images from Monica Gutierrez-Quarto's artwork.
to raise funds for MAP.

Any donation of $35 or more qualifies the donor for an annual membership with a
free calendar or card set! Please give generously today!

PLEASE help MAP stay in this fight for the future by becoming a donating
subscriber today! Check our website for details (www.earthisland.org/map) or
contact: <mailto: mangroveap@...>mangroveap@...

==============================================




ASIA

S.E. ASIA

Thailand

Fishing for life
Despite the violence in the South, the fishermen are determined to protect the
seas and nurture them back to life

Story and Photos by SANTISUDA EKACHAI

The pain is still vivid in his memory. His baby was only one year old when
fisherman Rusyi Masaneng had to leave his family in a small fishing village in
Pattani to work in Malaysia. "I missed my child so much I often cried at night,"
he recalls. "But I had no choice. I couldn't stay at home because the seas were
empty."

That was 10 years ago, when his sun-bathed seaside village of Tanyongpao in
Pattani was nearly deserted. Unable to stop big trawlers from fishing their
coastal seas, fathers like Rusyi had to find work elsewhere while wives and
daughters took jobs in factories, processing the seafood caught by the trawlers.

It is a story shared by all the fishing villages in the predominantly Muslim
deep South.

"We did everything we could," Rusyi says. "We asked the authorities to stop the
trawlers from breaking the law, but nothing was done. We even took matters into
our own hands by shooting at them, but instead of going away, they just tried to
ram us."

In defiance of the fishermen and the law, the trawlers took to carrying police
officers on board or came in armadas to continue fishing as usual.

The ethnic-Malay Muslim fishermen were bitter and angry. The law says the
trawlers must stay at least 3km from the coast. It also prohibits the use of
environmentally destructive fishing methods. But the big trawlers, owned by
powerful outsiders from a different culture and of a different faith, were
emboldened by the government's drive to export seafood.

So like bulldozers, they swept the coastal seas clean, destroying the habitats,
like the coral reefs that are important for marine ecology.

In the blink of an eye, the gift that nature had given the fishermen to support
themselves and their families was destroyed.

While a large number of fishermen lost hope and migrated, many others would not
give up.

"We must stay put and fight for our children, and for what is right," says
Muhama Sukri Masaning, community leader of Tanyongpao, a small fishing village
in Pattani's Nong Chik district.

According to Sukri, the trawlers first started invading the Pattani seas in the
early '70s. "The sea was so plentiful then that we thought nothing of it," he
recalls, but within five years, they knew they were facing their biggest threat
ever. The push nets and drag nets destroyed their fishing gear, sucked up every
fish, damaged the floor of the sea everywhere they went, and broke down the
fishermen's families in their destructive wake.

Each village struggled on separately until in 1992 the Pattani fishermen
realised they must unite to reclaim the seas for their children.

In 1993, they set up the Small-Scale Fishermen's Group of Pattani to call for
the enforcement of the trawler-free zone law. When the problems with the
trawlers accelerated and the fishermen staged a demonstration at Pattani City
Hall, the public learned about the plight of the small-scale fishermen for the
first time. Soon after, the Pattani group grew into a regional movement.

For Sukri and like-minded fishermen, there is no turning back.

It has been a tough journey. There have been death threats. There were attempts
to bribe some of the leaders. And there were disagreements among themselves. And
even if they remain united _ and with the law on their side _ they were
repeatedly disappointed by the authorities' failure to keep their promises to
enforce the law.

Along the way, however, they have made many friends in the academic world and in
non-governmental organisations, whose commitment to protect the seas won their
trust and transcended ethnic barriers.

"Winning by sheer number of protestors alone couldn't get us far," says Sama-ae
Jemudo, secretary-general of the fishermen's federation.

The movement, he says, needs accurate information to communicate its plight to
the public and to negotiate on equal terms with state authorities. Their friends
in NGOs and universities helped them do just that.

Sama-ae says the federation's decision to join the Assembly of the Poor to push
for a policy solution was also an eye-opening experience.

"Before, we never knew about other people and their problems. We didn't quite
understand how the problems of people inland and ours by the sea were connected.

"But after being part of the struggle, we came to understand the plight of our
brothers and sisters in slums and elsewhere. We came to realise that it's not
only us Muslims in the South who suffer. Every place in this country has
problems. And the causes stem from the government's policies."

Being part of the network of grassroots movements is empowering, he says. Having
more outside friends brings the southern fishermen vital information and routes
to tackle the problems, he adds. It has also made them more confident that there
are always non-violent solutions to their problems.

But after decades of destruction of the coastal seas, can the fishermen save
their communities before it's too late?

"We're facing a host of serious problems," Sama-ae admits.

Before the trawlers, it was a common sight to see Muslim wives waiting on the
beaches for their husbands to bring home their catches and to help them clean
the fish. "That sight is now no more," he says, sighing.

With parents working away from home, many children grow up with problems.
Unemployment and boredom have consequently led to drug problems among male
youngsters in the fishing villages.

Small catches and high oil prices have forced many to stop fishing. And if their
daughters who work in factories in Thailand or in Malaysia start acting more
like urban teenagers, they have to bite their lips and say nothing.

With little fish left to catch, the men spend more time in tea shops talking
among themselves. Dove contests have became their obsession because it makes
them feel good about themselves.

"Those who think them lazy do not understand what's happening to our
communities," says Sama-ae.

"When fish are scarce, information about where to find them is important. And
they can only get this from friends in teashops," he explains.

With some parts of the Pattani seas starting to improve thanks to the relentless
efforts of the fishermen's movement, the men now have more information to
exchange than ever before.

The turning point came in 1998. After the 99-day protest with the Assembly of
the Poor in Bangkok, the government issued a firm order prohibiting all trawlers
from entering the Pattani seas at all. The government also gave a green light to
the Pattani fishermen's demand to have their own patrol boats run by community
volunteers to keep trawlers away.

Meanwhile, fishing communities like Tanyong-pao have also stepped up efforts to
grow mangrove forests and to set up more man-made coral reefs to increase the
number of habitats for the fish.

That is why fishermen like Rusyi could return home from Malaysia and rejoin
their families.

Beaming under the noon sun, he showed off a bucketful of fish he caught that
morning. "That will get me about 500 baht today," he says. "This is almost as
good as it used to be."

But new threats are looming.

With the current government's aggressive asset conversion schemes, their coastal
seas are threatened with division into plots for private investors, to profit
the booming seafood industry.

The fishery authorities also want fishermen to fish only in front of their
villages which will turn neighbours into enemies.

The fishermen also fear that the government's plan to set up a food industry in
Pattani for export to Muslim countries will only aggravate the problem of
overfishing as well as worsen the problem of water pollution in Pattani Bay.

The southern violence has also added to the fishermen's problems.

The fishermen need to have marine or border police on their patrol boats in
order to be able to arrest the trawlers that encroach on the Pattani seas. With
pressing security demands, however, the officers cannot join them as regularly
as before, and the trawlers are becoming more daring.

That is why fishermen like 28-year-old Marudin Todeng of Panareh cannot return
home to his wife and 10-month-old baby yet. "When we are free of the trawlers,
and when our seas are good again, I will certainly come home," he says.

There is another danger.

To protect the seas, the fishermen's leaders must both challenge state
negligence and corruption as well as co-ordinate with the authorities to solve
their problems. Amid the southern violence, this has made them a target of
suspicion from security personnel and the instigators of the troubles.

The fishermen's leaders say they hope their track record over the years will be
their best defence.

"We've been open to everyone inside and outside our communities that our work is
solely about protecting and reviving our seas," says Sukri, echoing the leaders
of other movements. "We've been working on this issue so long the picture of our
work is clear.

"We're doing what is right, which will benefit everyone when the seas return to
health, including the instigator's children. I believe we're still safe. For
now, that is."

For Sukri, the fishermen's efforts to protect the seas must go on despite the
violence.

One of their missions is to pass on a respect and love for the seas to younger
generations, because their survival depends on it.

At Tanyongpao, they have convinced the government-run primary school to include
fishing knowledge as part of its curriculum with the children's grandfathers,
all seasoned fishermen, as the teachers.

Today, Poh Su, a fisherman in his seventies, is the teacher. His stooped back
straightens as he proudly describes the art of traditional fishing to the young.
Then Poh Seng, 60, takes over to talk about the marine environment in the
mangrove forests that the children take for granted, and how important it is for
the health of the seas and the well-being of their families. Then it is Sukri's
turn. He gets out a trawler model and shows how it works to destroy their seas
and their livelihood.

"It's our duty to preserve the mangroves and the seas," says the shy 14-year-old
Suraida when asked what she has learned from her unconventional lessons.

That makes Sukri convinced he is on the right track. "Our sea can provide for
all if it is healthy, and if we know contentment," he notes. "That's why I feel
it is very important for us not only to preserve the seas but also our religious
life."

For now, the violence in the South may restrict their efforts to patrol the
seas, but Sukri believes there are solutions ahead if they adapt to the
situation and remain united and true to their common goal.

"We have faced problems every step of the way in our struggles," he says. "It
has taught us to always think and assess things together. And to adjust to new
problems.

"If things don't work out, then we must think together and adjust again," he
says. "It is an endless task. So are our struggles."

'Outlook' would like to thank the Social Agenda Working Group, Social Research
Institute, Chulalongkorn University, for assistance in making this 'Healing the
Land' series possible.

From: "MAP / S.E. Asia" mapasia@...

