focus - WWF Supporter Page | World Wildlife Fund

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2008 • VOLUME 30, NUMBER 1
Make Your Valentine’s
Day a Wild One
WWF offers you an easy
way to share your love on
Valentine’s Day. Making a
symbolic animal adoption is
a meaningful way to help
WWF’s global conservation
efforts, including fighting the
habitat loss and poaching
that threaten species such
as pandas and tigers.
Visit worldwildlife.org/gifts
to adopt an animal and select
a special red Valentine’s
Day bag for delivery of your
loveable plush. Every donation
helps WWF’s worldwide
conservation work. Our
Online Gift Center allows you
to select a thank-you gift —
for you or a gift recipient —
from among plushes of 80
different species, the latest
indigenous crafts, jewelry,
and other
gifts that
are perfect
for a warm
and happy
Valentine’s
Day.
WORLDWILDLIFE.ORG
U.S. Study Confirms Polar
Bears’ Future in Jeopardy
Climate Change
Threatens Species’
Survival
A new report by the U.S.
Geological Survey (USGS) provides another sobering outlook
for the fate of the world’s polar
bear population as a result of
climate change.
“We now have U.S. government confirmation that the
largest living land predator
is heading toward regional
extinctions in the next 45 to 75
years if climate change isn’t
stopped,” says Dr. Lara Hansen,
WWF’s chief climate scientist.
The report was prepared for the U.S. Fish
TRACK POLAR BEARS
and Wildlife Service, which WWF is following polar bears in the Arctic,
and you can join us! Their positions are
will decide whether to list
polar bears as “threatened” beamed via satellite from collars on the bears’
necks, to scientists, and then to the WWF
under the Endangered
website. Visit worldwildlife.org/polarbears
for updates.
Species Act (as FOCUS
went to press, the decision
unprecedented rate of loss
was expected in early
and, in general, sea ice loss
January). The USGS predicts
has been consistently underthat changes in sea ice will
estimated in currently available
result in the loss of about twomodels—sometimes by 25
thirds of the world’s polar bear
percent,” Hansen says.
population by 2050.
“While much of the world is
“This is most certainly an
still
discussing whether to take
underestimate of the impact
action
against climate change,
because since this report was
the
Arctic
is undergoing propublished we have seen an
© Steven Morello
MEMBER NEWS
Coral Triangle:
The Richest Marine
Habitat on Earth P4
© Brandon D. Cole
focus
FEATURE
found change and polar bears
are facing massive regional
extinctions,” she says.
On-the-Ground Conservation
Polar bears often move over
vast distances across the Arctic.
Population estimates are
difficult to obtain, but polar
bear biologists estimate there
are between 20,000 and 25,000
wild polar bears across 19 sub-
As FOCUS went to press, the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service was
expected to make a decision on
whether to list the polar bear as
threatened under the Endangered
Species Act. Scientists believe climate
change is increasing temperatures
and causing the annual Arctic sea
ice to melt earlier and form later,
threatening the bear’s survival.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 ➤
World’s First Sustainable Tuna Fishery Certified
Consumers can look for
sustainably caught tuna at
retailers across the country, now
that the Marine Stewardship
Council (MSC) has certified the
first sustainable tuna fishery —
a move that could help save
one of the world’s most valuable
fish from extinction.
The San Diego-based
American Albacore Fishing
Association (AAFA) was MSCcertified in September. The MSC,
which WWF helped found, is an
independent nonprofit organization that ensures fish are
caught according to strict
methods that avoid overfishing
and “bycatch,” the acciWWF IS HELPING
dental — and usually
protect tuna fisheries
fatal — capture of
in the Coral Triangle
marine species in gear
not meant for them.
See page 4
IN THIS ISSUE:
Take Action 2
© WWF-Canon/Ezequiel Navío
MSC-Certified Tuna
Available in Stores
WWF sponsored the assessment that lead to the first
MSC certification of a tuna fishery.
AAFA is a small, family-run
fishery whose members pride
themselves on the care they
take to protect the marine
environment. “Most
of the fishermen
who are left love
the ocean,”
says Skipper
Jack Webster.
“You’ve got to love
it because it’s real hard work.
Being certified sustainable is
important to us. Fishermen who
are doing the right thing should
prove that they are and talk
about it — that’s what this
certificate is all about.”
With an export catch valued
at $5 million in 2002, the world’s
tuna fisheries face a number of
urgent threats, including declining stocks, poor fishing and
management regulations, and
significant bycatch. Seven of the
WHERE CAN YOU FIND
MSC-CERTIFIED TUNA?
You can now purchase
MSC-certified tuna at
some nationwide
retailers and many
specialty markets.
Visit americantuna.com
for more details.
world’s most commercially viable
tuna species are overexploited:
albacore, Atlantic bluefin,
bigeye, Pacific bluefin, skipjack,
southern bluefin and yellowfin.
“If we want our grandchildren
to have tuna on their dinner
plates and in the sea, sustainable fishing practices must
be adopted,” says Meredith
Lopuch, director of WWF’s
Community Fisheries Program,
which sponsored AAFA’s
certification assessment.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 7 ➤
Species Spotlight 2
Conservation News 3
Travel 7
2 • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2008
FOCUS
President’s Message
The Law of the Sea treaty sets standards to help govern the conservation, protection and management
of marine species.
WWF online activists were
busy this fall sending thousands
of letters and making hundreds
of calls urging the U.S. Senate
to ratify a treaty that would
serve as the constitution of the
oceans and protect global
marine resources. You can take
great pride in knowing that our
country moved a big step
closer to participating in the
treaty when the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee voted 17-
4 in favor of accession to the
Law of the Sea Convention.
