WWF Partners With Anova On Sustainable Seafood In The Coral Triangle

WASHINGTON, DC, January 19, 2009 – Today, the ANOVA Food Group alliance of companies joined other business leaders and NGOs participating in the Coral Triangle Business Summit to illustrate the benefits of seafood sustainability efforts and expand business partnerships across the region.  ANOVA has been partnering with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) for the past two years on a joint venture called the Fishing and Living Program™ that includes efforts to reduce bycatch and achieve Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification for the tuna, snapper and grouper fisheries in Indonesia.

“Business partnerships like the Fishing and Living Program with ANOVA, are setting benchmarks for the industry and promoting the need for not only sustainable fisheries but, the socioeconomic welfare of the fishers, their families and the fishing community,” said Kate Newman, managing director of WWF’s Coral Triangle program.  “The Coral Triangle Business Summit is an attempt to expand these types of efforts and illustrate the many benefits they have for this critical marine environment and the people who depend on it for their livelihoods.”

Covering only 2% of the world’s ocean, the Coral Triangle contains 76% of all known coral species. It is also brimming with an extraordinary variety of fish due to this high coral diversity. Over 120 million people directly depend on the bounty of these seas for their food and income. The value of fisheries, tourism and shoreline protection from coral reefs, mangroves and associated habitats is estimated at US$2.3 billion annually. This area also supports the largest tuna fisheries in the world, which generate billions of dollars in global income every year.

ANOVA Food, Inc. began working with WWF and others three years ago to work toward sustainability of a large portion of its capture fisheries species within five years.  The company also set a goal for 30 percent of its production to come from farmed raised species within five years.

"We fully support the Coral Triangle Initiative in their conservation efforts. It is part of our core values to drive the industry to more sustainable fishing methods to protect the longevity of the species and provide an improved quality of life for the local fishing communities," said Doug Brinsmade, President of ANOVA Foods, Inc.
The Fishing and Living Program™ focuses on fisheries for tuna in Indonesia from which the majority of ANOVA’s tuna supply is sourced  The program is designed to achieve two main objectives, including the sustainable harvest of tuna with reduced bycatch and the advancement of the socioeconomic welfare of the fisherman and their families.

At the Coral Triangle Business Summit, policymakers from the Asia Pacific region are meeting with leaders from the communications, seafood, travel, finance and oil and gas industries to discuss the role of the private sector in protecting the Coral Triangle.

The Summit is being hosted by Philippine President Gloria Macapagal­ Arroyo in collaboration with WWF and will be aimed at establishing new partnerships between the private sector, policy makers and organizations interested in sustainable business opportunities.

The Coral Triangle is scientifically described as the area of ocean bounded by the countries of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands and Timor Leste.

The region is considered the most important marine environment on the planet but is under serious threat from over­exploitation, environmental degradation, poverty, and the global economic recession ­ all compounded by severe climate change ­ making a compelling case for sustainable investment and business in the Coral Triangle.

ABOUT WORLD WILDLIFE FUND
WWF is the world’s leading conservation organization, working in 100 countries for nearly half a century. With the support of almost 5 million members worldwide, WWF is dedicated to delivering science-based solutions to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth, halt the degradation of the environment and combat climate change. Visit www.worldwildlife.org  to learn more.

 

Release: Private sector outlines plan to protect Coral Triangle.

Seafood, travel and tourism operators in the Coral Triangle today drafted a set of industry statements outlining a shared intention to reduce the impact of their businesses on the world´s most important marine region.

More than 160 delegates gathered this week in the Philippine capital Manila for the Coral Triangle Business Summit to reach agreements on how their industries could contribute to the protection of the Coral Triangle and the 120 million livelihoods that depend on its marine resources.

Participants included leaders from tuna and live reef fish businesses, airlines and resort owners, as well as government ministers and officials, and non-government organizations.

In the seafood sector, fishing operators and buyers agreed to address the problem of overcapacity and overfishing through a number of measures including:

1. Ensuring that fish are not sourced from illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) operations;
2. Implementing catch and trade documentation schemes to ensure traceability;
3. The use of third party certification schemes such as MSC to promote sustainability;
4. Reducing bycatch (including juvenile fish) through adopting bycatch appropriate technology and techniques; and
5. The promotion of low carbon fish production methods and trade practices.