==============================================

THE NATION  April 1, 2006

Kingdom takes US to WTO over shrimp

Thailand has filed a case against the United States with the World Trade
Organisation accusing Washington of employing unfair trade practices and
targeting Thai shrimp exports, the Foreign Trade Department said yesterday.

The department accused the US of implementing double trade protection measures
against Thai shrimp exports through a continuous bond - a 100-per-cent bank
guarantee payment - and an anti-dumping duty.

The Commerce Ministry filed the case with the WTO on March 16, has employed
lawyers to sue the

US, and is now waiting for documents from exporters to support the case.

Rachane Potjanasuntorn, director-general of the Foreign Trade Department, said
that by next week all the documentation should be sent to the Thai WTO office in
Geneva - and then the petition process should proceed swiftly.

It will take about 12 to 14 months to reach a final WTO judgement, but if the US
agrees to cancel the continuous bond within 60 days of the formal consultation,
the petition will be cancelled.

"We are confident Thailand will win the case because the US has acted unfairly,"
he said.

If the Kingdom wins the case, the US will be forced to cancel its current
measures and others countries could benefit.

The US charges the continuous bond (C-bond) on shrimp exports from countries
subject to anti-dumping duties.

The case is the first petition to the WTO filed by a shrimp-exporting nation
suffering from the double penalty, although India, China, Ecuador and Vietnam
also face anti-dumping duties and C-bonds.

The move came after about 100 shrimp farmers from Trang, Surat Thani and Krabi
threatened to protest outside the ministry unless it took urgent action to sue
the US. Poj Aramwattananont, president of the Thai Frozen Food Association, said
shrimp exports are estimated to generate about US$100 million (Bt3.9 billion)
for the C-bond this year, besides facing an anti-dumping duty of 5.79 to 6.82
per cent of a shipment's value.

Last year, Thai exporters paid $50 million for C-bond guarantees, and are yet to
receive the bank guarantees back in return.

Poj called the C-bond unfair but, said it was difficult to force the US to
cancel the measure.

"The government is the only hope for shrimp farmers and exporters," he said.

Meanwhile, private Indian companies have raised a case against the US at an
American court because they face the same double penalty.

Thai exporters could benefit if the India case is successful.

According to a Customs Department report, the US is the largest market for Thai
shrimp, accounting for 53 per cent of exports. The nation's shrimp exports grew
by 17.04 per cent year on year to 38,756 tonnes in January and February.

Shrimp exports to the US grew by 25.21 per cent to 20,757 tonnes during the same
period.

Petchanet Pratruangkrai

  The Nation

From: "MAP / S.E. Asia" mapasia@...

========================================

Global Exchange of Shrimp Production

from Seafood.com news

Today's Main Stories: Thai shrimp exports could fall 25% this year, says Somsak
Paneetatyasai, president of the Thai Shrimp Association. He expects the country
to export a total of 250,000 tons of shrimp vs. 280,000 tons last year. He also
said that in his view, due to problems in Brazil, China, Vietnam, India and
Ecuador, total shrimp production could decline by 500,000 tons. Somsak
Paneetatyasai took part in the recent shrimp conference in Brazil, where the
idea of a global exchange of shrimp production information among producers was
proposed.

========================================

Indonesia


TO EMPHASIZE PEOPLE WISDOM IN WAKATOBI
by
Riza Damanik
Coastal and Marine Campaigner-WALHI

Non involvement of community
National Park of Wakatobi Archipelago (TNKW) is a conservation area located in
an islands group of Tukang Besi that is commonly called Wakatobi (Wa = Wanci, Ka
= Kaledupa, To = Tomia, Bi = Binongko). Based on proposal or recommendation from
such Regional Governments, Ministry of Forestry agreed and appointed a sea area
of Wakatobi having area of 306,680 Ha as Maritime Natural Tourism Park through
the decree Number 462/Kpts-II/1995 dated September 4, 1995 and finally due to
consideration from the aspect of conservation and development, then the status
was changed to become National Park.

As an important ecological resource, TNKW area has a variety of coastal
ecosystems --i.e., mangrove forest ecosystem, Mud flat,  and coral reef
ecosystem.  But the most well known is the ecosystem of coral reef populated by
several species both endemic and non endemic.

In the whole sequence of such process, local people should be considered as the
right owners for managing area in Wakatobi, but this has never been the cae, and
the fact shows that local people are instead seen as ony objects.


The occurrence of conflict
a.     Blocking access
The big interest of conservation of natural resources is out of balance with
education relating to natural resources management, which frequently causes
conflict of interest and difference of perception between TNKW organizer and
community and even with regional government. Local fishermen are frequently seen
as carrying out activity in prohibited zone. Up to now they have never been
responsibly involved in the effort of conservation and management of natural
resources.

       As the consequence, community doesn't pay intention to prohibition and
opposing TN that causes regional conflict in the form of access grabbing which
means the decrease of access by Wakatobi community to surrounding natural
resources.

b.    Regional Conflict
   The entrance of two tourism investors into TN (Operation Wallacea and PT
Wakatobi Dives Resort) through development of tourism object in Hoga and Onemoba
have occupied community's land more or less 100 Ha. Then for establishment of
Airport of Maranggo in Tomia of 42.5 Ha. Up to now the community has never seen
or followed socialization concerning concept of general plan of spatial
arrangement of TNKW. Unclear concept of TNKW frequently causes conflict of
interest with community mainly fishermen.

     Action has been taken
1. To establish organization of traditional community in 5 villages in sub
district of Tomia, Wakatobi Regency in the period of 2000-2002.
2. Procurement of Community Radio as media of organization and in the framework
to realize harmonious management for  natural resources of TNKW. In the period
of 2003-2005, carried out meeting and establishment of Audience Group for 3
kawati (System of region in Tomia consisting of: Waha, Tongano, Timu).
3. To facilitate representative community from 4 islands for the purpose to
carry out study concerning management of natural resources in Komodo National
Park in 2005.
4. To facilitate problem that is considered as emergency response in violation
cases and force against fishermen and farmers that is conducted as of 1999.

From: "Riza Damanik" riza@...



=======================================

Indonesia's coasts to bear brunt of climate change, say experts
By Tb. Arie Rukmantara

Massive coastal erosion and rising sea levels could mean the Cemara Jaya village
in northern Java, Indonesia will be completely underwater in 10 years' time,
says its community chief, Maryadi.

"Our beach is regularly inundated with between three and five meters (of water)
every year. It has forced our fishermen and their families to leave their homes
many times. If this doesn't end, in a decade from now, we will have no more land
to stand on," said the man, who leads the village of 5,000 people located 150
kilometers southwest of Jakarta.

Maryadi said he was clueless how to stop the rising waters. Nor did he know that
his village's problem was common to people living in many coastal areas in the
Asia-Pacific region, a phenomena experts say is likely triggered by global
warming.

A senior official of the Cook Islands National Environment Service, Pasha
Carruthers, said increasing sea levels posed an environmental threat to her
15-island State of 16,000 people. Higher tides meant rapid coastal erosion,
causing saline intrusion and shoreline retreat, she said.

Carruthers said if rising waters went unchecked, they would inevitably lead to
infrastructure damage and loss of life. And the worst problems would likely
occur in Asian countries like Indonesia, she said.

"Although the scale of the potential human impact on human life is diminished in
relation to the devastation that results from climatic variations in hugely
populated southeast Asian countries, the nature of the problem remains the
same," Carruthers said. "We need to prepare those (coastal) people to be
adaptable to the changes," she said.

Carruthers along with 75 other officials from 43 Asia-Pacific nations are
attending a five-day workshop on climate change that began in Jakarta on Monday.

The forum, organized by the Foreign Ministry, the State Ministry for the
Environment and the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention of
Climate Change, aims to assess the vulnerability of regions to global warming
and formulate national strategies to cope with the problem.

Source:
<http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailnational.asp?fileid=20060320.E02&irec=2>Jak\
arta Post

From: icsf@...

========================================

Three die in tsunami

March 18, 2006

JAKARTA: Three people have been killed and another is missing after an
earthquake triggered a tsunami that struck eastern Indonesia, wiping away a
village on a remote island. The quake, between 6.4 and 6.7 in magnitude,
triggered a seven-metre-high tsunami on Tuesday that struck Pela village on Buru
Island.

The deputy mayor, Bakri Lumbessy, said the tsunami swept away the village and
destroyed 116 houses, forcing the evacuation of more than 1200 people. "The
villagers from Pela ran to a mountain about five kilometres away for refuge," he
said.

Separately, 10,000 villagers living close to a smoking Indonesian volcano have
been put on alert of a possible eruption after sensors detected increased
activity in its crater. Mount Merapi on Java could erupt within days, said a
vulcanologist at a nearby monitoring station.

A New Zealand conservation worker is missing after a volcano erupted on the
island of Raoul, 1000 kilometres north-east of Auckland. A helicopter has been
sent to rescue six Department of Conservation workers on Raoul after its volcano
spewed mud and rocks into the air.

