43,380 acres declared under community protection in Peru

The Ministry of Environment of Peru has declared 43,480 acres (17,600 hectares) of cloud forest and páramo in the Tropical Andes as a protected area, under the care of the local community.

This official recognition as a private conservation area (ACP: Area de Conservación Privada) confers legal protection to these habitats to safeguard them from logging, slash and burn agriculture and illegal mining.

World Land Trust (WLT) has been supporting partner Naturaleza y Cultura Peru (NCP) to build a network of seven ACPs in Northern Peru, which will cover 20 per cent of the country’s cloud forests. The San Miguel de Tabaconas ACP is the third WLT-funded ACP to be declared as part of this project; joining the communities of Chicuate Chinguelas (declared June 2016) and San Juan de Sallique (declared December 2017). The total area of this unique montane habitat now under community protection in Peru funded by WLT is now 111,199 acres (45,000 hectares).

Biological Importance
The Tropical Andes between Ecuador and Peru are known for their rich biodiversity. The region is home to threatened birds such as the Red-faced Parrot and Masked Mountain-Tanager; little-known mammals unique to Peru like the Inca Oldfield Mouse; and flagship Andean species including the Spectacled Bear and Mountain Tapir.

Five important rivers start their journey from this montane region of Peru. It is an important area for conservation in terms of ecosystem services (water supply and carbon storage) and economic value (medicinal plants, timber and commercial native fruits) for the local population.

By declaring the ACPs, the Ministry of Environment in Peru and the regional governments of Piura and Cajamarca have recognized the area as a priority for conservation.

Looking to the Future
WLT continues to support NCP in the management of the established ACPs and the recognition of further ACPs in the region. By applying a community conservation model, NCP assists the local communities to lead sustainable livelihoods, manage their resources and conserve this Andean ecosystem.

Richard Cuthbert, WLT’s Director of Conservation, says, “It is important that the management of a habitat lies in the hands of the resident local communities who live and use these areas. We will keep supporting the hard work of our in-country partner, Naturaleza y Cultura Peru, to assist local communities to sustainably manage their resources and in developing further protected areas within the Tropical Andes.”

5 March 2019

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Arctic sanctuary gets a step nearer

March 2014: A resolution to create a protected area around the North Pole has been passed by the European Government

This could see oil companies and industrial fishing fleets banned from the region, and follows an international campaign which has attracted the support of over five million people including Sir Paul McCartney and US oceanographer, Sylvia Earle.

Greenpeace activist and Arctic 30 member Sini Saarela from Finland said: “What happens in the Arctic matters to us all. I’m delighted by this news because it will spark a new conversation that we need to have together. By calling for a sanctuary around the North Pole, MEPs have responded to the millions of people who want to protect the Arctic for future generations.

“This is a direct challenge to the small group of countries who are rushing to open up the fragile Arctic for oil drilling and industrial fishing. The status quo is starting to crack, and this now demands a real response from those who see the melting Arctic simply as a new source of profit.”

The resolution is expected to push the Arctic more firmly onto the agenda of EU foreign ministers and EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton, who have so far been reluctant to speak out against the rapid industrialisation of the region by international oil companies including Shell, BP and Russia’s state owned energy giant Gazprom.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/arctic-sanctuary.html

Rare California seabird reported breeding off Mendocino Coast

Scientists surveying rocky islands this week off the Mendocino County coast within the California Coastal National Monument made a remarkable discovery - several breeding sites for the Ashy Storm-Petrel, a rare and declining seabird not reported nesting in this area since 1926.

The shy grey bird hides and nests in shoreline rock crevices as deep as seven or eight feet and only emerges at dawn and dusk to avoid predators, mostly other birds. They fish in the ocean, "flitting like butterflys on the surface," according to Anna Weinstein, seabird program manager of Audubon California in Emeryville.

The four new colonies were found north of Point Arena and south of the village of Mendocino.

Finding these birds - which are under consideration for the national endangered list - is very exciting to naturalists who have watched dedicated and expensive efforts to protect the Ashy Storm-Petrel in other areas of California do little to help.

"California has invested a lot of money in restoration in the Channel and Farallon Islands," Weinstein said. "Despite those efforts, they are declining. They're getting hammered by owls, falcons and gulls, even skunks."

"This is truly our species in California," Weinstein added, noting that almost the entire worldwide population of the bird lives in California. "Now Mendocino County has a special responsibility to steward them."

Continued:  http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/ci_21449703/rare-california-seabird-reported-breeding-off-mendocino-coast

Trawlerman convicted of illegal fishing in Lyme Bay

Illegal fishing in protected area costs owner and skipper £4015
July 2012. The master and owner of the fishing vessel Kelly Marena II has been sentenced at Weymouth Magistrates Court for fishing illegally within a protected area of Lyme Bay, off the Devon and Dorset coast. 

Guilty of dredging for shellfish in Lyme Bay
Mark Higgins (38) of Chelston, Torquay was ordered to pay £4015 after pleading guilty to dredging for shellfish and demersal trawling in the Designated Area contrary to the Lyme Bay Designated Area (fishing Restrictions) Order 2008. Currently such fishing activity is prohibited in a designated 60 square-mile area of Lyme Bay, which is a candidate Special Area of Conservation (cSAC). 

On 20 December Dorset Police Air Surveillance Unit was enlisted by the Marine Management Organisation to observe fishing activity near to the Lyme Bay restricted area. The Kelly Marena II, which is based in Brixham, was recorded by the police helicopter off the coast of Burton Bradstock within the restricted area close to its border. It appeared to be using towed gear and dredging within the restricted zone.

Mr Higgins was interviewed by the Marine Management Organisation and he admitted being the owner and master of the vessel at the time of the incident and that he was aware of the restricted area, which he often fished close to. Helicopter surveillance footage and a statement from helicopter observer PC Leeding was presented as evidence of the illegal fishing activity.

£4015 fines and costs
The magistrates fined Mr Higgins £1000, ordered him to pay £3000 towards costs and also imposed a victim surcharge of £15.

Paul Johnson, Principal Marine Officer for the Marine Management Organisation said: "We are committed to protecting the sensitive features within Lyme Bay and are exploring a number of new ways of working to do this. Fishermen should not be given a bad reputation by the irresponsible actions of this vessel. The importance of the fishing restrictions for the conservation of the area are recognised by many in the local industry, who comply with them."

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/lyme-bay-trawl.html