ONGC to buy 5 oil blocks in West Bengal
Bs Reporter / Kolkata August 31, 2008, 4:57 IST
http://www.business-standard.com/india/storypage.php?autono=333033

Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Ltd (ONGC) is all set to acquire five
onshore blocks spreading over 16,500 square kilometers in West Bengal
for Rs 10,000 crore next month.


The Directorate General of Hydrocarbons(DGH), the upstream regulator
under the Union ministry of petroleum and natural gas, would sign the
production sharing contracts (PSC) with state-owned oil explorer for six
blocks including one offshore block in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands
by September 30. ONGC had bid for these blocks under the New Exploration
Licensing Policy (NELP) and reportedly was the sole bidder in four of
these blocks.

ONGC will apply for a petroleum exploration licence from the state
government for onshore blocks, and could start exploration and
production (E&P) activities only after getting the government’s nod.

According to industry experts, ONGC would require an area of around
13,000 square metres (110 m X 110m) for one drill site for digging up to
three wells. It would zero in on the drill sites after detailed two and
three dimensional cyclic surveys. It, however, declined to give out an
estimate of the crude reserves in these blocks. The company has only one
E&P block at Contai in West Bengal. In another significant development,
ONGC chairman and managing director, R S Sharma on Saturday said that it
was open to tie up with a local partner in Russia as the state-owned oil
explorer was moving ahead to acquire UK based Imperial Energy that
operates primarily in Russia’s Siberian region of Tomsk.

ONGC Videsh, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ONGC and its overseas
investment arm, has submitted a negotiated bid for $2.6 billion or 1,250
pence a share to acquire Imperial Energy. He did not want to divulge
further details.

ONGC had a plan outlay of Rs 2,800 crore for coal bed methane (CBM)
during the Eleventh Plan period and had already spent Rs 300 crore on
the same. It would start production from 20 odd wells in the Jharia
region of Jharkhand, especially concentrated over a six sqkm area in
Parvatpura from December this year.

The initial nominal production of 5-10 cubic metre per day (cmpd) would
be scaled up phase wise to 50,000 cmpd by November 2009 and eventually
to 400,000 cmpd by 2011.
--

http://pankaj-atcrossroads.blogspot.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pankajsekhsaria/
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/psekhsaria/Atcrossroads

C/o Kalpavriksh
Apt. 5, Sri Dutta Krupa,
908 Deccan Gym
Pune 411004
India
Tel: 020 25654239
Mob: 09423009933
Email: psekhsaria@...

Dear Anand Pendharkar,



It was indeed nice reading your letter on the subject of sea turtles being
threatened. As per your directive let me introduce myself (I already have
done so earlier) as part of an environmentalist group engaged in educating
folks on the need to have eco-parks in india like the ones in Australia, US
and elsewhere that create natural facilities to animals and plants under
special care and supervision so that they are not under threat from human
interferences, pollution and habitat destruction. We are looking at both the
large animals as well as small (like the amphibians).



I agree with you that all unfettered facts must be laid bare before any
proper deduction can be made. But one fact remains that Tatas or no Tatas,
Dhamra or elsewhere, sea turtles are a threatened lot. Look at the coast of
western India - Gujarat or even Maharshtra (Vengurla) and one can see how
turtles nesting sites are rampaged by man more than any other species. The
bureaucracy simply looks the other way. It is neither a "coastal" matter nor
a "forest" matter. So which department of the huge bureaucracy should be
asked to do anything?



Regards,

SAMEER BANERJEE

NATIONAL PARK INITIATIVE





   _____

From: andamanicobar@...
[mailto:andamanicobar@...] On Behalf Of anand pendharkar
Sent: Sunday, August 31, 2008 2:29 AM
To: andamanicobar@...
Subject: RE: [andamanicobar] Turtles threatened by coastal tourism,fishing:
UN agency




Hi Aakriti,
Starting with a request, please do introduce yourself to the forum when you
post sporadically, just puts us all in perspective as to who we are
listening/reading to. So as for me, I'm a Wildlife Biologist, a concerned
and active conservationist, but also an absolute and staunch believer of
scientific facts, not blinkered by politics, regionalism and colours of
money...

I was an agitated by watcher through all these proceedings till now, but u
have taken the cake and the icing...

By the same logic that you talk about the IUCN, WWF, or any NGO/GO which
gathers funding from sources not necessarily clean (aka Shell, et al.) where
do newspapers and their high salary earning features writers gather their
funds from and what makes them so sacrosanct? they too take advertisements
of so called or confirmed polluters and environment ravagers. news magazine
and media have several times in the past and present shown their political
and socialistic biasis in reportage and in a few cases 'gross
misrepresentation' of facts too. Please lets not go by past reputations or
popular hearsay (by those logics im sure hundreds of people wouldve been
either guillotined or shot dead, as the popular vote said so) - Prerna does
stand in good light (in the past and in the present) but we all are aware
that an alarmist and exclusive-inclusive reportage can easily give readers
partial facts in short-sized articles (which shouldve run into 2000words but
were cut down to 400)!

Renowned Indian Scientists 'had' made their stands and statements about the
port and its impacts or the lack of it and the movement patterns of turtles
and what impact the port would/would not have on their breeding, survival,
dispersal - however, we fail to report those or question these people, as
they dont make a meaty enough story. Also, the integrity of those scientists
is under question, but we forget that just a few moons ago these same
scientists were awarded hugely by the scientific and conservation community
and these same news magazines had run articles on these same individuals for
their massive contributions and efforts to the same species, which they
apparently want destroyed NOW. Kind of confuses me...

At some points we quote the IUCN, as the say all and be all - refer to the
IUCN 'Red List' - the species we talk about as endangered, vulnerably,
globally threatened, so on and so forth, were and are designated, enumerated
and put on concern lists by the same organisation, against whom we are now
raising aspirations. Let us please get our fundas/alignments correct in life
- We either reject these concern lists and the criteria set by this NGO as a
non-authorised organisations listings (as they may have been marred and
manipulated by market forces) or take a magnifying glass and scrutinise
these actions closely. I prefer to do the latter.

While writing all this, I for one want the turtles to be 'ABSOLUTELY and
BEYOND DOUBT' safe-guarded, but please get copies of the reports first -
reports by the Tatas, the state government, the International bodies - be it
the Green Peace (I for one would like to know where 'their' funds come from
as well, as they too are an NGO, who work on public and corporate funds),
the IUCN, the works - and read them carefully, understand them in their
totality and then react responsibily and without pre-judged emotional biases
- and not just based on a factually limited newspaper/ magazine article. Do
make this a practise in the best interest of the turtles, king cobras,
dolphins, sea urchins, tigers, pitcher plant, vulture or any such
species/group/ecosystem under concern.Also Mr. Amlan, i would expect
slightly more substantiating and numerical or factual responses from you and
your organisation's end, as we have really been in the shadow (i wouldnt say
the dark) and just like the se
I dont see a clear case here - their is too much hyopthetico-deduction and
very little factual evidence put forward - so would request the scientists
on this forum working in orissa or who have worked in the past here (Dr.
Mohanty, Dr. Bibhash Pandav, Mr. B C Chowdhury) please do respond to these
mails if you are on the forum or request the moderator/owner to please send
them to them, so that they can throw more light on the situation,
scientifically (accurately).

In the best interest of our wild species,

Anand Pendharkar
Director, SPROUTSMumbai


To: andamanicobar@ <mailto:andamanicobar%40yahoogroups.co.inFrom>
yahoogroups.co.inFrom: aakriti_srivastav@
<mailto:aakriti_srivastav%40yahoo.comDate> yahoo.comDate: Sat, 30 Aug 2008
05:35:25 +0000Subject: [andamanicobar] Turtles threatened by coastal
tourism, fishing: UN agency

Dear All, Prerna' expose, if true, is shocking and going by Prerna's
reputation, I believe it is true. I would like to clarify few doubts in the
minds of many Indian conservationists:1 - That IUCN is not a UN agency. It
is an international NGO and works differently at international and national
levels. 2 - Like any other international NGO, IUCN overheads are pretty high
and national level units earn money ( from donor projects) and feed a part
of that money to international unit for meeting there salary.3 - IUCN had
excellent pool of scientists and field workers till eightees and they
enjoyed monopolistic stature ( along with WWF). As IUCN started expanding,
they changed there focus from science to earning PROFITS through projects
and consultancies. Thus started quality decline in output 4 - In recent
years, when the ODA assistance for conservation declined, IUCN changed it's
focus and started Business and Biodiversity Partnership ( there was lot of
opposition withing IUCN when
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]





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

Hi Anand, I am currently working with Greenpeace on the Oceans
campaign and specifically the Dhamra port issue. Just two points in
response to  your mail.
Greenpeace across the world raises funds only from individuals, it has
a concrete policy against accepting any funds or assistance in kind
from corporations or governments, and this includes funds or grants or
foundations run by corporations and governments. There are currently
about 50,000 Indians who donate at varying intervals and amounts to
Greenpeace India and this has enabled the Indian arm to be financially
self sufficient.
Secondly, on the opinion of indian turtle researchers, these have been
made apparent on numerous occasions over the last 4 years. Without
exception, all Indian researchers working on or familiar with turtles,
have expressed their concern over the project, in public statements of
concern and in letters to the IUCN. This includes virtually all the
Indian members of  the IUCN's Marine Turtle Specialist Group. These
members have been protesting their complete exclusion from the process
of IUCN's engagement with the Dhamra project, and the lack of
consultation and transparency surrounding the terms of this
engagement.
sincerely,
ashish


On Sun, Aug 31, 2008 at 2:28 AM, anand pendharkar <appcoral@...> wrote:
>
> Hi Aakriti,
> Starting with a request, please do introduce yourself to the forum when you
> post sporadically, just puts us all in perspective as to who we are
> listening/reading to. So as for me, I'm a Wildlife Biologist, a concerned
> and active conservationist, but also an absolute and staunch believer of
> scientific facts, not blinkered by politics, regionalism and colours of
> money...
>
> I was an agitated by watcher through all these proceedings till now, but u
> have taken the cake and the icing...
>
> By the same logic that you talk about the IUCN, WWF, or any NGO/GO which
> gathers funding from sources not necessarily clean (aka Shell, et al.) where
> do newspapers and their high salary earning features writers gather their
> funds from and what makes them so sacrosanct? they too take advertisements
> of so called or confirmed polluters and environment ravagers. news magazine
> and media have several times in the past and present shown their political
> and socialistic biasis in reportage and in a few cases 'gross
> misrepresentation' of facts too. Please lets not go by past reputations or
> popular hearsay (by those logics im sure hundreds of people wouldve been
> either guillotined or shot dead, as the popular vote said so) - Prerna does
> stand in good light (in the past and in the present) but we all are aware
> that an alarmist and exclusive-inclusive reportage can easily give readers
> partial facts in short-sized articles (which shouldve run into 2000words but
> were cut down to 400)!
>
> Renowned Indian Scientists 'had' made their stands and statements about the
> port and its impacts or the lack of it and the movement patterns of turtles
> and what impact the port would/would not have on their breeding, survival,
> dispersal - however, we fail to report those or question these people, as
> they dont make a meaty enough story. Also, the integrity of those scientists
> is under question, but we forget that just a few moons ago these same
> scientists were awarded hugely by the scientific and conservation community
> and these same news magazines had run articles on these same individuals for
> their massive contributions and efforts to the same species, which they
> apparently want destroyed NOW. Kind of confuses me...
>
> At some points we quote the IUCN, as the say all and be all - refer to the
> IUCN 'Red List' - the species we talk about as endangered, vulnerably,
> globally threatened, so on and so forth, were and are designated, enumerated
> and put on concern lists by the same organisation, against whom we are now
> raising aspirations. Let us please get our fundas/alignments correct in life
> - We either reject these concern lists and the criteria set by this NGO as a
> non-authorised organisations listings (as they may have been marred and
> manipulated by market forces) or take a magnifying glass and scrutinise
> these actions closely. I prefer to do the latter.
>
> While writing all this, I for one want the turtles to be 'ABSOLUTELY and
> BEYOND DOUBT' safe-guarded, but please get copies of the reports first -
> reports by the Tatas, the state government, the International bodies - be it
> the Green Peace (I for one would like to know where 'their' funds come from
> as well, as they too are an NGO, who work on public and corporate funds),
> the IUCN, the works - and read them carefully, understand them in their
> totality and then react responsibily and without pre-judged emotional biases
> - and not just based on a factually limited newspaper/ magazine article. Do
> make this a practise in the best interest of the turtles, king cobras,
> dolphins, sea urchins, tigers, pitcher plant, vulture or any such
> species/group/ecosystem under concern.Also Mr. Amlan, i would expect
> slightly more substantiating and numerical or factual responses from you and
> your organisation's end, as we have really been in the shadow (i wouldnt say
> the dark) and just like the sea turtles, anybody who shines as much as a
> torch or match-stick then seems like the glow of the sea - where we all
> start rushing towards, believing and reacting to those statements. So please
> do substantiate and justify your stance and put up any links to reports,
> attach/share PDFs, photographs of what has been the study process, the
> results, the basis of defence that the Tatas are taking on this issue. I
> dont see the facts coming - and hence - its most probably true that the
> Tatas have nothing to fight their case with and the reports are infact true
> - that the Dharma Port is going to be one of the biggest disasters our
> eastern coast may see in the recent times. Im sure the Reliance's
> Nhava-Shewa Sewri Sea Link, the GOI's CMZ notifications and the grand
> tourism plans for the sunderbans and andaman & nicobar islands are going to
> equal contenders. The facts are obviously missing from the public eye (and
> ears) - so do put them up immediately, if there are any at all.
>
> I dont see a clear case here - their is too much hyopthetico-deduction and
> very little factual evidence put forward - so would request the scientists
> on this forum working in orissa or who have worked in the past here (Dr.
> Mohanty, Dr. Bibhash Pandav, Mr. B C Chowdhury) please do respond to these
> mails if you are on the forum or request the moderator/owner to please send
> them to them, so that they can throw more light on the situation,
> scientifically (accurately).
>
> In the best interest of our wild species,
>
> Anand Pendharkar
> Director, SPROUTSMumbai
>
>
> To: andamanicobar@...: aakriti_srivastav@...:
> Sat, 30 Aug 2008 05:35:25 +0000Subject: [andamanicobar] Turtles threatened
> by coastal tourism, fishing: UN agency
>
> Dear All, Prerna' expose, if true, is shocking and going by Prerna's
> reputation, I believe it is true. I would like to clarify few doubts in the
> minds of many Indian conservationists:1 - That IUCN is not a UN agency. It
> is an international NGO and works differently at international and national
> levels. 2 - Like any other international NGO, IUCN overheads are pretty high
> and national level units earn money ( from donor projects) and feed a part
> of that money to international unit for meeting there salary.3 - IUCN had
> excellent pool of scientists and field workers till eightees and they
> enjoyed monopolistic stature ( along with WWF). As IUCN started expanding,
> they changed there focus from science to earning PROFITS through projects
> and consultancies. Thus started quality decline in output 4 - In recent
> years, when the ODA assistance for conservation declined, IUCN changed it's
> focus and started Business and Biodiversity Partnership ( there was lot of
> opposition withing IUCN when they partnered with SHELL Company) 5- And
> therefore, I agree with Prerna's expose and not surprised to learn that IUCN
> has made money to reverse there own decision/judgement. OUESTION- What has
> happened to so many Indian experts on turtle. Why are they underground ??
> QUESTION- What was so special in the report of IUCN specialist that was not
> known to Indian experts ?? akriti
>
> __________________________________________________________
> Chose your Life Partner? Join MSN Matrimony FREE
> http://www.shaadi.com/msn/matrimony.php
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>

Dear All,

Once again I am drawn to a debate which i can never win because of a history of
mistrust, mis-communication,,,

I wish, I could have shared an article which i have recently submitted for a
reputed scientific newsletter, but since it has not been published yet,, so i
will share the first version which is much more raw... and unedited...  
http://dhamraportandturtles.blogspot.com/2008/07/where-do-we-go-from-here.html..\
.


I respect Prerna a lot too,, Akriti,,,, have known her and her work for many
years,,, there has been some correspondence between both of us regarding this ,
which you can see in her blog , along with an editorial mistake which happened
when her article got published in Tehelka, ( look in the comments section of her
blog) http://indianaturally.blogspot.com/.. she has agreed to come and visit the
port site which she hasnt till now and decide for herself, in fact i invite all
of you who can spare your time, if you are happening to visit Orissa to come
visit the port site, view my documents listen to us and our side of the story,,,

Thank you Mr. Banerjee for your kind observations,, but i must add that the
issue is much larger than the source of my salary and i am sure you would agree
to that...

Thank you Sarbajit, I do need the support of all of you professionals in doing
my work,,

Please remember that this is the first such association between the conservation
science and the industry in India,, there are bound to be hiccups...

Please also have a look at a chronology prepared by me which i have posted in my
blog...

Warm Regards,

Amlan






----- Original Message ----
From: sarabjit singh <sabusingh2003@...>
To: andamanicobar@...
Sent: Saturday, 30 August, 2008 12:00:34 PM
Subject: Re: [andamanicobar] RE: Turtles threatened by coastal tourism, fishing:
UN agency


Dear Amlan
Like Gopa, I too have been a passive listener in this highly vocal and active
group.
Your exchange with Madhushree interests me.
Having been a Corporate man for over 30 years, I have often faced a conflict
between what I value as a person and what the needs of the organisation are.
Sad to say, at least in my case, most times (for self-preservati on's sake), the
organisation man won. I will not say this is true in everyone's case, but when
there is a conflict between commercial interests and the needs of nature, dare I
say, commerce wins. At least in the developing world where priorities are
different. I cannot imagine a situation where, for example, if it were
established that one of the world's largest nesting sites for turtles was being
disturbed because of Dhamra Port, the Company would actually decide to move.
This factor should have been looked at during the survey stage. Was it? And what
were the recommendations if it were.
Having said that, looking at the positive side, at least we now have Environment
Managers who do whatever is possible to limit environmental damage. More power
to you
Regards
Sarabjit Singh

--- On Fri, 8/29/08, Amlan Dutta <amlan77@yahoo. co.uk> wrote:

From: Amlan Dutta <amlan77@yahoo. co.uk>
Subject: Re: [andamanicobar] RE: Turtles threatened by coastal tourism, fishing:
UN agency
To: andamanicobar@ yahoogroups. co.in
Date: Friday, August 29, 2008, 11:54 AM

Dear Gopa,

Very nicely said, and not the first time someone pointed it out either, its very
true, i do get my salary from the dhamra port company ltd., and yes, i do get
paid to care about the interests about the port, but you know what in most
instances a person in my position is usually a engineer or a consultant who is
only bothered about submitting compliance reports and plantation etc, but me (a
field biologist) being here together with IUCN help the port company work
towards turtle conservation, better environment management of the port , IUCN
brings about the expertise which advises us, and we are better informed than any
other port in the indian coast about the potential harm to marine life, which is
not confined only to turtles.

I too have been a passive observer, as perhaps working for the port company, i
guess i cant have an opinion on something where i work on ,, more so because it
is caught up in all sorts of controversies ,, i will off course get questioned
about my work. But then that makes me all the more determined to work for the
port company towards better environment practices..