Full implementation of the
Law of the Sea Treaty is
desperately needed. Oceans
cover two-thirds of the Earth’s
surface, and actions taken in
one part of the world can
gravely affect habitat and
species halfway around the
globe. The combined stresses
of overfishing, wildlife trade,
pollution, and climate change
have put the world’s oceans
and the plant and animal
species they sustain in peril.
One of the treaty’s basic
obligations is for all states to
protect and preserve the
marine environment and to
conserve marine species.
The treaty sets standards and
calls for establishing global and
regional rules to help govern the
conservation, protection and
management of marine species.
The full Senate is expected to
debate the treaty in early 2008.
Visit worldwildlife.org/join to
join the Conservation Action
Network, and we’ll alert you
when it’s time be part of this
critical campaign for the
world’s oceans.
WORLDWILDLIFE.ORG
WWF Gift Adoption Cards
Here’s a great option for giving to
WWF on behalf of a friend or family
member: When you make a $50
donation, instead of receiving a thankyou gift from WWF, you can choose to
have us send them a Gift Adoption
Card and let them choose their own
thank-you gift from among 80 species.
The gift includes a soft plush,
species spotlight card, adoption
certificate, color photo of the
animal, drawstring gift bag,
and bonus online premiums.
Visit worldwildlife.org/gifts
for details.
focus
President
Carter S. Roberts
Editor
Jennifer Seeger
Contributors
David Glass, Debra Prybyla,
Diane Querey, Jennifer Reutershan,
Kathleen Sullivan, Patricia Sullivan
Copy Editor
Alice Taylor
Proofreader
Alice Taylor
Production
Lee Freedman
Member Services
Phone: 800-960-0993
Email: [email protected]
World Wildlife Fund
1250 24th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20037
202-293-4800
worldwildlife.org
Saving an Underwater
Crown Jewel
‘‘
magine dropping into a clear
…the stars are
blue sea and finding a vast
lining up to protect
expanse of coral gardens
this immense place
and colorful fish that resembles nothing so much
as an underwater Amazon. Welcome to the Coral
Triangle, home to the richest concentration of marine habitat on Earth.
A few months ago, I visited WWF project sites here and saw firsthand the glory of the
place — its fast-moving ocean currents, bright stretches of coral and rich populations of fish.
We released tagged marine turtles, which headed back out to the ocean after laying their
eggs. Now, three months later, we’re watching them navigate hundreds of miles as they
traverse between feeding, mating and nesting habitats.
The Coral Triangle remains an unparalleled nursery for tuna and grouper that feed and
sustain some of the world’s biggest economies. But threats are growing rapidly. We’re seeing
coral and fish species diminished by climate change, fish populations depleted by overfishing
and destructive fishing practices, and the great forests surrounding the Coral Triangle being
destroyed at a higher rate than anywhere else in the world.
Old-fashioned conservation methods won’t work. Safeguarding ocean habitats, with vast
ecosystems and ever-moving currents, remains inherently more complex than purchasing land to
save it. That’s why we’re working closely with the governments of the Coral Triangle, like Indonesia,
Malaysia and the Philippines, to create a working vision for protecting this extraordinary place. That
vision includes a range of actions, from creating a network of marine protected areas, to working
with local communities to better manage fisheries, to improving the management of coastal zones.
As I write this letter the stars are lining up to protect this immense place. Heads of state,
including Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and President George Bush, came
together in September at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit and declared the
importance of the Coral Triangle, agreeing that its protection is imperative. And at last month’s UN
climate change conference in Bali, leaders from the Coral Triangle countries made large-scale
political commitments to save this irreplaceable resource, while financial institutions like the Asian
Development Bank moved to create the financial mechanisms needed to make that happen.
Of course WWF and our partners are working behind the scenes to make the Coral Triangle
vision a reality. It could very well become the marine counterpart to the world’s efforts to save
the Amazon. WWF’s unique local presence in all of the participating countries, and our long
history and expertise in fisheries, markets, protected areas, and financial mechanisms makes
us well placed to protect this treasure.
It’s time for marine systems to receive the same level of conservation effort as their
terrestrial cousins. I cannot think of a better place to start than in this corner of the Pacific
Ocean where a crown jewel demands our attention and our work.
I
’’
Carter S. Roberts
species SPOTLIGHT
Whale Shark
(Rhincodon typus)
January/February
Volume 30 Number 1
World Wildlife Fund is the leading
U.S. organization working worldwide to preserve the abundance
and diversity of life on Earth.
WWF is affiliated with the international WWF Network, which has
representatives in more than 50
countries and an international
office in Gland, Switzerland. All
contributions are tax-deductible.
The whale shark is the largest fish in the
world, measuring up to 45 feet long. Despite
its size, it is a gentle and curious creature.
It inhabits warm temperate and tropical waters,
including the waters of the western Pacific’s
Coral Triangle (see page 4). A highly migratory
species, whale sharks cross thousands of
miles to feeding grounds in many different
countries, often returning to favored coastal
areas for a few months of the year when the
zooplankton they feed on is abundant.
Habitat: All temperate and tropical
oceans around the world, except the
Mediterranean Sea
Diet: Krill, squid and small fish
Threats: Fishing for meat and fins
Interesting Fact: It can neither
bite nor chew
Unless otherwise noted, material
appearing in FOCUS is copyrighted and may be reproduced
with permission.
Volume 30, Number 1
(ISSN 0774-3315)
FOCUS is published bimonthly by
World Wildlife Fund, 1250 24th
Street, NW, Washington, D.C.
