U.S. PELICANS UN-ENDANGERED

BROWN PELICANS BACK ON U.S. BEACHES

The brown pelican, once on the brink of extinction, has become so abundant that after 40 years it may finally be removed from the endangered species list.

Pelicans almost completely vanished in the United States in the 1960s because of DDT contamination from poisoned fish. DDT was banned in the U.S in 1972, and the pelican was put on the endangered species list. It was taken off the list in ‘85 along the Atlantic Coast, but remains endangered in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, California, Washington and Oregon. Under government supervision, the brown pelican has made a strong comeback, and this month the U.S. Interior Department announced a proposal to remove brown pelicans from the national endangered species list.

Today more than 70,000 breeding pairs of pelicans live in California and Baja California, and total numbers have surged to about 620,000 along the West Coast, the Gulf Coast, and in Latin and South America. Even without the Endangered Species Act, pelicans enjoy wide protection. The Channel Islands, a primary nesting ground, are a national park, and Mexico has created reserves along the Gulf of California, where the vast majority breed.

Unlike the controversial decision to remove the gray wolf from the endangered species list, government and conservationists agree that the pelicans are no longer threatened with extinction, either in the foreseeable future or in the long term, and should be de-listed.

Shoutout to pelicans everywhere.

Sources, resources, discourses:

1. Associated Press – article
2. Los Angeles Times – article and photo

KIRIBATI’S OCEAN PARADISE

TINY PACIFIC ISLAND CREATES

WORLD’S LARGEST MARINE RESERVE

The tiny Pacific islands nation of Kiribati declared the world's largest marine protected area last week — a California-sized ocean wilderness that includes pristine reefs and coral atolls teeming with fish and birds.

The Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA) lies about halfway between Hawaii and Fiji and will conserve one of the Earth's last intact oceanic coral archipelago ecosystems. More than 120 species of coral and 520 species of fish live in the area. The protected zone also has some of the most important sea bird nesting sites in the Pacific, plus large fish populations and sea turtles.

Kiribati is an impoverished coral atoll nation of about 95,000 people. It's total land area covers 717 square kilometers, spread across 33 coral atolls. Its people are increasingly concerned about coastal erosion caused by rising seas in a nation no more than five meters above sea level. Besides destroying causeways and seawalls, rising waters have begun to topple coconut palms grown along the shoreline that are crucial to islanders' survival. The government stands to lose about US$3 million in fishing revenue with the creation of the reserve, but is hoping to recoup some of the losses by boosting tourism, which now accounts for 20 percent of the country’s GDP.

Kiribati hopes to establish the 410,500-square-kilometer area as a protected zone by the end of this year. It has already applied to have the reserve listed as a World Heritage Site. Shoutout to Kiribati for protecting its resources, and the world's resources, despite the costs.

Sources, resources, discourses:

1. Reuters U.K. – article
2. International Herald Tribune – article
3. Telegraph.co.uk – article and photos

CONGO, RWANDA, UGANDA PROTECT GORILLAS

JOINT EFFORT TO SAVE ENDANGERED GORILLAS

For the first time, Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo have launched a joint effort to protect the mountain gorillas that roam between the three nations. Mountain gorillas are considered one of the world's most endangered species.

The volcanic Virunga mountains that straddle Rwanda, Uganda and Congo are home to the gorillas. An estimated 380 mountain gorillas – more than half of the world's population – live in the Virunga national park and surrounding region. More than 300 also live in southwest Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable Forest reserve, which is included in the conservation effort. Wars, poaching and spreading human settlements have become grave threats to these great apes.

Gorilla numbers across the region fell to a low of 370 in the 1980s. But renewed conservation efforts, along with the gorillas' growing value as tourist attractions (visitors pay as much as $500 a day for tracking permits), have seen numbers recover. Bwindi has seen a 12 percent population growth over the last decade.

The tri-country, 10-year conservation project will focus on greater security and ways of discouraging local communities from destroying the region's forests. As part of the project, the operations of each country's national parks rangers will become integrated to safeguard the gorillas. It will also give communities a share of the money made from gorilla-trekking permits. The first four years of the project are being funded by the Dutch government at a cost of US$6 million.

As well as the mountain gorilla, there are 26 other primate species and 40 different ungulates living in the parks. Scientists estimate that 50 per cent of all bird species identified on mainland Africa are found in this region, as well as 30 per cent of mammals, 19 per cent of amphibians and 14 per cent of reptiles.