With Warm Regards,

Amlan

----- Original Message ----
From: Gopa Kumar <gopa@navgati. in>
To: andamanicobar@ yahoogroups. co.in
Sent: Thursday, 28 August, 2008 9:52:15 PM
Subject: [andamanicobar] RE: Turtles threatened by coastal tourism, fishing: UN
agency

Dear Mr.Dutta,

I am a passive reader on this group and will hesitantly make my first
contribution.
Almost a century ago, Upton Sinclair, the founder of the End Poverty in
California movement and writer of a classic novel on the horrors of the
meat packing industry ("The Jungle") once said,
"Its difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary
depends upon his not understanding it."
Never has a truer statement been made on human nature.
This is not to take sides, only to make the point that Ms.Madhushree' s
argument has considerable doses of history to support it.

Warm regards,
Gopakumar
-----Original Message-----
From: andamanicobar@ yahoogroups. co.in
[mailto:andamanicob ar@ yahoogroups. co.in] On Behalf Of Amlan Dutta
Sent: Thursday, August 28, 2008 5:32 PM
To: andamanicobar@ yahoogroups. co.in
Subject: Re: [andamanicobar] Re:Turtles threatened by coastal tourism,
fishing: UN agency

Dear Madhushree,

Wow,,, such anger ,, and frustration, , without even knowing how IUCN
works, do you think IUCN pays its 10,000 scientists to do scientific
work. Are you aware that the first statement of Dr. Pilcher you are
quoting from is from the scoping mission report, which was actually to
scope out the engagement of IUCN.

Do you think its wrong that science should associate with industry? When
all this time in india science maintaining its moral high ground (in
wildlife conservation) has always refused to engage with the industry...

I was present in Mumbai beside my CEO when this statement was said,,
IUCNs engagement with us is in a cost plus basis , all operational costs
are borne by us, all recommendations of theirs have a cost element which
is done on the ground directly by us... do you think that is wrong,,,
???

Best Regards,

Amlan Dutta
Env Manager
Dhamra Port Company Ltd.

----- Original Message ----
From: Madhusree Mukerjee <lopchu@... <mailto:lopchu% 40att.net> >
To: andamanicobar@ <mailto:andamanicob ar%40yahoogroups .co.in>
yahoogroups. co.in
Sent: Friday, 22 August, 2008 3:47:00 PM
Subject: [andamanicobar] Re:Turtles threatened by coastal tourism,
fishing: UN agency

I don't doubt that marine turtles are threatened by fishing and tourism,
as the IUCN says. But a recent article in Tehelka (19 July 2008) raises
some very important questions about the integrity of the IUCN's Marine
Turtle Specialist Group.

According to the Tehelka article, this IUCN group had originally opposed
the port coming up at Dhamra, Orissa, near one of the world's largest
turtle nesting sites. In December 2006, the head of the group, a Dr.
Nicolas Pilcher, wrote that it would "impact marine turtles, of that
there can be no doubt," and went on the explain why (dredging for the
port, lights that confuse baby turtles, etc). In March 2008, however,
Pilcher stated that "there is no scientific evidence anywhere to show
the Port is going to cause any sort of major catastrophe. "

Here's the crunch: the author of this Tehelka piece, Prerna Singh
Bindra, says that the CEO of the Dhamra Port Company admitted in her
presence and that of 15 other journalists to paying money to the IUCN
turtle group "to cover their expenses and suchlike," and that this
amounted to Rs. 1 crore.

Many questions immediately arise: Is this true? If so, doesn't the IUCN
have the funds to cover its scientists' expenses? Doesn't it recognize
that accepting money from an interested party amounts to corruption, at
least to a conflict of interest? This is a shocking breach of ethical
norms by an agency that is trusted worldwide, and the IUCN must answer
to what extent the allegation is true, and what is being done about it.

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Hi Aakriti,
Starting with a request, please do introduce yourself to the forum when you post
sporadically, just puts us all in perspective as to who we are listening/reading
to. So as for me, I'm a Wildlife Biologist, a concerned and active
conservationist, but also an absolute and staunch believer of scientific facts,
not blinkered by politics, regionalism and colours of money...

I was an agitated by watcher through all these proceedings till now, but u have
taken the cake and the icing...

By the same logic that you talk about the IUCN, WWF, or any NGO/GO which gathers
funding from sources not necessarily clean (aka Shell, et al.) where do
newspapers and their high salary earning features writers gather their funds
from and what makes them so sacrosanct? they too take advertisements of so
called or confirmed polluters and environment ravagers. news magazine and media
have several times in the past and present shown their political and socialistic
biasis in reportage and in a few cases 'gross misrepresentation' of facts too.
Please lets not go by past reputations or popular hearsay (by those logics im
sure hundreds of people wouldve been either guillotined or shot dead, as the
popular vote said so) - Prerna does stand in good light (in the past and in the
present) but we all are aware that an alarmist and exclusive-inclusive reportage
can easily give readers partial facts in short-sized articles (which shouldve
run into 2000words but were cut down to 400)!

Renowned Indian Scientists 'had' made their stands and statements about the port
and its impacts or the lack of it and the movement patterns of turtles and what
impact the port would/would not have on their breeding, survival, dispersal -
however, we fail to report those or question these people, as they dont make a
meaty enough story. Also, the integrity of those scientists is under question,
but we forget that just a few moons ago these same scientists were awarded
hugely by the scientific and conservation community and these same news
magazines had run articles on these same individuals for their massive
contributions and efforts to the same species, which they apparently want
destroyed NOW. Kind of confuses me...

At some points we quote the IUCN, as the say all and be all - refer to the IUCN
'Red List' - the species we talk about as endangered, vulnerably, globally
threatened, so on and so forth, were and are designated, enumerated and put on
concern lists by the same organisation, against whom we are now raising
aspirations. Let us please get our fundas/alignments correct in life - We either
reject these concern lists and the criteria set by this NGO as a non-authorised
organisations listings (as they may have been marred and manipulated by market
forces) or take a magnifying glass and scrutinise these actions closely. I
prefer to do the latter.

While writing all this, I for one want the turtles to be 'ABSOLUTELY and BEYOND
DOUBT' safe-guarded, but please get copies of the reports first - reports by the
Tatas, the state government, the International bodies - be it the Green Peace (I
for one would like to know where 'their' funds come from as well, as they too
are an NGO, who work on public and corporate funds), the IUCN, the works - and
read them carefully, understand them in their totality and then react
responsibily and without pre-judged emotional biases - and not just based on a
factually limited newspaper/ magazine article. Do make this a practise in the
best interest of the turtles, king cobras, dolphins, sea urchins, tigers,
pitcher plant, vulture or any such species/group/ecosystem under concern.Also
Mr. Amlan, i would expect slightly more substantiating and numerical or factual
responses from you and your organisation's end, as we have really been in the
shadow (i wouldnt say the dark) and just like the sea turtles, anybody who
shines as much as a torch or match-stick then seems like the glow of the sea -
where we all start rushing towards, believing and reacting to those statements.
So please do substantiate and justify your stance and put up any links to
reports, attach/share PDFs, photographs of what has been the study process, the
results, the basis of defence that the Tatas are taking on this issue. I dont
see the facts coming - and hence - its most probably true that the Tatas have
nothing to fight their case with and the reports are infact true -  that the
Dharma Port is going to be one of the biggest disasters our eastern coast may
see in the recent times. Im sure the Reliance's Nhava-Shewa Sewri Sea Link, the
GOI's CMZ notifications and the grand tourism plans for the sunderbans and
andaman & nicobar islands are going to equal contenders. The facts are obviously
missing from the public eye (and ears) - so do put them up immediately, if there
are any at all.

I dont see a clear case here - their is too much hyopthetico-deduction and very
little factual evidence put forward - so would request the scientists on this
forum working in orissa or who have worked in the past here (Dr. Mohanty, Dr.
Bibhash Pandav, Mr. B C Chowdhury) please do respond to these mails if you are
on the forum or request the moderator/owner to please send them to them, so that
they can throw more light on the situation, scientifically (accurately).

In the best interest of our wild species,

Anand Pendharkar
Director, SPROUTSMumbai




To: andamanicobar@...: aakriti_srivastav@...: Sat,
30 Aug 2008 05:35:25 +0000Subject: [andamanicobar] Turtles threatened by coastal
tourism, fishing: UN agency




Dear All, Prerna' expose, if true, is shocking and going by Prerna's reputation,
I believe it is true. I would like to clarify few doubts in the minds of many
Indian conservationists:1 - That IUCN is not a UN agency. It is an international
NGO and works differently at international and national levels. 2 - Like any
other international NGO, IUCN overheads are pretty high and national level units
earn money ( from donor projects) and feed a part of that money to international
unit for meeting there salary.3 - IUCN had excellent pool of scientists and
field workers till eightees and they enjoyed monopolistic stature ( along with
WWF). As IUCN started expanding, they changed there focus from science to
earning PROFITS through projects and consultancies. Thus started quality decline
in output 4 - In recent years, when the ODA assistance for conservation
declined, IUCN changed it's focus and started Business and Biodiversity
Partnership ( there was lot of opposition withing IUCN when they partnered with
SHELL Company) 5- And therefore, I agree with Prerna's expose and not surprised
to learn that IUCN has made money to reverse there own decision/judgement.
OUESTION- What has happened to so many Indian experts on turtle. Why are they
underground ?? QUESTION- What was so special in the report of IUCN specialist
that was not known to Indian experts ?? akriti





_________________________________________________________________
Chose your Life Partner? Join MSN Matrimony FREE
http://www.shaadi.com/msn/matrimony.php

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

Dear All,
 
Am copying the reply letter from CEE to EQUATIONS.
 
Regards,
Shriji, CEE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\
------------------------------
 
From:  "shriji.kurup@..." <shriji.kurup@...>     Date:Tuesday,
August 26, 20085:20 PM
To: <rosemary.v@...>
CC:
<liyakhat.s@...>,<rosemary.v@...>,<campaign-ag\
ainst-czm@googlegroups.com>,<moefchalo@yahoogroups.com>,<andamanicobar@yahoogrou\
ps.co.in>,<shailaja.ravindranath@...>
Subject: re: Consultative Meetings organised by CEE on the draft CMZ
Notification 2008: Concerns and Objections (EQUATIONS)
 
To:

Ms. Rosemary Viswanath
Chief Functionary
EQUATIONS
# 415 2-C Cross, 4th Main Road
OMBR Layout Banaswadi
Bangalore 560043

Dear Ms.Rosemary Viswanath,
 
Thanks for your concern. However, we would have appreciated if you had checked
with CEE about the processes we followed in the consultations. We wonder on what
basis you arrived at such conclusions and made wider circulation of your opinion
despite the fact that none from your organization attended any of the
consultations (except the one at Hyderabad, which happened only after you
circulated the mail).
 
CEE has conducted the consultations in the true spirit and to the best of our
ability. Several organizations who are directly working with the coastal
communities (particularly the fisherfolk) have actively participated/partnered
in the consultation processes and meaningfully contributed to the purpose of the
consultations and appreciated our efforts.
 
Since you have also circulated your letter in various internet groups / forum
without our knowledge we are copying this letter to these forums too.
 
With regards,


Dr. Shriji Kurup,

for, Secretariat for CMZ Notification, 2008 Consultative Meetings
Centre for Environment Education (CEE) 

 
Cc:
liyakhat.s@... >
campaign-against-czm@googlegroups.com; moefchalo@yahoogroups.com; Andaman &
Nicobar e-group <andamanicobar@...>


  
________________________________

----- Original Message ----
From: "Syed Liyakhat, EQUATIONS" <liyakhat.s@...>
To: campaign-against-czm@googlegroups.com; moefchalo@yahoogroups.com; Andaman &
Nicobar e-group <andamanicobar@...>
Sent: Tuesday, August 19, 2008 6:24:33 PM
Subject: [andamanicobar] Consultative Meetings organised by CEE on the draft CMZ
Notification 2008: Concerns and Objections (EQUATIONS)


Dear All,

EQUATIONS has written to CEE raising concerns and objections on the manner
in which the meetings have been conducted. We hope you will find the letter
useful and consider communicating similar concerns to CEE.

Regards,

Liyakhat.

Programme Coordinator

Ecosystems, Communities & Tourism Programme

EQUATIONS

_____

From: Rosemary Viswanath, EQUATIONS [mailto:rosemary.v@equitabl etourism. org]

Sent: Tuesday, 19 August, 2008 3:23 PM
To: shriji.kurup@ ceeindia. org
Cc: 'Syed Liyakhat, EQUATIONS '; 'Rosemary Viswanath, EQUATIONS'
Subject: Consultative Meetings organised by CEE on the draft CMZ
Notification 2008: Concerns and Objections (EQUATIONS)

To:

Dr. Shriji Kurup

Secretariat for CMZ Notification, 2008 Consultative Meetings

Centre for Environment Education (CEE)

Karaikal

E-mail: <mailto:shriji.kurup@ ceeindia. org> shriji.kurup@ ceeindia. org

Re: Consultative Meetings organised by CEE on the draft CMZ
Notification 2008: Concerns and Objections

Dear Dr. Kurup,

This is to bring to your notice our deep concerns and objections about the
way in which Centre for Environment Education (CEE) has organised
Consultative Meetings on the draft Coastal Management Zone Notification,
2008.

To introduce ourselves, EQUATIONS is a research, advocacy, and campaigning
organisation working since 1985 on the impacts of tourism, particularly in
terms of rights and benefits to local communities. We envision tourism that
is non-exploitative, sustainable, where decision-making is democratised and
access to and benefits of tourism are equitably distributed. We have been
closely involved in looking at implementation of the CRZ Notification, 1991
in relation to tourism. We have also responded to the Ministry of
Environment and Forests on every occasion that the Ministry has solicited a
response from civil society on amendments made to the CRZ Notification 1991,
including that on CMZ Notification 2008.

MoEF has commissioned CEE to organise a round of consultations with coastal
communities including fisher folk, coastal organisations, civil society and
other interested parties to understand and document their point of view,
comments and concerns about the new proposed Draft CMZ Notification.
Therefore, CEE should have taken utmost care to ensure that the local
communities and the civil society are well informed in advance of the public
consultation dates and venues so that true representation takes place.
Moreover CEE is entrusted with the responsibility of documenting peoples'
voices and their concerns in true spirit.

It is of concern to us that the way in which these public consultations have
been arranged have in many places failed to include complete participation
from all stakeholders. The question arises whether CEE had sent letters to a
wide range of the stakeholders in the state and had informed them about the
dates of the meeting and the venue? While the schedule is available on the
website of CEE, many communities and movements do not have ready access to
internet or use it as the regular mode of communication. Informing them
sufficiently in advance and ensuring that they participate, their voices are
heard and their concerns are documented and responded to is most critical,
as they represent the most vulnerable communities on the coast.

We are aware that CEE's website speaks about Coastal Management Zone 2008 as
"a regulation to ensure protection of coastal population and structures from
the risk of inundation due to natural hazards and for ensuring that the
livelihoods of coastal populations are strengthened" , a stand that you may
be aware is countered by most civil society groups and communities from the
coast. Since CEE has been commissioned to link and bridge the concerns
raised by the local communities and larger civil society with that proposed
by the MoEF, it is expected that you would approach this with a more open
position to hear and document in a non-partisan way the views of those who
attend the workshops. CEE's own perspective, we believe should not influence
this process in any way, It is critical that you communicate through your
methodology and processes to many groups that you will play your role in a
fair manner. It may be evident to CEE by now that many groups have chosen to
"boycott" the consultations because the manner in which they have been
organised has not inspired confidence of local groups of CEE's objective
role. This has also to do with the experience of these groups and movements
(many of which EQUATIONS has been in solidarity with in their struggles).
The lack of interest and total unresponsiveness of the MoEF thus far, to
many of the concerns voiced these past years and the impunity with which the
CRZ notification has been diluted is part of the ground experience. We hope
that CEE has taken these contextual factors into account when it has
accepted to play this role, as this history is what informs groups on the
ground.

Unless the consultative meetings are arranged in the right spirit, holding
such meetings is only an attempt to dilute the opposition to the CMZ
Notification. By referring to the reports of various consultations organised
by CEE on CMZ notification, we also observed that the minutes do not
properly reflect the discussions from the reports that we are getting from
some of the participants who have attended the meetings. Moreover, while the
concerns raised have been documented, a clear outcome of the meetings is
missing, except for the reports of Kanyakumari and Bhadreshwar where the
participants have objected to the CMZ Notification and asked for
strengthening of the CRZ Notification, 1991.

We urge CEE to re-conduct the consultative meetings in Gujarat, Andhra
Pradesh, Goa and Orissa, which have resulted in huge public outcry about
complete failure of democratic process in both inviting for the
consultations as well as documenting dissenting view points from the
communities and larger civil society organisations in the state. We further
urge CEE to clearly document the outcomes of the meetings so that a more
realistic view is presented of the response to the draft CMZ Notification of
the MoEF.

Thanking you

Sincerely

Rosemary Viswanath

Chief Functionary

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

Rosemary Viswanath

Chief Functionary

EQUATIONS

# 415 2-C Cross, 4th Main Road

OMBR Layout Banaswadi

Bangalore 560043

phone : +91 80 25457607/25457659

fax : +91 80 25457665

mobile: +91 98454 03773

email : <mailto:rosemary.v@equitabl etourism. org>
rosemary.v@equitabl etourism. org

url : <http://www..equitabl etourism. org/> www.equitabletouris m.org

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






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

Dear Pankaj:
 
How funny!  We have a famous magician, David Copperfield, who has purchased one
of our islands in The Bahamas.  His plan is also to populate his island with
monkeys of various species.  So far, there has been nothing more in the press
other than his initial announcement but should this project be approved you can
rest assured that there will be an outcry from the various NGOs in the country.
 
I support Nirmal in his efforts to stop the Phuket monkey project.
 
Send any information you have to:  earthcare.bahamas@... so that we may
assist.
 
Kind regards,
 
Gail Woon
EARTHCARE
P. O. Box F 40064
Freeport, Grand Bahama Island
The Bahamas
 
earthcare.bahamas@...
 
T 242 374-4945
M 242 727-0797

--- On Fri, 8/29/08, Pankaj Sekhsaria <psekhsaria@...> wrote:

From: Pankaj Sekhsaria <psekhsaria@...>
Subject: [andamanicobar] [Fwd: Monkey island plan by South African investor in
Thailand]
To: "Andamanicobar" <andamanicobar@...>
Date: Friday, August 29, 2008, 12:50 PM






crazy things happen in other islands too...
pankaj

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Monkey island plan by South African investor in Thailand
Date: Sun, 24 Aug 2008 22:29:22 -0700
From: nirmal ghosh <tigerfire@YAHOO. COM>
Reply-To: nirmal ghosh <tigerfire@YAHOO. COM>
To: nathistory-india@ Princeton. EDU

This is not directly relevant to India, but to those of you who agree
with me that this product sounds like a total disaster, would appreciate
it if you could spread the word and help stop it!

Regards

Nirmal

Plan to start monkey business
South African investors want to stock Phuket islands with primates

By Achadtaya Chuenniran

South African investors plan to populate two deserted islands with
monkeys as a tourist attraction in the resort province of Phuket.

Tony Blignaut, chief executive officer of Monkeyland South Africa Co,
recently led a team to meet Phuket governor Niran Kalayanamitr to
discuss their proposed monkey island project.