Australian Associated Press

from: SAMUDRA News Alerts

=======================================

US shrimp dumping respondents go AWOL
(08-04-2006)

HA NOI - About 30 of the shrimp-processing enterprises which the US Department
of Commerce is seeking to administratively review as part of its anti-dumping
investigation cannot be identified or contacted, said Truong Dinh Hoe, deputy
general secretary of the Viet Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and
Producers.
Three days ago, the US Commerce Department formally announced the next phase of
its investigation into dumping allegations and said that it would
administratively review 84 Vietnamese seafood exporters along with 50 companies
from Brazil, 71 from Ecuador, 347 from India, 145 from Thailand and 163 from
China.
Vietnamese companies subject to the review are those that exported shrimp to the
US between July 16, 2004 and January 31, 2006.
Currently, only 54 of the 84 Vietnamese enterprises named by the US Commerce
Department could be reached, said Hoe, and they have met to discuss strategy for
the US' administrative review of Viet Nam's shrimp export practices.
The other firms named in the US investigation might not exist or their names may
have been given erroneously on the list of enterprises issued by the Commerce
Department, he added.
Investigated enterprises will be required to answer a list of interrogatories on
the value, quantity, and price of shrimp consignments exported to the US during
the investigation period. The deadline to reply is April 28. Enterprises that
fail to respond to the investigation will not be allowed to apply tariff
adjustments.
The final results of the investigation will be announced after February 28,
2007.
The administrative review of Vietnamese businesses would likely cause US
importers to reduce their purchasing volume from Viet Nam to minimise risks,
leading to a decrease in prices, Hoe said.
"This is a bad news for Vietnamese shirmpers because the US market accounts for
50 per cent of their exports," he added.
To minimise the problem, the Viet Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and
Producers has asked enterprises to reply in line with the US Commerce
Department's request.
"The best way to tackle the problem is to hire foreign legal consultants, and
Vietnamese businesses should closely co-operate with each other to formulate
suitable strategies and measures," Hoe said.
The association also suggested that local authories and shrimp breeders should
pay attention to their existing breeding areas, improve the shrimp breeding
environment and avoid placing too many shrimp on the market, which may further
reduce prices. - VNS

From: SAMUDRA News icsf@...

==========================================

Shrimp die en masse in southern Vietnam farms

Insufficient water supply and farmers' failure to adopt scientific techniques
despite training have decimated stocks of tom su, a medium-sized prawn, at
almost half the farms in Vietnam's Ca Mau province.
Some 97,000ha, accounting for 40 percent of the southernmost province's ponds,
were badly affected with 80 percent of their stocks wiped out, the provincial
fisheries department reported.
Nguyen Thong Nhan, the department's deputy director, said an inadequate
irrigation system and rapidly expanding prawn farms meant water was in short
supply.
From a few dozen hectares in 2000, the area under prawn farming has risen to
240,000 ha while the irrigation network has remained virtually unchanged.
Nhan estimated that while VND4 trillion ($251 million) had been needed to
upgrade the network, only VND400 billion ($25 million) had been spent over the
past five years.
Training in vain
Nhan also attributed the demise of the crustaceans to the farmers' refusal to
apply methods taught to them at free training courses organized by the province.
For instance, he said, they filled their ponds with water directly from the
channels without checking acidity and salinity levels. The water was polluted by
discharge from other farms following the death of prawns there.
Other provinces in the Mekong delta and some western provinces like Tra Vinh too
have reported the mass death of prawns.
Kien Giang province reported a 70 percent loss in some areas and Tra Vinh 50
percent.
As a result, shrimp prices have skyrocketed to VND180,000-200,000 per kilogram
($11.3-12.5) from VND140,000-150,000 ($8.8-9.4).
The situation is expected to last until mid-May or June, when the southern
region will harvest a new crop.
Some seafood processors are worried that the shortage will last even longer and
about fulfilling export orders.
Source: Tuoi Tre - Translated by Ha Viet

From: SAMUDRA News icsf@...

=========================================

Malaysia

Malaysia can be major player in aquaculture
By Azlan Abu Bakar
bt@...


April 10 2006

MALAYSIA has the potential to become a major player in the aquaculture industry
in Asia Pacific, surpassing players such as Taiwan, if more companies enter the
sector.

At the moment, Taiwan is one of the biggest aquaculture players, commanding a
bulk of the live fish market in the region.

Borneo Aqua Harvest Bhd managing director Datuk Lo Fui Ming said, currently, not
many companies in Malaysia have sufficient technology and knowhow to breed,
hatch and rear, fishes, especially marine species, for the export market.

"The market for marine fishes especially in Asia is huge and companies have the
chance to tap into these markets given that they have the expertise and
technology to breed marine fishes," he told Business Times in Sandakan, Sabah,
recently.

Apart from government support, another advantage is the quality of waters which
are full of microbes and the environment, which protects the waters from open
threats such as typhoons and big waves.

"Waters around Sandakan, Sabah, for instance are protected by a big bay and
surrounded by a number of islands which are suitable for breeding fishes," Lo
said, adding that the temperature of the waters also plays an important role in
ensuring the survival of fishes and the country's warm water all year round
helps a lot.

Sabah-based Borneo Aqua is involved in breeding, hatching and rearing of high
commercial value marine fishes. It uses marine biotechnologies in its production
process from broodstock management to spawning, hatching, and larvae and fry
rearing.

The firm currently has about 30 broodstock and breeds, including the expensive
grouper and snapper for sale in places such as Hong Kong and China.

Due to the overwhelming demand for quality live fish from Hong Kong and China,
Borneo Aqua has increased its capacity to handle mass production of high
commercial value fish fry and adult fish.

Borneo Aqua is also looking closely at South Korea and Japan. It exports about
45 per cent of its products to Hong Kong and China, and expects new markets in
Japan and South Korea to boost export sales to 75 per cent by end-2006.

From: SAMUDRA News icsf@...


--
Alfredo Quarto, Executive Director
Mangrove Action Project
PO Box 1854
Port Angeles, WA 98362-0279
USA
phone/ fax (360) 452-5866
<mangroveap@...>
mailto:mangroveap@...
web site: http://www.earthisland.org/map/map.html

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

THE DAILY TELEGRAMS,
April 18, 2006

3-day international HAMFEST to be held at Port Blair
Port Blair, April 17
     A press conference, a curtain raiser for the HAMFEST - VU4 India, was
held in the mini media centre at PIB complex here this evening, in which
Shri Ajeer Vidya, Joint Secretary, DIT, Shri S Suri, Chairman, National
Institute of Amateur Radio, Hyderabad discussed matters with the scribes on
the HAMFEST scheduled to be inaugurated tomorrow in the Megapode Nest.
     Shri Vidya informed the scribes that the festival is being organized in
the islands to generate awareness on HAM services to the islands where high
value tourism is poised to become a thrust area of development. Shri S Suri,
while informing about the HAM service, gave a detailed background of the
festival aiming at promotion of HAM Radio. Smt Bharati Prasad, convener HAM
festival and Shri B M Baveja, Director, DIT, were the other persons
participating in the press conference.
     National Institute of Amateur Radio, Hyderabad and other amateur radio
clubs observe 'World Amateur Radio Day' on 18th April every year. This will
bring together some of the most senior, experienced hams and experts in
amateur radio communication technologies.  In this connection, a three day
International 'HAMFEST (VU4) India - 2006 will be organised from April 18,
2006 at Port Blair.
     The discussions at this convention will address various topical issues
like promotion of amateur radio, taking forward Global Amateur Radio
Emergency Communication Conference (GAREC) decisions, in India and other
countries with the support of Governments in the region. The event will also
focus on amateur radio modes like voice. Morse code, visual, internet
related and digital communication technologies. Besides it would also
highlight latest technology developments in Antennas & Propagation,
Dx-peditions, HF & VHF communications, Digital amateur radio, emergency
communications. There will also be an open forum to discuss on disaster
management particularly the experiences, lessons learnt in recent natural
calamities shared by the experts.
     The speakers would include well-known experts in the field with years of
experience, senior officers of Government of India and Non Government
Organizations in the field of amateur radio communications technologies and
representatives of International and local organizations. All International
/ Indian Ham delegates are permitted to operate their Ham stations during
the HAMFEST by obtaining licence from Government of India.

THE DAILY TELEGRAMS
April 18, 2006

Economic prosperity of the islands lies immensely on development  of three
sectors: Dev. Comm.
Port Blair, April 17
    Tourism, high-value agriculture and fisheries are the three identified
thrust sectors in the islands with tremendous growth potentials, which if
tapped to the full potential will bring indiscernible economic growth and
prosperity to the islands. It is here, banks can play important role by
felicitating the flow of credit as per the required quantum, felt Shri Janak
Digal, Development Commissioner while releasing the State Focus Paper:
2006-2007, of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)
at the State-level credit seminar held at Hotel Bay Island today.
    Shri Digal lauded banks for contributing immensely in the post-tsunami
rehabilitation and re-settlement efforts of the Administration.  Referring
to tourism, high-value agriculture and fisheries, which have great prospects
in terms of growth, the Development Commissioner said fisheries sector can
contribute substantially for the economic development of these islands. The
unexploited fisheries resources of the A&N islands, has vast scope for
development. Areas like creation of infrastructure, processing and marketing
facilities need to be augmented for achieving the growth. Here private
sector can play major role for which huge credit flow is needed, he said.
The enchanting beauty, beautiful sandy beaches, evergreen rainforest and the
marine wealth of the islands make tourism one of the thrust areas with
tremendous growth potential. Due to the limited land in the islands, the
available land has to be utilized in an effective manner. It is here
high-value agriculture will be of great benefit for the islanders, the
Development Commissioner said.
    Suggesting banks to prepare credit plan emphasizing more on the
development of rural areas like Diglipur and Nancowry group of islands, Shri
Digal informed that the Industries department from the current year is
giving focused attention to rural areas so as to adequately develop this
part of the islands.
    In his keynote address, Dr. V. Puhazhendhi, GM, NABARD, Kolkata suggested
the banks functioning in the islands must strive to improve the C: D ratio.
He was of the view that different development departments and banks must
collectively identify the potential sectors and see to it how it can be
developed. He also suggested for focusing more on 'farmer friendly' schemes
like Self Help Groups (SHG) and farmers club, which has lot of development
scope in the islands adding that banks must extent more credit flow to these
areas.
    In his address, Shri U.S. Singh, Officer, RBI, Kolkata said that the
Potential Linked Credit Plan prepared by NABARD would be of immense help to
the banks for preparing their annual credit plan based on PLP projections
and other development departments for taking up developmental activities in
an effective manner.
    The Officer-in-Charge, NABARD, Shri G.M.Nair dwelt at length on the State
Focus Paper-2006-07 prepared by NABARD and informed about the previous State
Credit seminar.
    Earlier, welcoming the chief guest and others present on the occasion,
Shri J. D. Aparajit, AGM, NABARD said that the State Focus Paper prepared by
NABARD, which will be presented to the Administration and banks will show
the real potential in agriculture and other sectors in the islands.