Shoutout to the governments of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo for co-operating on this very important project. Shoutout to the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature (ICCN), the Office Rwandais du Tourisme et des Parcs Nationaux (ORTPN), the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), the International Gorilla Conservation Programme (IGCP), the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), and Fauna & Flora International (FFI), the agencies who put it all together. Shoutout to the park rangers who protect the gorillas every day.

Sources, resources, discourses:

1. Telegraph.co.uk – article
2. WWF – article
3. Planet Ark – article
4. BBC News - article

BANGALORE IS FOR THE BIRDS

BIRD CONSERVATION SPOT

TO ATTRACT BIRDS BACK TO CITY

Bangalore, India has turned a city park into a “bird conservation spot” to increase the city’s bird numbers.

Artificial nests have been built in trees, sand bathing areas and artificial ponds have been built, and grain has been put out to entice birds back into the city. More than 200 varieties of birds have disappeared from the city, as the city has been converted into a concrete jungle with increasing air and noise pollution.

If the bird conservation spot is successful, similar spots will be built throughout the city.

Shoutout to the Forest Cell of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) for building the spot, and to the bird lovers of Bangalore for making it happen.

Sources, resources, discourses:

1. The Hindu – article
2. Mangalorean.Com - article

NAMIBIA SAVES SAND DUNES

GOVERNMENT TAKES HARD LINE

ON OFF-ROAD HOOLIGANS,

DECLARES DUNE BELT PROTECTED AREA

Sand dunes meet the ocean at Walvis Bay, Namibia.

The dune belt between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay in Namibia will be declared a protected area to safeguard the dunes from further deterioration.

Namibia’s Ministry of Environment and Tourism wants the vulnerable coastal area to be proclaimed a park, or be incorporated into the existing Namibia Naukluft Park. The National West Coast Recreation Area will also become a national park in an effort to protect the areas from further damage.

These measures follow the ministry's failed attempts to get cooperation from illegal off-road drivers and quad bikers who continue to drive in prohibited areas, damaging the ecologically sensitive areas. The coastline is a designated important bird area, and is home to up to 770 birds per kilometer, the highest count of birds anywhere in southern Africa. The Damara Tern, a rare and specially protected species, has its breeding ground in the area. In addition, the dunes are home to unique beetles and spiders, reptiles and mammals that live mainly on the vegetation or on the slip faces.

Under the new legislation some off-road driving will still be permitted, but only in designated areas, and under stricter supervision. The legislation will be in place by June, with full implementation by the end of the year.

Shoutout to the government of Namibia for protecting its beautiful coastline from thoughtless marauders.

Sources, resources, discourses:

1. allAfrica.com – article
2. OASYS Namibia (Pty) Ltd – article
3. University of Texas Libraries - map

COSMETICS COMPANIES GO SHARK FREE

COSMETICS GIANTS

TO STOP USING SHARK LIVER OIL

Two cosmetic giants have agreed to stop using shark liver oil as a base for moisturizing creams and lipsticks, amid concerns over threats to the survival of some species. Over a third of European shark species are under threat of extinction.

International companies L’Oreal and Unilever have agreed to replace the compound squalene, found in shark livers, with other oils from plant sources. Squalene is widely used in cosmetics as a natural, oil-free moisturizer, and can be found in products ranging from anti-aging cream to lip gloss. Deep-sea sharks have large reserves of squalene, and intensive fishing to supply the cosmetics industry has contributed to a dramatic population declines in certain species, including the gulper and kitefin. Deep-sea sharks are particularly vulnerable to overfishing as they are slow-growing, long-living and produce few young.

Unilever announced plans to remove squalene from its cosmetic brands including Pond’s and Dove, with new plant-based formulations expected on shelves as early as April 2008. L’Oreal is currently completing the phase-out of shark oil, however 12 make-up formulas, including 8 lipsticks under the Shu Uemura brand name which is owned by the company, remain unaltered. Beiersdorf, LVMH, Henkel, Boots, Clarins, Sisley and La Mer, an Estée Lauder brand, also have either made the decision to stop using shark-based squalene or had a policy to never use it in the first place.

Shoutout to Unilever and L’Oreal and every other cosmetics company who has stopped using shark-liver oil in their products. Shoutout to Oceana, the international marine conservation organization, for campaigning hard to end the use of shark oil in consumer products.