Martin Brugman, president of global seafood supplier Culimer B.V said one of the issues discussed was how adding value to fish could help operators to better address the problem of overfishing.

"Ultra-low temperature production of tuna for example allows for better quality fish when it´s landed and helps fishermen get by taking less fish from the oceans but making more dollars," said Mr Brugman.

Cebu Air used the summit to significantly extend its program to help protect Apo Reef in the Philippines. ´Bright skies for Juan´ is an initiative that allows consumers to donate money with each flight to a WWF climate change adaptation program to protect the Philippines´ largest coral reef.

Head of WWF´s Coral Triangle Program Dr Lida Pet Soede said the summit had been a huge success and had laid some strong foundations for greater participation of the private sector in the protection of the Coral Triangle.

"This first ever Coral Triangle Business Summit has been a great success and the private sector has shown it is willing to take greater responsibility for the millions of livelihoods that depend on the health of the marine environment in this part of the world," Dr Pet Soede said.

The Summit was organized by the Philippine Department of Agriculture and the Philippine Department of the Environment and Natural Resources in collaboration with WWF and with the support of USAID.

For more information:
Charlie Stevens, WWF Coral Triangle Media Office, +61 424 649 689
Paolo Mangahas, WWF Coral Triangle Programme, +63 9293600121
Gregg Yan, Media Manager WWF Philippines, +63 2 920 7923/26/31


For broadcast quality footage and high res images go to
http://www.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we_work/coraltriangle/coraltriangle_news/events/coral_triangle_initiative_business_summit/

For more information:
Charlie Stevens, WWF Coral Triangle Media Office, +61 424 649 689, cstevens@wwf.org.au
Keith Symington, WWF Coral Triangle Bycatch Strategy Leader, +84 913248853 keith.symington@wwfgreatermekong.org

Editors note:

• The Coral Triangle is the most diverse marine region on the planet, matched in its importance to life on Earth only by the Amazon rainforest and the Congo basin. Defined by marine areas containing more than 500 species of reef-building coral, it covers 5.4 million square kilometres of ocean across six countries in the Indo-Pacific ­ Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste.
• The Coral Triangle also directly sustains the lives of nearly 130 million people and contains key spawning and nursery grounds for tuna, while healthy reef and coastal systems underpin a growing tourism sector. WWF is working with other NGOs, multilateral agencies and governments around the world to support conservation efforts in the Coral Triangle for the benefit of all.
• For information on the Coral Triangle go to: www.panda.org/coraltriangle

 

Coral Triangle Business Summit opens this week

Manila, Philippines ­ Business and policy leaders from across Asia and the Pacific are gathering in Manila this week to identify opportunities for more sustainable growth in the world´s most diverse marine environment.

The Coral Triangle Business Summit opens on Tuesday, January 19 and will attract representatives from more than 100 businesses as well as non-government and international development organizations.

Organized by the Philippine Government and WWF, with the assistance of USAID, the Summit will be held on January 19 and 20 and will outline pathways and networking opportunities for key sectors in the Coral Triangle interested in reducing their ecological footprint.

It will also provide a platform for financial support and investment for businesses willing to commit to sustainability and green growth.

"There is a growing demand for seafood and other marine products from this region, as well as increased tourism, coastal development and oil and gas interests, all driven by exploding population growth and increasing affluence," said Head of WWF Coral Triangle Programme Dr Lida Pet Soede.

"Business leaders therefore have a central role to play in the protection and on-going management of this unique and important marine environment."

"Thankfully there are emerging opportunities for businesses willing to operate more responsibly, and growing demands from consumers for greener products. This summit will help businesses leaders identify what some of those opportunities are."

The Coral Triangle is scientifically defined as the marine region encompassing Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste.

Covering just one per cent of the earth´s surface, the Coral Triangle includes 30 per cent of the world´s coral reefs, 76 per cent of its reef building coral species as well as vital spawning grounds for tuna.

The region sustains the lives of more than 120 million people, along with thousands of small and medium businesses that heavily rely on healthy marine environments and resources.

But the Coral Triangle´s marine environments are threatened by over-exploitation and environmental degradation, compounded by population pressures and severe climate change.

According to a WWF report coral reefs could disappear from the Coral Triangle by the end of the century and the ability of the region´s coastal environments to feed people could decline by 80 per cent if no effective action is taken.

