This article is extracted,
and adapted from the website of the " Global Aquaculture Alliance
". This text is available in http://www.gaalliance.org/issu2.html)
Global Aquaculture Alliance -- http://www.gaalliance.org
Feeding the World Through Responsible Aquaculture
5661 Telegraph Road, Suite 3A -- St. Louis, Missouri 63129 USA
Telephone: 314-293-5500 -- Fax: 314-293-5525 -- E-mail: homeoffice@gaalliance.org
Up to 60% of the world's historic mangrove resource has been lost due
to population pressures and clearing for agriculture, urban development,
logging and fuel. Shrimp farming has accounted for less than 5% of
the mangrove loss, and further losses due to shrimp farming have virtually
stopped, due to regulatory and educational efforts.
What is a mangrove?
Any of some 70 species of tropical and sub-tropical trees and shrubs,
which grow at the boundary of land and the saltwater environment..
Why
are mangroves important?
Mangroves are some of the most productive ecosystems in the world. They
also offer traditional subsistence benefits to people living in coastal
communities.
How much mangrove area exists?
About 18 million hectares (45 million acres).
How much mangrove area has
been destroyed?
Perhaps 55% to 60% of the historic resource.
Ecuador has increased its mangrove area in
the past five years by 2,618 hectares (CLIRSEN:
Centro de Levantamiento Integrado de Recursos Naturales por Sensores
Remotes).
What has caused this loss?
Population pressures have led to clearing for agriculture (especially
rice production), grazing, urban development, fuel, construction materials,
wood pulp and tourism. Shrimp farming is a minor cause of loss.
How much mangrove loss is
attributed to shrimp farming?
Less than 5%. Only a fraction of shrimp farms have been developed
on
mangrove land. Even if one assumed that ALL shrimp farming area (estimated
as 1.37 million hectares in 1996) was converted from mangrove land,
this would amount to only 7.6% of the current resource, and less than
5% of the historic resource. Studies undertaken for the World Wide Fund
for Nature WWF concur:
"The extent of mangrove destruction world-wide resulting from
shrimp farming is only a tiny fraction of the loss to date"
(Clay, 1996).
Why were mangrove areas converted
to shrimp ponds?
Shrimp farming began as early as the 15th century, when coastal mangrove
areas in Indonesia were converted into intertidal ponds. Conversion
of mangrove areas accelerated during the 1980s, when shrimp farming
underwent rapid growth. We now know that mangrove lands are not well
suited for shrimp ponds, due to low elevation, acid soils, and high
construction costs. Recent trends are toward more intensive farms
constructed on higher ground.
What is being done to prevent
further mangrove loss?
The practice of removing mangroves to build shrimp farms has by and
large stopped. Foreign governments have recognized that this practice,
once thought acceptable, was not improving the environment. They have
taken alternate steps in developing their aquaculture practices.
Considerable pressure from the world community helped improve this situation.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
has developed an International Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries,
including appropriate aquaculture activities. Further, in 1997, the
Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA)
commissioned an international study by leading mangrove experts. This
culminated in 6 recommended management practices, which form the first
element of GAA's "Codes
of Practice for Responsible Shrimp Farming.".
Are the new mangrove practices
working?
Yes. Use of mangrove area for new shrimp farms has essentially stopped
and many areas are reforesting. Satellite imagery indicates that forested
mangrove area have begun to increase in shrimp farming regions in Honduras
and Ecuador. However, some remote areas - particularly in Vietnam and
Indonesia - continue to be developed, largely by poor coastal inhabitants.
What additional steps should
be taken?
The aquaculture industry needs assistance from governments in tropical
and sub-tropical developing countries to improve enforcement of mangrove
conservation policies and to develop balanced strategies for integrated
use of coastal areas.
How can one be sure that farmed
shrimp were produced in a responsible manner?
Along with the United States, South American and Southeast Asian nations
have implemented strong national programs that protect mangrove ecosystems.
Beyond these programs, the Global Aquaculture Alliance has developed
the Responsible Aquaculture
Program based on quantitative standards and third-party certification.
Producers and processors who distribute aquaculture products in compliance
with these standards will be eligible to use a special packaging label.
Welcome
The mangrove
and shrimps