Under the plan two islands, Koh Thanan in tambon Wichit municipality and
Koh Elle in tambon Rawai in Muang district, have been chosen as sites
for the project, pending negotiations with local administrative agencies.

Koh Thanan would be developed as the main tourist island, housing local
and foreign species of monkeys, while Koh Elle would be used as a
reseach centre for the animals or serve as a nursery for monkeys, said a
source in Phuket.

The firm wants to develop Koh Thanan as a new tourism destination in
Phuket. The island is only 10 minutes by boat from nearby Chalong bay.

The firm has so far spent a large amount of money conducting a
feasibility study of the project.

The source said monkeys would be imported from several countries,
including Malaysia, Singapore and South Africa, to stock the islands. It
is estimated that about 100 monkeys would be brought from outside Phuket.

The firm could rent the islands from the government or enter into a
joint investment with local authorities. Both islands are public land.

Under the plan, a pier would be built on one of the islands. There would
be about 40 shops, all operated rent-free by local residents, said the
source. Food and water for the monkeys would be provided by the project
developer.

Mr Niran welcomed the proposed project, but said investors would have to
consult with the local administrative agencies which supervised the
islands.

Kreetha sae Tan, chairman of the tambon Wichit municipality, said the
municipality had to first look at the project's feasibility study and
consider its ecological impact on the area.

So far, there have been no talks between the municipality and the
project developer, he said.

Arun Solos, chairman of the tambon Rawai municipality, said the
municipality would listen to residents' concerns about the project
before making a decision.

ends

--

http://pankaj- atcrossroads. blogspot. com
http://www.flickr. com/photos/ pankajsekhsaria/
http://picasaweb. google.co. uk/psekhsaria/ Atcrossroads

C/o Kalpavriksh
Apt. 5, Sri Dutta Krupa,
908 Deccan Gym
Pune 411004
India
Tel: 020 25654239
Mob: 09423009933
Email: psekhsaria@gmail. com


















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

Dear Friends,
Phuket governor Niran Kalayanamitr to discuss their proposed monkey island
project the firm has so far spent a large amount of money conducting a
feasibility study of the project. I think its good idea and we can take up and
should implement such innovative ideas in our Andaman also. There are 572
islands in Andaman; by developing such open zoo in any one of island will help
to protect endanger wild animal species without affecting the environment &
forest.  Obviously it should be apply after feasibility study.  It will add
one new tourist destination in the number of present tourist destination
available in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.  Definitely such initiatives will
increase the tourist flow in Andaman.  Such innovative ideas must be
implemented to increase number of livelihood opportunities & revenue through the
tourism.
 
With best wishes.
 
Sharad Pant
Program Manager (Infrastructure & Livelihood Development)
Development Alternatives
Jhansi (INDIA)


       Add more friends to your messenger and enjoy! Go to
http://in.messenger.yahoo.com/invite/

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

Dear all
 
I take this opportunity to invite you all as experts in your respective
field, to Nominate for the Sierra Club's Green Energy & Green Livelihoods awards
- projects, case studies and work undertaken by grassroots organisations, CBO,
NGOs, etc that you would either be involved with or are aware through your
professional engagements. This award is also an opportunity for sharing
of experience & expertise widely. Self nominations are also encouraged to
facilitate greater participation.
 
I am appending below the details of the awards and the inititiative, that will
provide you with additional information.
 
On April 3rd the Sierra Club unveiled a new $100,000 (Rs 40 lakhs) a new
$100,000 (Rs 40 lakhs) "Green Energy and Green Livelihoods Achievement Award" to
recognize "outstanding environmental success in India" by civil society
organizations. As the attached press release states, the purpose of our award is
to build public support for community organizations in India that are helping
the country leapfrog past polluting and inefficient technologies in order to
create green livelihoods and a green economy.
This prize is intended to help shine a spotlight on India's hidden, grass-roots
innovators, a subject you and your organization is quite familiar with.  We
believe that the process of awarding the prize is also an important opportunity
build connective space and networking. We at the Sierra Club will judge
ourselves as much by our success in engaging a broad segment of Indian society
in helping us 'find' and 'select' the prize winner as we will in supporting the
work of the ultimate winner.
As a respected community leader in India we would like for you to be a part of
this process.  I am hoping that you will agree to be a part of this initiative
and help us identify 'green' cases from different parts of India. Given your
experience and expertise in working with grassroots and local groups and NGOs,
your support as a 'nominator' will be of immense value to our endeavour. Self
nominations are also encouraged. So probably, you could nominate some projects
from your organisation for the awards.
Individual and organizational nominators will be listed on the Sierra Club's
India Program/Green Energy and Green Livelihoods Center website and will be
invited to participate in conversations, meetings and activities convened by our
new Center for Green Livelihoods.
In addition to announcing this new award, the Sierra Club will also devote
itself to supporting a national support structure for networking, collaboration
and connective space around environmental quality and jobs in India.  The Center
for Green Livelihoods will offer no solutions of its own; but will enable
home-grown solutions of Indian initiation to be spread, recognized, shared, and
learned from.
The Center for Green Livelihoods will focus on supporting environmental
solutions that will move India directly into the 21st century, bypassing the
increasingly outmoded technologies of the 20th.
As a "Green Energy and Green Livelihoods Achievement Award" nominator, we ask
that you submit one or more nominations to us on an annual basis for
consideration by our India-based recommendation board.
The deadline for submitting nominations for the 2009 prize is Tuesday, September
30th, 2008. More information and nomination criteria are available at
www.sierraclub.org/india. Nominations should be sent to
India.program@...
The award process will occur in close consultation with an Indian nominations
board and a Sierra Club Prize Jury drawn from prominent Indian, American NRI and
environmental experts. Sierra Club staff and representatives from the
India-based recommendation committee will carefully research each  nominee,
perform due diligence with respect to each organization's authenticity and
history of performance, and review the qualifications of staff and financial
viability of each organization before recommending three semi-finalists to the
Sierra Club prize jury.
The jury will examine recent community-based organizational achievements that
have broadened public support for green livelihoods. Grassroots initiatives
rather than scientific, academic or governmental activities will merit greater
consideration. The jury will look at efforts to promote green economic
empowerment, the creation of green jobs, adaptation of renewable energy
alternatives and initiatives that have inspired others in the green movement.
Organizational leadership in a grassroots campaign that seeks to have, or
results in, a significant impact at the regional, national or global level will
play a major role in selection of the award.
I hope that you will accept our invitation to be a nominator for this exciting
new award.
Please visit our website www.sierraclub.org/india for more information. We'll
soon be posting information listing other Award nominators, members of the India
Recommendation Committee, members of our U.S. NRI India Advisory Council and
details about the Green Livelihoods Center.
Please do not hesitate to contact Mr. Stephen Mills (Director, International
Programs) or me if you have any comments or questions.
I look forward to your valuable inputs and comments.
Apology for cross-posting.
warm regards
Swayam
============================== ==============





Dr. (Ms.) Swayamprabha Das

Fulbright Humphrey Fellow
Program Consultant
Green Energy & Green Livelihoods India Initiative
New Delhi
mob: + 91- 987 132 3423
 

Stephen Mills
Director, International Programs
Sierra Club
408 C Street, N.E.
Washington, DC 20002
e-mail: Stephen.mills@...
www.sierraclub.org/india
 
"The world is too much with us; late and soon, getting and spending, we lay
waste our powers: Little we see in Nature that is ours."  William Wordsworth





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

Dear Amlan
Like Gopa, I too have been a passive listener in this highly vocal and active
group.
Your exchange with Madhushree interests me.
Having been a Corporate man for over 30 years, I have often faced a conflict
between what I value as a person and what the needs of the organisation are.
Sad to say, at least in my case, most times (for self-preservation's sake), the
organisation man won. I will not say this is true in everyone's case, but when
there is a conflict between commercial interests and the needs of nature, dare I
say, commerce wins. At least in the developing world where priorities are
different. I cannot imagine a situation where, for example, if it were
established that one of the world's largest nesting sites for turtles was being
disturbed because of Dhamra Port, the Company would actually decide to move.
This factor should have been looked at during the survey stage. Was it? And what
were the recommendations if it were.
Having said that, looking at the positive side, at least we now have Environment
Managers who do whatever is possible to limit environmental damage. More power
to you
Regards
Sarabjit Singh       

--- On Fri, 8/29/08, Amlan Dutta <amlan77@...> wrote:

From: Amlan Dutta <amlan77@...>
Subject: Re: [andamanicobar] RE: Turtles threatened by coastal tourism, fishing:
UN agency
To: andamanicobar@...
Date: Friday, August 29, 2008, 11:54 AM






Dear Gopa,

Very nicely said, and not the first time someone pointed it out either, its very
true, i do get my salary from the dhamra port company ltd., and yes, i do get
paid to care about the interests about the port, but you know what in most
instances a person in my position is usually a engineer or a consultant who is
only bothered about submitting compliance reports and plantation etc, but me (a
field biologist) being here together with IUCN help the port company work
towards turtle conservation, better environment management of the port , IUCN
brings about the expertise which advises us, and we are better informed than any
other port in the indian coast about the potential harm to marine life, which is
not confined only to turtles.

I too have been a passive observer, as perhaps working for the port company, i
guess i cant have an opinion on something where i work on ,, more so because it
is caught up in all sorts of controversies ,, i will off course get questioned
about my work. But then that makes me all the more determined to work for the
port company towards better environment practices..

With Warm Regards,

Amlan

----- Original Message ----
From: Gopa Kumar <gopa@navgati. in>
To: andamanicobar@ yahoogroups. co.in
Sent: Thursday, 28 August, 2008 9:52:15 PM
Subject: [andamanicobar] RE: Turtles threatened by coastal tourism, fishing: UN
agency

Dear Mr.Dutta,

I am a passive reader on this group and will hesitantly make my first
contribution.
Almost a century ago, Upton Sinclair, the founder of the End Poverty in
California movement and writer of a classic novel on the horrors of the
meat packing industry ("The Jungle") once said,
"Its difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary
depends upon his not understanding it."
Never has a truer statement been made on human nature.
This is not to take sides, only to make the point that Ms.Madhushree' s
argument has considerable doses of history to support it.

Warm regards,
Gopakumar
-----Original Message-----
From: andamanicobar@ yahoogroups. co.in
[mailto:andamanicob ar@ yahoogroups. co.in] On Behalf Of Amlan Dutta
Sent: Thursday, August 28, 2008 5:32 PM
To: andamanicobar@ yahoogroups. co.in
Subject: Re: [andamanicobar] Re:Turtles threatened by coastal tourism,
fishing: UN agency

Dear Madhushree,

Wow,,, such anger ,, and frustration, , without even knowing how IUCN
works, do you think IUCN pays its 10,000 scientists to do scientific
work. Are you aware that the first statement of Dr. Pilcher you are
quoting from is from the scoping mission report, which was actually to
scope out the engagement of IUCN.

Do you think its wrong that science should associate with industry? When
all this time in india science maintaining its moral high ground (in
wildlife conservation) has always refused to engage with the industry...

I was present in Mumbai beside my CEO when this statement was said,,
IUCNs engagement with us is in a cost plus basis , all operational costs
are borne by us, all recommendations of theirs have a cost element which
is done on the ground directly by us... do you think that is wrong,,,
???

Best Regards,

Amlan Dutta
Env Manager
Dhamra Port Company Ltd.

----- Original Message ----
From: Madhusree Mukerjee <lopchu@... <mailto:lopchu% 40att.net> >
To: andamanicobar@ <mailto:andamanicob ar%40yahoogroups .co.in>
yahoogroups. co.in
Sent: Friday, 22 August, 2008 3:47:00 PM
Subject: [andamanicobar] Re:Turtles threatened by coastal tourism,
fishing: UN agency

I don't doubt that marine turtles are threatened by fishing and tourism,
as the IUCN says. But a recent article in Tehelka (19 July 2008) raises
some very important questions about the integrity of the IUCN's Marine
Turtle Specialist Group.

According to the Tehelka article, this IUCN group had originally opposed
the port coming up at Dhamra, Orissa, near one of the world's largest
turtle nesting sites. In December 2006, the head of the group, a Dr.
Nicolas Pilcher, wrote that it would "impact marine turtles, of that
there can be no doubt," and went on the explain why (dredging for the
port, lights that confuse baby turtles, etc). In March 2008, however,
Pilcher stated that "there is no scientific evidence anywhere to show
the Port is going to cause any sort of major catastrophe. "

Here's the crunch: the author of this Tehelka piece, Prerna Singh
Bindra, says that the CEO of the Dhamra Port Company admitted in her
presence and that of 15 other journalists to paying money to the IUCN
turtle group "to cover their expenses and suchlike," and that this
amounted to Rs. 1 crore.

Many questions immediately arise: Is this true? If so, doesn't the IUCN
have the funds to cover its scientists' expenses? Doesn't it recognize
that accepting money from an interested party amounts to corruption, at
least to a conflict of interest? This is a shocking breach of ethical
norms by an agency that is trusted worldwide, and the IUCN must answer
to what extent the allegation is true, and what is being done about it.

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Dear All,

Prerna' expose, if true, is shocking and going by Prerna's
reputation, I believe it is true.

I would like to clarify few doubts in the minds of many Indian
conservationists:

1 - That IUCN is not a UN agency. It is an international NGO and
works differently at international and national levels.

2 - Like any other international NGO, IUCN overheads are pretty high
and national level units earn money ( from donor projects) and feed a
part of that money to international unit for meeting there salary.

3 - IUCN had excellent pool of scientists and field workers till
eightees and they enjoyed monopolistic stature ( along with WWF). As
IUCN started expanding, they changed there focus from science to
earning PROFITS through projects and consultancies. Thus started
quality decline in output

4 - In recent years, when the ODA assistance for conservation
declined, IUCN changed it's focus and started Business and
Biodiversity Partnership ( there was lot of opposition withing IUCN
when they partnered with SHELL Company)

5- And therefore, I agree with Prerna's expose and not surprised to
learn that IUCN has made money to reverse there own
decision/judgement.

OUESTION- What has happened to so many Indian experts on turtle. Why
are they underground ??

QUESTION- What was so special in the report of IUCN specialist that
was not known to Indian experts ??

akriti

"It's difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary
depends upon his not understanding it."



Thanx Mr Gopakumar. You have put all the argument in a perfect nutshell.



SAMEER BANERJEE





   _____

From: andamanicobar@...
[mailto:andamanicobar@...] On Behalf Of Gopa Kumar
Sent: Thursday, August 28, 2008 9:52 PM
To: andamanicobar@...
Subject: [andamanicobar] RE: Turtles threatened by coastal tourism,fishing:
UN agency



Dear Mr.Dutta,

I am a passive reader on this group and will hesitantly make my first
contribution.
Almost a century ago, Upton Sinclair, the founder of the End Poverty in
California movement and writer of a classic novel on the horrors of the
meat packing industry ("The Jungle") once said,
"Its difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary
depends upon his not understanding it."
Never has a truer statement been made on human nature.
This is not to take sides, only to make the point that Ms.Madhushree's
argument has considerable doses of history to support it.

Warm regards,
Gopakumar
-----Original Message-----
From: andamanicobar@ <mailto:andamanicobar%40yahoogroups.co.in>
yahoogroups.co.in
[mailto:andamanicobar@ <mailto:andamanicobar%40yahoogroups.co.in>
yahoogroups.co.in] On Behalf Of Amlan Dutta
Sent: Thursday, August 28, 2008 5:32 PM
To: andamanicobar@ <mailto:andamanicobar%40yahoogroups.co.in>
yahoogroups.co.in
Subject: Re: [andamanicobar] Re:Turtles threatened by coastal tourism,
fishing: UN agency

Dear Madhushree,

Wow,,, such anger ,, and frustration,, without even knowing how IUCN
works, do you think IUCN pays its 10,000 scientists to do scientific
work. Are you aware that the first statement of Dr. Pilcher you are
quoting from is from the scoping mission report, which was actually to
scope out the engagement of IUCN.

Do you think its wrong that science should associate with industry? When
all this time in india science maintaining its moral high ground (in
wildlife conservation) has always refused to engage with the industry...

I was present in Mumbai beside my CEO when this statement was said,,
IUCNs engagement with us is in a cost plus basis , all operational costs
are borne by us, all recommendations of theirs have a cost element which
is done on the ground directly by us... do you think that is wrong,,,
???

Best Regards,

Amlan Dutta
Env Manager
Dhamra Port Company Ltd.

----- Original Message ----
From: Madhusree Mukerjee <lopchu@... <mailto:lopchu%40att.net>
<mailto:lopchu%40att.net> >
To: andamanicobar@ <mailto:andamanicobar%40yahoogroups.co.in>
yahoogroups.co.in
Sent: Friday, 22 August, 2008 3:47:00 PM
Subject: [andamanicobar] Re:Turtles threatened by coastal tourism,
fishing: UN agency

I don't doubt that marine turtles are threatened by fishing and tourism,
as the IUCN says. But a recent article in Tehelka (19 July 2008) raises
some very important questions about the integrity of the IUCN's Marine
Turtle Specialist Group.

According to the Tehelka article, this IUCN group had originally opposed
the port coming up at Dhamra, Orissa, near one of the world's largest
turtle nesting sites. In December 2006, the head of the group, a Dr.
Nicolas Pilcher, wrote that it would "impact marine turtles, of that
there can be no doubt," and went on the explain why (dredging for the
port, lights that confuse baby turtles, etc). In March 2008, however,
Pilcher stated that "there is no scientific evidence anywhere to show
the Port is going to cause any sort of major catastrophe. "

Here's the crunch: the author of this Tehelka piece, Prerna Singh
Bindra, says that the CEO of the Dhamra Port Company admitted in her
presence and that of 15 other journalists to paying money to the IUCN
turtle group "to cover their expenses and suchlike," and that this
amounted to Rs. 1 crore.

Many questions immediately arise: Is this true? If so, doesn't the IUCN
have the funds to cover its scientists' expenses? Doesn't it recognize
that accepting money from an interested party amounts to corruption, at
least to a conflict of interest? This is a shocking breach of ethical
norms by an agency that is trusted worldwide, and the IUCN must answer
to what extent the allegation is true, and what is being done about it.

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

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TRINET Weekly News August 25, 2008



CRZ/CMZ

Mangalore: Fresh public hearing on CMZ notification soon : Mangalore Aug
17: Centre for Environment Education (CEE), a subsidiary of the Ministry
of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has assured that an exclusive public
hearing on the Coastal Management Zone 2008 Notification will be
conducted soon in order to register the objections of all the
stakeholders concerned. The Centre for Environment Education Associate
Programme Officer Ishwar C Poojar and Dakshina Kannada Deputy
Commissioner M Maheshwar Rao made this promise following the objections
by the participants at a public consultation organised at Fisheries
College on Saturday, for conducting the public consultation in the form
of a workshop. Referring to the statements made by the organisers and
guests in the beginning of the public consultation, environmental
activist Upendra Hosabettu sought clarifications from them as whether
the programme was a workshop or a public hearing. The invitation of the
event specifies that this is a public consultation, but the organisers
are stating that this is a workshop. Further, the actual stakeholders,
the representatives of the fisherfolk are not invited. If a public
hearing is being done here, all the participants should have had proper
prior knowledge of the Notification, which is not the case here, Mr
Hosabettu said.

http://mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=local&newsid=89089



Fishermen flay norms of CMZ : Aug 21. the coastal management zone (CMZ)
notification 2008, came under harsh criticism from representatives of
coastal people in Chennai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts who
fear that their homes will vanish. The notification proposes to make the
8000km long Indian coast into a hub of commercial and tourist activity
and is opposed by fishing communities. The criticism came at a public
consultative meeting on the notification organized by the Ministry of
Environment and Forests here on Thursday. "We told the authorities that
532 fishing hamlets in Tamil Nadu will disappear if the notification is
implemented. It will deprive fisherfolk of their livelihood", said K.
Barathi, president South Indian Fishermen Welfare Association. "This
notification is an attempt to give away the coast, the traditional
habitat of the fisherfolk, to rich multinationals to build resorts",
said Narayanan, a fishing community leader from Kancheepuram. Many
fishing community representatives felt the coastal regulation zone (CRZ)
notification was more people-friendly. "Why is the centre trying to
trying to drive away the original inhabitants of seashore by bringing in
CMZ?" asked B.Maran, a fishing community representative.