For more information:
Charlie Stevens, WWF Coral Triangle Media Office, +61 424 649 689
Paolo Mangahas, WWF Coral Triangle Communications Manager, +63 9293600121

 

Thousands of marine turtles saved from tuna hooks in the Coral Triangle

Thousands of endangered marine turtles have been saved over the past year in the region known as the Coral Triangle due to a new program aimed at reducing bycatch in longline tuna fisheries, according to a review released by WWF today.

The program to introduce circle hooks in longline fleets and train fishermen in sea turtle recovery methods has reduced the number of sea turtles caught by up to 80%, translating into thousands of individual turtles saved from almost certain mortality, according to a review of the 2009 program. The new circle hooks are much less likely to be swallowed by turtles than traditional J-shaped hooks, which cause suffocation or internal bleeding when swallowed. Circle hooks are also easier to unhook from a snagged animal.

"We are extremely pleased with the response from fishing companies in the Coral Triangle region, many of which have shown great support for the circle hook and turtle recovery program," said WWF´s Coral Triangle Byctach Strategy Leader Keith Symington.

"This really represents a growing global demand for more sustainably sourced seafood and a growing awareness of the pressures on marine environments."

In Indonesia last year, the bycatch reduction program saw more than 40,000 new circle hooks distributed over the past year, which equips roughly 40 longline vessels for an entire year. This translates into thousands of sea turtles saved from hooking during the fishing season. Additionally, on-board observers and de-hooking programs by WWF in cooperation with the Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs released a total of 115 sea turtles captured by tuna longliners back into the sea.

Gusti Putu Suwindra, Operational Manager for Bali-based tuna brokers Sari Segara Utama, said the company´s fishing boats were catching far fewer sea turtles since the company moved to circle hooks.

"There were a lot of turtles before, many were hooked. Now there are no turtles coming in, the boats scarcely catch turtles, only one or two. Before we caught at least ten turtles a month," he said. Companies that now have plans to source circle hook caught tuna from the Coral Triangle include global seafood supplier Culimer BV and US seafood company Anova Food. Anova has been working in direct partnership with WWF Indonesia in outfitting vessels with circle hooks and working with local fishermen and processors to ensure a supply of tuna harvested in a more responsible manner.

Bas Zaunbrecher, Southeast Asia Representative for Anova Food said: "We are very pleased to have WWF as our partner in the process towards sustainable fishing, including circle hook and observer program trials with tuna longline vessels in order to minimize by-catch of sea turtles." Culimer Direcetor Martin Brugman said the company was aiming to create a ´critical mass´ of circle hook users.

"Culimer believes that improved seafood quality and extra value to fishers is critically linked to more sustainable fishing practices. That is why we directly support programs for implementing circle hooks and on-board observer programs."

Leaders from the seafood, communications, travel, finance and oil and gas industries will come together with Asia Pacific policy makers next week, in Manila on January 19 and 20, to establish new partnerships between the private sector, policy makers and organisations interested in sustainable business opportunities.

Bolstered by the positive conservation results of its growing partnerships with the seafood industry, WWF will be seeking further commitments from industry leaders to put fisheries on a more sustainable path, including reducing their bycatch. The Coral Triangle Business Summit will be hosted by Philippine President Gloria Macapagal­ Arroyo in collaboration with WWF.

For more information:
Charlie Stevens, WWF Coral Triangle Media Office, +61 424 649 689, cstevens@wwf.org.au
Keith Symington, WWF Coral Triangle Bycatch Strategy Leader, +84 913248853 keith.symington@wwfgreatermekong.org
For broadcast quality footage and high ­ res images go to
http://www.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we_work/coraltriangle/coraltriangle_news/event s/coral_triangle_initiative_business_summit/

Editors note:

• The Coral Triangle is the most diverse marine region on the planet, matched in its importance to life on Earth only by the Amazon rainforest and the Congo basin. Defined by marine areas containing more than 500 species of reef-building coral, it covers 5.4 million square kilometres of ocean across six countries in the Indo-Pacific ­ Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor­Leste.
• The Coral Triangle also directly sustains the lives of nearly 130 million people and contains key spawning and nursery grounds for tuna, while healthy reef and coastal systems underpin a growing tourism sector. WWF is working with other NGOs, multilateral agencies and governments around the world to support conservation efforts in the Coral Triangle for the benefit of all.
• For information on the Coral Triangle go to: www.panda.org/coraltriangle

 

Avoiding business as usual in the Coral Triangle

By WWF Director General James P. Leape and Philippine Agriculture Secretary Arthur C. Yap

This week´s Coral Triangle Business Summit will see leaders from seafood, marketing, tourism, and travel industries engaging with representatives of the finance sector and government policy makers to forge new partnerships in the planet´s most important marine environment.