C/o Kalpavriksh
Apt. 5, Sri Dutta Krupa,
908 Deccan Gymkhana
Pune 411004, India
Tel: 020 - 25654239
Web: www.kalpavriksh.org

THE DAILY TELEGRAMS, April 13, 2006

HCC to construct 54 permanent shelters at Bambooflat; stone laid
Port Blair, April 12
    The Commissioner-cum-Secretary (R&R), Shri. Dharam Pal, has laid
foundation stone for construction of 54 permanent shelters proposed to be
constructed by Hindustani Covenant Church at Bamboo Flat. Rev. Bertil
Swensson, Mission Director, Mission Covenant Church of Sweden was present at
the function organised at Tsunami Takeri, Bamboo Flat yesterday.
    Speaking on occasion, Shri. Dharam Pal lauded the efforts being made by
the NGOs in the post-tsunami reconstruction activities in these islands.
    Rev. Bertil Swensson said that he has received support for taking up the
Rehabilitation Programmes in the islands from all over the world.
    Earlier, welcoming the gathering, Dr. Ashish Waskar, Programme Manager,
HCC informed that his organization will take up construction of 40 more
permanent shelters for the tsunami victims in addition to the 54 being
constructed at Bambooflat now. He expressed his thanks to A & N
Administration for extending its support for effectively carrying out the
rehabilitation programmes.
    Later, in the evening, Rev. Bertil Swensson, dedicated the Disaster
Mitigation Centre to the islanders which has been constructed by HCC at Old
Pahargaon at a cost of Rs. 45 lakhs, Shri. Dharam Pal was also present on
the occasion.

MP INAUGURATES 80 PERMANENT HOUSES IN  SA villages
Port Blair, April 12
    Member of Parliament, Shri Manoranjan Bhakta inaugurated 80 permanent
houses built in different places of South Andaman at a function held
yesterday. These houses, built by the Salvation Army in association with
Islanders Sangathan Manch, both NGOs working for reconstruction and
rehabilitation of tsunami affected families, are located at places like
Namunaghar, Mithakhadi, Danduspoint Lambapahad, Kanyapuram and Garacharma.
    Speaking on the occasion, the MP lauded the efforts of Salvation Army and
ISM, particularly Dr. Madhu Krishna for his contribution towards the
rehabilitation of tsunami affected people. He also impressed upon the need
for presence of more such NGOs in the islands for their active involvement
in the development of this territory.
    After the inauguration by the MP, these houses were handed over to the
beneficiaries. Besides, a Multipurpose Community-cum-Disaster Emergency
Response & Mitigation hall, a Children's Park was also dedicated to the
inmates of Namunaghar intermediate shelter by the Territorial Commander of
Salvation Army, Colonel K V Lahase. These are part of the 500 houses
proposed to be built for the tsunami victims in the islands

C/o Kalpavriksh
Apt. 5, Sri Dutta Krupa,
908 Deccan Gymkhana
Pune 411004, India
Tel: 020 - 25654239
Web: www.kalpavriksh.org

dear folks would like myself to be associated with any marine programs that
is to be implemented in andamans

   regards

   mohanraju




-------------------------------------------
Dr. R. Mohanraju
Lecturer in Marine Biology
Department of Ocean Studies & Marine Biology
Post Bag # 801, Port Blair - 744104
Andamans India

Phone: Res: +91 3192 227543
Telefax Off: +91 3192 227082
Cellfone: +91 94342 81143
--------------------------------------------

---------------------------------
Yahoo! Messenger with Voice. Make PC-to-Phone Calls to the US (and 30+
countries) for 2¢/min or less.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

http://cpwd.nic.in/TsunamiNew/tsunami_SPECI050206.pdf

SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE PERMANENT SHELTER
FOR TSUNAMI AFFECTED VICTIMS -
SINGLE STORIED CONSTRUCTION

Foundation:
Isolated RCC footings designed for the bearing capacity of the soil. The
depth
of footing shall be 0.90 / 1.20 meter below ground level. RCC columns up to
the Plinth level suitably tied with steel tie members at just below
formation
level.
Main Structure:

 Near square shaped building has been planned for economy. This shape will
provide better strength for resisting earthquake and wind forces.

 Steel box type columns formed by joining 2-Rolled steel sections
(ISMC-125)
suitably designed and fixed to the RCC columns with base plates and holding
down bolts. The steel columns shall be tied in both directions using
structural
steel members at stilt floor level and roof level.

 Necessary arrangements shall be made for fixing wall panels with
horizontal
and vertical members with steel. The stiffener frames shall be connected to
the
main steel structural frame either by welding or by bolting. Horizontal
members
shall be provided at Sill, Lintel and Roof level. The vertical members shall
be
provided at the end of door and window frames.

 The beams shall be of rolled steel joists ISMC 125 connected to the steel
columns with base plates properly welded.

 All steel members internal / external / fully covered and partly covered
shall be
protected with necessary protective coating as per the recommendations of
CECRI, Karaikudi, Tamilnadu .
Walls:
 External wall panels shall be of 20 mm thick seasoned hard wood timber
planks 150 mm wide with standard overlapping connected to the mainframe
and stiffeners with bolts & nuts/ screws.
 Internal partition walls shall be engineered processed bamboo plywood
conforming to IS 13598- 1994 -12 / 9 mm thick fixed with bolts & nuts and
screws. Proper hard wood / bamboo board shall be provided at the junction of
floor and walls to prevent the entry of water/insects.
 Toilets room shall have masonry walls with aerated concrete blocks ( 600 x
200 x 200 ) in cement mortar for external walls and 600 x 100 x 200 for
partition walls.
5
 External wall in kitchen is of aerated cement sandwich panel 50 mm thick
Flooring & Dado:
o All the room shall be provided Cement tile flooring on lean concrete (CC
1:5:10).
o Bath room and toilets shall be provided with Cement Concrete tile Flooring
over a lean concrete of (C.C 1:5:10)
o Toilets shall be provided with Ceramic tile dado for height of 0.90 meter
in W.C
and 1.5 Meter in toilets.
o The kitchen platform shall be with aerated Cement sand-witched panels
supported on aerated cement concrete block masonry work .
Doors & Windows:
 Engineered processed bamboo / Bamboo jute composite doors and windows
frames and shutters.
Roofing:
 C.G.I. Sheet roofing supported with MS channels connected to main steel
frames. Engineered processed Bamboo based ply wood conforming to IS 4990-
3 mm thick used as panels for false ceiling suspended from the main steel
framework.
Wall Finishes & Painting:
. Glazed tiles up to 0.60 meter height above kitchen platform .
. Water proofing paint on internal and external surfaces of toilet walls.
. Enamel paint on wood .
Water closet:

 Orissa pattern WC with cistern
Sanitary And Water Supply:
 PVC pipes shall be provided for water-supply and sewerage arrangement in
kitchen and bath & WC will be provided.
 Electrical Installation:

 All rooms are provided with internal electrification with standard fitting
including fan as per standard

EXTERNAL SEWERAGE AND WATER SUPPLY LINES TO THE HOUSES TO BE
PROVIDED BY APWD.http://cpwd.nic.in/TsunamiNew/tsunami_SPECI050206.pdf



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Subject: Permanent Housing - Specifications for single storied constructions


http://cpwd.nic.in/TsunamiNew/tsunami_SPECI050206.pdf

SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE PERMANENT SHELTER
FOR TSUNAMI AFFECTED VICTIMS -
SINGLE STORIED CONSTRUCTION

Foundation:
Isolated RCC footings designed for the bearing capacity of the soil. The
depth
of footing shall be 0.90 / 1.20 meter below ground level. RCC columns up to
the Plinth level suitably tied with steel tie members at just below
formation
level.
Main Structure:

 Near square shaped building has been planned for economy. This shape will
provide better strength for resisting earthquake and wind forces.

 Steel box type columns formed by joining 2-Rolled steel sections
(ISMC-125)
suitably designed and fixed to the RCC columns with base plates and holding
down bolts. The steel columns shall be tied in both directions using
structural
steel members at stilt floor level and roof level.

 Necessary arrangements shall be made for fixing wall panels with
horizontal
and vertical members with steel. The stiffener frames shall be connected to
the
main steel structural frame either by welding or by bolting. Horizontal
members
shall be provided at Sill, Lintel and Roof level. The vertical members shall
be
provided at the end of door and window frames.

 The beams shall be of rolled steel joists ISMC 125 connected to the steel
columns with base plates properly welded.