20037. Annual membership dues
are $15.00. Nonprofit postage
paid at Washington, D.C. and
additional mailing offices.
POSTMASTER: Send address
changes to: FOCUS, World
Wildlife Fund, 1250 24th Street,
NW, P.O. Box 97180, NW,
Washington, DC 20090-7180.
HELP SAVE THE WHALE SHARK! Visit worldwildlife.org/adopt to symbolically
adopt a whale shark. Your contribution will be used to protect this species in the wild.
© WWF-Canon/Jürgen Freund
© WWF-Canon/Roger LeGuen
U.S. Moves Closer to Joining
Law of the Sea Convention
© Sam Kittner
TAKE ACTION
FOCUS
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2008 • 3
conservation NEWS
UPDATE: MEKONG
WWF Working to Protect
Baiji’s Yangtze River Habitat Two New Reserves for Rare Saola
A reported sighting of the
Yangtze River dolphin, or baiji,
is an indication that it isn’t
extinct, but conservationists
remain concerned for the fate
of the critically endangered
cetacean.
Chinese media reported in
August that a local businessman in Tongling City captured
footage of the dolphin with his
digital camera, which was later
confirmed to be the baiji by
Professor Wang Ding, a leading
baiji scientist at the Institute of
Hydrobiology of the Chinese
Academy of Sciences.
“While it’s good news that the
baiji was spotted, many still
believe it may be ‘functionally
extinct,’ with too few left to
recover,” says Karen Baragona,
priority leader for WWF’s
Yangtze River Basin program.
“Still, other species, like the
southern right whale, have been
brought back, but only through
intensive conservation efforts.”
WWF is actively involved in
saving cetaceans and their
habitat in the Yangtze River.
Last year, WWF worked with
other stakeholders in drafting
an action plan to improve the
protection capacity of nature
reserves along the river.
“The baiji is a key species
and helps us determine the
health of the river,” Baragona
says. “To be effective, our
efforts must address
agriculture, water resources,
transportation, environmental
protection and sanitation to
reduce human disturbance and
protect the cetaceans and
other species in the river.”
Species Discovered Just 15 Years Ago
Two new reserves have been established for the elusive saola
in Vietnam’s rugged Annamite Mountains. The saola was discovered
15 years ago by a team of scientists from WWF and the Vietnamese
Ministry of Forestry. Fewer than
250 are estimated to exist today
and they are threatened by
hunting.
The new reserves connect
existing reserves and form a
continuous protected landscape
stretching from the Vietnamese
coast to Xe Sap National
Biodiversity Conservation Area
in Laos. The reserves are the
result of a saola conservation
plan that was approved by the
provincial People’s Committees
in Thua Thien Hue and Quang
Nam provinces.
“The saola population in
these provinces offers the
best — if not the only — chance
for this unique species to survive in Vietnam,” says Dr. Barney
Long, Central Truong Son Conservation Landscape coordinator
for WWF’s Greater Mekong program.
© WWF-Canon/David Hulse
Sighting Provides
Hope that Species
Isn’t Extinct
Scientists from WWF and Vietnam’s
Ministry of Forestry discovered the
saola in 1992.
More Species Discovered in Vietnam
WWF supported an expedition in 2006 in which scientists spent 39 days on the
Yangtze River searching for the elusive baiji dolphin, but none were spotted.
Despite a reported sighting in August, conservationists remain concerned
about the fate of the species.
© Raoul Bain/WWF-Greater Mekong
Scientists have discovered 11 The white-lipped keelback, a small
black snake with a white stripe, and
new animal and plant species
the Aspidistra nicolai, a large dark
in central Vietnam’s remote
blue flower, are two of the new
species discovered in the Annamite
Greater Annamites mountain
mountain range of central Vietnam.
range, underscoring the importance of protecting the region’s
ancient tropical forests. The discoveries include a snake, five
orchids, two butterflies and three other plants new to science. Ten
other plant species, including four orchids, remain under
investigation but also appear to be new species.
“Discoveries of so many new species are rare and occur only
in very special places like the Green Corridor,” says Dr. Chris
Dickinson, WWF’s chief conservation scientist in the Green Corridor.
These rain forests likely existed as continuous undisturbed forest
cover for thousands of years, and as a result offer unique habitats
for many species.
The new snake species, called the white-lipped keelback, prefers
living by streams, where it catches frogs and other small animals.
Three of the new orchid species are entirely leafless, a rarity even
among orchids.
© Leonid Averyanov/WWF-Greater Mekong
© Chinese Academy of Science
Underscores Importance of Protecting Region’s Forests
Tiger Expert Wins WWF’s Getty Award
Park and his efforts
have facilitated the
creation of three
protected areas in
the Western Ghats.
He also has conducted innovative
research on voluntary
resettlement, benefiting wildlife and
people. He is currently working
on WCS’s “Tigers Forever”
program, which aims to increase
tiger numbers by 50 percent in
seven other landscapes across
Asia over the next 10 years.
WWF President and CEO
Carter Roberts presented
Karanth with the award during
an October ceremony in
Washington, D.C. “The Getty
Award not only seeks to honor
today’s top conservationists,
© Julie Larsen Maher/ Wildlife Conservation Society
WWF has awarded
Dr. K. Ullas Karanth,
a scientist with the
Wildlife Conservation
Society (WCS), the
2007 J. Paul Getty
Award for Conservation Leadership.
The highly respected
prize recognizes
Karanth’s 25-year career dedicated to protecting endangered tigers in his native India.
