More than half of world's wildlife population lost: WWF

MOSCOW -- The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) released a statement Saturday following the 12th meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity, highlighting that the world has lost more than half of the planet's wildlife population.

"At a time when the world has seen the loss of more than half of the planet's wildlife populations, countries are neither moving fast enough nor doing enough to prevent further decline," the statement reads.

Species populations worldwide have declined 52 percent since 1970, with a 76 percent decline in freshwater species and a 39 and 40 percent decline in marine and terrestrial species decline respectively, according to findings revealed at the convention that was concluded on Friday in South Korea.

The findings compiled in the WWF Living Planet 2014 report also states that global freshwater demand is projected to exceed current supply by more than 40 percent by 2030.

While urging governments to "supercharge" their efforts in conserving the environment, the WWF statement noted that forest ecosystems alone contribute $720 billion to the global economy.

"The COP [convention] urges Parties to take comprehensive and urgent measures necessary to ensure the full implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and corresponding national biodiversity strategies and action plans (NBSAPs)," the statement says, adding that it urges the relevant parties to do so by October 2015.

The Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, also known as the Aichi targets, and a main theme at the convention, is a 10-year framework for action by all countries and stakeholders to save biodiversity and enhance its benefits for people, as explained on the Convention on Biological Diversity website.

Among the strategies are getting the governments and society more involved, promoting sustainable use, safeguarding ecosystems and promoting the benefits of conserving biodiversity.

The WWF, formerly the World Wildlife Fund, was founded in 1961 in Switzerland and has been active in issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment. It is the world's largest independent conservation organization with over 5 million supporters worldwide, working in more than 100 countries.

source: interaksyon.com

The Peninsula Manila and The Farm at San Benito create new wellness menu

The Peninsula Manila Hotel invites us to embrace wellness and experience the restorative powers of nature with its newly expanded 360º Wellness, Naturally, Peninsula menu, a collaborative effort between the talented culinary teams of The Peninsula and The Farm at San Benito, one of the world’s foremost health and wellness resorts, located 90 minutes away from Metro Manila.

The new menu introduces a wide variety of lighter dining fare using natural herbs and spices, together with other organic produce from reputable and sustainable sources, live and raw foods and no meat, fish, fowl, dairy, eggs, butter, cholesterol or saturated fats from animals or animal by-products.

This echoes The Peninsula Manila’s “Naturally Peninsula” cuisine philosophy that focuses on a non-clinical and holistic approach to wellness by harnessing the botanical benefits of nature.

This same philosophy is shared by the chefs of The Farm at San Benito  who have won numerous best cuisine awards, including  winning the “Spa Cuisine of the Year” two years in a row from Asia Spa Magazine. Upon the guidance of The Farm’s chefs, the Peninsula Manila’s new 360° Wellness, Naturally Peninsula menu does not use any flour, wheat, grain, sugar, canned, or anything that is processed, boxed or packaged.

Dishes under this menu are also to be cooked only with certified organic extra virgin olive oil and Absolutely No Heat Process (ANH) virgin coconut oil. Working closely with the Peninsula’s Executive Chef Richard Green and his team, both stellar kitchens have identified and incorporated local ingredients into signature dishes that will ultimately enhance a guest’s destination-inspired experience.

Guest dining in the hotel’s various dining outlets will delight not just in the surprisingly more flavorful take on health food, but also in the knowledge that they are eating ingredients that are free of toxins and harmful chemicals and at the same time helping preserve the environment.

To celebrate the new collaboration, The Farm at San Benito and The Peninsula Manila are launching a joint wellness program package, starting at approximately USD873 (PhP34,916) for two, which includes one-night accommodation at The Peninsula Manila and two-nights’ accommodation at The Farm.

Early Chowbuzz recommendations includes; the Smoked Eggplant-Szechuan dip (90 calories per tablespoon), Mushroom-nut ragout stuffed, Coconut Ravioli with cumin carrot sauce (274 calories per serving), and Penang Curry (174 calories per serving).

• The Peninsula Manila, corners of Ayala and Makati Avenues, Makati City. Tel. no. (+632) 810-3456 or (+632) 887-2888.

source: interaksyon.com

Overfishing pushes tuna stocks to the brink - experts

JEJU, South Korea - Global tuna stocks are fast reaching the limits of fishing sustainability, decimated by an absence of comprehensive, science-based catch limits, conservation experts warned Saturday.

Five of the world's eight tuna species are already classified as threatened or nearly threatened with extinction, according to the Red List of Threatened Species compiled by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

At the IUCN's World Conservation Congress currently underway in South Korea's southern Jeju Island, experts said partial quotas currently in place were inadequate and uninformed.

"The problem is, there is lack of science-based catch limits to ensure effective management and conservation," said Amanda Nickson, Director of Global Tuna Conservation at the Pew Environment Group.

The five Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) that manage the global tuna fishing industry do have some measures in place, including restricting the catch of certain species to the amount caught in a previously defined year.

They also operate "input controls" that, among other things, limit the number of fishing vessels, but Nickson argued these were ineffective as they simply provided an incentive to develop more effective fishing methods.

While acknowledging that scientific data on tuna stocks was "imperfect", Nickson said the UN Fish Stocks Agreement specifically provided for the setting of catch limits if the evidence in favour was compelling enough.

"There is sufficient science available to set precautionary limits," Nickson said.

"If we wait five, 10 years for the science to be perfect, in the case of some species we may not have anything left to manage," she added.

The Atlantic bluefin species, which can live to 40 years old and grow to more than four metres (13 feet) long, is in the gravest danger of disappearing with stocks estimated in some areas to have halved over four decades.

It is so highly prized by sushi-loving Japanese that a 269-kilogram (592-pound) fish went for a record 56.49 million yen ($737,000 at the time) in January auctions.

"The message is that some tuna species are in bad shape," said Bruce Collette, chair of the IUCN Tuna and Billfish Specialist Group.

"Long living and high value tunas are threatened by over exploitation and under regulation by the regional agencies," Collette warned.

The global tuna industry is an economic juggernaut, with fishing in the Pacific Ocean alone -- accounting for 65 percent of the global commercial catch -- worth around $5.5 billion a year.

Toshio Katsukawa, a fisheries expert from Mie University in Japan, said only urgent international cooperation could safeguard the future of the Pacific bluefin tuna.

"Immediate action is necessary" because the risk of commercial extinction is immediate, Katsukawa said.

source: interaksyon.com