Deccan Chronicle, Chennai. 22 Aug 2008



Fishermen oppose draft CZM plan : Chennai: Showing their displeasure
against the Central Government's motive, the Tamil Nadu fishermen on
Thursday unanimously rejected the proposed Coastal Zone Management draft
notification-2008 by terming it as a move to evict them from their
coastal area and allow tourist resorts and industries backed by
multinationals to launch their business there. Releasing the detailed
responses gathered at public consultative meetings in the State by the
Centre for Environment Education (CEE) during its last leg of such a
meet for Chennai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur fishermen, here, N Ramjee,
CEE coordinator, said the majority of fishermen wanted the draft
notification withdrawn because of its negative impact on their lives.
The notification suggested by a committee headed by M S Swaminathan
would dilute the existing Coastal Regulation Zone (1991) notification,
which had recognised the rights of fishermen over the coast by ensuring
availability of land and resources to the coastal community, said
Gilbert Rodrigo, adviser to the Tamil Nadu Pondy Fisher People
Federation. "The CRZ ensured that the first 200 metres in rural areas
and the beach beyond the first beachside road are to be no development
zones. It also recognizes the settlements of the traditional
communities," he said.

http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IET20080822012422&Page=T&Title=South\
ern+News+-+Tamil+Nadu&Topic=0

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FISHERIES AND COASTAL MATTERS

Master plan work for eco-restoration of Adyar estuary begins : Chennai:
The Adyar Poonga Trust started preparing its master plan for the
eco-restoration of the Adyar estuary with a consultation programme that
began on Tuesday. Only 20 specially invited "eminent citizens," turned
up at the first phase of stakeholder consultations. Participants agreed
on the need to clean up the river and estuary, stopping pollution caused
by untreated sewage, open defecation and construction debris. They
disagreed on the construction of a road bridge across the mouth of the
estuary, whether to evict or co-opt slum-dwellers along the banks, and
on ways to commercialise the project. Representatives of environmental
groups and academic and social institutions along the estuary were part
of the discussions hosted by IL&FS Ecosmart, an advisory firm which has
been hired to prepare the Master Plan. Missing were the representatives
of people actually living around the estuary, whether in unauthorised
tenements or apartment buildings.

http://www.hindu.com/2008/08/20/stories/2008082059830400.htm



Love for mangroves fetches biotech graduate UN award : Chennai: Saleem
Khan drew bemused looks from fishermen whenever he took walks through
the slush in the mangroves at Ururkuppam near Besant Nagar beach,
scooping up soil. There was a method to his muddiness. The United
Nations has acknowledged it. Khan, who completed M.Sc. in Biotechnology
from New College in April 2007, has received the Outstanding Youth
Campaign Award from the fifth Annual Youth Assembly of the UN for his
campaign on preserving and planting mangroves at Urur kuppam. The award
recognises 24-year-old Khan's contribution to one of the Millennium
Development Goals of the UN. Khan said the UN had seven thematic goals
for the millennium and one was to ensure environmental sustainability.
His study on the role of mangroves, particularly in the context of the
tsunami came under environmental sustainability. He focussed on a highly
endangered species of mangroves known as Avicinnia Marina. Khan's
research involved taking soil samples to study the microbiology aspect
at the Ururk uppam. His vision was to take his biotechnology knowledge
to the people and his desire was to unite his work with the UN bo dy. He
came across the announ cement of the submissions for the awards and
participated.

http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IE920080818033154&Page=9&Title=Chenn\
ai&Topic=0



Finally, a research centre for Fisheries Survey after decade long
litigation : Mumbai, August 19 The Facility Research Centre for the
Fisheries Survey of India (FSI) at Sassoon Dock which was stalled in a
decade long legal tangle can now finally take shape after the Government
of India and the petitioners reached agreement recently. The
construction of the building and the establishment of the project were
stalled due to various litigations by NGO and private residents since
1979. The central government has now filed an undertaking that the
fourth floor of the building will not be used after the agreement with
the petitioners and the court has accepted that the FSI would use only
ground plus three floors. The petitioners Ameeta Shah and the Colaba ALM
had challenged the construction citing environment violations and
Coastal Regulation Zone rules. They questioned as to whether the
construction was authorised in accordance with Ministry of Environment's
sanction dated October 23, 1991. Petitioners argued regarding the
drawing of an imaginary line on a map by the MoEF to consider and decide
whether the construction was permissible under CRZ notification. "It
(MoEF) has not drawn the imaginary line at all but has in fact sought to
abdicate the duty," the petitioners alleged. "MoEF appears to have
proceeded upon the premise that the imaginary line drawn by the Coastal
Zone Management Authority (CZMA) was the line that operated in the
matter without framing any guidelines," they alleged.

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Finally-a-research-centre-for-Fisheries-\
Survey-after-decade-long-litigation/351098/

Inflation puts fishermen on a rough tide : The rising prices of
essential commodities, the hike in the cost of raw materials used for
the catch of crabs, the increase in the price of diesel have all gone to
add to the woes of the hundreds of fishermen of the coastal Meemisal
village in the district. Meemisal, noted for the catch of high quality
and export-oriented crabs, accounts for only seasonal catch that lasts
between Vaikasi and Ani in the Tamil almanac, corresponding to mid May
and June-end. Fishermen are sore over the simultaneous problems they
have to face in the form of rising prices, fall in the catch of the
crabs. Prices off raw materials needed for proper maintenance of the net
and other allied kits have also been registering a serious hike in the
past six months, forcing the fishermen to get loans from the wholesale
dealers or exporters. The co-operation from the wholesale dealers and
exporters has come as a unique solution for the fishermen to fight
inflation, particularly when the catch of the crab is dwindling.

http://www.hindu.com/2008/08/24/stories/2008082457600300.htm



HC notice on PIL : Madurai, Aug 19 : Madurai Bench of the Madras High
Court today issued notice to the government on a public interest
litigation petition by a scientist seeking to conserve the 40,000 year
old fossillised coral reef in the coast off the famous tourist town of
Kanyakumari and suspend all construction activities in the coastal area.
Justice Elipe Dharmarao and Justice A Selvam directed the district
collector to file his reply in a week's time.

http://www.chennaionline.com/colnews/newsitem.asp?NEWSID=2fce7aa2-9ebd-4d48-acc4\
-fd81fc28b94d&CATEGORYNAME=CHN



DC promise ongoing project work to stop if rules violated : Karwar:
Uttara Kannada Parisara Samrakshana Samiti, and environmental
organisation, submitted as a memorandum to the deputy commissioner on
Monday urging him to stop ongoing work on a thermal power project,
Hankon 20 km from here. The Samiti said that the project had not been
approved by the government and forests and also pollution control board
were yet to give their clearance to the project. Despite these facts the
company had been building the road in the town by destroying mangroves
grown in the Kali backwater. In view of these the district
administration should intervene and stop the work at Hankon, the Samiti
urged. Anant Hegde Asisar, the president of the smiti, who led a
delegation to the deputy commissioner, later told the reporters that the
deputy commissioner had promised that the ongoing project work at Hankon
would be stopped in case the company had violated the rules. Asisar said
that the Samiti opposed the replacement of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ)
Act by Coastal Management Zone (CMZ) Act as proposed by the Union
Government. He said the proposed CMZ Act would cause harm to the sea and
the rivers as well. Obviously it would also affect the fisheries. He
said that the Samiti had decided to create awareness among the people
and also people's representatives on the ill effects of the proposed act.

http://www.sahilonline.org/english/news.php?catID=coastalnews&nid=3113&viewed=0



Rapid erosion of beaches in state worries scientists : Cuttack, Aug 21:
"Quick fix solutions adopted by the state government to stop the rapidly
eroding coastline of the state may prove detrimental in the long run,"
said the secretary, wildlife society of Orissa Mr Biswajit Mohanty
today. "The government's move to spend crores of rupees on capital
intensive mitigation measures such as sea walls, geotubes and casuarina
plantations are not permanent solutions and will irreversibly alter the
geomorphology of the coast leading to the disappearance of sandy beaches
which are vital part of the coastal ecosystem," he said. Scientists are
puzzled over the recent erosion of beaches in the state including Puri
which has lost more than 70 per cent of the beach within the last
four-five years. The beach had never faced erosion of this magnitude
before and had been quite stable for the last 100 to 200 years. Though
many experts have been consulted by the state government, the cause
behind the rapidly eroding coastline is yet to be ascertained. Global
warming and post tsunami changes in sea bed are considered to be the
major reasons behind the erosion which has accelerated in the last 3 to
4 years affecting a total of 107.6 kilometres out of 476 kilometres of
the state coastline according to a survey done by National Institute of
Ocean Technology (NIOT) in 2006.

http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=9&theme=&usrsess=1&id=219288



Protest to save olive ridleys : Mumbai: Greenpeace activists sat in
protest outside 'Bombay House', headquarters of the Tata Group here, on
Wednesday to draw the attention of its chairman Ratan Tata to the impact
of the Dhamra Deepwater Port project in Orissa on the environment. Tata
Steel is in a joint venture in the project which, according to
Greenpeace, will endanger olive ridley turtles in the area by damaging
their nesting ground and wrecking biodiversity.Around 70 protesters
formed a human chain, their hands fastened with thick pipes. Some wore
green turtle costumes. With juice bottles strapped to their bodies, they
sat at each of the three entrances to the building. They sported the
slogans, 'Turtles over Turnover' and 'Extinction is Forever'. The
protests lasted for three hours. The police later removed the activists.
The activists wanted open talks with Mr. Tata. "We have sent several
mails to the Tatas, but they have been avoiding us," said an activist.

http://www.hindu.com/2008/08/21/stories/2008082160601300.htm



Turtles threatened by coastal tourism, fishing : UN agency: New York
(PTI): Marine turtle population in the Indian Ocean region and
South-East Asia are under threat from coastal tourism, and commercial
and illegal fishing practices, the UN environment agency reported ahead
of a meeting in Bali to sign a conservation agreement.  The United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) reported mixed results in the
attempt to protect IOSEA marine turtles. While South Africa's Loggerhead
turtle population has grown in the past 40 years, with the number of
nests rising from 250 to 1,750, the numbers in eastern Australia and
Madagascar have suffered a serious decline.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200808211201.htm

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DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

Disaster management training conducted : Kochi: Volunteers from the
Kudumbasree mission, anganwadis, Kochi City Action Force and various
residential associations participated in a training programme on
disaster mitigation activities organised on Sunday by the District
administration. The training programme, conducted at the Lions Club,
Kadvanthara, was meant for the selected 120 volunteers from the wards 52
to 64 in the Kadavanthara area, said a press release here.

http://www.hindu.com/2008/08/18/stories/2008081859180300.htm



Training to tackle natural calamities : Pudukottai: The district
administration will prepare region-specific disaster management
programme to tackle emergencies during natural calamity, the District
Collector Reeta Harish Thakkar said. Inaugurating a training programme
on 'disaster management' for District Panchayat councillors here on
Monday, the Collector said that disaster management programmes would be
prepared at district-level, taluk-level and village panchayat level
units. A district committee has been set up and separate committees
would be constituted in the municipalities, town panchayats and
panchayat unions. The Collector said that mock programmes on safety and
crisis management during a calamity would be conducted twice in each of
these units to sensitise the masses on disaster management techniques.

http://www.hindu.com/2008/08/20/stories/2008082057650300.htm

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CLIMATE CHANGE

Joint study identifies humanitarian hotspots and warns of dire
consequences unless world leaders act now : India, Pakistan, Afghanistan
and Indonesia are among the pivotal states identified as climate change
"hotspots"-- countries particularly vulnerable to the increase in
extreme drought, flooding, and cyclones expected in the coming
decades—according to a new report commissioned by humanitarian relief
agency CARE International and the UN Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). "Leaders and communities in these pivotal
states and in other States at risk in the Sahel, Horn of Africa and in
South East Asia are already facing enormous political, social,
demographic, economic and security challenges. Climate change will
greatly complicate and could undermine efforts to manage these
challenges," said Dr. Charles Ehrhart, Climate Change Coordinator for
CARE International and one of the report's authors. The study looks at
the most likely humanitarian consequences of climate change over the
next 20 to 30 years. The authors map specific hazards associated with
climate change, focusing on floods, cyclones and droughts.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/fromthefield/217440/88e8cca17126483fe145d4690d48\
fd67.htm

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TSUNAMI REHABILITATION

Tsunami workers report respiratory disease : Oslo, Norway, Aug. 22 (UPI)
-- Many of the Norwegian aid workers who helped to identify those killed
in the Asian tsunami have developed respiratory disease, medical
officials said. In Norway, about 30 percent of the more than 100 people
who helped with the search and recovery effort have asthmalike symptoms,
Aftenposten reported. Experts say that disinfectant sprays used on the
corpses may be causing respiratory problems. Dr. Torleiv Ole Rognum, who
worked in Thailand, said that the spray irritated his throat but he did
not know what was in it.

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/08/22/Tsunami_workers_report_respiratory_diseas\
e/UPI-13621219450784/



INDIA

Tsunami rehabilitation works to be completed by May : Nagapattinam: The
entire tsunami rehabilitation works will be completed by May next, Chief
Secretary L. K. Tripathy said on Saturday. Mr. Tripathy reviewed the
works executed by all departments in the district with Collector M.
Jayaraman and senior officials, including C. V. Sankar, Officer on
Special Duty, Disaster Management and Mitigation Department, and Qudsia
Gandhi, Principal Secretary, Personnel and Administrative Reforms, at
the Collectorate here. He instructed the officials to complete the
tsunami rehabilitation works before May. Against the target of providing
19,536 permanent houses to the tsunami-hit families in the district,
16,748 houses have been handed over to the beneficiaries, he said. The
rest were under various stages of construction. All 14,000 families,
except 26, who lived in the temporary shelters have been provided
permanent houses. Mr. Tripathy said drainage, road and drinking water
were being provided, on a war- footing, in the affected areas, with the
World Bank's assistance.

http://www.hindu.com/2008/08/24/stories/2008082459860600.htm



LG reviews annual plan 2008-09 - Rs. 420 crores for tsunami rehab : A
meeting held under the Chairmanship of Hon'ble Lt. Governor, Andaman and
Nicobar Islands, Lt General (Retd.) Bhopinder Singh, PVSM, AVSM, at Raj
Niwas today reviewed the annual plan 2008-09 and Tsunami Rehabilitation
Plan (TRP) of Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Speaking on the occasion, the
Lt. Governor directed the departments functioning under A&N
Administration to submit quarterly reports on the utilization of fund
and the asset created for the benefit of the people of the Islands. He
said "it is the responsibility of every department to ensure that the
allotted fund is utilized properly and the physical target achieved in a
time bound manner". Details of plan proposals and achievements were
presented during the meeting by the head of various departments
functioning under the A & N Administration. Earlier, the Secretary
(Planning), A&N Administration, Shri Sanjeev Khirwar informed that the
Planning Commission has provided Rs 1087.85 crores to the Union
Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands under the annual plan 2008-09.
This includes Rs 667.85 crore as regular plan and Rs 420 crore under

Tsunami Rehabilitation Plan, he added.

A&N Admin, PRess Release, 18/08/08: Courtesy andamanicobar yahoo group



Beauty contest for toilets : Nagapattinam: For the second consecutive
year, a beauty contest for toilets would be held in the tsunami-hit
Kameshwaram coastal village in the district in December as a sequel to
the success of the first toilet beauty contest held in the country here
last year. Dr. Shyama V. Ramani, Director, Friends-In-Need (FIN), an NGO
based in Reims, France, who sponsored the toilet beauty contest last
year, said that sanitation was a hush-hush subject and it was necessary
to explore innovative schemes to motivate both men and women to value
and use toilets. M. Subburaman, Director SCOPE and coordinator for the
contest, said that the toilet beauty contest would give full three
months for the families to make their entries prize worthy. He pointed
out that Ecosan was the best toilet model for tsunami-hit high water
table coastal areas.

http://www.hindu.com/2008/08/18/stories/2008081851250300.htm



Sothavilai beach to get facelift : Nagercoil: The Government has
allotted Rs. 23 lakh for giving a facelift to tsunami-affected
Sothavilai beach. It is a popular picnic spot for the people of
Kanyakumari district. The district administration has decided to put
fencing around the beach and create other facilities to attract both
foreign and domestic tourists.

http://www.hindu.com/2008/08/24/stories/2008082452340300.htm

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SRI LANKA

Canadian Red Cross to spend SLR 400 Million to upgrade buildings of
Polonnaruwa General Hospital : The Canadian Red Cross Society will spend
400 million Rupees to upgrade Polonnaruwa General Hospital to a three
story hospital with the most modern facilities, A Red Cross website has
announced. The Relief web of the Red Cross said, "The Canadian Red Cross
(CRC) Society will spend 366 million rupees for the construction of new
building and Rs. 50 million to provide the required medical equipment.
There will be an outpatient department, X-ray room, clinics
dispensaries, an auditorium and administration area in this new
building." This building constrution project was initiated by the Sri
Lanka Red Cross Society under the post Tsunami recovery program.
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
will provide technical assistance for the project.

http://www.asiantribune.com/?q=node/12816

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THAILAND

Tsunami warning system improvements stalled : Phuket: Plans for Thailand
to launch two more "tsunameters" off the Andaman coastline to improve
its tsunami warning system capability have become bogged down by red
tape and technical problems, leaving only one direct detection unit in
place as the fourth anniversary of the 2004 disaster nears. Dr Smith
Dharmasaroja, who chairs the committee that directs the Nonthaburi-based
National Disaster Warning Center (NDWC), last weekend told the Gazette
that the NDWC was budgeted 165 million baht for the two tsunami direct
detection units in 2007. When deployed about 250 to 300 kilometers off
Phuket, they will greatly enhance the NDWC's ability to detect and warn
of an impending tsunami, he said. Technically known as Deep-ocean
Assessment and Reporting of Tsunami (Dart) monitoring systems, the
state-of-the-art tsunameters consist of a pressure sensor on the ocean
floor that relays data to a surface buoy equipped with satellite technology.

http://www.phuketgazette.net/news/printing.asp?Id=6727

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Disclaimer:

This news update is provided by TRINet for the benefit of those working
in coastal areas and in tsunami rehabilitation purely for information
purposes only.