Karanth has conducted
surveys of Bengal, or Indian,
tigers to better determine
population numbers and habitat
needs. Using camera traps to
capture the tiger’s unique stripe
pattern on film, Karanth has
improved accuracy in
assessing the number of tigers
in India’s Nagarahole National
but recognizes those who are
helping to build the leaders of
tomorrow, and Dr. Karanth has
been instrumental in educating
the next generation of conservation scientists in his native
country of India,” said Roberts.
The award’s cash prize of
$200,000 will be used to
establish a fellowship program
named in Karanth’s honor. The
fellowships will support graduate
students in conservation-related
fields at a program run by the
National Centre for Biological
Sciences in Bangalore in
collaboration with WCS in India.
WWF administers the J. Paul
Getty Award for Conservation
Leadership. One of the world’s
most prestigious conservation
awards, it recognizes an
individual who has shown
© Julie Larsen Maher/ Wildlife Conservation Society
Dr. K. Ullas Karanth Honored for Scientific Leadership
leadership in conservation.
Nominees for the Getty Award
are submitted to WWF by
conservation organizations
around the world, and the
winner is chosen by an
independent jury of individuals
from a wide and distinguished
array of expertise.
Dr. K. Ullas Karanth, a scientist
with the Wildlife Conservation
Society, has spent 25 years
working to protect endangered
tigers in his native India.
4 • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2008
FOCUS
© WWF Conservation Science Program
The Coral Triangle
Protecting the
Underwater Amazon
C
Off the coasts of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Solomon Islands, Timor Leste and Papua New Guinea, the Coral
Triangle covers almost 1.6 billion acres—an area equal in size to half of the United States.
WWF: From Local to Global
© WWF-Canon/Alain Compost
oral reefs are the most biologically diverse ecosystems
in the ocean; even on land, their biodiversity is rivaled
only by tropical rain forests. And nowhere are they more
extraordinary than the western Pacific’s Coral Triangle,
the epicenter of all coral reef biodiversity.
“From a conservation standpoint, the Coral Triangle is the marine
equivalent to the Amazon,” says Kate Newman, managing director
of WWF’s Coral Triangle program. “Two oceans — the Pacific and
Indian — come together here and all their biodiversity mixes.”
This unique environment has produced over 600 species of reef
building coral — 75 percent of all coral species known to science.
“As you move away, the number of coral species decreases
dramatically,” explains Newman. “It drops to 370 in the Great
Barrier Reef and East Africa to 70 in Belize.”
These rich and sheltered waters also hold over
3,000 species of reef fish, twice the number found
anywhere else on Earth, as well as a wide range
of beautiful marine creatures, from strange sea
squirts to giant, yet gentle, whale sharks.
Despite brimming with marine life, the Coral
Triangle faces substantial threats. The impacts of
climate change on the coral system are emerging,
and poorly managed tourism is a growing
concern. But fishing is the biggest and most
immediate threat.
“Overfishing and destructive fishing practices
like cyanide and blast fishing are depleting fish populations and
destroying huge sections of coral,” says Dr. Helen Fox, WWF’s senior
marine scientist.
Marine resources sustain the lives of
over 120 million people living in the
Coral Triangle and benefit millions
more worldwide.
WWF is meeting the conservation challenges head on,
designing and implementing strategies to eliminate illegal and
destructive fishing practices; working with Indonesia, Malaysia
and the Philippines on protection efforts; and establishing
protected areas throughout the Coral Triangle. At the same time,
we’re working with local communities by helping them manage
fisheries and other resources in a way that preserves them for
future generations.
“WWF has the global reach and experience required to meet the
challenges and help protect this spectacular place not only for the
exquisite marine life,” says Newman, “but for the millions of people
who depend on these waters for their livelihoods.”
EXTRAORDINARY DIVERSITY
© Brandon D. Cole
© WWF-Canon/Cat Holloway
No other place on Earth is as
rich and varied in marine life as
the Coral Triangle.
© WWF-Canon/Tanya Petersen
© Brandon D. Cole
FISHING BAN PROTECTS
LARGEST CORAL REEF
IN PHILIPPINES
After suffering from years of
destructive fishing practices,
the Philippines’ Apo Reef is
protected by a fishing ban enacted in October. Apo Reef was
once one of the world’s premier
diving destinations, but years of
destructive fishing practices—
including use of dynamite and
cyanide—took their toll.
© Brandon D. Cole
Global warming contributes to
increasing sea temperatures that
stress corals and cause bleaching
and other damage. WWF is working
to develop and test conservation
strategies to better protect coral
reefs from bleaching.
CORAL – The Coral Triangle
contains over 600 species of
coral — 75 percent of all coral
species known to science.
FISH – These waters attract
more than 3,000 species of reef
fish and commercially valuable
species including yellowfin
tuna, skipjack tuna, bigeye
tuna, parrotfish, needlefish,
humphead wrasse and
barracuda.
MARINE TURTLES – Six of the
seven species of marine turtle
can be found in the Coral
Triangle, including the leatherback — the largest and most
threatened turtle in the sea. The
leatherback nests in Indonesia,
but feeds in the kelp beds of
California’s Monterey Bay.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2008 • 5
Low-Tech Success for
Rebuilding Coral Reefs
and locally-available materials,
including rock piles, netting
and cement slabs.
After determining rock piles
were the most successful, she
received funding from the
Packard Foundation to test rock
piles on a bigger scale. The
result: After four years, hard coral
had grown or attached itself to
the rock and created new reefs
teeming with fish and other life.