TAKE ACTION

Here's what you can do: Stop using products that contain shark squalene. Stop buying products from companies that continue to manufacture products using shark oil.

Sign Oceana’s petition to help protect sharks.

Sources, resources, discourses:

1. Telegraph.co.uk – article and photo
2. Cosmetics and Toiletries – article
3. Oceana – press release
4. Oceana – petition to protect sharks

U.S. PROTECTS MEXICAN OWL

COURT UPHOLDS PROTECTION

FOR ENDANGERED OWL’S HABITAT

A U.S. federal court has upheld protection of 8.6 million acres of critical habitat spread across Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado for the endangered Mexican spotted owl.

The Mexican spotted owl was listed as a threatened species in 1993, the result of timber management practices and habitat alteration. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designated the critical habitat for the owl in 2004, but the designation was challenged by the Arizona Cattle Growers' Association, who alleged that the Fish and Wildlife Service’s critical habitat designation unlawfully included areas not occupied by the owls, and failed to account for the economic impact of the designation. The court rejected all the Cattle Growers’ arguments.

Critical habitat is defined as "areas of land and water with features essential to the conservation of a threatened or endangered species." Critical habitat provides protection for endangered species by requiring federal agencies to ensure that any projects they fund, permit, or carry out do not jeopardize the existence of endangered species or adversely modify their habitat. In the case of the Mexican spotted owl, critical habitat ensures that Forest Service logging does not drive the owl to extinction or limit their recovery.

Shoutout to The Center for Biological Diversity for intervening in court in support of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to the nonprofit Western Environmental Law Center who represented them, and to the federal court for upholding the critical habitat designation. Shoutout to all who gave a hoot! (these puns are weak, I know)

Sources, resources, discourses:

1. ENN – article
2. Center for Biological Diversity – press release
3. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – website
4. Federal court ruling
5. Wikimedia Commons – photo

ELEPHANTS ON THE RISE IN KENYA

KENYA'S ELEPHANT POPULATION RECOVERING

Elephant populations are on the rise in Kenya, thanks to successful anti-poaching measures, stronger park security, and a ban on the illegal ivory trade.

A survey conducted by the Kenya Wildlife Service estimates that the elephant population has grown over 4% in the last three years. In Tsavo National Park, the second largest national park in Africa, elephant populations increased from 10,397 to 11,696, representing about one third of Kenya’s total elephant population.

Elephant populations have been gradually recovering over the past 20 years. In 1974 Kenya’s elephant population was estimated at 35,000 animals. By 1988 it had dropped to 5,000, due mostly to ivory poaching. A global ban on ivory trade was effected in 1989, and today Kenya’s elephant population is estimated at 30,000.

The elephant survey is conducted every three years, since elephants give birth every four years. The census involved 11 light aircraft and about 70 conservationists and volunteers who covered Tsavo West National Park and the outlying areas of Tsavo East, Mkomazi in Tanzania, Chyullu Hills and private ranges in Taita Taveta. A jumbo-sized shoutout to everyone involved.

Sources, resources, and discourses:

Daily Nation – article
PR-inside.com - article
International Herald Tribune – article
Wikimedia Commons - photo

CUBA BANS TURTLE HUNT

TOTAL BAN WILL HELP ENDANGERED TURTLES RECOVER

Cuba has completely banned the hunting of marine turtles, including the critically endangered hawksbill turtle. Turtles are threatened by the loss of nesting and feeding habitats, and especially from the illegal trade in tortoise shells used to make combs. The ban took effect on January 20, and will stay in effect until it is scientifically proven that the species is recovering.

The phase out of the marine turtle fishery in Cuba is the result of a joint effort by the Cuban Ministry of Fisheries and WWF, with financial support from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). Two fishing communities that still hunted turtles, Nuevitas in Camaguey province and Cocodrilo on the Isle of Youth, will receive funding to find alternative sources of income and modernize their fishing fleets. Fishermen will also be retrained in the protection of turtles and their nests.

Shoutout to the Cuban Ministry of Fisheries and the WWF for making the ban happen, and to CIDA for shelling out the cash (sorry, couldn’t resist) to ensure that the ban works. Cowabunga, dudes!