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August 2008, Vol. 1, No. 2



    In this issue:

      * PACIFIC ISLANDERS USE VIDEOS TO MANAGE REEF RESOURCES <#article1>
      * SOUTH CHINA SEA FISH TAGGING PROJECT BEGINS <#article2>
      * FISHERIES MANAGEMENT COULD SAVE CORALS FROM DEADLY STARFISH
        <#article3>
      * PNG TAKES STEPS TO INSURE ABUNDANCE OF MARINE RESOURCES <#article4>
      * FIJI'S GREAT BUTTERFLYFISH COUNT <#article5>
      * MEDIA REVIEWS <#article6>
      * UPCOMING EVENTS
        <#article7>

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\
-------------------------------------------------------------------

*PACIFIC ISLANDERS USE VIDEOS TO MANAGE REEF RESOURCES

*
fishing line tangled around this dead coral. Copyright Keoki Stender
Pacific island communities are working to protect their marine resources
from overfishing
and pollution, such as the abandoned fishing line tangled around this
dead coral.
Keoki Stender

At the recent International Coral Reef Symposium (ICRS) held last month
in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, participants discussed many of the threats
to the world's coral reefs, including climate change, overfishing,
pollution and ocean acidification.

But finding solutions to these issues is not the only task at hand.
Researchers and resource managers must also find innovative ways to
share their management strategies with the communities that are
implementing them. But sharing information between islands with
inadequate Internet resources is challenging.

To remedy the situation, an organization called the Locally Managed
Marine Area (LMMA) Network is developing DVDs on some of the trials and
triumphs of community-managed sites in the region, and then sending them
to other countries that also have marine managed areas. In this way,
communities are learning from each other and overcoming management
issues together.

"We produced a video last year called 'Lessons Learned' [in which] we
interviewed community members from several different countries who work
with the network, speaking to community practitioners and leaders - to
get their story in their own voice about the work they're doing at their
marine sites," says LMMA spokeswoman Toni Parras.

Another organization, the Secretariat for the Pacific Region Environment
Program (SPREP), is also using video technology to teach children how to
care for their isle reefs. SPREP held a competition for secondary school
children to come up with the best ideas for reef conservation. So far,
11 schools have received grants for their reef projects. All work will
be filmed and shared with other students from different regions.

Source: ABC Radio Australia

Read more:
http://www.abc.net.au/ra/news/features/s2311753.htm?page=Page4
<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0018B3oM-xoBQO4bS5TIOtbMvqnxRujsV9ONbD0rAC8s3egsYZJk6H2\
ieE2gJ9vKFsLLs7DcDF6tbT0J6aLkWvqZIXWMEIju70DCXrghn9unUKesG7IH6UN62oiczStzRXd2eY2\
A5YTJMXjNnIwEqk_wjcVQSUlnXll32vORoZZF9iycuLxt-_Ujw==>

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\
-------


*FISH TAGGING PROJECT BEGINS IN SOUTH CHINA SEA
*
The Philippines, Brunei, Darussalam, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia,
Malaysia, Vietnam and Myanmar have joined forces to tag five species of
fish in the South China and Andaman seas.

Header: Aquaculture News E-newsletter NewThe three-year collaborative
research project will help scientists understand the migratory paths of
fish such as the galunggong (round scad) and hasa-hasa (Indo-Pacific
mackerel). Ultimately, the results of this project will provide
scientific data to resource managers on regional fish populations, which
will be the basis for a region-wide management plan to ensure that
fisheries remain healthy.





Coral reef fish for sale at a Philippines market.
(c) Wolcott Henry 2005/Marine Photobank

Malcolm Sarmiento, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR)
director says, "[The project] is meant to counter the adverse effects of
over-fishing and help authorities come up with a reasonable conduct of
fisheries within the region."

According to the Manila Standard Today, a nationally circulated
newspaper published daily in the Philippines, 2,400 fish, belonging to
two species of round scad and a species of mackerel, are targeted to be
tagged in Manila Bay and Palwan this year.

The fisheries bureau tags fish at the base of their dorsal fins and then
releases them back into the sea. Fishermen that return either frozen
tagged fish or the tag and a record of the fish's size, species, place
and date caught, along with the fishermens' name and contact number, to
BFAR will receive monetary compensation for their efforts.

Source: Manila Standard Today

Read more:
http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=politics3_july21_2008
<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0018B3oM-xoBQPOPGn8NKQuahO8JPfW3qTFFOG67B6fZQiM3Uv-OjLI\
iWMa2ivk3zbyRJU-LX5z_MnSKiW0S-d3_Kkh-hufbiK_z0iBfyMR1FXg004YPztu1QZGBAhsU9seXA7B\
6LYfd2toCnk0u5__WWPgFkIS-Rpm640Qd90Z5o8=>

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\
-------


*FISHERIES MANAGEMENT COULD SAVE CORALS
FROM DEADLY STARF**ISH

*
A recent study found that commercial fishing bans on the Great Barrier
Reef helped curb the coral-eating starfish known as the crown-of-thorns.
This spiny starfish can grow up to two feet (0.6 meters) in diameter and
have up to 20 arms.

The reseaCrown-of-thorns starfish S. Romatzki/Marine Photobankrchers
reported that management of areas that include no-take zones has
resulted in as many as seven times fewer outbreaks of the
coral-devouring starfish. They hypothesize that restrictions have kept
predatory fish out of fishing nets and on the reefs. While these larger
species of fish do not feed on the crown-of-thorns, they do ingest
smaller fish, which feed on small invertebrates. The invertebrates in
turn feed on crown-of-thorns larvae. In the absences of large fish, the
smaller fish numbers skyrocket and invertebrate numbers shrink, which
results in less predation on starfish larvae.

Hugh Sweatman, a marine ecologist at the Australian Institute of Marine
Science in Queensland estimates that crown-of-thorns starfish are
responsible for about 40 percent of the drop in live coral coverage on
the Great Barrier Reef. He said, "This study is yet another argument for
instituting marine protection programs."

Source: Scientific American


Voracious crown-of-thorns starfish.
S. Romatzki/Marine Photobank

Read more:
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=killer-starfish
<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0018B3oM-xoBQNbwhpY8kXxLGzlJURJjvZoQ3QHKp37JeY6hYQQ9eTR\
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IuwEl8eqDZooON7xuwRjuOZzH_g4>
http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/life/endangered-species/mg19926663.4\
00-coralkilling-starfish-curbed-by-fishing-ban.html

<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0018B3oM-xoBQMQzQ3m7gcuvU7Jsvx0RYgL35lOO7wenPmPY5I7v123\
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5y8jazxhfXspTTa152_QVE6zW0lVfed0AxBbYwilNBqRrtS5l05o_0s=>
http://upge.wn.com/?t=cheetah-article/postcomment.txt&action=form&article=WNAT46\
2c3b9e31193a93c6c8974dd9d72bde

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2PxDdKbLXUFbVqnj8dN0fAP6O31bQrqR7g==>

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\
-------


*PAPUA NEW GUINEA TAKES STEPS TO INSURE ABUNDANCE OF MARINE RESOURCES

*
MotupureIslandPNG
Motupore Island Research Center, Papua New Guinea.
Corinne Knutson/SeaWeb

Creating a sense of community ownership for marine resources is an
important factor in creating Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs), so
much so that community governments in Papua New Guinea (PNG) have passed
laws to safeguard certain marine resources.

According to the PNG LMMA Network, five local-level governments in PNG
have laws in place to empower people from the region to protect and
manage their own marine resources.

The Pere Island LMMA in the Manus Province of Papua New Guinea is one of
these communities. In Pere, fishing occurs 24 hours a day, 365 days a
year. Both women and men fish in the community. When residents noticed
their fisheries declining, they opted to create a tambu or protected
area with the help of The Nature Conservancy (TNC), an international
conservation organization.

Now, a group of Pere Island residents are monitoring and surveying their
own resources and moving forward with a Conservation Area Management
Plan. In addition, the group is working with TNC to install a Fish
Aggregation Devise, or FAD. The FAD will ensure that fishers have open
fishing grounds while enabling protected areas to remain closed to fishing.

Popot Kisoaku, a socio-economic officer of Mbuke LMMA said, "Since the
establishment of the tambu area, we are now seeing an abundance of
marine life, especially fish stocks."

Source: The National

Read more: http://www.thenational.com.pg/070308/wkender6.php
<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0018B3oM-xoBQPhjbwktzKnmi4yzyV-1sfBl7-fUORuLmteqJr3VWQo\
oc_58y1MkJrj97qx7xObJP2VPGHwTYZZmkPO-z9sfJQgM1HIL5Ecjjf9rSP1dzN2VskfsHZdDeKAlP-c\
scmM4LTCGdmRd0kgwA==>

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\
-------


*FIJI'S GREAT BUTTERFLYFISH COUNT
*

For the first time in Fiji, several organizations have formed a
tourism-working group to encourage Fiji's visitor industry to
participate in marine conservation activities.

This year's activity, "The Great Fiji Butterflyfish Count," is part of
the country's International Year of the Coral Reef 2008 efforts. Based
on scientific survey techniques, Butterflyfish will be identified and
counted throughout Fiji from Nov. 2 to 8, 2008. Anyone can help count
the fish, but the project will primarily reach out to Fiji dive
operators as well as resorts and hotels to involve their guests.

Racoon Butterflyfish
The count itself will take up to 30 minutes of a scheduled SCUBA dive or
snorkel trip. However, participants can also count butterflyfish while
aboard a glass-bottom boat with a trained guide. During this time,
butterflyfish counters will be equipped with a waterproof clip board and
illustrated guide to help them identify the particular species of
butterflyfish. For each fish species seen, participants will place a
mark in the relevant box on their survey.


Butterflyfish. RSGallery2

The count is slated to be an annual event. Marine scientists will use
the numbers gathered from the project to map the butterflyfish's
distribution in Fiji and compare these figures with measurements of the
country's overall coral health to evaluate possible correlations.


Source:  The Great Fiji Butterflyfish
Count



Read more: http://www.fijibutterflyfishcount.com/
<http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=0018B3oM-xoBQMk4sQIu9U1FunvC8EgKGl_t1KLdhjZ0BYXVm6NI7oP\
TJc0h4mQx1zJhwgzhDL9U2_3VmvevkEsfRspLTEghlKrioHj4VUBmjQV1HXfmQo8bcTwN80T7XvVWTc1\
A6oTlM4=>

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\
-------


*
MEDIA REVIEWS

*

marinebiobook
Marine Biology by Peter Castro, Michael E. Huber, William C. Ober
(Illustrator), 2007

Perfect for anyone working on ocean issues, this 459-page hardcover
provides a scientific overview of marine biology with an emphasis on
global marine ecosystems. Accessible explanations of science, including
the basic principals of biology, physical sciences and the scientific
method, abound and are accompanied by stunning photographs and
illustrations.



underwaterbook
Underwater Eden: 365 Days, by Jeffrey L. Rotman, 2007

Leave it to veteran underwater photographer Jeffrey Rotman to open our
eyes to all the ocean has to offer. Rotman has spent the last three
decades documenting undersea life in the regions of Palau, Costa Rica
and Australia's Great Barrier Reef. "Underwater Eden: 365 Days" is a
culmination of his extensive work and comes complete with useful
captions, scientific facts, trivia, and entertaining personal anecdotes
from his countless hours spent in underwater observation.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\
-------


*UPCOMING EVENTS
*

September 20, 2008: The Ocean Conservancy will hold its annual
International Coastal Cleanup. For more information, please see:
http://www.oceanconservancy.org/site/Calendar/204718912?view=Detail&id=3221

September 26 to October 11, 2008: A crown-of-thorns starfish and marine
debris cleanup will be held in Bunaken National Park and Lembeh Strait,
located in the North Sulawesi Peninsula. For more information, please
see: http://uwecotour.wordpress.com/




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C/o Kalpavriksh
Apt. 5, Sri Dutta Krupa,
908 Deccan Gym
Pune 411004
India
Tel: 020 25654239
Mob: 09423009933
Email: psekhsaria@...

crazy things happen in other islands too...
pankaj

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Monkey island plan by South African investor in Thailand
Date: Sun, 24 Aug 2008 22:29:22 -0700
From: nirmal ghosh <tigerfire@...>
Reply-To: nirmal ghosh <tigerfire@...>
To: nathistory-india@...

This is not directly relevant to India, but to those of you who agree
with me that this product sounds like a total disaster, would appreciate
it if you could spread the word and help stop it!

Regards

Nirmal



Plan to start monkey business
South African investors want to stock Phuket islands with primates

By Achadtaya Chuenniran



South African investors plan to populate two deserted islands with
monkeys as a tourist attraction in the resort province of Phuket.


Tony Blignaut, chief executive officer of Monkeyland South Africa Co,
recently led a team to meet Phuket governor Niran Kalayanamitr to
discuss their proposed monkey island project.


Under the plan two islands, Koh Thanan in tambon Wichit municipality and
Koh Elle in tambon Rawai in Muang district, have been chosen as sites
for the project, pending negotiations with local administrative agencies.


Koh Thanan would be developed as the main tourist island, housing local
and foreign species of monkeys, while Koh Elle would be used as a
reseach centre for the animals or serve as a nursery for monkeys, said a
source in Phuket.


The firm wants to develop Koh Thanan as a new tourism destination in
Phuket. The island is only 10 minutes by boat from nearby Chalong bay.


The firm has so far spent a large amount of money conducting a
feasibility study of the project.


The source said monkeys would be imported from several countries,
including Malaysia, Singapore and South Africa, to stock the islands. It
is estimated that about 100 monkeys would be brought from outside Phuket.


The firm could rent the islands from the government or enter into a
joint investment with local authorities. Both islands are public land.


Under the plan, a pier would be built on one of the islands. There would
be about 40 shops, all operated rent-free by local residents, said the
source. Food and water for the monkeys would be provided by the project
developer.


Mr Niran welcomed the proposed project, but said investors would have to
consult with the local administrative agencies which supervised the
islands.


Kreetha sae Tan, chairman of the tambon Wichit municipality, said the
municipality had to first look at the project's feasibility study and
consider its ecological impact on the area.


So far, there have been no talks between the municipality and the
project developer, he said.


Arun Solos, chairman of the tambon Rawai municipality, said the
municipality would listen to residents' concerns about the project
before making a decision.

ends





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http://www.flickr.com/photos/pankajsekhsaria/
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/psekhsaria/Atcrossroads

C/o Kalpavriksh
Apt. 5, Sri Dutta Krupa,
908 Deccan Gym
Pune 411004
India
Tel: 020 25654239
Mob: 09423009933
Email: psekhsaria@...

Also,
While this subject is not directly relevant to the A&N islands, I too
would like to add a bit. The issue of the Dhamra port has been a
controversial one and there has been serious concern, among other
things, of the involvement and participation of the IUCN with the port
authorities. There are a range of issues and these have been written
about in the recent past.

Pasted below is a story I myself did for the Deccan Herald a couple of
months ago.

PANKAJ

An environmental fig leaf?

by
Pankaj Sekhsaria

http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/Jun262008/editpage2008062575341.asp

The IUCN has ignored the fundamental precautionary principle by not
looking into issues of the location of the port.


It is one of the world's most well known and respected conservation
organisations and has been at the forefront of many efforts to protect
wilderness areas and threatened wildlife species. Yet, it is in danger
today of becoming the fig leaf in India for a project that might cause
unprecedented damage to one of the world's most threatened and enigmatic
wild creatures.

The organisation is the International Union for the Conservation of
Nature (IUCN), the wild creature is the Olive Ridley Turtle and the
project in question is the Dhamra Port being constructed in Orissa by
the Dhamra Port Company Limited (DPCL), a joint venture of Tata Steel
and Larsen & Toubro.

Environmental NGOs, research organisations and individuals have opposed
the port on various grounds from the very beginning. The port is located
only five kms from the Bhitarkanika National Park and barely 15 kms from
one of the world's most significant nesting sites for the turtles at
Gahirmatha. There is also evidence that boundaries of the national park
were re-drawn some years ago to ensure that there would be no impediment
to the port proposal. The Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) has been
flawed and in a bizarre development environmental clearance was finally
accorded not by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, but by the
Ministry of Surface Transport. The project was bound to run into serious
opposition and questioning.

It was when Indian organisations and researchers refused to associate
with them that DPCL approached the IUCN in 2006 to help put into place
an environment management and mitigation plan. A Scoping Mission in 2006
was followed by a series of meetings. An agreement "to develop
environmental standards and design mitigation measures for the
construction of (the) port in Orissa" by using IUCN's network of
scientists and conservationists including India IUCN members was finally
signed between DPCL and IUCN's Marine Turtle Specialist Group (MTSG) in
May 2008.

At about the same time, however, Indian researchers and members of the
MTSG were writing to the Director General of the IUCN, protesting
against the port and the fact that they had been completely sidelined in
all that had happened. The signatories included reputed member
organisations like the Bombay Natural History Society, the Foundation
for Ecological Security and the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and
Nature and noted individual researchers like B C Choudhary, Dr Kartik
Shanker, Dr Basudev Tripathy and Romulus Whitaker.

They pointed to various problems of the port, many of which had already
been articulated in the Scoping Mission Report of 2006. Concerns of
dredging and noise and sound pollution had not been addressed at all in
the EIA report and the proposed port was in fact not an extension of an
old one as had been claimed by the project authorities. "The quality and
analysis of the information in the EIA", IUCN's scoping report
explained, "also leaves much to be desired."

The Indian members of the MTSG noted that the port was not a stand alone
project and that the cumulative impact needed to be considered of the
several industries like a steel plant and a ship building yard that were
being proposed simultaneously. They also pointed out that there had been
virtually no consultation with national members, many of whom had been
grappling with the problem long before the IUCN became involved.

"This," the letter says, "squanders considerable local expertise,
besides sidelining local members. Several members of the MTSG have not
only signed the petition that opposes the port, some have written
thoughtful letters of concern, and the Regional Chairman of the MTSG has
resigned."

What has surprised, even shocked many, is the note published in the
latest issue of the Marine Turtle Newsletter by Dr Nicholas Pilcher, Co
– Chair of the MTSG and the key person behind the agreement with the DPCL.

"Many of the potential impacts of ports can be mitigated," Dr Pilcher
explains even as he dismisses the opposition and various concerns, "and
it is hard to argue against development in a needy country in the face
of limited impact. Given this, IUCN and the MTSG Co-Chairs felt that
sitting back and watching a port built without taking into account the
turtles was worse than sitting idle and waiting on the legal actions of
local NGOs. Five or even ten years from now the case will likely still
be in the courts, but the port will have dredged 6.5 million cubic
meters of seabed, erected lighting, and secondary development will have
exceeded even what the port plans on doing. It bears clarifying that
IUCN was not responsible for supporting or rejecting the Dhamra
proposal. Rather, IUCN was requested to assist with mitigation of
potential impacts by a project already under development, and they
indeed have the required expertise and mandate to do just that."

It is in this approach that the MTSG appears to have missed the trees
completely for the wood. The issue is much larger than just that of
mitigation. Crucially the IUCN has completely ignored the fundamental
"precautionary principle" by not looking into issues of the location of
the port or into the inadequacies and inappropriateness of the EIA
report and the environmental clearances.

IUCN's involvement is an endorsement that DPCL has repeatedly used to
project the environment friendly nature of its operations The DPCL
appears to have found the fig leaf it desperately needs; it might be
IUCN's turn to start looking for one very soon.



http://pankaj-atcrossroads.blogspot.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pankajsekhsaria/
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/psekhsaria/Atcrossroads

C/o Kalpavriksh
Apt. 5, Sri Dutta Krupa,
908 Deccan Gym
Pune 411004
India
Tel: 020 25654239
Mob: 09423009933
Email: psekhsaria@...