Despite her findings, Fox says
rebuilding reefs doesn’t solve
the underlying problem. “We
Dr. Helen Fox, WWF’s senior
marine scientist, conducted her
PhD research on the effectiveness of different low-cost
methods of coral reef rehabilitation in Indonesia’s Komodo
National Park, where blast fishing
has turned many of the reefs to
rubble fields. With support from
The Nature Conservancy, Fox
tested low-tech, inexpensive
Dr. Helen Fox
© WWF-Canon/Jürgen Freund
won’t be successful if we just
rehabilitate reefs,” she warns.
“We need better protection
efforts, including well-enforced
marine protected areas where
reefs and marine life can recover
from damage.”
© WWF-Canon/Jürgen Freund
Fisherman with tuna catch,
Philippines (below right).
© WWF
FOCUS
LIVE FISH TRADE
TUNA: NO LONGER ABUNDANT
Live Fish Trade
Threatens Fish Populations
WWF’s efforts on behalf of tuna populations
and other marine resources received an
international boost in September at the
Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
summit. There, world leaders— including
President George Bush — endorsed a Coral
Triangle initiative to safeguard the region’s
extraordinary marine life.
If you read the label on a
can of tuna, you will more
than likely find that it comes
from the Coral Triangle. These
tuna travel from the Pacific
and Indian Oceans — where
the majority of the world’s tuna
is caught — to the sheltered
waters of the Coral Triangle
to spawn.
But as tuna populations
disappear in the Atlantic and
Mediterranean, more fishing
fleets from around the world
are hunting Pacific tuna. “Just
a small fraction of the profits
and protein from these fleets
flow back into the Coral
Triangle,” says Mark Stevens,
senior program officer in
WWF’s Fisheries program.
This is having a significant
economic and ecological
impact on the island nations in
the Coral Triangle, where more
than half the population relies
on local fishing to meet their
protein needs and millions
make their living off the sea.
“In order to protect their
livelihoods, fishermen in the
Coral Triangle are using a
range of methods to catch
more tuna, and most of the fish
caught are juveniles that never
reach reproductive maturity,”
Stevens says.
WWF is working with local
communities and governments
in the Coral Triangle to build
sustainably managed tuna
fisheries. At the same time,
Frozen tuna at auction in
Tokyo, Japan.
WWF is working with international financial institutions
and fish trading sectors
around the world to find an
equitable solution.
“A sustainably managed tuna
fishery not only helps the island
nations in the Coral Triangle
who depend on it,” Stevens
says, “but it benefits the global
community who still believe
that tuna will be there forever.”
TUNA OF THE CORAL TRIANGLE
The Coral Triangle is the spawning and nursery ground for
four commercially viable species of tuna that populate the
Pacific and Indian oceans: yellowfin, albacore, bigeye and
skipjack, and the spawning area for northern Pacific and
southern bluefin.
The bluefin tuna is one
of the most valuable fish
in the sea, and because
of that, one of the most
rare. Once a bluefin grows
to maturity, a single fish
can land over $100,000
Yellowfin tuna
on the auction table at
the tuna market in Tokyo. The best fish are sold for sashimi
and sushi.
Less valuable species, such as skipjack and yellowfin, end
up in Thailand— the tuna canning capital of the world— and
are shipped from there to the United States and Europe.
© Brandon D. Cole
© WWF-Canon/Jürgen Freund
In Hong Kong, Taiwan, and increasingly in mainland China, it’s a
status symbol to select a beautiful live reef fish from a restaurant tank
and have the chef prepare it. And
with consumers willing to pay top
dollar for rare and endangered
fish, the live fish trade is becoming
a lucrative business.
Many of the fish that end up in
these tanks come from the Coral
Triangle. “The hunger for live
reef fish across Asia is causing
A humphead wrasse (at right) is among
populations of wrasse, grouper
the reef fish in a restaurant tank.
and coral trout in the Coral
Triangle to plummet,” Says WWF’s Kate Newman. “And these fish
are predators, so it’s completely changing the marine food chain.”
Because the fish are often caught with the use of cyanide, the
illegal live fish trade threatens not only fish populations, but also
their fragile coral reef habitat.
WWF is working in various ways to stop the illegal live fish trade.
In the Philippines, a WWF program is training and supporting
members of the local community, mostly fishermen, to assist local
governments and other organizations in
patrolling marine areas to stop illegal fishing.
And since many of the fish caught have yet
to reach full maturity, WWF is working to
protect their spawning grounds by educating
local fishermen, managing reefs and creating
protected areas. At the same time, WWF is
building awareness throughout Asia about
the live fish trade, including the promotion of
trade standards and a consumer awareness
campaign in Hong Kong.
“If consumers are educated about the live
fish trade, we hope that they’ll think twice about
selecting a humphead wrasse they find swimming in the restaurant tank,” Newman says.
© WWF-Canon/Michèle Dépraz
WWF Builds Awareness Among Fishers, Consumers
© WWF-Canon/Michel Gunther
WWF Helps Communities Build
Sustainably Managed Fisheries
6 • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2008
FOCUS
WWF Awards Future
marketing PARTNERSHIPS
Nepalese Conservationists Build-A-Bear Workshop
®
around the world. Since 2000,
Build-A-Bear Workshop has
donated over $1.5 million to
WWF. (www.buildabear.com
or 1-877-789-2327)
On August 10, 2007, Build-ABear Workshop® launched the
eighth and latest in the WWF
Collectifriend™ series, Cheetah.
The cheetah is known as the
fastest land mammal on Earth.