The summit comes at a time when there has never been more at stake for coastal communities and environments in the Coral Triangle ­ a region covering the marine areas of the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Timor Leste.

Running on Tuesday and Wednesday in Manila, it will focus on sustainable growth and bring together business leaders and policy makers from across the region.

The Coral Triangle contains 75 per cent of the world´s known coral species, one third of the world´s coral reef area and more than 3,000 species of fish, and its abundant marine life supports the livelihoods of more than 150 million people.

But the Coral Triangle is under threat. Under the current climate change path, and with the current rate of over-exploitation of marine resources, there will be 50 per cent less protein available from the sea by 2050, and 80 per cent less by the end of the century.

This represents a major food security threat for coastal communities in the Coral Triangle, to say nothing of the economic fallout on the millions of businesses that once relied on healthy marine environments across the region.

This looming threat to the region´s ongoing food security and economic prosperity inspired a historic demonstration of political will by the leaders of all six Coral Triangle nations at the World Ocean Conference in Manado, Indonesia in May this year.

The six heads of state stood together and committed to a plan of action to save the region´s marine environments by increasing protection for its natural wonders and reducing pressures on its marine environments.

The resulting Manado Ocean Declaration stressed the need for national strategies for the sustainable management of coastal and marine ecosystems, in particular those with significant potential for addressing the adverse effects of climate change such as mangroves, coral reefs and other natural features that buffer communities from extreme weather events.

As impressive and unprecedented as this declaration was, it can only bear fruit if it is matched with a similar level of commitment from the private sector.

Seafood businesses and fishing operators, tourism companies, airlines, oil and gas companies all exploit the Coral Triangle´s abundant marine resources for their businesses. With rapidly expanding populations, economic growth and the pressures of international trade, these businesses are competing more and more for fewer resources.

Cooperation for the sake of sustainable growth therefore makes more business sense now than ever before.

There are growing legislative, social and market pressures on the corporate world to take greater responsibility for environmental performances, at all stages of the supply chain from the sourcing of raw product to final retail.

Responses to these growing pressures have seen the rapid adoption of global environmental standards and management practices, including in the Asia Pacific region.

Many of the world´s biggest corporations are based in the countries with the most stringent requirements, and businesses in Asia and the Pacific will be increasingly obliged to comply with the demands of these multi-national corporations. Recently US seafood company Anova Food and global seafood supplier Culimer BV have expressed their plans to source tuna caught with circle hooks, which reduce the unwanted bycatch of sea turtles by up to 90 per cent.

In 2006, the world´s largest retailer, Walmart, pledged that within three to five years it would source all fresh and frozen wild caught seafood from MSC- certified fisheries. Walmart has 1.6 million employees, over 6,000 stores and roughly 60,000 suppliers worldwide. As one of the largest sellers of seafood in the US, and by accessing 57 percent of seafood imports originating from Asia, Walmart has a significant influence over its suppliers globally.

Certification programs are also valuable business assets in the tourism sector, where such programs reward operations that exhibit best practices and help differentiate them from those that are less environmentally sound. They also provide consumers with a way to identify the kinds of tourism businesses they wish to support.

By taking early action to source only responsibly managed resources, and by effectively marketing these endeavors, companies can achieve a business advantage in increasingly sophisticated and environmentally aware global and domestic markets.

Without measures to implement best practice environmental management, businesses risk losing market share, access to capital, and the goodwill needed to operate profitably.

Businesses that grow at the expense of the environment are becoming a thing of the past. The Coral Triangle Initiative ushers in a new approach to conservation in the region where the private sector has a vital role in being part of the solution.

How the business world decides to act now will determine whether we are able to lay the pathway to a safer future in which the Coral Triangle can continue to support millions of people living on the coast, and remain the world´s most important marine environment.

 

New opportunities for green tourism in the Coral Triangle: Report

Tourism businesses in the region known as the Coral Triangle must implement best practice environmental management to take advantage of growing green business opportunities, according to a new report by WWF.

The report comes ahead of a major international business summit this week hosted by Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo aimed at establishing new partnerships between the private sector, policy makers and organizations interested in sustainable growth.