 All steel members internal / external / fully covered and partly covered
shall be
protected with necessary protective coating as per the recommendations of
CECRI, Karaikudi, Tamilnadu .
Walls:
 External wall panels shall be of 20 mm thick seasoned hard wood timber
planks 150 mm wide with standard overlapping connected to the mainframe
and stiffeners with bolts & nuts/ screws.
 Internal partition walls shall be engineered processed bamboo plywood
conforming to IS 13598- 1994 -12 / 9 mm thick fixed with bolts & nuts and
screws. Proper hard wood / bamboo board shall be provided at the junction of
floor and walls to prevent the entry of water/insects.
 Toilets room shall have masonry walls with aerated concrete blocks ( 600 x
200 x 200 ) in cement mortar for external walls and 600 x 100 x 200 for
partition walls.
5
 External wall in kitchen is of aerated cement sandwich panel 50 mm thick
Flooring & Dado:
o All the room shall be provided Cement tile flooring on lean concrete (CC
1:5:10).
o Bath room and toilets shall be provided with Cement Concrete tile Flooring
over a lean concrete of (C.C 1:5:10)
o Toilets shall be provided with Ceramic tile dado for height of 0.90 meter
in W.C
and 1.5 Meter in toilets.
o The kitchen platform shall be with aerated Cement sand-witched panels
supported on aerated cement concrete block masonry work .
Doors & Windows:
 Engineered processed bamboo / Bamboo jute composite doors and windows
frames and shutters.
Roofing:
 C.G.I. Sheet roofing supported with MS channels connected to main steel
frames. Engineered processed Bamboo based ply wood conforming to IS 4990-
3 mm thick used as panels for false ceiling suspended from the main steel
framework.
Wall Finishes & Painting:
. Glazed tiles up to 0.60 meter height above kitchen platform .
. Water proofing paint on internal and external surfaces of toilet walls.
. Enamel paint on wood .
Water closet:

 Orissa pattern WC with cistern
Sanitary And Water Supply:
 PVC pipes shall be provided for water-supply and sewerage arrangement in
kitchen and bath & WC will be provided.
 Electrical Installation:

 All rooms are provided with internal electrification with standard fitting
including fan as per standard

EXTERNAL SEWERAGE AND WATER SUPPLY LINES TO THE HOUSES TO BE
PROVIDED BY APWD.http://cpwd.nic.in/TsunamiNew/tsunami_SPECI050206.pdf



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

http://cpwd.nic.in/TsunamiNew/tsunami_SPECI050206.pdf


SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE PERMANENT SHELTER
FOR TSUNAMI AFFECTED VICTIMS -
STILT TYPE CONSTRUCTION
Foundation:
. Isolated RCC footings designed for the bearing capacity of the soil. The
depth
of footing shall be 0.90 to 1.20 meter below ground level. RCC columns up to
the formation level suitably tied with steel tie members at just below
formation
level.
Main Structure:

 Near square shaped building has been planned for economy. This shape will
provide better strength for resisting earthquake and wind forces.

 Steel box type columns formed by joining 2-Rolled steel sections
(ISMC-125)
suitably designed and fixed to the RCC columns with base plates and holding
down bolts. The steel columns shall be tied in both directions using
structural
steel members at stilt floor level and roof level.

 Necessary arrangements shall be made for fixing wall panels with
horizontal
and vertical members with steel. The stiffener frames shall be connected to
the
main steel structural frame either by welding or by bolting. Horizontal
members
shall be provided at Sill, Lintel and Roof level. The vertical members shall
be
provided at the end of door and window frames.

 The beams shall be of rolled steel joists ISMC 125 connected to the steel
columns with base plates properly welded.

 All steel members internal / external / fully covered and partly covered
shall be
protected with necessary protective coating as per the recommendations of
CECRI, Karaikudi, Tamilnadu .

 Approach to stilt floor shall be by an independent external steel
staircase.
Welding shall be done for the joints for better rigidity.
Walls:
 External wall panels shall be of 20mm thick seasoned hard wood timber
planks 100 to 200 mm wide with standard overlapping connected to the
mainframe and stiffeners with bolts & nuts/ screws.
 Internal partition walls shall be engineered processed bamboo plywood
conforming to IS 13598 - 1994 -12 mm thick properly fixed with bolts & nuts
and screws. Proper hard wood / Bamboo board shall be provided at the
junction of floor and walls to prevent the entry of water/insects.
 External wall in kitchen is of aerated cement sandwich panel 50 mm thick
2
 Wall cladding with 3 to 4 mm thick Processed Engineered bamboo sheet
confirming to IS 13598 - 1994 for inside room on wooden planks portion.
 Toilets room shall have masonry walls with aerated concrete blocks ( 600 x
200 x 200 ) in cement mortar for external walls and 600 x 100 x 200 for
partition walls.
Flooring & Dado:
o Engineered processed Bamboo based ply wood conforming to IS 13598 -1994 -
16 / 12 mm thick shall be provided as flooring properly supported by steel
joist
of ISA 50 mm x 50 mm x 6 mm forming a suitable grid as per design.
o Bath room and toilets shall be provided with Cement Concrete Tile Flooring
over a lean concrete of (C.C 1:5:10)
o Toilets shall be provided with Ceramic tile dado for height of 0.90 meter
in
W.C and 1.5 Meter in toilets.
o Portion below the stilt shall be leveled and compacted with locally
available
earth.
o The kitchen platform shall be with aerated Cement concrete sand-witched
panels supported on angle iron brackets welded to the main frame.
Doors & Windows:
 Engineered processed bamboo / Bamboo - Jute composite doors and windows
frames and shutters
Roofing:
 C.G.I. Sheet roofing supported with MS channels connected to main steel
frames. Engineered processed Bamboo based ply wood conforming to IS
13598 - 1994 -3 to 4 mm thick used as panels for false ceiling suspended
from the main steel framework.
Wall Finishes & Painting:
. Glazed tiles up to 0.60 meter height above kitchen platform .
. Water proofing paint on internal and external surfaces of toilet walls.
. Enamel paint on wood.
Water closet:

 Orissa pattern WC with cistern
 Water Supply:
 PVC pipes shall be provided for water-supply and sewerage arrangement in
kitchen and bath & WC will be provided.
3
 Electrical Installation:

 All rooms are provided with internal electrification with standard fitting
including fan as per standard
EXTERNAL SEWERAGE AND WATER SUPPLY LINES TO THE HOUSES TO BE
PROVIDED BY APWD.



C/o Kalpavriksh
Apt. 5, Sri Dutta Krupa,
908 Deccan Gymkhana
Pune 411004, India
Tel: 020 - 25654239
Web: www.kalpavriksh.org

Dear Friends,
Work on the permanent housing for the tsunami affected households in the
Andaman and Nicobar Islands is finally poised for take off. Detailed
descriptions are available on the website of the Central Public Works
Department that will be incharge of the entire process. Please do have a
look at the following weblink for more and greater
details -http://cpwd.nic.in/tsunami_items.aspx

Also pasted below from this website is a Chronology of events that has led
to the present and latest situation on the permanent housing front.
Pankaj Sekhsaria


Government of India /Ministry of Urban Development
http://cpwd.nic.in/TsunamiNew/tsunami_Chronolgy_of_events.pdf
Central Public Works Department
Construction of permanent houses for people of A&N islands affected by
tsunami

  A BRIEF CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS

a. The Tsunami struck the islands on December 26, 2004. To assess
the impact of the Tsunami and the scale of reconstruction
programme that will be required to be carried out an expert team of
officers from CPWD; TCPO; experts from IIT Roorkee & SERC,
Chennai accompanied by Prof. A.S. Arya, seismic advisor to the
MHA visited the islands in mid January 2005 (15/01/2005)
b. It was felt that model and modern habitat, comparable to what are
being built elsewhere should be provided. Habitat it was felt should
be such which will improve living standards of people but will not
affect their lifestyle
c. A team of engineers, architects, town planners again visited the
islands from 6th February 2005 to interact with the affected people,
understand the architecture/life style of the people so that designs
of houses and layouts of the villages could be developed
accordingly. The team also helped identify the best possible sites
for the new settlements. An assessment of availability of building
materials, skilled labour for carrying out construction, logistics, likely
difficulties that the construction teams might face was also made
d. A detailed project proposal was prepared giving plans, layouts,
specifications, costs, timelines, requirement of project teams
etc. and submitted for the consideration of the Govt. in March 2005
e. Since building techniques/technologies/materials, with which the
local people were not fully conversant, were proposed to be used -
to ensure safe, economical, long lasting and fast construction- it
was desired to put up prototypes of the deigns proposed, at various
locations, so that people could see the designs and the materials
proposed and give their feedback
f. The selection of site for the construction of prototypes was made by
the local administration in consultation with the leaders of the tribal
councils
g. A full scale model was built in Chennai in March 2005 to
understand the intricacies
h. Work on the construction of prototypes was initiated in April 2005
i. Construction of prototypes was over by June/July 2005
j. The Govt. received a feedback that the people were not happy with
the selection of materials and desired to have the houses built with
timber. In order to understand the views and explain to the people
the merits of the designs & structures that had been put up a large
expert team of CPWD engineers & architects, town planners from
TCPO, local administration officers visited the islands from July 6th
to 15th. The aim of the team was to discuss with the people and
finalize