It is threatened by loss of prey
and by being perceived as a
threat to livestock. Fewer than
10,000 cheetahs currently live
in the wild. For each Cheetah
sold, $1 is donated to WWF to
protect and conserve wildlife
Grants Honor Conservation Leaders Lost in 2006
WWF recently awarded scholarships to four Nepalese students
in memory of the 24 people, including seven WWF staff, who died
in a tragic 2006 helicopter accident in the Himalayas.
In recognition of the wealth of conservation leadership lost in the
accident, the scholarships are designed to encourage promising
Nepalese students to pursue careers in conservation. The 20
passengers, who died along with the four-man crew, were returning
from a landmark conservation event in which the government
handed over to the local community control of the park surrounding
Kangchenjunga, the world’s third-highest mountain.
The first year’s recipients come from across Nepal, including
its most remote areas. They will study forestry at Nepal’s Institute
of Forestry and will work to ensure the rich legacy of nature
conservation in their homeland.
“These young scholars represent the future of conservation in
Nepal,” says Carter Roberts, president and CEO of WWF. “It is an
inspiration to see them carry on the legacy of our lost colleagues.”
WWF’s New T-shirts
at JC Penney
Chaser Merchandising is
offering a new line of young
girls’ WWF t-shirts for sale
exclusively at JC Penney. These
shirts are made from a blend
of organic cotton, which was
grown without pesticides, and
recycled polyester, which was
made from plastic bottles that
might have otherwise gone into
landfills. See all the new WWF
t-shirts at www.jcp.com/wwf.
“By tracking their movements,
we can better understand the
changes in behavior and migration patterns in response to
shifting sea ice conditions,”
Williams explains. “This information will help guide our habitat
protection efforts on shore
and help us figure out how to
reduce sources of stress. Our
goal is to increase polar bears’
resilience to the dramatic
change that is now under way
in the Arctic.”
As changing ice conditions
cause bears to spend more
time on land, the chances
for human-bear interactions
increase significantly. In
Russia, WWF is working with
communities to create locally
managed polar bear patrols —
teams of people whose main
task is to frighten approaching
bears away from the village.
Local residents involved in the
patrols also collect valuable
data about the bears, which
is being used by scientists to
better understand the status
of polar bears in the region.
Polar Bears
Student Raises Funds for Bengal Tigers
Focuses Bat Mitzvah Celebration on Conservation
© Nancy Rubel
A trip to a Florida cat sanctuary a few years ago was an eyeopening experience for Sarah Klein of Cleveland, Ohio. She was
concerned about the plight of the sanctuary’s tigers—many of
which were rescued or retired from circuses—and she decided
to take action to help protect tigers in the wild.
So two years ago, when she was choosing a charity project
for her Bat Mitzvah (a Jewish coming-of-age ceremony), Sarah
quickly settled on a “Saving the World” theme to protect tigers.
After much research, she decided to focus her efforts on Bengal
tigers, which are threatened
by habitat loss, human-tiger
conflicts and poaching.
“I chose to donate to WWF
because it’s a well-known
cause and I was told that the
money I raise will go directly
to saving Bengal tigers,”
says 13-year-old Sarah,
whose parents, Nancy Rubel
and Dan Klein, have been
WWF members since 1994.
She set a goal of $1,000,
which meant she could
Sarah Klein raised funds to support
earmark her gift specifically
WWF’s Bengal tiger program.
to WWF’s Bengal tiger
program. By selling jewelry and other items, Sarah met
her goal and became a member of WWF’s Partners in
Conservation program.
At her Bat Mitzvah in October, Sarah prepared a speech
through which she wove a conservation theme, inspired by both
her faith and her awareness of the world around her.
“Everything is tied to everything else like a knot or pieced
together like a puzzle,” she says. “And without one string or
piece, the knot or puzzle is not complete and can’t function the
way it’s supposed to. So if one species goes extinct, the whole
world is incomplete.”
© WWF/Margaret Williams
WWF’s President and CEO Carter Roberts honors the 24 people who perished
in the 2006 helicopter crash during a ceremony in Nepal.
populations in Russia, Alaska,
Canada, Greenland and Norway.
With a presence in all of the
Arctic countries where polar
bears occur, WWF is taking
action at local, national and
global levels. “With the rapid
decline of Arctic sea ice, now
more than ever, we need to work
across political boundaries to
ensure that polar bears have a
chance to survive in the difficult
times ahead,” says Margaret
Williams, managing director of
WWF’s Bering Sea-Kamchatka
program.
WWF is collaborating with
polar bear biologists throughout the Arctic to track polar
bear distribution, as well as
numbers and the overall condition of these populations. In
the United States, Canada and
Norway, WWF is supporting
efforts to collar and track polar
bears to determine how they
utilize sea ice during different
times of year.
© Steven Morello
© Courtesy of WWF-Nepal
Continued from page 1
“The polar bear patrols
have been very successful in
reducing conflicts and helping
us conserve bears while protecting human life,” Williams says.
“We hope to continue expanding
them to other villages in Russia
and in other parts of the Arctic.”
Earlier this year, a bilateral
treaty was enacted between the
United States and Russia on the
conservation and management
of the shared population of polar
bears between Alaska and
Chukotka, Russia. The treaty,
for which WWF advocated in
Washington and Moscow,
provides for joint research and
conservation measures.
“We are very pleased the
treaty is coming into effect and
we support its goals,” Williams
says. “But at the same time,
action is needed by other
branches of the U.S. government that will lead to aggressive reductions of the source
of global climate change and
resulting warming in the
polar bears’ Arctic habitat:
CO2 emissions.”
WWF is working with Russian communities to create polar bear patrols, which frighten approaching bears away from
human settlements. The patrols have been successful in reducing human-bear conflicts.