The report says tourism businesses risk losing out in the increasingly sophisticated and environmentally aware markets of North America, Europe, Japan and increasingly the rest of Asia ­ including the emerging markets of China and India ­ unless they can market their green credentials. "The promotion of socially and environmentally sound tourism, especially in areas of high natural beauty, offers numerous opportunities to be more competitive in this rapidly growing global market," said the head of WWF´s Coral Triangle Programme Dr Lida Pet-Soede.

"Environmentally and socially concerned travellers are looking for evidence of sustainable policies and practices and rely heavily on green certification schemes, for example, to provide reassurance."

The report identifies growing legislative, social and market pressures on the corporate world to take greater responsibility for its environmental performance, at all stages of the supply chain from the sourcing of raw product to final retail.

It says responses to these growing pressures have seen the rapid adoption of global environmental standards and management practices, including in the Asia Pacific region. There are over 2,000 multilateral and regional environment agreements, many of which impose binding obligations on signatories that are often translated into legislation regarding the environmental impacts and procedures of corporations.

The Coral Triangle is scientifically described as the area of ocean bounded by the countries of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Solomon Islands and Timor Leste. It contains 75 per cent of the world´s known coral species, one third of the world´s coral reef area and more than 3,000 species of fish, and is considered the most iconic marine environment on the planet.

With its abundant beaches, coral reefs and idyllic coastal settings tourism is a major component of the economy of most Coral Triangle countries.

"Many of the world´s biggest corporations are of course based in the countries with the most stringent requirements, and businesses in Asia and the Pacific will be required to comply with the increasingly stringent requirements of these multi-national corporations operating in OECD countries," Dr Pet Soede said.

"Tourism companies in the Coral Triangle region cannot afford to ignore these pressures, and many will be forced to change or disappear if they cannot meet these new expectations," she said. "However this is also good news for progressive companies that see opportunity from increasing environmental investment coming into the region as well as the growing demand for environmentally friendly goods and services."


For more information: Charlie Stevens, WWF Coral Triangle Programme Media Office, +61 424 649 689,
cstevens@wwf.org.au
Paolo Mangahas, WWF Communications Manager, Coral Triangle Programme, +63
9293600121

Gregg Yann, Media Manager WWF Philippines, +63 2 920 7923/26/31
Images and broadcast quality footage available at
http://www.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we_work/coraltriangle/coraltriangle_news/events/coral_triangle_initiative_business_summit/

Editors note:

• The Coral Triangle is the most diverse marine region on the planet, matched in its importance to life on Earth only by the Amazon rainforest and the Congo basin. Defined by marine areas containing more than 500 species of reef­building coral, it covers 5.4 million square kilometres of ocean across six countries in the Indo­Pacific ­ Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor­Leste.
• The Coral Triangle also directly sustains the lives of nearly 130 million people and contains key spawning and nursery grounds for tuna, while healthy reef and coastal systems underpin a growing tourism sector. WWF is working with other NGOs, multilateral agencies and governments around the world to support conservation efforts in the Coral Triangle for the benefit of all.
• For information on the Coral Triangle go to: www.panda.org/coraltriangle

 

Copenhagen Oceans Day highlights need for business support in Coral Triangle

Businesses in the Coral Triangle must support national strategies to protect underwater environments or risk losing the precious marine resources that underpin the region’s economies, WWF said today at the close of Oceans Day at Copenhagen.

Oceans Day provided an opportunity for Parties and Observer States, as well as non-government organisations and the general public, to address the implications of the emerging Copenhagen agreement for oceans, coasts, and coastal communities around the globe.

It highlighted the direct link between climate change, the health of the oceans and human wellbeing, as well as the need for the private sector to support bold adaptation actions that will minimise climate change impacts on coastal communities and marine resources.

“Nowhere is the need for global action on climate change more obvious than in the Coral Triangle, where more than 100 million people depend on the health of the sea for their income and sustenance,” said the head of WWF’s Coral Triangle Programme Dr Lida Pet-Soede.

“This is a part of the world where we have strong political will to protect underwater environments and coastal communities but this can only bear fruit with the support of hundreds of seafood businesses and fishing operators, tourism companies, airlines, and other enterprises that rely the region’s marine resources for their business.”

The Coral Triangle is scientifically described as a region covering the marine areas of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Timor Leste.