Gopa Kumar wrote:
>
>
> Dear Mr.Dutta,
>
> I am a passive reader on this group and will hesitantly make my first
> contribution.
> Almost a century ago, Upton Sinclair, the founder of the End Poverty in
> California movement and writer of a classic novel on the horrors of the
> meat packing industry ("The Jungle") once said,
> "Its difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary
> depends upon his not understanding it."
> Never has a truer statement been made on human nature.
> This is not to take sides, only to make the point that Ms.Madhushree' s
> argument has considerable doses of history to support it.
>
> Warm regards,
> Gopakumar
> -----Original Message-----
> From: andamanicobar@ yahoogroups. co.in
> <mailto:andamanicobar%40yahoogroups.co.in>
> [mailto:andamanicobar@ yahoogroups. co.in
> <mailto:andamanicobar%40yahoogroups.co.in>] On Behalf Of Amlan Dutta
> Sent: Thursday, August 28, 2008 5:32 PM
> To: andamanicobar@ yahoogroups. co.in
> <mailto:andamanicobar%40yahoogroups.co.in>
> Subject: Re: [andamanicobar] Re:Turtles threatened by coastal tourism,
> fishing: UN agency
>
> Dear Madhushree,
>
> Wow,,, such anger ,, and frustration, , without even knowing how IUCN
> works, do you think IUCN pays its 10,000 scientists to do scientific
> work. Are you aware that the first statement of Dr. Pilcher you are
> quoting from is from the scoping mission report, which was actually to
> scope out the engagement of IUCN.
>
> Do you think its wrong that science should associate with industry? When
> all this time in india science maintaining its moral high ground (in
> wildlife conservation) has always refused to engage with the industry...
>
> I was present in Mumbai beside my CEO when this statement was said,,
> IUCNs engagement with us is in a cost plus basis , all operational costs
> are borne by us, all recommendations of theirs have a cost element which
> is done on the ground directly by us... do you think that is wrong,,,
> ???
>
> Best Regards,
>
> Amlan Dutta
> Env Manager
> Dhamra Port Company Ltd.
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Madhusree Mukerjee <lopchu@... <mailto:lopchu%40att.net>
> <mailto:lopchu% 40att.net> >
> To: andamanicobar@ <mailto:andamanicob ar%40yahoogroups .co.in>
> yahoogroups. co.in
> Sent: Friday, 22 August, 2008 3:47:00 PM
> Subject: [andamanicobar] Re:Turtles threatened by coastal tourism,
> fishing: UN agency
>
> I don't doubt that marine turtles are threatened by fishing and tourism,
> as the IUCN says. But a recent article in Tehelka (19 July 2008) raises
> some very important questions about the integrity of the IUCN's Marine
> Turtle Specialist Group.
>
> According to the Tehelka article, this IUCN group had originally opposed
> the port coming up at Dhamra, Orissa, near one of the world's largest
> turtle nesting sites. In December 2006, the head of the group, a Dr.
> Nicolas Pilcher, wrote that it would "impact marine turtles, of that
> there can be no doubt," and went on the explain why (dredging for the
> port, lights that confuse baby turtles, etc). In March 2008, however,
> Pilcher stated that "there is no scientific evidence anywhere to show
> the Port is going to cause any sort of major catastrophe. "
>
> Here's the crunch: the author of this Tehelka piece, Prerna Singh
> Bindra, says that the CEO of the Dhamra Port Company admitted in her
> presence and that of 15 other journalists to paying money to the IUCN
> turtle group "to cover their expenses and suchlike," and that this
> amounted to Rs. 1 crore.
>
> Many questions immediately arise: Is this true? If so, doesn't the IUCN
> have the funds to cover its scientists' expenses? Doesn't it recognize
> that accepting money from an interested party amounts to corruption, at
> least to a conflict of interest? This is a shocking breach of ethical
> norms by an agency that is trusted worldwide, and the IUCN must answer
> to what extent the allegation is true, and what is being done about it.
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
> Unlimited freedom, unlimited storage. Get it now, on http://help.
> <http://help. yahoo.com/ l/in/yahoo/ mail/yahoomail/ tools/tools-
> 08.html/
> <http://help.yahoo.com/l/in/yahoo/mail/yahoomail/tools/tools-08.html/>>
> yahoo.com/l/ in/yahoo/ mail/yahoomail/ tools/tools- 08.html/
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>

Dear Friends:
CLIMATE CHANGE: THE NATURALECOLOGIES SOLUTION:FORESTS
See how gobal warming, dams, earthquakes and cyclones are tightly
interconnected. Thus policy makers must factor in dams in the global warming
issue:Debate the URL:
http://damsequakescyclones.blogspot.com/
and the solution suggested therein: Forests:
http://practicethevedas.blogspot.com/
With best wishes,
Smile Trees Reverdure  Indigeneous Diverse
R. Ashok Kumar,B.E.,M.E(Power), Negentropist, Bombay Sarvodaya Mandal,299,
Tardeo Road, Nana Chowk, Mumbai-400007.
 
 




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

I will admit to not having known how IUCN works.
For a journalist, receiving any kind of financial support from the party on
which you are reporting is a violation of ethical norms.
In science, making public your funding sources is the ethical norm. For
instance, medical journals nowadays require researchers to state their funding
sources at the end of every published article, because so often supposedly
objective scientific results were found to be biased, depending on the funding
source.
Perhaps the IUCN makes public the fact that it receives payment from the parties
on which it is reporting. If not, it should do so. In either case, its reports
should be treated with the appropriate level of skepticism, and certainly not as
the last word on a topic.
Madhusree

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

Dear Gopa,

Very nicely said, and not the first time someone pointed it out either, its very
true, i do get my salary from the dhamra port company ltd., and yes, i do get
paid to care about the interests about the port, but you know what in most
instances a person in my position is usually a engineer or a consultant who is
only bothered about submitting compliance reports and plantation etc, but me (a
field biologist) being here together with IUCN help the port company work
towards turtle conservation, better environment management of the port , IUCN
brings about the expertise which advises us, and we are better informed than any
other port in the indian coast about the potential harm to marine life, which is
not confined only to turtles.

I too have been a passive observer, as perhaps working for the port company, i
guess i cant have an opinion on something where i work on ,, more so because it
is caught up in all sorts of controversies ,, i will off course get questioned
about my work. But then that makes me all the more determined to work for the
port company towards better environment practices..


With Warm Regards,

Amlan



----- Original Message ----
From: Gopa Kumar <gopa@...>
To: andamanicobar@...
Sent: Thursday, 28 August, 2008 9:52:15 PM
Subject: [andamanicobar] RE: Turtles threatened by coastal tourism, fishing: UN
agency


Dear Mr.Dutta,

I am a passive reader on this group and will hesitantly make my first
contribution.
Almost a century  ago, Upton Sinclair, the founder of the End Poverty in
California movement and writer of a classic novel on the horrors of the
meat packing industry ("The Jungle") once said,
"Its difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary
depends upon his not understanding it."
Never has a truer statement been made on human nature.
This is not to take sides, only to make the point that Ms.Madhushree' s
argument has considerable doses of history to support it.

Warm regards,
Gopakumar
-----Original Message-----
From: andamanicobar@ yahoogroups. co.in
[mailto:andamanicobar@ yahoogroups. co.in] On Behalf Of Amlan Dutta
Sent: Thursday, August 28, 2008 5:32 PM
To: andamanicobar@ yahoogroups. co.in
Subject: Re: [andamanicobar] Re:Turtles threatened by coastal tourism,
fishing: UN agency

Dear Madhushree,

Wow,,, such anger ,, and frustration, , without even knowing how IUCN
works, do you think IUCN pays its 10,000 scientists to do scientific
work. Are you aware that the first statement of Dr. Pilcher you are
quoting from is from the scoping mission report, which was actually to
scope out the engagement of IUCN.

Do you think its wrong that science should associate with industry? When
all this time in india science maintaining its moral high ground (in
wildlife conservation) has always refused to engage with the industry...

I was present in Mumbai beside my CEO when this statement was said,,
IUCNs engagement with us is in a cost plus basis , all operational costs
are borne by us, all recommendations of theirs have a cost element which
is done on the ground directly by us... do you think that is wrong,,,
???

Best Regards,

Amlan Dutta
Env Manager
Dhamra Port Company Ltd.

----- Original Message ----
From: Madhusree Mukerjee <lopchu@... <mailto:lopchu% 40att.net> >
To: andamanicobar@ <mailto:andamanicob ar%40yahoogroups .co.in>
yahoogroups. co.in
Sent: Friday, 22 August, 2008 3:47:00 PM
Subject: [andamanicobar] Re:Turtles threatened by coastal tourism,
fishing: UN agency

I don't doubt that marine turtles are threatened by fishing and tourism,
as the IUCN says. But a recent article in Tehelka (19 July 2008) raises
some very important questions about the integrity of the IUCN's Marine
Turtle Specialist Group.

According to the Tehelka article, this IUCN group had originally opposed
the port coming up at Dhamra, Orissa, near one of the world's largest
turtle nesting sites. In December 2006, the head of the group, a Dr.
Nicolas Pilcher, wrote that it would "impact marine turtles, of that
there can be no doubt," and went on the explain why (dredging for the
port, lights that confuse baby turtles, etc). In March 2008, however,
Pilcher stated that "there is no scientific evidence anywhere to show
the Port is going to cause any sort of major catastrophe. "

Here's the crunch: the author of this Tehelka piece, Prerna Singh
Bindra, says that the CEO of the Dhamra Port Company admitted in her
presence and that of 15 other journalists to paying money to the IUCN
turtle group "to cover their expenses and suchlike," and that this
amounted to Rs. 1 crore.

Many questions immediately arise: Is this true? If so, doesn't the IUCN
have the funds to cover its scientists' expenses? Doesn't it recognize
that accepting money from an interested party amounts to corruption, at
least to a conflict of interest? This is a shocking breach of ethical
norms by an agency that is trusted worldwide, and the IUCN must answer
to what extent the allegation is true, and what is being done about it.

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

Unlimited freedom, unlimited storage. Get it now, on http://help.
<http://help. yahoo.com/ l/in/yahoo/ mail/yahoomail/ tools/tools- 08.html/>
yahoo.com/l/ in/yahoo/ mail/yahoomail/ tools/tools- 08.html/

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


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




       Be the first one to try the new Messenger 9 Beta! Go to
http://in.messenger.yahoo.com/win/

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

very interesting and useful.
pankaj

      * HTML version of this newsletter is available at
      http://www.reefbase.org/newsletter.aspx?newsdategroup=200808
        * PDF version of this newsletter is available at
      http://www.reefbase.org/newsletter/Newsletter_August2008.pdf


***********************************************************************
        ReefBase Newsletter - August 2008

***********************************************************************

***********************************************************************



        In this issue
        -------------

        Announcements

        1. August's theme: Marine Protected Area
        2. ReefBase User Survey

        ReefBase Publication Database
        (Recommended readings on MPA)

        1. Marine conservation and coastal communities: Who carries the
costs? A
      study of Marine Protected Areas and their impact on traditional
small-scale
      fishing communities in South Africa
        2. Report on the Status of Marine Protected Areas in Coral Reef
Ecosystems of
      the United States Volume 1
        3. Carrying capacity and marine protected areas
        4. Coral Reefs and the Global Network of Marine Protected Areas
        5. Marine Protected Areas - providing a future for fish and people

        Online GIS

        1. July 2008 NOAA Coral Reef Watch's Satellite Monitoring Products
        2. Tips to ReefGIS – Marine Protected Areas Maps



        Announcements
        -------------

        1. August's theme: Marine Protected Area (MPA)

        More than one quarter of all known marine species live on coral reefs
      (McAllister, 1988,

http://www.reefbase.org/resource_center/publication/main.aspx?refid=6358)..
More
      than €30 billion in net benefits produced in goods and economies
(tourism,
      fisheries and coastal protection) are generated from coral reefs
each year
      (Cesar et al., 2003,

http://www.reefbase.org/resource_center/publication/main.aspx?refid=14626).
Yet
      more and more coral reefs today are in serious decline; where an
estimated 30%
      are already severely damaged, and close to 60% may be lost by 2030
(Wilkinson,
      2002,

http://www.reefbase.org/resource_center/publication/main.aspx?refid=13873).
For
      all of these reasons and more, marine protected areas (MPAs) are
widely regarded
      as one of the key solution in protecting coral reef ecosystems and
associated
      fisheries from various anthropogenic and natural threats.

        MPAs, in their diverse forms and scales are designed for various
reasons to
      manage the local sustainable usage of the marine natural resources
and also for
      conservation and cultural values. However, there is an increasing
need to assess
      MPA-related effects and its ability to achieve the management
objectives as
      initially proposed. A study highlighted that out of 300 designated
and 600
      proposed marine protected areas listed in the UNEP/IUCN coral reef
inventory
      (1998), only a handful are being managed with the support of the
local people
      who depend on the resources. The rest that did not made it are
regarded as
      ‘legal decrees’ or ‘paper parks’, one that exists only
in
legislations
      but have no effective enforcement or management in place (Russ and
Alcala, 1999,

http://www.reefbase.org/resource_center/publication/main.aspx?refid=8620)..
One
      of the reasons is because the integration of stakeholders and
multi-sectoralism
      can be very distinct in their relative emphasis on rational
planning and
      resource allocation, which is why conflict mediation is one of the
pivotal
      issues to be duly emphasized in every MPA designs (Christie et al,
2005,

http://www.reefbase.org/resource_center/publication/main.aspx?refid=26526).

        At the same time, conservationists, coastal managers and planners who
      recognized the broad applicability of marine protected areas
(MPAs), often
      implement it without a firm understanding of conservation biology
in terms of
      its factual foundation and long-term implications underlying the marine
      protection (Agardy, 2003,

http://www.reefbase.org/resource_center/publication/main.aspx?refid=20970).
Both
      ecological and socio-economic factors of marine protection are
often disregarded
      and the rush to implement MPAs has set the stage for paradoxical
differences of
      opinions in the marine conservation community (Pomeroy, 2005,

http://www.reefbase.org/resource_center/publication/main.aspx?refid=26619).
      Already aware of this issue is a team of government officials,
academics and NGO
      which have crafted a regional action plan (RAP) to guide the
establishment of a
      network of MPAs by 2012 (Laffoley, 2006,

http://www.reefbase.org/resource_center/publication/main.aspx?refid=26783).
This
      collaborative effort was formed with the objective to ensure better
application
      of the best science, technical and policy advice on MPAs, MPA
networks, and the
      global system. It is always of paramount importance that regions
implementing
      MPAs for specific reasons should also tailor management efforts to
their
      specific circumstances in order to achieve and increase the
probability of
      enhancing the sustainability of resource use.

        Featured in this issue are some of the recommended readings
relating to MPAs
      (Literature Database) and also an introduction to the Marine
Protected Areas GIS
      Maps available on the ReefBase website.


        2. ReefBase User Survey

        We are reviewing the ReefBase strategy for data and information
content as
      well as its services. Expanding and maintaining ReefBase as a
global repository
      for coral reef related data and information requires a significant
investment of
      resources. It is therefore important to understand the needs of the
scientific,
      management and development communities before deciding on
new/additional
      contents.

        For this reason, we would like to request a few minutes of your
time to
      answer a few questions on your data/information needs and
experience with
      ReefBase. Your input and opinions will help us fine-tune, enhance
and expand the
      ReefBase resources, resulting in improved functionality and the
contents of the
      ReefBase website.

        Please click here to access the survey.
        http://www.reefbase.org/contribute/questionnaire2008.aspx



        ReefBase Publication Database
        (Recommended readings on MPA)
        -----------------------------

        1. Marine conservation and coastal communities: Who carries the
costs? A
      study of Marine Protected Areas and their impact on traditional
small-scale
      fishing communities in South Africa

           * As the conservation of marine resources becomes a growing global
      priority, the concept of marine protected areas (MPAs) is being widely
      propagated. Since most MPAs are located in coastal areas of great
biodiversity,
      their development has direct relevance and concern to the
livelihoods, culture
      and survival of small-scale and traditional fishing and coastal
communities..

        Sunde, J. and M. Isaacs. 2008. Marine conservation and coastal
communities:
      Who carries the costs? A study of Marine Protected Areas and their
impact on
      traditional small-scale fishing communities in South Africa.
SAMUDRA Monograph.
      International Collective in Support of Fishworkers, India. 68pp.

http://www.reefbase.org/resource_center/publication/main.aspx?refid=26532


        2. Report on the Status of Marine Protected Areas in Coral Reef
Ecosystems of
      the United States Volume 1

           * This report directly addresses that objective by providing
an inventory
      and assessment of existing MPAs that have been established and are
managed by
      the governments of the seven coral reef states and territories. It
illustrates
      the goals and objectives of these areas; describes current efforts
to manage
      them; recognizes common challenges to successful management; and,
identifies
      actions that can increase the effectiveness of MPA initiatives.

        Wusinich-Mendez, D. and C. Trappe (eds.). 2007. Report on the
Status of
      Marine Protected Areas in Coral Reef Ecosystems of the United
States Volume 1:
      Marine Protected Areas Managed by U.S. States, Territories, and
Commonwealths:
      2007. NOAA Technical Memorandum CRCP 2. NOAA Coral Reef
Conservation Program.
      Silver Spring, MD. 129 pp. + Appendices.

http://www.reefbase.org/resource_center/publication/main.aspx?refid=26593


        3. Carrying capacity and marine protected areas

           * What is being measured in carrying capacity studies is generally
      confined to the direct physical impacts on the environment.
However, the
      indirect effects of visitation such as increased sedimentation
levels from
      coastal zone construction or increased nutrients from the discharge
of untreated
      or partially treated sewerage waste, may be much more significant
sources of
      stress to the environment.

        Glass, A. and K. De Meyer. 2002. Carrying capacity and marine
protected
      areas. Science Fact Sheet. The Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL).

http://www.reefbase.org/resource_center/publication/main.aspx?refid=14919


        4. Coral Reefs and the Global Network of Marine Protected Areas

           * Each year over the past 10 years, about 40 new MPAs have
been created
      worldwide that include coral reefs. Unfortunately, the
establishment of MPAs is
      rarely followed by good management and enforcement, which means
that the numbers
      of MPAs and their coverage can be misleading indicators of effective
      conservation.

        Mora, C., S. Andrefouet, M. J. Costello, C. Kranenburg, A. Rollo,
J. Veron,
      K. J. Gaston and R. A. Myers. 2006. 4. Coral Reefs and the Global
Network of
      Marine Protected Areas. Science Vol 312: 1750-1751

http://www.reefbase.org/resource_center/publication/main.aspx?refid=25586


        5. Marine Protected Areas - providing a future for fish and people

           * The world’s oceans are under more pressure than ever
before. From
      France to Japan, from Senegal to Australia and Chile, fish stocks
are overfished
      and important habitats are being lost or degraded at an
unprecedented rate.
      Sixty per cent of coral reefs are expected to be lost by 2030 if
present rates
      of decline continue. The increasing number of people living on the
coasts and
      the rapid rise in consumer demand for fish threaten marine
biodiversity across
      the oceans.