FOCUS
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2008 • 7
wwf TRAVEL
CLOSE UP: CORAL TRIANGLE
WWF Behind the Scenes
UPCOMING ADVENTURES!
Kate Newman
Alaska Wildland Safari
Tuna Fishery
Continued from page 1
AAFA represents American
commercial fishing vessels
engaged in harvesting albacore
using “poll and troll” methods,
in which they fish with barbless
hooks and land one at a time
by hand without nets. The
fishery’s 21 vessels account
for about 30 percent of the
albacore caught using poll
and troll methods in the North
Pacific. The method seldom
captures nontarget species,
so bycatch is low, and impacts
on habitat are believed to be
negligible. In contrast, longline
tuna fisheries deploy more than
1 billion hooks a year and
capture and kill many nontarget
species including seabirds,
sea turtles, marine mammals,
sharks and other fish.
AAFA families have struggled
since American canners moved
processing operations offshore,
and the majority of albacore
purchased by American canners
is longline-harvested. Pricing
instability and little-to-no
domestic demand has created
an uncertain future.
Since receiving the MSC
certification in September,
however, AAFA’s prospects
have begun to look up: Just two
months later, the AAFA’s price
per ton had risen significantly.
“We hope to encourage
and inspire not only consumers,
but other fisheries that
harvesting in a sustainable
manner is good for a fishery
and its fishing families, and is
the only direction for the
future,” says Natalie Webster,
AAFA’s administrator.
A copy of World Wildlife Fund’s latest financial report may be obtained by writing to World
Wildlife Fund, 1250 Twenty-Fourth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037; (202) 293-4800.
Residents of the following states may obtain information directly by contacting the state
agencies listed below. REGISTRATION WITH OR LICENSING BY A STATE AGENCY DOES
NOT CONSTITUTE OR IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY
THAT STATE.
Florida: A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION
MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLLFREE, WITHIN THE STATE, 1-800-HELP-FLA. SC NO. 00294. Maryland: For the cost of
postage and copying, documents and information filed under the Maryland charitable
organizations laws can be obtained from the Secretary of State, Charitable Division, State
House, Annapolis, MD 21401. Michigan: MCIS No. 9377. Mississippi: The official
registration and financial information of World Wildlife Fund may be obtained from the
Mississippi Secretary of State’s office by calling 1-888-236-6167. New Jersey: Information
filed with the Attorney General concerning this charitable solicitation may be obtained
from the Attorney General of the State of New Jersey by calling 973-504-6215. New York:
A copy of World Wildlife Fund’s latest annual report can be obtained from World Wildlife
Fund or from the Office of the Attorney General by writing the Charities Bureau, 120
Broadway, New York, NY 10271. North Carolina: Financial information about World
Wildlife Fund and a copy of its license are available from the State Solicitation Licensing
Branch at 1-888-830-4989. Pennsylvania: The official registration and financial
information of World Wildlife Fund may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of
State by calling toll-free,within Pennsylvania, 1-800-732-0999. Virginia: Financial
statements are available from the State Division of Consumer Affairs, P.O. Box 1163,
Richmond, VA 23218. Washington: Information relating to the financial affairs of World
Wildlife Fund is available from the Secretary of State, and the toll-free number for
Washington Residents: 1-800-332- 4483. West Virginia: West Virginia residents may
obtain a summary of the registration and financial documents from the Secretary of State,
State Capitol, Charleston, WV 25305.
© WWF-Canon/Kevin Schafer
© Lindblad Expeditions
Travel aboard the 60-guest expedition ship Sea Voyager
and spot whales, dolphins and other marine life from the
deck. Guided walks on seldom-visited islands may reveal
many of the 180 species of birds that inhabit the region.
In addition, almost every anchorage offers stellar
swimming, snorkeling and kayaking opportunities.
June 29 – July 6, 2008
Tonga & Fiji Snorkeling Adventure
© Lara Hansen
Tonga and Fiji are among the world’s top underwater
wonders because of an abundance of color-drenched
coral and thousands of tropical fish. Explore the region’s
secluded reefs on this tour, which was specially
designed for WWF. There’s also an emphasis on seeing
humpback whales that migrated from Antarctic waters
to breed and calve.
August 12 – 24, 2008
Namibia
The highly adaptable savanna elephants of Namibia are
among Earth’s largest land animals. They wander the
varied landscapes along with lions, cheetahs, black
rhinos, zebras and other wildlife. This tour hits several
of the country’s distinct geographical zones, including
the misty Skeleton Coast and the bronze-toned dunes
of Sossusvlei.
November 6 – 22, 2008
© Wilderness Safaris/Dana Allen
AAFA fishermen use barbless hooks and land one fish at a time by hand.
Brown bears are active during Alaskan summers, when
they pack on upwards of 400 pounds to prepare for
winter hibernation. Explorations of the heart of Alaska’s
wilderness may reveal them at their most energetic;
moose and wolves are often seen, too. To provide a truly
personal experience, each tour is limited to 14 travelers.
June 7 – 14 and June 15 – 22, 2008
Baja: Where the Desert Meets the Sea
© Courtesy of American Albacore Fishing Association
If she ever wants a break from her
career as a conservationist, Kate
Newman can always try her hand on the
reality show “Fear Factor.” After more
than two decades in the field, there isn’t
much she hasn’t eaten, including fried
caterpillars, termites and jellyfish.
Kate oversees WWF’s efforts to conserve the world’s richest
marine ecosystem, the Coral Triangle. The area — broadly bounded
by Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and the
Solomon Islands — boasts the world’s greatest diversity of coral and
marine life. Yet the challenges loom as large as the region itself.