All six Coral Triangle governments committed to a plan of action at the World Ocean Conference to ensure the sustainability of their shared coastal and marine resources, and to take their concerns to the world stage at Copenhagen.

A report launched by WWF at the World Ocean Conference earlier this year found that in the Coral Triangle under the current climate change path there would be 50 per cent less protein available from the sea by 2050 and 80 per cent less by the end of the century.

Business leaders in the Coral Triangle will come together with Asia Pacific policy makers next month in Manila on January 19 and 20 to discuss the role of the private sector in protecting marine environments in the Coral Triangle.

The Coral Triangle Business Summit will be hosted by Philippines President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in collaboration with WWF and will be aimed at establishing new partnerships between the private sector, policy makers and organisations interested in sustainable business opportunities.

 

Indonesia fights against illegal fishing in the Coral Triangle

Indonesian ports will soon be closed to pirate fishing vessels after the nation signed the world’s first legally-binding international treaty to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Indonesia, along with 10 other members of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) signed the treaty immediately following its approval by the FAO governing conference in Rome last week.

“WWF welcomes this significant move by the Indonesian government to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, which damages economies, the health of oceans, and  the livelihoods of millions of people in the Coral Triangle,” said Dr. Lida Pet-Soede, Head of the WWF Coral Triangle Programme.

“As trade regulations worldwide call for better-managed fisheries, this treaty opens the door for the fishing industry to address the growing demand for sustainable fisheries products, which is a major tenet of the upcoming Coral Triangle Initiative Business Summit in Manila in January 2010.”

The Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing is set to enter into force once 25 countries have ratified it.

By signing on to the treaty, governments commit themselves to take steps to guard their ports against vessels engaged in IUU fishing, thus preventing illegally-sourced fish from entering international markets.

IUU fishing activities include operating without proper authorization, catching protected species, using banned fishing gear, and disregarding catch quotas.

Port state measures are considered more efficient ways of combating IUU fishing than tackling the issue at sea, which can be difficult to implement and expensive for developing countries, given the vast ocean areas that need to be policed and the costly technology required.

“As more and more countries tighten the noose around IUU fishing, we can only hope for better-managed fisheries, improved fish stocks, and more access to sustainable seafood products in the years to come,” added Dr. Lida Pet-Soede.

The Coral Triangle Initiative Business Summit in January will bring together fishing, tourism and other private enterprises with government policy advisors and non-government organizations to discuss ways of reducing the impact of commercial activity in the region known as the Nursery of the Seas.

Covering just one per cent of the earth’s surface, the Coral Triangle includes 30 per cent of the world’s coral reefs, 76 per cent of its reef building coral species and more than 35 per cent of its coral reef fish species as well as vital spawning grounds for other economically important fish such as tuna.  It sustains the lives of more than 100 million people.


Notes to the Editor:

• The Coral Triangle-the nursery of the seas-is the most diverse marine region on the planet, matched in its importance to life on Earth only by the Amazon rainforest and the Congo basin. Defined by marine areas containing more than 500 species of reef-building coral, it covers around 6 million square kilometres of ocean across six countries in the Indo-Pacific - Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste.
   
• It is home to 3,000 species of reef fish and commercially-valuable species such as tuna, whales, dolphins, rays, sharks, and 6 of the 7 known species of marine turtles.
   
• The Coral Triangle also directly sustains the lives of more than 120 million people and contains key spawning and nursery grounds for tuna, while healthy reef and coastal systems underpin a growing tourism sector. WWF is working with other NGOs, multilateral agencies and governments around the world to support conservation efforts in the Coral Triangle for the benefit of all.
   
• For information on Coral Triangle go to: www.panda.org/coraltriangle
   
• For information on the Coral Triangle Initiative Business Summit go to: www.ctibusinesssummit.net

 

Coral Triangle summit to focus on business opportunities, environment protection

Business and policy leaders will get together in Manila next year to debate how to protect the Coral Triangle, the world’s most diverse marine environment.

The summit, organized by the Philippine Government and WWF will be held on January 18 to 21, 2010 and outline business opportunities for key sectors operating in the region encompassing Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste.

It will also provide a platform for financial support and investment for businesses willing to commit to sustainability and green growth.

Covering just one per cent of the earth’s surface, the Coral Triangle includes 30 per cent of the world’s coral reefs, 76 per cent of its reef building coral species as well as vital spawning grounds for tuna.