        Global Marine Programme, WWF International. 2005. Marine
Protected Areas -
      providing a future for fish and people. Global Marine Programme, WWF
      International Gland, Switzerland. 20p.

http://www.reefbase.org/resource_center/publication/main.aspx?refid=25038



        Online GIS
        ----------

        1. July 2008 NOAA Coral Reef Watch's Satellite Monitoring Products

        This map shows the global observations of coral bleaching occurrences
      combined with NOAA Coral Reef Watch's satellite monitoring products
      including Sea Surface Temperature, Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly,
Bleaching
      HotSpot and Degree Heating Weeks. These datasets are added into
ReefBase Online
      GIS each month.
        To view the latest July 2008 maps, click here.
        http://reefgis.reefbase.org/redirect.aspx?urlid=2501

        2. Tips to ReefGIS – Marine Protected Area Maps

        The Marine Protected Area (MPA) Map in ReefGIS is a comprehensive and
      interactive map that displays the locations of all the existing MPA
around the
      world. The information available on the map originates from the
Protected Areas
      Database compiled by UNEP-WCMC (http://www.unep-wcmc.org). For
application in
      ReefBase, we have only included those protected areas which (a) are
located in a
      "ReefBase"country (i.e. have coral reefs) (b) are located between 35 N
      and 35 S (c) include coral reef environments. All protected areas are
      represented by a symbol indicating the approximate central point.
However, for a
      number of protected areas, polygons are being displayed as well,
indicating the
      extent of those protected areas.

        Each point of MPA is categorized according to the IUCN category
that reflects
      the management objectives of the MPA and the query data are linked
to the MPA
      Global Database (http://www.mpaglobal.org). This page will provide
more details
      of the MPA relating to its designation, spatial and also the regulation
      information. The query window for each MPA point also provides
details on the
      coral reef ecology and other related ecosystems that are found in
that area..

        Users can also select the export data function to retrieve the
data for the
      selected layers and filters in different downloadable formats (Excel
      spreadsheet, Microsoft Word, Comma Separated Values, Tab Delimited
XML and
      Graph).
      http://reefgis.reefbase.org/redirect.aspx?urlid=2502


***********************************************************************


------------------------------------------------------------------------
Get an email ID as yourname@... or yourname@.... Click
here.
<http://in.rd.yahoo.com/tagline_dbid_4/*http://in.promos.yahoo.com/address>

--

http://pankaj-atcrossroads.blogspot.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pankajsekhsaria/
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/psekhsaria/Atcrossroads

C/o Kalpavriksh
Apt. 5, Sri Dutta Krupa,
908 Deccan Gym
Pune 411004
India
Tel: 020 25654239
Mob: 09423009933
Email: psekhsaria@...

Dear Mr.Dutta,

I am a passive reader on this group and will hesitantly make my first
contribution.
Almost a century  ago, Upton Sinclair, the founder of the End Poverty in
California movement and writer of a classic novel on the horrors of the
meat packing industry ("The Jungle") once said,
"Its difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary
depends upon his not understanding it."
Never has a truer statement been made on human nature.
This is not to take sides, only to make the point that Ms.Madhushree's
argument has considerable doses of history to support it.

Warm regards,
Gopakumar
-----Original Message-----
From: andamanicobar@...
[mailto:andamanicobar@...] On Behalf Of Amlan Dutta
Sent: Thursday, August 28, 2008 5:32 PM
To: andamanicobar@...
Subject: Re: [andamanicobar] Re:Turtles threatened by coastal tourism,
fishing: UN agency

Dear Madhushree,

Wow,,, such anger ,, and frustration,, without even knowing how IUCN
works, do you think IUCN pays its 10,000 scientists to do scientific
work. Are you aware that the first statement of Dr. Pilcher you are
quoting from is from the scoping mission report, which was actually to
scope out the engagement of IUCN.

Do you think its wrong that science should associate with industry? When
all this time in india science maintaining its moral high ground (in
wildlife conservation) has always refused to engage with the industry...


I was present in Mumbai beside my CEO when this statement was said,,
IUCNs engagement with us is in a cost plus basis , all operational costs
are borne by us, all recommendations of theirs have a cost element which
is done on the ground directly by us... do you think that is wrong,,,
???

Best Regards,

Amlan Dutta
Env Manager
Dhamra Port Company Ltd.

----- Original Message ----
From: Madhusree Mukerjee <lopchu@... <mailto:lopchu%40att.net> >
To: andamanicobar@ <mailto:andamanicobar%40yahoogroups.co.in>
yahoogroups.co.in
Sent: Friday, 22 August, 2008 3:47:00 PM
Subject: [andamanicobar] Re:Turtles threatened by coastal tourism,
fishing: UN agency

I don't doubt that marine turtles are threatened by fishing and tourism,
as the IUCN says. But a recent article in Tehelka (19 July 2008) raises
some very important questions about the integrity of the IUCN's Marine
Turtle Specialist Group.

According to the Tehelka article, this IUCN group had originally opposed
the port coming up at Dhamra, Orissa, near one of the world's largest
turtle nesting sites. In December 2006, the head of the group, a Dr.
Nicolas Pilcher, wrote that it would "impact marine turtles, of that
there can be no doubt," and went on the explain why (dredging for the
port, lights that confuse baby turtles, etc). In March 2008, however,
Pilcher stated that "there is no scientific evidence anywhere to show
the Port is going to cause any sort of major catastrophe. "

Here's the crunch: the author of this Tehelka piece, Prerna Singh
Bindra, says that the CEO of the Dhamra Port Company admitted in her
presence and that of 15 other journalists to paying money to the IUCN
turtle group "to cover their expenses and suchlike," and that this
amounted to Rs. 1 crore.

Many questions immediately arise: Is this true? If so, doesn't the IUCN
have the funds to cover its scientists' expenses? Doesn't it recognize
that accepting money from an interested party amounts to corruption, at
least to a conflict of interest? This is a shocking breach of ethical
norms by an agency that is trusted worldwide, and the IUCN must answer
to what extent the allegation is true, and what is being done about it.

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

Unlimited freedom, unlimited storage. Get it now, on http://help.
<http://help.yahoo.com/l/in/yahoo/mail/yahoomail/tools/tools-08.html/>
yahoo.com/l/in/yahoo/mail/yahoomail/tools/tools-08.html/

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



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

Dear Madhushree,

Wow,,, such anger ,, and frustration,, without even knowing how IUCN works, do
you think IUCN pays its 10,000 scientists to do scientific work. Are you aware
that the first statement of Dr. Pilcher you are quoting from is from the scoping
mission report, which was actually to scope out the engagement of IUCN.

Do you think its wrong that science should associate with industry? When all
this time in india science maintaining its moral high ground (in wildlife
conservation) has always refused to engage with the industry...

I was present in Mumbai beside my CEO when this statement was said,, IUCNs
engagement with us is in a cost plus basis , all operational costs are borne by
us, all recommendations of theirs have a cost element which is done on the
ground directly by us... do you think that is wrong,,, ???

Best Regards,

Amlan Dutta
Env Manager
Dhamra Port Company Ltd.













----- Original Message ----
From: Madhusree Mukerjee <lopchu@...>
To: andamanicobar@...
Sent: Friday, 22 August, 2008 3:47:00 PM
Subject: [andamanicobar] Re:Turtles threatened by coastal tourism, fishing: UN
agency


I don't doubt that marine turtles are threatened by fishing and tourism, as the
IUCN says. But a recent article in Tehelka (19 July 2008) raises some very
important questions about the integrity of the IUCN's Marine Turtle Specialist
Group.

According to the Tehelka article, this IUCN group had originally opposed the
port coming up at Dhamra, Orissa, near one of the world's largest turtle nesting
sites. In December 2006, the head of the group, a Dr. Nicolas Pilcher, wrote
that it would "impact marine turtles, of that there can be no doubt," and went
on the explain why (dredging for the port, lights that confuse baby turtles,
etc). In March 2008, however, Pilcher stated that "there is no scientific
evidence anywhere to show the Port is going to cause any sort of major
catastrophe. "

Here's the crunch: the author of this Tehelka piece, Prerna Singh Bindra, says
that the CEO of the Dhamra Port Company admitted in her presence and that of 15
other journalists to paying money to the IUCN turtle group "to cover their
expenses and suchlike," and that this amounted to Rs. 1 crore.

Many questions immediately arise: Is this true? If so, doesn't the IUCN have the
funds to cover its scientists' expenses? Doesn't it recognize that accepting
money from an interested party amounts to corruption, at least to a conflict of
interest? This is a shocking breach of ethical norms by an agency that is
trusted worldwide, and the IUCN must answer to what extent the allegation is
true, and what is being done about it.

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




       Unlimited freedom, unlimited storage. Get it now, on
http://help.yahoo.com/l/in/yahoo/mail/yahoomail/tools/tools-08.html/

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

Agriculture & Farmer Development Workshop-cum-Exhibition (Rabi)

   at Car Nicobar from Sept 02

   A&N ADMIN PRESS RELEASE
http://www.and.nic.in/press/psaturday.htm

The Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) will be organizing
a five- day Agriculture and Farmer Development Workshop-cum-Exhibition
(Rabi) at Car Nicobar from 2nd September to 6th September 2008 in
association with Agriculture and allied departments. The programme will
be inaugurated at J.R. Stadium, Car Nicobar on 2nd of September
coinciding with the World Coconut Day. To mark the World Coconut Day,
various competitions like essay writing, painting for school children
and coconut tree climbing and de-husking of coconut for youth of Car
Nicobar will be held and prizes will be awarded to the winners at the
inaugural function of Agriculture and Farmer Development
Workshop-cum-Exhibition.



The objective of organizing the event is to create awareness among the
farming community on the developmental programmes being taken by
Agriculture and allied departments and to disseminate information about
new technology and best farming practices and sensitize different stake
holders about the challenges in agriculture. During the Workshop-cum
Exhibition, conferences will be held to focus on farmer’s specific
issues related to agriculture and allied sectors with involvement of
CARl, KVK and Govt. Dept. Altogether, 100 farmers are expected to
participate including those from Nancowry group of Islands, Campbell Bay
besides Nicobar. Farmer's interactive session will also be organized
daily to update knowledge and to obtain feed back from farmers on
specific crops and allied areas. Film shows would be organized daily on
best agriculture practices and produce/products, animal/livestock.
Success stories developed in farmer's field will also be shown through
films.


--

http://pankaj-atcrossroads.blogspot.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pankajsekhsaria/
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/psekhsaria/Atcrossroads

C/o Kalpavriksh
Apt. 5, Sri Dutta Krupa,
908 Deccan Gym
Pune 411004
India
Tel: 020 25654239
Mob: 09423009933
Email: psekhsaria@...

Shri. Vivek Rae, IAS (AGMU-78) assumed the charge of Chief Secretary,
Andaman and Nicobar Administration in the forenoon of 21st August, 2008.
His Official address and telephone number are as under:


Shri. Vivek Rae, IAS

Chief Secretary

Andaman and Nicobar Administration,

Port Blair- 744101.


Telephone

Office 233110,234087
Residence: 233200,231060
Fax:  232656
E.Mail: cs-andaman@...
--

http://pankaj-atcrossroads.blogspot.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pankajsekhsaria/
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/psekhsaria/Atcrossroads

C/o Kalpavriksh
Apt. 5, Sri Dutta Krupa,
908 Deccan Gym
Pune 411004
India
Tel: 020 25654239
Mob: 09423009933
Email: psekhsaria@...

Experts team survey Leptospirosis cases in Andaman
http://www.mynews.in/fullstory.aspx?storyid=9337

Publication Date  27/8/2008 10:54:25 PM(IST)

Port Blair: Following reports of resurfacing deadly Leptospirosis in
Andaman and Nicobar, a doctors team conducted epidemological
investigation in South, North and Middle Andaman districts from August
22 to 26.

   The objective was to assess Leptospirosis in the districts in terms of
treatment, diagnosis and prophylaxis, Dr N Sadasivan, Director of
Andamans Health Department said here today.

   The team consisted of Dr UVS Rana, Joint Director, NICD, Delhi, Dr T R
Khurana, Senior Physician, Dr Bisworanjan Dash, Epidemologist. The team
visited various primary and community Health Centres and District
Hospitals in South, North and Middle Andaman.

   It undertook study of eco-environmental factors of Leptospirosis.

It also held meeting and discussion with the health authorities,
clinicians, laboratory personnels, Agriculture and veterinary
scientists, Mr Sadasivan added.
--

http://pankaj-atcrossroads.blogspot.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pankajsekhsaria/
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/psekhsaria/Atcrossroads

C/o Kalpavriksh
Apt. 5, Sri Dutta Krupa,
908 Deccan Gym
Pune 411004
India
Tel: 020 25654239
Mob: 09423009933
Email: psekhsaria@...

Thursday, August 21, 2008
NELSON MANDELA - THE ANDAMAN CONNECTION

NOLITHA
http://zillion2ndinnings.blogspot.com/2008/08/nolitha-in-solitary-cell-of-robben\
.html

In a solitary cell of the Robben Island prison, a tall, powerfully built
man sat in front of his desk and gazed intently at the picture of a
woman, nude except for a piece of red cloth tied round her neck. On the
desk, neatly arranged, were thick books and writing materials. Behind
him, on the wall were other photographs. The narrow cell had a barred
door and a high ventilator typical of most colonial jails. The man has
spent eighteen years in the cell. The man was Nelson Mandela.


Could there be a connection between Nelson Mandela and the Andaman &
Nicobar Islands?


At the outset, it may appear preposterous. Mandela never came to the
Islands. India was already a free country when he started the fight
against the apartheid regime of South Africa. However, on second
thought, some similarities do emerge.


Mandela, of course, was a freedom fighter of South Africa, much like the
freedom fighters that were sent to the Andaman Islands. He too fought
against foreign rule based on racial discrimination and exploitation of
the majority by a small White minority regime. He too was exiled to the
notorious Robben Island prison just as our own freedom fighters were
sent to the Viper Island prison or the Cellular Jail. He too was
subjected to the same kind of tortures meted out to our own freedom
fighters – solitary confinement, hard labour, cruel punishment and
humiliation.


But, did he, during his confinement on Robben Island, chance upon any
reference to the Andaman & Nicobar Islands?


A reading of the epoch making autobiography of Mandela, Long Walk to
Freedom, throws up some interesting facts.


During the long years of incarceration on Robben Island, to beat the
solitude and boredom, Mandela would read books, write letters, and
fantasize about what he would do after his release from prison. Gazing
upon the pictures of his loved ones and writing letters to them was one
way of escape from solitude. In a letter to his wife Winnie, he writes:

“Your beautiful photo stands about two feet above my left shoulder as I
write this note. … Nolitha stands on the table directly opposite me. How
can my spirits ever be down when I enjoy the fond affection of such
wonderful ladies?” - pp. 591-92


‘Nolitha’ was the name Mandela invented for the woman in the photo he
kept on his desk. In a letter to his daughter Zindzi, Mandela writes:


“By the way, has Mom ever told you about Nolitha, the other lady in my
cell from the Andaman Islands? … She regards the pygmy beauty as some
sort of rival and hardly suspects that I took the picture out of the
National Geographic.” P.592


Nolitha


The National Geographic referred was the July 1975 issue that carried an
exclusive photo feature on the tribes of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands
by the famous photographer Raghubir Singh. In one of the photos,
Raghubir Singh captures a Jarawa (one of the six aboriginal tribes from
the A & N Islands) belle in moment of spontaneous merriment. It was this
photo that mesmerized Mandela and made him give her a name, and also a
place in his cell along with the photo of his wife.

Mandela’s sudden transfer from Robben Island, his release and election
as the first black president of South Africa is history. Nolitha was
forgotten, till she surfaced again in 2004. Between the pages of one of
the two notebooks Mandela used for drafting the letters he wrote while
in Robben Island prison was found the same picture.


A prison guard on Robben Island who used to censor the letters of the
prisoners took away the books and kept them with him for about 23 years
before returning them. He could have sold them and made a fortune but
his conscience did not permit him. Mandela recognized the books as his
own and Nolitha too. When asked why he kept the picture, Mandela said he
saw in the exuberance of the woman a “celebration of life”.


What could have been on Mandela’s mind when on December 26, 2004, a
couple of months after the rediscovery of the photo, the Andaman &
Nicobar Islands were devastated by the tsunami?
--

http://pankaj-atcrossroads.blogspot.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pankajsekhsaria/
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/psekhsaria/Atcrossroads

C/o Kalpavriksh
Apt. 5, Sri Dutta Krupa,
908 Deccan Gym
Pune 411004
India
Tel: 020 25654239
Mob: 09423009933
Email: psekhsaria@...

Dear Sir/Madam,

Greetings from MASS & Water Initiatives Orissa !

We are compiling a country strategy paper on "Climate Change and Drinking
Water and Sanitation" that will form the base for a National Workshop on the
subject, we will be holding shortly.  For this paper, we are looking for
good studies & reports that narrate impacts of climate change in water and
sanitation.  We are also seeking examples of adaptation and mitigation,
especially community based approaches.  Please lead us to any reports and
web links that you think would help us get a real picture of these issues in
general and India in specific.

May we also request you to kindly share with us your ideas and experiences
on the subject and also please let us know if you think you can participate
in the workshop and contribute a paper.  At present we are looking forward
to "Abstracts" of papers that individuals and institutions can present in
the workshop and would shortly write to people with further details on the
workshop.  However, it would be highly appreciated if you could share your
ideas and abstracts asap so that we can plan the final list of
participants.  Selected participants will be provided with travel and
logistics by the organisers.

Looking forward to hear from you at the earliest.

Thanks and regards,

Ranjan


--
Ranjan K Panda
Secretary, MASS & Convenor, Water Initiatives Orissa
Dhanupali, Sambalpur 768005, Orissa, INDIA
Mobile: +919437050103
Alt email: ranjanpanda@...

Skype: ranjan.climatecrusader

A TRULY EVOLVED BEING IS ONE THAT VALUES OTHERS MORE THAN IT VALUES
ITSELF....


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

for information...
pankaj

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: CSE Media Fellowships for India and South Asia: Climate
change, forests
Date: Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:16:36 +0530
From: Centre for Science and Environment <media@...>
Reply-To: media@...
To: press@...

              CSE brings you two Media Fellowships in 2008



                     The Eighth CSE Media Fellowship

               The Anatomy of Discord: Humans vs Wildlife
                           in IndiaÂ’s Forests


                     October 15 – December 15, 2008


For some years now, IndiaÂ’s forests and their surrounding areas have
been witness to a continuous, low-intensity conflict between their two
primary denizens: wildlife and humans. The struggle has been for space
and for the resources that these lands offer. With reducing forest cover
and resources, humans and wildlife are being pushed to confront each
other.

Habitat for animals has shrunk, forcing them to invade human
settlements inside and around the forests, causing loss of life and
property. In turn, they become targets of retaliation killings and poaching
rings.

On the other hand, people, dependent on forests for livelihood and
sustenance, have been given a short shrift by official policy and forest
bureaucracy in its bid to protect wildlife. This has fuelled discontent,
and
turned the forestsÂ’ erstwhile protectors into poachers and smugglers. In
fact, the officialdomÂ’s efforts to keep IndiaÂ’s wildlife habitats
pristine by
evicting and relocating people have come to naught: in over 30 years of
wildlife management, not even 10 per cent of the families in the
countryÂ’s tiger reserves have been relocated.