Working with local partners, Kate is helping the region’s nations
recognize the value of their extraordinary natural assets. Fisheries
policy has been successfully reformed in certain countries and
several conservation areas have been established that are large
enough to protect habitat and allow fish species to repopulate.
“The nice thing about fish,” she says, “is they can bounce back if
you leave them alone long enough.”
© Jessica Wynne
Managing Director,
WWF’s Coral Triangle Program
ALSO COMING!
Classic China ...............................................................................................May 5 –18, 2008
The Pantanal: Brazil’s Grand Savannas and Iguazú Falls ...........................June 7–16, 2008
Amazon Family Voyage...............................................................................July 18–27, 2008
Family Expedition in Costa Rica.............................................................August 16–23, 2008
With WWF, you’ll journey to the world’s top spots to see spectacular wildlife in its natural environment. You will
travel with small groups of like-minded people who share your interest in wildlife and the environment. By
traveling with us, you are supporting WWF’s conservation work around the globe. So, join us for the adventure
of a lifetime!
To receive detailed itineraries for these or other WWF membership tours to North and South America, Africa,
Asia, the Arctic, Antarctica or the South Pacific, please complete and return the form below, or contact us.
Phone: 202-778-9683 or toll-free 888-WWF-TOUR (993-8687)
Email: [email protected]
Visit:
worldwildlife.org/travel
Please send me brochures for the following trips:
❏
❏
❏
❏
Alaska
Baja
Tonga & Fiji
Namibia
❏
❏
❏
❏
❏ Trips to other specific
destinations:
___________________
China
Pantanal
Amazon family
Costa Rica family
❏ Please add me to your mailing list to receive WWF travel brochures
Name ___________________________________________________________________________
Address _________________________________________________________________________
City ______________________________ State ________ Zip _________________________
WWF membership number ________________________________________________________________
(FROM
THE MAILING LABEL ON THIS ISSUE)
Our monthly travel e-newsletter highlights WWF membership trips throughout the year, including
announcements about new tours and special offers. If you would like to receive the travel
e-newsletter, please provide your email address: _______________________________________
or sign up on our website at worldwildlife.org/travel.
Return to WWF Membership Travel Program, 1250 24th St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20037-1132
8 • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2008
FOCUS
Healthy coral reef, Indo-Pacific Ocean, Indonesia.
Coral reefs are the most
biologically diverse ecosystems
in the ocean, but they are
threatened by a number of
human activities. The International Coral Reef Initiative has
designated 2008 the International Year of the Reef, and is
running a worldwide campaign
to raise awareness about the
importance of coral reefs. Visit
iyor.org for more tips on how
you can help protect these rain
forests of the sea.
Don’t touch. Sensitive coral
animals — and the other wildlife
that live on reefs — can be
bruised and killed, and stirredup sediment can choke them.
Take pictures and leave behind
only bubbles.
Buy sustainably collected
fish. If you own an aquarium,
make sure the marine ornamentals you purchase are collected
in a sustainable manner. Visit
the Marine Aquarium Council’s
website (aquariumcouncil.org)
for more information.
Avoid coral jewelry. Don’t
purchase souvenirs made from
coral or any threatened or
endangered marine species.
Go green. Even if you live
thousands of miles from a coral
reef ecosystem, avoid using
chemically enhanced pesticides
and fertilizers — they drain
into local waterways such as
streams, lakes, estuaries and
wetlands and ultimately reach
the ocean.
Conserve water. The less
water you use, the less water
runoff and wastewater will
pollute our oceans.
New Year’s
Resolutions…
❏ Spend more time with family
✗
❏ Exercise more
✗
❏ Update my will or trust!
When updating your estate plans, please consider
including WWF. With proper planning, you can:
• Make a lasting contribution to preserve
wildlife and habitat.
• Retain lifetime income to provide for
retirement, elder care, or educational expenses.
• Realize substantial tax savings.
Celebrities Say They’re ‘Hotter than They Should Be’
3
For more information, please call a WWF Gift Planning
representative toll free at 1-888-993-9455
or email [email protected].
© WWF
What do Scarlett Johansson, Rachael Ray and Orlando
Bloom have in common? Along with 13 other celebrities, they
signed WWF t-shirts that were auctioned off on eBay Giving
Works to raise money for WWF’s global climate change and
conservation initiatives.
The t-shirt auction, featured on eBay’s home page, helped
raise awareness about the causes and impacts of climate
change. To get your own ‘Hotter than I Should Be’ t-shirts,
which are creating a buzz in Hollywood and across the
country, visit worldwildlife.org/globalwarming.
© WWF-Canon/Martin Harvey
© Brandon D. Cole
Protect the World’s Coral Reefs
For membership inquiries, please call 1-800-CALL-WWF.
focus
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2008 • VOLUME 30, NUMBER 1
© Steven Morello
In conjunction with the release of the film version of the
award-winning novel The Golden Compass, WWF and
New Line Cinema have teamed up to bring attention to
the plight of polar bears — and all living creatures —
as they face the effects of global warming.
Go to worldwildlife.org/goldencompass to see all the
animal daemons featured in the film, many of which
are endangered species that WWF works to protect.
You can also view our new public service announcement
about global warming narrated by Dakota Blue Richards
who plays the role of Lyra in the film.
There are worlds beyond your own…make a difference in yours.
Coral Triangle
An Underwater Amazon
Visit worldwildlife.org/goldencompass
False clown anemonefish
© Brandon D. Cole