 Area of the dwelling unit to be built

 Specifications of the dwelling units

 Materials to be used in construction

 Agency which should build these dwelling units
k. Detailed discussions were held by the team with the beneficiaries in
open meetings where a very large number of beneficiaries, leaders
of the tribal councils participated. The meetings were video
graphed. Final decisions taken were minuted and the minutes were
signed by all
l. During the meetings a number of positive feedbacks were received
and the people were assured that these would be accommodated
subject to constraints of cost, safety of structure etc.
m. Based on these discussions the Chief Secretary was briefed and
final conclusions presented to him in a meeting held at Port Blair on
July 14th. It was informed that the people were keen to have
construction work started at the earliest. During this meeting the
NGOs expressed the view that the tribal council chiefs should be
invited to Port Blair and their final views obtained
n. In a meeting that was held on July 16th a decision was taken that
the NGOs may be given an opportunity to put up prototypes with
different design and materials to give the people a wider choice. It
was decided that the NGOs will build prototypes within one month.
Two scale models were built by NGOs and completed in August
2005
o. A team of experts from CPWD, MoUD & officers of A&N
Administration Again visited the islands to interact with the
beneficiaries and obtain feedback in 1st week of September 2005.
During the visit the same decisions were reiterated once again
which had been made by the people in July.
p. Based on this the A&N Administration Sent detailed
recommendations for each island on September 12, 2005.
q. A supplementary note for the cabinet was prepared by the Ministry
of UD in October 2005 giving the cost of various options so that a
final decision could be taken
r. The proposal was approved by the EGoM in a meeting held in New
Delhi on December 8, 2005. It was decided that Indian NGOs may
be invited to participate in the programme subject to their building
houses of same design and specifications as developed by the
Govt. This construction will have to be funded by the NGOs
themselves
s. The A&N Administration invited EOI on 27/12/2005 and some
NGOs indicated their willingness to participate in the programme.
t. A team of officers from various ministries led by Vice Chairman
National Disaster Management Authority visited the Islands from
January 27 to January 29 2006.
u. The A&N Administration has indicated the number of houses that
the NGOs have finally agreed to build vide their letter dated
29/01/2006. As per this Government agencies will be building 7145
houses and NGOs will build the rest i.e. 2477.
v. Foundation work is proposed to be started from 3rd week of March,
2006.
Materials finally selected for construction are
i. Foundation - Isolated RCC footings
ii. Structure - Rolled steel sections
iii. External walls - Timber
iv. Internal walls - Processed bamboo boards
v. Roofing - CGI Sheets
vi. Floor - Processed bamboo boards for houses on
stilts and cement concrete floors in houses
on plinth
vii. Door & windows - Processed bamboo doors & windows

Living low: the climate change view from Tuvalu
 
http://www.scidev.net/Features/index.cfm?fuseaction=readFeatures&itemid=509&lang\
uage=1Tuvalu faces an uncertain future thanks to rising sea levels7 April
2006Source:Tuvalu - a remote island nation in the Pacific - may seem an
unlikelyscientific battleground. But this tiny developing nation is on the
frontline of climate change. If sea levels rise as much as many climate
changeresearchers predict, Tuvalu could one day disappear.The country's
topography makes it vulnerable: the highest land is just fivemetres above sea
level. This year, Tuvalu has had some of its highest evertides - nearly 1.5
metres above the average.A sea level rise of 20-40 centimetres in the next 100
years could makeTuvalu uninhabitable, severely eroding coasts, contaminating
agriculturalland and undermining buildings.But not of all the scientists who
flock to Tuvalu agree on the evidence. Inthis article in Nature Samir Patel
reports on their debates.Some say the observations show that sea levels are
rising much f

Dear friends,

I would like to suggest that anyone who is interested in the issue of
the terminology used to describe tribal peoples considers writing to
the Times of India in response to Survival's director  Stephen
Corry's article. If letters are published this would bring further
attention to the issue.

Best wishes,
Miriam
--

We help tribal peoples defend their lives, protect their lands and
determine their own futures.

Survival International
6 Charterhouse Buildings
London EC1M 7ET
UK

Tel: (+44) (0)20 7687 8700
Fax: (+44) (0)20 7687 8701
          www.survival-international.org

Dear Friends,

You would recollect that a few weeks ago I had posted an interview regarding a
shell craft trainign workshop that was conducted in Port Blair by the Crafts
Council of India (CCI).

Following is the note prepared on the workshop by the CCI

Posting it in case anyone is interested in knowing more and / or following up.

thanks

Pankaj





NOTE ON THE PDP:

The Crafts Council of India (CCI) with the support of the office of the
Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Ministry of Textiles organized a product
development programme on jewelry and accessories in seashell, mother of pearl
and coconut shell. It was conducted between 6th-12th February2006 at the Design
Centre, Cottage Industries, Port Blair.
The objective was to widen the current market to cater to a more niche market.

About 25craftsmen both sea and coconut shell participating in this workshop.
Both master craftsmen and experienced trainees participated. (In which there
were about 10-12 women, whom were mostly trainees participated. However it's
visibly a male dominated industry.)

The craftsmen are skilled in buffing, engraving and cutting. Skills are similar
in working with both media as most coconut shell craftsmen initially worked with
shell so they have adapted the existing machinery and styles to using coconut
shell.



Prior to the workshop there were several concerns expressed by the craftsmen:



Imposition on usage of raw material:

  Trochus niloticus (a variety of shell) that is used for most shell-based
jewelry is under a schedule 4 regulation imposed on seashell procurement and
trading, issued by the Department of Environment and Forests. Andaman and
Nicobar Administration. The regulation only permits license holders (Since 1994
a licensing system was introduced only to registered shell craft industries. The
Director of Fisheries was designated as an authorized officer, to keep a check
on the rights of shell fishing and the quantity of shell procured) to use
already available stock. So the craftsmen show a bill for a quantity that does
not get exhausted and procure illegally. This is the accepted practice. So the
requirement of Trochus for the workshop, as CCI is a non-governmental
organization, was possible to procure only through this network, otherwise it
gets bureaucratic.. Most other shells used for jewelry are feely available. But
Trochus remains vital to jewelry for these craftsmen. Minimum working charges is
with trochus, in comparison to say working with mother of pearl.



Master craftsmen/ individual proprietors have lost their skilled workers. A
standard for a skilled worker is apparently one with expertise in using the
trochus, now with bans imposed and low production rates, much of the workers
have stopped working and have shifted occupations. The coconut shell craftsmen
whom were originally skilled in shells, shifted or prefer to work with coconut
shell because of the ban (imposed in 2004) and the hassles that come with
dealing with the various governing bodies. Two in particular the Department of
Environment and Forests which gives subsidies and clearance in procurement of
raw material /imposes bans And the Department of Fisheries which issues
licensees, auctions raw material/regulates procurement of sea shells.



Using new material: The craftsmen expressed a need in understanding or having a
good working knowledge of raw material that is available or made available. 
However a draw back in using new materials like wood, plastic, metal that the
craftsmen have faced is to keep up with existing finishing rates. Also the
required expertise and tools that come with working with new material are
necessary. Previous to this workshop, a workshop (for 15 days) was conducted in
wood by the design development center, in Bangalore (using Paduka wood which is
popular in the islands) but getting tools and the wood was a problem for some of
the craftsmen. Techniques such as the usage of colored acrylic sheets for
jewelry were suggested during a three-day jewelry workshop (conducted by CCI, as
part of the Grass to Gold convention in 2004, in Chennai) but procuring material
is expensive. Dependency on usage of shells is thought to be more economical.



Market

Market largely dependant on Sagarika and the Khadi Gram Udyog Board,which

have retail outlets at the Cottage Industries Emporiums.

Goods are sold on a consignment basis and a ten percent commission is taken by
Sagarika and 12% by Khadi. On an average most craftsmen supply a stock worth
1lakh

annually, some very established craftsmen gave figures of eight lakhs worth
stock and a return of six lakhs.Returns are high only during the tourist season
(Dec-May) the next six months are variable.These emporiums have a high sales
target, bring in large quantities of goods from main land (through craftsmen in
Portblair) and are sold at a competitive price range, as labour is cheap.
Enterprising craftsmen trade with wholesalers locally and from the mainland and
supply mainland goods to the emporium. This goes against the ideals of a cottage
industries emporium, in supporting small-scale industries. Some other grievances
with these emporiums are long waiting periods for sample approval, also goods
are claimed to be lost and damage is to be borne by the craftsmen. And
commission rates are high.



Workshop activities

At the workshop two designers worked with the craftsmen-Dennis Kenward (a
jewelry designer based in New Zealand who works with shell jewellery) he was
assisted by Anusha Mishra (n accessory design graduate from National Institute
of Fashion Technology, New Delhi)

Several of the concerns mentioned above were addressed-



With regard to the release of raw material the CCI chair person-Ms.Vijaya Rajan

met with the officials from the concerned ministries. And in her meetings,
reasoned out that a releasing a regulated amount of trochus for livelihood
skills would not really affect a depletion These officials were invited to
attend the inaugural and valedictory functions of the PDP to view the body of
work done by the craftsmen and to support and encourage them. But none of the
dignitaries gave any answers, they encouraged the craftsmen to be sensible and
use only raw material that is available. Also they suggested that an appeal be
made directly by the craftsmen to the ministry in Delhi. Also during the press
meets that were held during the workshop, the concerns of the sea shell industry
in the Andamans was expressed by the CCI chair person.



Machine parts were introduced. These included -a pneumatic sander, a 3M buffing
stone and a polishing mop. The participants were trained in them for better
cutting and finishing of forms, they understood the significance of using
efficient machine parts and consequently placed orders for the machine parts,
which CCI would help them source.



The designers worked on exercises that helped the craftsmen to understand what
international and contemporary markets were like (prices, products etc.) The
craftsmen were exposed to an entirely new set of design sensibilities that are
current to these markets. Prototypes and duplicates were made (roughly around
20-25 prototypes were created). The crafts men at the end of the workshop were
confidant of taking up orders-CCI intends to make a catalogue of the prototypes
made and facilitate in marketing the products.



