The Power of Nature- The Sundarbans: Nature's bioshield

Stretching along the coastline of India and Bangladesh, this complex maze of mangrove trees and waterways mark the area where land meets the sea and freshwater meets seawater.  

Wildllife thrive in this unique and delicately balanced ecosystem and it is home to large numbers of mammals, birds and fish. It is also one of the largest haunts of the endangered Royal Bengal tiger.

But the Sundarbans value extends beyond just providing a habitat for these magnificent animals; it also protects the densely populated Bay of Bengal from cyclones and the worst extremes of nature.

Yet, it is now threatened by man’s activities, including land reclamation, logging and shrimp farming. In fact, this vast tract of mud and tangles of roots is now being destroyed faster than almost any other ecosystem on Earth, removing this essential barrier and the rich habitat.

In this film sustainability advisor and author Tony Juniper, environmental economist Pavan Sukhdev, and lead scientist with The Nature Conservancy Dr M Sanjayan reveal the wildlife this strange and magical forest supports and explore the hidden strengths that make it such an effective coastal defence. 

From BBC 

Trouble in Galapagos 'paradise' for Ecuador locals

Ecuador's Galapagos Islands, lying 1,000 km (621 miles) off-shore in the Pacific Ocean, are famed as the natural laboratory that inspired Charles Darwin to develop the theory of evolution.

 

Fears that rising tourist visitor numbers could threaten the island's unique wildlife have not been borne out but other challenges remain

 

Surging growth in tourism and local population during the boom times led to serious fears about whether their unique ecosystems could survive the pressure.

Now, awareness of these twin threats appears to have spurred the government into faster action.

On 1 June, President Rafael Correa warned that the islands faced "multiple problems" from "disorder, a lot of abuse, a lot of anarchy, lack of policies".

In a break with tradition, he named an outsider, Maria Isabel Salvador, who was Ecuador's ambassador to the Organization of American States, to run the archipelago.

"The message was very clear, the government is preparing to make some unpopular decisions," says Reyna Oleas, an ecologist in Puerto Ayora, the islands' biggest town.

Already, some fuel subsidies have been cut and the permitted number of cars capped because of the 13,000 birds they run over each year.

In recent years, with the rapid growth of both luxury and backpack travel, tourists have flocked to the islands to wonder at its unique giant tortoises, tame sea lions, and abundant birdlife.

The tourism boom prompted warnings that the visitors would inflict untold damage on the archipelago. Sheer numbers were considered the main threat.

In 1980, environmentalists worried that too many people were arriving, and called for no more than 12,000 a year. That's less than a tenth of present visitors.

Since 2007, tourist numbers have stagnated at around 170,000 annually because of the global financial crisis. If pre-crisis growth rates had continued, there were fears that number could have reached 300,000 tourists.

The slowdown has eased calls for a ceiling on tourists. And observers argue the industry remains the lifeblood of the economy, and needs to be regulated, rather than prohibited.

"If not for tourism, these islands would have been destroyed long ago," says Fernando Delgado, a hotel manager with a long working experience on the archipelago.

Among the rare species on the Galapagos was the giant tortoise, 'Lonesome George', who died in

2012

From BBC NEws  Latin America

 

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Endangered Maui's dolphins fighting for survival off NZ coast

The plight of a critically endangered dolphin subspecies is expected to be one of the main talking points at the International Whaling Commission's scientific committee currently underway in Jeju, South Korea.

Maui's dolphins are only found in a small area off the coast of New Zealand's North Island.

But with only 55 adults believed to be in existence the fight to ensure their survival has proved a contentious issue in a country famed for its environmental credentials.

Ben Brown reports.

Tigers at risk from canine distemper virus

Some of the world's rarest big cats are under threat from a virus carried by dogs, a wildlife expert has warned.

John Lewis, director of Wildlife Vets International, said there was evidence that Indonesian tigers were at risk from the canine distemper virus.

The virus used to be found mainly in dogs but seems to have evolved to infect animals like seals and tigers.

Infected animals usually develop breathing problems, have seizures, and display unusual behaviour.

Threat to tigers

It is a big threat to tigers because it can make them lose their fear of humans. Infected tigers may walk into nearby towns and this puts them in danger.

Dr Lewis explained: "It puts them at big risk because they lose their fear of poachers or they bring themselves in situations of conflict, such as playing with traffic."

Dr Lewis plans to work with Indonesian vets to develop a strategy to protect the nation's tigers from the virus.

From CBBC News

North Sea cod stocks 'on road to sustainability'

North Sea cod stocks are on the road to sustainability, according to Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) research.

The council, which certifies whether fish are being caught sustainably, says it is too soon to tell exactly when the North Sea fishery will be sustainable.

But a spokesman said on current trends, it will be ready for certification within years rather than decades.

Stocks would still be in recovery then, James Simpson said, but they would have passed an acceptable level.

MSC certification is determined by the state of the stocks, the environmental impact of the fishery, and if there is a management system in place to maintain sustainability if circumstances change.

The latter two were already in place, Mr Simpson said.

"This is really great news," he said. "We have done an assessment of the entire inshore industry and it's clear that cod is on the way back."

The recovery was thanks to strict catch limits aided by a massive public campaign for sustainable fish, he said.

Barrie Deas, the chief executive of the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations, which represents fisherman in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, told Radio 4's Today programme it was a "dramatic turnaround".

"I think a major part of it is there are fewer vessels out there. There have been big decommissioning schemes.

"There's also been a change in the mindset in the industry. We work very closely with the scientists now."

Despite the positives, the MSC admits to an unwanted side-effect to the campaign against cod-eating.

Some celebrity chefs have pointed people towards red gurnard as an alternative.

This used to be caught as a bycatch, but so many fishermen are now hunting red gurnard that it is possible stocks of that might run low.

The data on red gurnard was so poor that it is impossible to tell whether it's sustainable or not, the report says.

Brown crab falls into the same category.

The report calls for investment in stocks, such as red gurnard, to ensure they are sustainably managed.

The MSC's Claire Pescod said: "There's been a significant interest in underutilised species over the past few years.

"When those fish suddenly become commercially popular, we need to put a lot more effort into providing the appropriate information for their management to make sure that they are managed sustainably."
From BBC News- Sci/ Environment