Crucial Mangrove Habitat Destroyed for Shrimp-Eaters

The booming prawn industry is gobbling up coastal mangrove forests, removing a crucial line of defense for coral reefs. Mangroves are tropical trees with stilt-like roots that grow in tidal waters. Mangroves are part of the coral reef ecosystem, filtering out sediments that would smother the reef, providing a nursery for many of reef fish,protecting shorelines from erosion and exchanging nutrients with reef environments. They also provide habitat to shorebirds, crocodiles, monkeys and many other species.

More than half of the planet's mangrove resources have been lost already, presenting a serious threat to future ocean fisheries and coral reefs and ultimately contributing to the impoverishment of countless coastal communities dependent upon sustenance fishing. Now, the lure of short-term profits is causing the clearcutting and bulldozing of mangrove forests to build ponds to grow jumbo and tiger prawns for export. Prawn farm profits are short-lived as the ponds fill with anti-biotics and other pollutants, and the neighboring fisheres are poisoned, as well. As older shrimp farms close down, new ones are cleared, leaving a path of destruction much like the path of beef cattle clear-cutting through the rainformests.

Vanuatu is a cluster of islands, part of the Solomon Islands in the Western Pacific. There were approximately 2500 to 3000 hectacres of mangroves in Vanuatu, but they are disappearing fast. Coral Forest works with the Mangrove Action Project of Earth Island Institute to protect the remaining forests, including those in Vanuatu. We urge you to write letters to the UN representative for Vanuatu, supporting protection of mangrove forest. You may also write to the World Bank and ask them to cease funding this destructive industry around the world.

If enough of us write letters or fax asking for a halt to mangrove deforestation, perhaps the government will act to protect its obviously undervalued natural resource.

Here's the address of the UN Ambassador:

H.E. Mr. Jean RAVOU-AKH Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Permanent Representative to the United Nations Permanent Mission of the Republic of Vanuatu to the UN 866 United Nations Plaza, 4th Floor (Room 441) New York, NY 10017 telephone 593-0144 telefax 593-0219

and:

President of the World Bank 1818 H Street, NW Washington, DC 20433

If you have any questions or need any assistance, call or E-mail us. And, we'd really appreciate it if you would Email or hard copy cc: us on your letters.

Thank you for your time and activism.