For more information on this workshop and related enquiries please contact us
at:

The Crafts Council of India
GF "Temple Trees"
37, Venkatanarayana Road
T. Nagar,
Chennai 600 017
India

Phone: + 91 44 2434 1456
Tele / Fax: + 91 44 2432 7931
Email: craft@...








C/o Kalpavriksh
Apt. 5, Sri Dutta Krupa,
908 Deccan Gymkhana
Pune 411004, India
Tel: 020 - 25654239
Web: www.kalpavriksh.org


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Modern Times
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1483459.cms

by Stephen Corry


Reports about the Sentinelese islanders killing two fishermen, Sunder Raj
and Pandit Tiwari, in January raise important questions about the way tribal
peoples are portrayed in the media. In newspapers and websites around the
world the Sentinelese were described as 'savage', 'primitive',
'pre-Neolithic', and 'one of the last Stone Age tribes', terms that are
often used to describe tribal peoples in the Indian press too.

The use of terms like 'Stone Age' and 'primitive' to describe tribal peoples
is often very damaging. Almost always used pejoratively, they reflect a
colonial way of thinking and reinforce the idea that tribal peoples have not
changed for hundreds of years.

In turn, this suggests that they are 'backward', that they have not
'progressed', and that they are, therefore, inferior to the rest of us.

These ideas are used by governments to justify tribal peoples' persecution.
Governments claim that forcibly 'developing' tribal peoples is for their own
good and helps them to 'catch up' with so-called 'civilisation', when often
all they really want is to exploit the vast natural wealth of many tribal
peoples' lands.

The results of this 'development' are almost always catastrophic: Poverty,
alcoholism, prostitution, disease and early death.

This was what happened in the Andaman islands. When the British colonial
administration resettled the Great Andamanese their numbers fell in 150
years from 5,000 to under 50, and when the Indian government did the same
with the Onge their numbers fell from 670 at the start of the 20th century
to around 100 today. The reason?

According to British commander Colonel Tytler, by capturing the Great
Andamanese and forcing them to live in settlements the British were "in
reality laying the foundation stone for civilising a people hitherto living
in a perfectly barbarous state".

The same tragedy almost happened again very recently, this time with the
Jarawa. When, in 1990, the Indian government proposed plans to relocate the
Jarawa to another island, the reasons given were that their lifestyle was
outdated and that they needed to be assimilated into modern, mainstream
Indian society.

"It is not right to leave them (the Jarawa) as it is", said the tribal
welfare minister. Nine years later an Andaman islands' lawyer brought a
court case against the government, intending to force it to put those
proposals into action. As the lawyer's petition to the court put it, "This
is high time to make them (the Jarawa) acquainted with modern civilisation".

As it stands, plans to relocate the Jarawa have been dropped, though they
are now under threat from settlers invading their reserve and hunting their
animals.

Other tribal peoples around the world have fared even worse. In present-day
Botswana, for example, the Gana and Gwi Bushmen have been evicted from their
homes in the central Kalahari desert and forced into resettlement camps.

Once healthy and self-sufficient, the Bushmen are now dependent on
government handouts and are dying from alcoholism and diseases like
HIV/AIDS.

The government claims this is for 'development'. Botswana's president,
Festus Mogae, asked in 1996, "How can you have a Stone Age creature continue
to exist in the age of computers? If the Bushmen want to survive they must
change or otherwise, like the dodo, they will perish".

As in so many other parts of the world, 'development' in Botswana has a
hidden agenda: The extraction and exploitation of natural resources on
tribal peoples' land. Just as adivasis were resettled to make way for the
construction of the Narmada dams, the Bushmen have been evicted to make way
for diamond mining.

Diamonds have been discovered under the Bushmen's land and the mining
company De Beers holds a mining retention licence that allows them to mine
at some point in the future.

In addition to being actively damaging, using terms like 'Stone Age' and
'primitive' is to misunderstand tribal societies and cultures.

First, these terms imply that tribal peoples haven't changed for hundreds of
years. However, as is now accepted by experts in every academic field and
anyone working with tribal peoples, all societies and cultures continually
adapt and change, mainly due to factors like the availability of natural
resources, shifting weather patterns, and contact with outsiders. Contrary
to what was once thought, no society is ever frozen in time.

Terms like 'primitive' imply that tribal peoples are inferior to the rest of
us. Apologists for so-called 'progress' or the kind of 'development'
mentioned above may tell you otherwise, but there really is no way of
measuring human worth that enables us to say one culture is any 'better'
than another.

Of course, you can measure things like life expectancy and levels of
illness, but the tragic irony of this is that forced settlement of tribal
peoples invariably results in shorter lives and more disease.

Ultimately, tribal peoples live differently from us and do and possess
different things because that is what makes sense to them given their
particular environmental and economic conditions.

The writer is director, Survivor International


C/o Kalpavriksh
Apt. 5, Sri Dutta Krupa,
908 Deccan Gymkhana
Pune 411004, India
Tel: 020 - 25654239
Web: www.kalpavriksh.org

THE DAILY TELEGRAMS
April 10, 2006
Natnl. seminar on sustainable development of tsunami hit areas from today

Port Blair, April 09
      A two-day national seminar on sustainable development of
tsunami-affected areas commences at Port Blair from tomorrow. The seminar is
being organized by the Department of Environment and School of Planning &
Architecture in association with Indian Environment Society (IES) and
Friedrich Ebert Stifting (FES).
   The objective of the seminar is to educate, create awareness and sensitize
the participants. The need of the hour is to come together as academicians,
policy planners, administrators and agencies involved in Disaster Mitigation
and management at one platform to evolve a sound plan for disaster
mitigation and management.
   In the seminar to be held at Fortune Resort, Bay Islands from 10 am
tomorrow, papers on different topics such as Marine Biology, Transport
planning, information system on tsunami and role of public, media and
tsunami will be presented by various experts on the subject drawn from
different organizations.
   While, the inaugural session will see Shri Rajeshwar Dayal, Advisor, FES
and Shri G C Khattar, Secretary, APWD, other prominent speakers in the
session on 11th April include Shri R Metha, Advisor, Ministry of Environment
and Forests, Dr Viney Martri, Head of GIS Centre, SPA and Shri Shrikanth
Sharma of Nav bharat Times.

Dear Friends,
Following is another message from Stutee regarding the Barren Island eruption,
reported yesterday.

Dear Pankaj,

   MODIS image of barren island can be seen at the following site

  
http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/?2006095-0405/BarrenIsland.A2006095.0\
720

   regards,

   Stutee


C/o Kalpavriksh
Apt. 5, Sri Dutta Krupa,
908 Deccan Gymkhana
Pune 411004, India
Tel: 020 - 25654239
Web: www.kalpavriksh.org


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Barren Island Eruption
The Barren Island Volcano erupted on April 5, 2006, sending a plume of volcanic
ash and steam toward the northeast over the Andaman Sea. The Moderate Resolution
Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) flying onboard the Aqua satellite took this
picture the same day. This image shows Barren Island at Aqua's full 250-meter
resolution, available on the MODIS Rapid Response site.   In this image, the
volcanic plume dissipates as it moves away from the tiny island. The white dots
southwest of the volcano are clouds. The red outline around the volcano's summit
is a thermal anomaly showing where the satellite sensor picked up especially
warm surface temperatures.   Just 3 kilometers wide with a 2-kilometer wide
caldera, Barren Island is the summit of a volcano that rises about 2,250 meters
from the sea floor, poking 354 meters above the water line. About 135 kilometers
northeast of Port Blair in the Andaman Islands, the volcanic island is
uninhabited. It is the only historically active
  volcano in the north-south volcanic arc between Sumatra and Myanmar (Burma).
Mid-March 2006 news reports assured India's citizens that the volcano's activity
in early 2006 was no cause for alarm as seismologists surmised that it did not
indicate an increased risk of earthquakes.   NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz,
MODIS Rapid Response Team,Goddard Space Flight Center

   regards

   Stutee




---------------------------------
Yahoo! Messenger with Voice. Make PC-to-Phone Calls to the US (and 30+
countries) for 2¢/min or less.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