The region sustains the lives of more than 120 million people, along with thousands of small and medium businesses that heavily rely on healthy marine environments and resources.

But the Coral Triangle is under threat from over-exploitation, environmental degradation, poverty, and global economic recession – all compounded by severe climate change.

"By inviting sectors that rely on a healthy marine environment in the Coral Triangle, as well as the tourism, communications, and investment sectors, this Business Summit will contribute to the pursuit of sustainable business development and investment," said Manuel Gerochi, Philippine Undersecretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

The Business Summit will place special emphasis on the growing demand for 'green' products globally, which can drive sustainability in supply chains within the Coral Triangle.

There will also be opportunities for regional and national financial institutions and investors to explore emerging investment opportunities, and to network and forge partnerships with companies that are dependent on the Coral Triangle's natural resources.

“This event will make a compelling case for sustainable investment and business in the Coral Triangle” said Dr Lida Pet-Soede, WWF Coral Triangle Programme Leader.

“Putting new economic growth on a sustainable path requires courage, innovation, partnership and, not the least, access to credit, finance and investment, which are often major barriers to progress. Through this summit, we hope to find a way to bridge this gap” added Pet-Soede.

According to a WWF report coral reefs will disappear from the Coral Triangle by the end of the century and the ability of the region’s coastal environments to feed people will decline by 80 per cent if no effective action is taken.

This event follows the CTI Leaders Summit in Indonesia in May 2009, where the six Heads of State of the Coral Triangle states committed to ambitious conservation and development targets across the region through a Regional Plan of Action, a large part of which requires meaningful engagement from the private sector.

WWF supports the CTI by providing targeted support for issues related to climate change, fisheries, tourism and marine protected areas through its Coral Triangle Programme.

"The Coral Triangle Business Summit is intended to help businesses reap market rewards through responsible stewardship of the marine environment. The threat of climate change and the growing consumer demand for 'green' products point to one need -- improved management of the Coral Triangle," said Dr Lida Pet-Soede.

http://www.panda.org/about_our_earth/blue_planet/news/?uNewsID=178122

WWF tops list of NGOs that are best for business
support- survey

WWF tops list of NGOs that are best for business support Survey finds top CSR managers are planning to increase links with environmental NGOs

Tom Young, BusinessGreen, 19 Nov 2009 WWF and Forum For The Future lead the growing numbers of NGOs advising top UK firms on environmental issues, according to a new report from industry analyst Verdantix.

The report placed WWF as the top NGO for business advice, hailing its breadth of resources and its practice of using strict environmental criteria to only work with selected firms - a move that ensures its credibility as a
green charity is not tarnished.

Forum For The Future took the silver medal, with the report arguing that it boasts a strong awareness of the realities of running a business, and as a result provides businesses with commercially and financially viable advice.

A number of NGOs were also praised by the report for offering strong specialist advice, with the Carbon Disclosure Project singled out for its guidance on carbon management, the Green Alliance highlighted as one of the best sources of policy advice, Tomorrow's Company hailed for its best practice sharing, and Fauna & Flora International and the Forest Stewardship Council recommended for advice on bio-diversity and forestry issues respectively.

The study found that 50 per cent more CSR directors plan to work with an NGO on water scarcity in 2010 compared with 2009, while 57 per cent of respondents intend to launch NGO-related activities on climate change adaptation in 2010 compared to just 40 per cent in 2009.

Report author Rodolphe d'Arjuzon said NGOs could expect to see increased demand from businesses in a number of new areas from next year, with "running a sustainable business, water management and climate change adaptation topping the list".

The study evaluated offerings from 12 environmental NGOs and interviewed 30 CSR directors at FTSE 100 companies. They said the primary business benefit from working with NGOs is their ability to validate and challenge sustainability strategies.

Respondents also warned that while having an understanding of business is important, NGOs should not dilute their value to businesses by stifling criticism or working too closely with firms.

"They must not get seduced into believing they must always be aligned with business, and should maintain a carrot and stick approach," observed one CSR officer at a major retailer.

http://www.businessgreen.com/business-green/news/2253599/wwf-tops-list-ngos-helpful 

The Coral Triangle - Nursery of the Seas

In a vast, turquoise-blue corner of this Earth, the forces of nature have crafted a truly amazing underwater tapestry of corals. This is the Coral Triangle - 'nursery of the seas'.