The Scheduled Tribes and Other Forest Dweller (Recognition of Forest
Rights) Act, passed in 2006, has rekindled the debate: Who are our
forests for? How well do we understand human-animal conflicts and the
reasons behind them? What really has been our experience with
relocation, or with the implementation of the Forest Rights Act, till date?
What is the way out? Is coexistence a possibility or a pipe-dream in
todayÂ’s conditions?

Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) invites journalists to find
answers, by studying, investigating and reporting on ‘The Anatomy of
Discord: Humans vs Wildlife in IndiaÂ’s ForestsÂ’. The fellowship offers
a unique opportunity to travel to hotspots where the conflict is playing
out, look at the issues and concerns at close range, and to write and
comment on them.

Duration
Two months – October 15-December 15, 2008 – with one month of
travel time and another month for research, writing, and publication and
submission of stories and features.

Compensation and funding
Selected fellows will each receive a stipend of Rs 40,000 (subject to tax
deductions at source) to support research, travel and writing between
October and December 2008.

The stipend will be released in two instalments – the first as a travel
grant at the start of the fellowship programme and the second after its
successful completion.

Who can apply
These fellowships are open to Indian journalists only. Working
journalists, freelancers and photojournalists are encouraged to apply.

Applications must be accompanied by the following documents:
*   Curriculum vitae
*   For print journalists, three samples of published work on
      development issues. By ‘published work’, we mean articles
      published by / in national or regional media.
*   Those writing in regional languages must have at least one of
      their articles translated into English.
*   For television and radio journalists, two samples of telecasted /
      broadcasted programmes on development issues – those
      telecasting / broadcasting in regional languages must also give a
      short written summary of the programme along with the CDs of
      the samples.
*   A letter of support from the editor that the output under the
      fellowship will be published / broadcast (mandatory for all
      candidates, including freelancers).
*   A comprehensive fellowship proposal outlining (a) the subject/s
      and story ideas that the applicant proposes to focus on, (b)
      tentative travel plans and (c) a list of people who might be
      interviewed.

Last date for submission of applications
September 20, 2008

Fellowships output
Selected applicants from the print media will be expected to generate
feature and news article/s totalling 5,000 words, based on the research
carried out under the fellowship. Original clippings of these articles will
have to be submitted at the completion of the fellowship programme.
They will also be expected to take and submit photographs of the areas
they travel in for their stories.

Selected applicants from the audio-visual media will be expected to
generate either a single film or a series of episodes, based on the
research carried out under the fellowships. Video and audio CDs of
these outputs will have to be submitted at the completion of the
fellowship programme.

Conditions
Fellowship grants of the fellows unable to complete and submit their
reports / outputs within the stipulated time will be withdrawn.

Note: CSE has also announced its First Media Fellowship programme
for the South Asian Region on climate change. This programme is open
to journalists from seven countries, including India. Journalists working
in India wishing to apply for both the fellowship programmes are
welcome to do so, but will have to submit separate applications for each
programme.


Applications should be addressed to:

Souparno Banerjee / Shachi Chaturvedi
Media Resource Centre
Centre for Science and Environment
41, Tughlakabad Institutional Area
New Delhi 110 062
Ph: 011-29955124, 29955125
Mobile: 99108 64339 / 98187 50007
Fax: 011-29955879
Emails: souparno@.../ shachi@...
Website: www.cseindia.org




        The First CSE Media Fellowship for the South Asian Region

        (for journalists in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives,
                     Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka)


               Climate Change in South Asia: Indications,
                                Impacts
                      and Innovations for Survival



                     October 27 – December 27, 2008


“Warming of the climate system is unequivocal as is now evident from
observations of increases in global average air and ocean temperatures,
widespread melting of snow and ice, and rising global average sea
level.”
      Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change
      (IPCC)


Climate change is for real. It is a truth which is becoming increasingly
difficult to deny or defy. Melting glaciers and increasing – and
sometimes unexpected – floods, droughts, heat waves, cold waves,
season changes, cloudbursts, storms and cyclones are only some of its
indications. Climate change is playing havoc with ecosystems, lifestyles
and livelihoods, even threatening the very survival of communities.

In January 2003, rainfall patterns altered suddenly in Lesotho, ushering
in untimely frost and severe storms that destroyed standing crops. In the
same year, an unprecedented pre-monsoon heat wave killed 1,400 in
India, while the US was hit by 562 tornadoes – much higher than the
previous peak of 399 in 1992. Melting of the Arctic sea ice reached its
peak in the year 2007.

More signs are emerging. According to a 2003-04 research from the UK-
based University of Leeds and the Centre for Applied Biodiversity
Science, climate change till 2050 will place 15-37 per cent of all species
at serious risk of extinction. The IPCC has said that climate change
means greater threat to human health; for instance, studies indicate that
even a small temperature rise could lead to increased incidence of
malaria.

International food security is being threatened as well. Studies done by
the Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute indicate that
global rice yields could fall by a catastrophic 50 per cent in this century
due to rising temperatures.

And in all this, the poorer nations of the world, including those in South
Asia, are really in the crosshairs. With neither the knowledge to leapfrog
to cleaner technologies nor the money to put up with the consequences
of climate change, these nations will bear the brunt. Their only escape
would be to adapt and to innovate, to lessen the impacts.

Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) invites journalists based in
South Asia to travel, investigate, research and report on the truth of
climate change in their countries and in the South Asian region –
through the First CSE Media Fellowship for the South Asian Region:
Climate Change in South Asia: Indications, Impacts and
Innovations for Survival.

Some suggested areas of researchÂ…
*   Vulnerable ecosystems and people, and the impacts on them –
      some interesting areas one could look at under this are
      Himalayan, coastal or riverine ecosystems and communities
*   Impacts on key occupations and livelihoods, such as agriculture,
      across ecosystems and communities
*   How is industry viewing climate change – as an opportunity or as
      a threat?
*   Efforts and initiatives to adapt and innovate for mitigating the
      impacts of climate change

Duration
Two months – October 27-December 27, 2008 – with one month of
travel time and another month for research, writing, and publication and
submission of stories and features.

Compensation and funding
Selected fellows will each receive a stipend of INR 50,000 (subject to tax
deductions at source) to support research, travel and writing between
October and December 2008.

The stipend will be released in two instalments – the first as a travel
grant at the start of the fellowship programme and the second after its
successful completion.

Who can apply
These fellowships are open to journalists working in India, Pakistan,
Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Working
journalists, freelancers and photojournalists are encouraged to apply.

Applications must be accompanied by the following documents:
*   Curriculum vitae / resume
*   For print journalists, three samples of published work on
      development issues. By ‘published work’, we mean articles
      published by / in national or regional media.
*   Those writing in regional languages must have at least one of
      their articles translated into English.
*   For television and radio journalists, two samples of telecasted /
      broadcasted programmes on development issues – those
      telecasting / broadcasting in regional languages must also give a
      short written summary of the programme/s along with the CDs of
      the samples.
*   A letter of support from the editor that the output under the
      fellowship will be published / broadcast (mandatory for all
      candidates, including freelancers).
*   A comprehensive fellowship proposal outlining (a) the subject/s
      and story ideas that the applicant proposes to focus on, (b)
      tentative travel plans and (c) a list of people who might be
      interviewed.

Last date for submission of applications
October 10, 2008

Fellowships output
Selected applicants from the print media will be expected to generate
feature and news article/s totalling 5,000 words, based on the research
carried out under the fellowship. Original clippings of these articles will
have to be submitted at the completion of the fellowship programme.
They will also be expected to take and submit photographs of the areas
they travel in for their stories.

Selected applicants from the audio-visual media will be expected to
generate either a single film / radio programme or a series of episodes /
programmes, based on the research carried out under the fellowships.
Video and audio CDs of these outputs will have to be submitted at the
completion of the fellowship programme.

Conditions
Fellowship grants of the fellows unable to complete and submit their
reports / outputs within the stipulated time will be withdrawn.

Note (for Indian journalists): CSE has also announced its Eighth
Media Fellowship programme on human-wildlife conflicts, which is
exclusively for journalists working in India. Journalists wishing to apply
for both are welcome to do so, but will have to submit separate
applications for each programme.

Applications should be addressed to:

Souparno Banerjee / Shachi Chaturvedi
Media Resource Centre
Centre for Science and Environment
41, Tughlakabad Institutional Area
New Delhi 110 062
Land phones: 011-29955124, 29955125
Cellphones: 099108 64339 / 098187 50007
Fax: 011-29955879
Emails: souparno@.../ shachi@...
Website: www.cseindia.org



--

http://pankaj-atcrossroads.blogspot.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pankajsekhsaria/
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/psekhsaria/Atcrossroads

C/o Kalpavriksh
Apt. 5, Sri Dutta Krupa,
908 Deccan Gym
Pune 411004
India
Tel: 020 25654239
Mob: 09423009933
Email: psekhsaria@...

Monday, August 25, 2008
Vice Admiral Vijay Shankar to take over as C – in – C Andaman & Nicobar


http://defenseindustrialbase.blogspot.com/2008/08/vice-admiral-vijay-shankar-to-\
take-over.html

Vice Admiral Vijay Shankar, presently the C – in – C of Strategic Force
Command is likely to take over as C – in – C Andaman & Nicobar Command
on 30 Sep 08. He takes over from Air Marshal S Radhakrishnan.

Vice Admiral Vijay Shankar, is an alumnus of the 34th NDA Course. He was
commissioned in the Indian Navy on 01 Jan 70. A specialist in Navigation
and Direction, he holds an M. Sc in Defence Studies and is a graduate of
the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, Naval Higher Command
Course and the Naval War College at New Port, USA. He has held a variety
of staff appointments, which include Deputy Director in the erstwhile
Directorate of Combat Policy and Tactics, Director at Maritime Warfare
Centre, Chief Instructor in Navigation and Direction School (K), Senior
Instructor at the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington and
Director of Staff Requirements at Naval Headquarters. On promotion to
the rank of Rear Admiral in Apr 99, he took over as the Chief of Staff
of the Southern Naval Command, after which he was appointed in-charge of
the Aircraft Carrier Projects at Naval Headquarters. He was promoted to
the rank of Vice Admiral in Nov 05. He held the appointment of Deputy
Chief Integrated Defence Staff Ops (Operations) and DOT (Doctrine,
Organization and Training) at HQ IDS. He has been the Commander-in-Chief
Strategic Forces Command since 31 Dec 06.

His afloat appointments include specialist tenures onboard various fleet
ships, Commissioning Navigator of INS Ghorpad and INS Rana. He was also
Fleet Operation Officer, Western Fleet. His Sea Commands include
Commanding Officer of INS Panaji in 1973, INS Himgiri in 1987, INS Ganga
1993 and Command of the Aircraft Carrier INS Viraat in 1995. He took
over Command of the 'Sword Arm' of the Navy as the Flag Officer
Commanding Western Fleet in Jan 2003. His operational experience is
backed by active service during the Indo Pak war of 1971. Command of INS
Himgiri during Op PAWAN and as Chief of Staff Southern Naval Command
during Op VIJAY

Vice Admiral Vijay Shankar is a recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva
Medal and Ati Vishisht Seva Medal.
--

http://pankaj-atcrossroads.blogspot.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pankajsekhsaria/
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/psekhsaria/Atcrossroads

C/o Kalpavriksh
Apt. 5, Sri Dutta Krupa,
908 Deccan Gym
Pune 411004
India
Tel: 020 25654239
Mob: 09423009933
Email: psekhsaria@...

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Ellen Hines <ehines@...>
> Date: August 27, 2008 8:08:47 PM PDT
> To: ECOLOG-L@...
> Subject: [ECOLOG-L] First call for proposals for IMCC presentations/
> posters (apologies for cross postings)
> Reply-To: Ellen Hines <ehines@...>
>
> The first call for proposals for "oral presentations, speed
> presentations, and posters" for the International Marine
> Conservation Congress (incorporating IMPAC2) opens September 1,
> 2008.   This call will be opened from 1 September - 15 October
> 2008.   Details for submittal can be found at the conference
> website, http://www.conbio.org/IMCC
>
> SCOPE:
>
> The Marine Section of the Society for Conservation Biology will be
> hosting its first stand-alone meeting, the International Marine
> Conservation Congress (IMCC), from 20-24 May 2009 at George Mason
> University near Washington D.C. This will be an interdisciplinary
> meeting that will engage natural and social scientists, managers,
> policy-makers, and the public. The goal of the IMCC is to put
> conservation science into practice through public and media outreach
> and the development concrete products (e.g., policy briefs, blue
> ribbon position papers) that will be used to drive policy change and
> implementation. This meeting will encompass the 2nd International
> Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC1 was held in Geelong,
> Australia in October 2005).  The IMPAC2 component will consist of an
> organized cross cutting issue within the IMCC addressing MPAs though
> the full range of posters, papers, workshops and symposia.
>
>
>
> IMCC encourages authors to submit papers that apply to the major
> themes and tracks below, describing original work, including
> methods, techniques, applications, tools, issues, reporting research
> results and/or indicating future directions.
>
>
> Major themes that will be addressed include:
>
> ·         Global Climate Change,
>
> ·         the Land-Sea Interface,
>
> ·         Ecosystem-based Management, and
>
> ·         Poverty and Globalization
>
> Cross-cutting issues encompass topics of global relevance and
> importance to marine conservation that relate to the major themes.
>
> Cross cutting issues include:
>
>    * Marine Protected Areas
>    * Education, Outreach and Capacity Building
>    * Governance Arrangements
>    * Fisheries and Aquaculture
>    * Economics
>
> We anticipate that cross-cut issues will result in proposals on a
> variety of sub-topics.  Potential topics include but are not limited
> to:  networks and system development, MPA and MPA network monitoring
> and evaluation, high seas impacts, ocean resource use and planning,
> international instruments and trans-boundary relations, human/animal
> impacts, ecological impacts of ocean acidification, technology,
> stakeholder involvement, indigenous issues, improving public ocean
> knowledge, incorporating traditional and local knowledge into
> decision making, and valuing marine ecosystem services.
>
>
> In an attempt to tackle the most pressing issues currently facing
> marine conservation, IMCC will host exciting plenary talks and
> solicit creative submissions for interactive symposia and workshops.
> The conservation community will be challenged to go beyond the
> typical communication of data and propose symposia and/or workshops
> where talks will be followed by lively, participatory discussions to
> address a controversial topic or develop innovative solutions to a
> current conservation challenge. Individuals are limited to
> presenting only one symposium, workshop, oral, speed, or poster
> presentation. If your name appears on more than one abstract, make
> sure you are listed as the presenter for only one of them.
>
> ORAL PRESENTATIONS will be limited to 15 minutes: 12 minutes for
> presentation and 3 minutes for questions.  Contributed oral
> presentations will be grouped by theme and topic. Please choose from
> the list of themes and general topic areas below.  This will assist
> us in selecting an appropriate session for your presentation.  If
> your abstract is accepted but cannot be accommodated as an oral
> presentation, we may offer you the opportunity to present a poster.
>
> POSTER PRESENTATIONS
> Poster presenters will receive general instructions on poster format
> in the email notification of acceptance. Posters will be displayed
> prominently and for the entire meeting; special sessions dedicated
> to posters will allow in-depth discussion between authors and
> attendees.
>
> SPEED PRESENTATIONS
> If your paper topic would be of interest to a wide range of people
> and you would like your presentation to lead to an extended
> conversation with colleagues who are specifically interested in your
> work, you may wish to submit an abstract for a speed presentation.
> In the first hour of a speed presentation session, 15 speakers will
> be given four (4) minutes each to present their key ideas and
> results. In the second hour, presenters will station themselves at
> separate tables where they can interact with people who are
> interested in learning more about their work.
>
> PLENARY SPEAKERS
>
> Dr. Daniel Pauly, Dr. Ratana Chuenpagdee, Dr. Rod Fujita, Dorothy
> Childers and Alexandra Cousteau.
>
> Dr. Callum Roberts will be giving the Dr. Ransom A. Myers Memorial
> Lecture at the evening banquet on May 24th.
>
> PAPER SUBMISSION PROCEDURES
>
> Please go to www.conbio.org/IMCC
>
> IMPORTANT DATES
>
> 1st Call for oral presentations, speed presentations, and posters:
>
> 1 September - 15 October 2008, decisions by 30 November 2008
>
> 2nd Call for 1500 word submissions (for submissions accepted at the
> first call only):
>
> 1 December 2008 - 15 January 2009, decisions by 1 February 2009
>
> Early bird registration:
>
> 15 November 2008 – 15 February 2009
>
> CRITERIA FOR SELECTION
>
> We encourage proposals from individuals or groups involved in
> cutting edge conservation science or practice who can demonstrate an
> alignment with the goals of the Society for Conservation Biology and
> the SCB Marine Section, which are:
>
>    * Conservation Science: The scientific research and knowledge
> needed to understand and conserve biological diversity is
> identified, funded, completed, disseminated and applied to research,
> management and policy.
>    * Conservation Management: Conservation practitioners and
> managers are provided the scientific information and recommendations
> needed to conserve biological diversity at all scales.
>    * Policy: Policy decisions of major international conventions,
> governments, organizations, and foundations, are effectively
> informed and improved by the highest quality scientific counsel,
> analysis, and recommendations so as to advance the conservation of
> biological diversity.
>    * Education: Education, training, and capacity building programs
> are identified, strengthened, and developed to inform the public,
> education leaders, and support current and future generations of
> conservation scientists and practitioners.
>
> Individuals may submit more than one proposal; however, no
> individual may give more than one presentation in the following
> categories: symposium, workshop, oral presentation, speed
> presentation, or poster.
>
> Reviewers have access to the entire abstract except the names of the
> presenters. To increase the probability that your abstract will be
> accepted, and in your preferred format, please consider the
> following criteria carefully:
>
>   1. scientific merit
>   2. application to marine conservation/management
>   3. relevance to chosen theme/cross-cutting issue(s)
>   4. relevance to IMCC theme (“From science to management and policy”)
>   5. clarity of presentation (e.g. abstract begins with a clear
> statement of an issue and ends with a substantive conclusion)
>
>      Please note:  We do require that all presenters register for
> the IMCC by the end of early bird registration: 15 February 2009.
>
> TRAVEL GRANTS
>
> To encourage international and student participation, we will offer
> the opportunity to apply for grants to offset travel and other
> expenses. Please go to the following website:
http://www2.cedarcrest.edu/imcc/travel_award.html
>
> MENTORING PROGRAM
>
> To encourage participation of members whose first language is not
> English, we will offer a mentoring service for participants who wish
> to submit abstracts for oral, speed or poster presentations.
> If you want to take advantage of this mentoring program, simply
> submit an abstract according to the standard guidelines; indicate
> that English is not your first language, and that you would like
> your abstract to be mentored.
> Instructions will be sent to your email address after you submit
> your abstract online.
> A mentor will contact you and provide guidance on grammar and
> clarity of writing. The mentor also will ensure that the abstract
> meets the technical criteria for submission. Note that it is NOT the
> role of the mentor to provide scientific guidance, or to write the
> abstract.
>
> FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
>
> Please email IMCCprogram@...
> --
>
> Ellen Hines, PhD
> Chair, Scientific Program, IMCC
> Associate Professor
> Department of Geography and Human Environmental Studies
> San Francisco State University
> 1600 Holloway Ave
> San Francisco, CA  94132
> ehines@...
> bss.sfsu.edu/ehines