THE DAILY TELEGRAMS, April 7, 2006
15-day capacity bldg. training gets underway
Programme aims at addressing livelihood issues of tsunami affected islanders
Port Blair, April 6
     A 15-day capacity building training programme in bakery products was
inaugurated by Shri Manmohan Malhotra, Secretary General, Rajiv Gandhi
Foundation, New Delhi at the conference hall of Directorate of industries on
Thursday. The training programme, organised by UNNATI, an NGO with the
support of Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and Directorate of Industries, is to
equip the 25 participating  trainees on different aspects relating to bakery
food and how they can go about starting their own ventures.
    Inaugurating the training programme, Shri Malhotra expressed his
happiness that UNNATI, with the support and assistance of other
Institutions, is conducting training programme aimed at addressing the
livelihood issue of the islanders. He said, Rajiv Gandhi Foundation is
working on many projects in different parts of the country including the
Union Territory of A&N islands with the primary objective of providing
benefit to the needy section of the society.
    The Secretary General, informed that RGF has already taken up two
projects in the A&N islands. The first one is relating to tsunami orphan
children and second is a Physo social project.
    Referring to the visit of the UPA Chairperson, Smt Sonia Gandhi who is
also the Chairperson of Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, to these islands shortly
after the tsunami, he said Smt Gandhi had special attachment towards these
islands and is taking keen interest in its progress and development. He also
wanted to know from the participants their views on how the Foundation can
assist them by implementing schemes for their benefit. .
    The Chief Secretary, Shri Shumsher K.Sheriff impressed upon the need for
conducting more livelihood projects so as to address the livelihood issues
at a faster pace. He asked the participating trainees to utilize the
opportunity to learn every details about the subject so that they can start
their self-employment ventures that would help them in substantially
improving their standard of living.
    Shri Manoranjan Bhakta, Member of Parliament noted with appreciation that
Rajiv Gandhi Foundation has come forward in a big way to support the
islanders to solve the growing unemployment problems and that locally based
NGO as well as Govt. agencies here are striving to generate employment
opportunities in these islands by conducing different livelihood based
programmes. Ban imposed on wood, sand, restriction on deep sea fishing and
lack of marketing facilities are some of the impediments, which, he said, is
required to be removed for faster development and progress of these islands,
he observed.
    Shri Janak Diggal, Development Commissioner-cum-Secretary (industries)
said that after the Dec 2004 calamity, which had devastating affect on the
livelihood of a large section of the islanders, the A&N Administration has
been focusing on restoration of livelihood and creation of livelihood
opportunities. So far, efforts were on to concentrate in the South Andaman,
but now focus has been shifted to the livelihood issues of people living in
North Andaman and southern group of islands, he added.
    Director, Industries, Shri Ashok Sharma informed that since the tsunami
disaster, the Directorate of Industries in association with local and
mainland based NGOs and other agencies has conducted 236 skill development &
capacity building training programmes in different trades, in which about
3300 beneficiaries were benefited. He also informed that the department
during the current year would start 25 more projects in which only potential
candidates will be selected for undergoing the training.
    Smt. Shabha, a trainee from Teressa Island and Smt. Jaya Lakshmi, from
Haddo village, also shared their views on the training programme.
    Earlier, welcoming the dignitaries and other present on the occasion, the
President of UNNATI, Shri C. Mohammed informed that after the completion of
the training programme, efforts will also be made to ensure that the
trainees get financial assistance from banks for starting ventures of their
own. He said trainees from various remote areas of the islands like Teressa,
Kondul etc. are also participating in the 15-days programme.

THE DAILY TELEGRAMS
April 6, 2006
CS visits Katchal, Teressa
Car Nicobar, April 05
    On the last lap of his two-day tour to southern group of islands, Chief
Secretary, Shri S K Sheriff alongwith Relief Commissioner, Shri Dharam Pal
visited Katchal and Teressa yesterday.
    At Katchal, the Chief Secretary visited the intermediate shelter sites at
Mildera (Japan Tikrey) and E-wall. He took an overview of the status of
construction of permanent shelters and infrastructure development in the
island. He discussed in details with the Tribal Captains the issues relating
to road, water supply, electricity, health and education.
     The Chief Secretary extensively toured the tsunami devastated areas and
also carried out site inspection of the new jetty at Kapanga and the old
jetty at Marina. He also visited the Senior Secondary School at Mildera and
the Rubber Factory run by the Forest Corporation. Chief Secretary was
accompanied on this tour also by the DC, Nicobars, Smt Ankita Mishra, Chief
Engineer, ALHW, Shri K Sekar and EE, CPWD, Shri P K Naidu.
    At Teressa, the team visited the intermediate shelter sites of Bengali
village and Chowra Camp and carried out an aerial survey of construction of
jetty at Safed Balu. Thereafter, in a meeting held with Govt. officials and
Tribal Captains of Chowra and Teressa, the Chief Secretary reviewed the
progress relating to construction of permanent shelters, roads and the
problem of telephone connectivity. He called upon the officials and the
people to continue to work in coordination and assured full support of the
administration for timely and effective implementation of different relief
and rehabilitation works.

C/o Kalpavriksh
Apt. 5, Sri Dutta Krupa,
908 Deccan Gymkhana
Pune 411004, India
Tel: 020 - 25654239
Web: www.kalpavriksh.org

April 5, 2006, THE DAILY TELEGRAMS

CS visits southern group to review rehab. & reconstruction works
Campbell Bay, April 04
    Chief Secretary, Shri Shumsher K Sheriff, accompanied by Shri Dharam Pal,
Commissioner, Relief and Rehabilitation, Smt Ankita Mishra, Deputy
Commissioner, Nicobars and Shri K Sekar, Chief Engineer, ALHW during his
two-day tour to Nicobar group of islands, visited Campbell Bay last Sunday.
    At Campbell Bay, the Chief Secretary visited the site of the construction
of North South Road and Magar Nallah at Campbell Bay where ALHW is
constructing a sea protection wall and took an overview of the progress of
work and called upon the officials of BRO and ALHW to complete the same on
priority as per schedule. Chief Secretary also visited the intermediate
shelter sites behind PHC and at Rajeev Nagar. He interacted with the
Ex-Servicemen and tribals from Little Nicobar. He gave a patient listening
to the problems and issues raised by the people. Chief Secretary saw for
himself the site of the ongoing construction work at Campbell Bay. He was
appraised by the Chief Engineer of ALHW of the details of different works
being undertaken by ALHW in the southern group.
    Later, the Chief Secretary discussed various issues pertaining to relief
and rehabilitation with the public representatives at APWD Guest House. He
encouraged the local officials to ensure greater inter-departmental
coordination and timely monitoring of ongoing works for efficient and
effective implementation of different schemes in larger public interest.
    The team of the Administration then proceeded to Nancowrie. Accompanied
by Smt Ayesha Majeed, Chairperson, Tribal Council, Nancowrie, the Chief
Secretary visited Champin Island. On inspection, he asked the APWD officials
to take up the work relating to raising the height of the sea wall,
construction of road from Champin to Tapong and operationalization of RO
Plant on priority basis. Further, he visited intermediate shelter sites at
Bada Enaka and Chota Enaka in Kamorta.
     Chief Secretary also made an spot inspection of the living conditions of
the people and interacted with the Tribal Captains. He sought their
cooperation in the construction of permanent shelters, scheduled to begin
shortly. He also visited the community health centre and reviewed the status
of health care services in the Islands. This was followed by a meeting with
the public representatives and officials of different Departments in which
the Chief Secretary called upon the officials to take up the work of
construction of permanent shelters on a project made with proper monitoring
and coordination.


C/o Kalpavriksh
Apt. 5, Sri Dutta Krupa,
908 Deccan Gymkhana
Pune 411004, India
Tel: 020 - 25654239
Web: www.kalpavriksh.org

Pankaj, these three roads ahve been resurveyed/or
still are being surveyd, after the tsunami and new
tracks were cleared of forest and undergrowth to make
way for the new orientation of the roads to access
settlements- away from the shore. Declaring them state
highways is another matter or intent.

--- Pankaj <pankaj@...> wrote:

> Dear Friends,
> Following is a press release on the A&N Admin
> website about the declaration
> of three roads in the islands as State Highways. I
> was wondering what the
> purpose at this point of time. I don't know about 1
> and 3, but at the moment
> little remains of SH 2 (see below) which is the
> North South Road running
> along the Great Nicobar Island East coast.
> Pankaj Sekhsaria
>
> PRESS RELEASE
> Andaman and Nicobar Administration
> Directorate of Information, Publicity & Tourism
>
> Port Blair April 03, 2006
> http://www.and.nic.in/press/pmonday.htm
>
> State Highways
>           The following roads have been declared to
> be highways with
> immediate effect:
> State Highway NumberDescription of State Highways
> (1) SH-01 State Highway Road in Little Andaman
> Island (length of 22.00 KM)
> runs along the eastern coast, starting from jetty,
> it passes through Hut
> Bay, R.K. Pur and terminating at V.K. Pur
> 2) SH-02 State Highway Road of North South in Great
> Nicobar Island (length
> of 38.00 KM) starting from 0.00 Point (tri-junction)
> at Campbell Bay Bazaar
> passing through Joginder Nagar, Vijay Nagar, Laxmi
> Nagar, Gandhi Nagar and
> terminating at Shastri Nagar along the east coast.
> 3) SH-03State Highway Circular Road of Car Nicobar
> (lengh of 46.00 KM)
> starting from 0.00 Point near Post Office at Head
> Quarter via Gandhi statue,
> Tamaloo, Jayanthi Junction, Tee Top, Arong and
> Kakana.
>
>
>


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Dear Friends,
Following is a press release on the A&N Admin website about the declaration
of three roads in the islands as State Highways. I was wondering what the
purpose at this point of time. I don't know about 1 and 3, but at the moment
little remains of SH 2 (see below) which is the North South Road running
along the Great Nicobar Island East coast.
Pankaj Sekhsaria

PRESS RELEASE
Andaman and Nicobar Administration
Directorate of Information, Publicity & Tourism

Port Blair April 03, 2006
http://www.and.nic.in/press/pmonday.htm

State Highways
           The following roads have been declared to be highways with
immediate effect:
State Highway NumberDescription of State Highways
(1) SH-01 State Highway Road in Little Andaman Island (length of 22.00 KM)
runs along the eastern coast, starting from jetty, it passes through Hut
Bay, R.K. Pur and terminating at V.K. Pur
2) SH-02 State Highway Road of North South in Great Nicobar Island (length
of 38.00 KM) starting from 0.00 Point (tri-junction) at Campbell Bay Bazaar
passing through Joginder Nagar, Vijay Nagar, Laxmi Nagar, Gandhi Nagar and
terminating at Shastri Nagar along the east coast.
3) SH-03State Highway Circular Road of Car Nicobar (lengh of 46.00 KM)
starting from 0.00 Point near Post Office at Head Quarter via Gandhi statue,
Tamaloo, Jayanthi Junction, Tee Top, Arong and Kakana.