Sources, resources and discourses:

1. Reuters - article
2. Prensa Latina - article
3. TreeHugger – article
4. World Wildlife Federation – website
5. Canadian International Development Agency - website

UGANDA PROTECTS MABIRA FOREST

PROTESTERS FORCE GOVERNMENT

TO SAVE MABIRA FOREST RESERVE

A red-tailed monkey makes his home in Mabira Forest, Uganda.

The Ugandan government has decided to drop its plan to give away a third of Mabira Forest Reserve land for sugarcane plantations. The government bowed to pressure from wildlife activists who feared that the plan would result in the loss of hundreds of endangered species. At least three people were killed during demonstrations for the protection of the Mabira Forest.

The Mabira Forest Reserve covers more than 30,000 hectares, and is globally recognized as an important bird area as it contains over 12% of plant species and 30% of bird species found in Uganda. The Sugar Corporation of Uganda Limited (Scoul), with the co-operation of the Ugandan government, planned to clear one-third of the forest for sugarcane plantations. The people of Uganda rose up in protest against the move, holding demonstrations, circulating petitions, and setting Scoul plantations on fire. The kabaka (king) of Buganda and the Anglican church of Mukono both opposed the deforestation plan, and both offered alternative land for sugarcane production. In October, the government finally scrapped it's controversial plan, and announced its intention to conserve Mabira.

Big shoutout to the people of Uganda for standing their ground against business and government, even after the protests turned bloody.

Sources and resources:

1. afrol News
2. afrol News
3. BBC News
4. Wikipedia, “Mabira Forest”
5. BirdLife International
6. BirdLife International

NEPAL TO SAVE VULTURES

GOVERNMENT SAYS BREEDING PROJECT

IS FOR THE BIRDS

Nepal will open its first vulture breeding centre to try to save the birds from extinction. Of the eight species of vultures found in Nepal, the white-rumped and slender-billed vultures are critically endangered.

The new centre’s plan is to capture 10 breeding pairs for each species and keep them in aviaries in Chitwan National Park, located 80 km southwest of Kathmandu. It will take at least 3 years before the young can be released into the wild.

The numbers of both species have plunged from 50,000 nesting pairs in 1990 to about 500. The 97% decline is attributed to the vultures eating dead cattle treated with diclofenac, a drug used to treat inflammation. The drug has recently been banned in both Nepal and India.

Bird Conservation Nepal says it’s not too late for the vultures. The prompt ban on diclofenac, along with local conservation initiatives, can bring Nepal’s vultures back from the brink of extinction.

Shoutout to the government of Nepal for taking action, and to Bird Conservation Nepal and the Chitwan National Park for nursing the vulture population back to health.

Sources:

http://www.enn.com/wildlife/article/29302

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/news-asianvultures.html

OWENS VALLEY GETS ITS RIVER BACK

100 YEARS AFTER LOS ANGELES

STOLE THE WATER FROM OWENS VALLEY,

THEY'RE FINALLY GIVING IT BACK

Owens River is flowing for the first time in nearly a century.

Since 1913, Owens Valley, California has been nothing but sand and scrub and dusty horse trails. In 2008, there’s mud hens and blue herons and songbirds and catfish. For the first time since the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power stole the valley’s water, the Owens River is once again winding through 62-miles of Inyo Country, bringing all kinds of fish and birds with it.

The Lower Owens River Project is one of the biggest river restoration projects in the United States, resulting in a permanent water supply for the creation of nearly 2000 acres of wetland and riparian habitat. Songbirds, water fowl, bass, carp, catfish, and possibly a couple of river otters have already moved back into this formerly-parched region.

The water is being re-diverted from the Los Angeles aqueduct by court order. The Owens River was originally diverted during the infamous “California Water Wars” to supply L.A. County with irrigation and drinking water, leaving Owens Valley dry.

Enjoy your water, Inyo County! 100 years is a long time to fight the good fight. Your perseverance has been rewarded with cool, clear water - and fishing and kayaking and bird watching! I'm sure the whole valley knows how precious their water is, and I hope they'll take good care of it.

A big shoutout goes to the LADWP, Inyo County, the California Department of Fish and Game, the State Lands Commission, the Sierra Club, the Owens Valley Committee, and everyone who helped make it happen.

Sources:

http://lorp.info/

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/12/us/12water.html?_r=2&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1200165191-GId8QKml6ZxOhb9pvCH7FQ&oref=slogin