Coral Reef Conference Oct 9-11, Washington, D.C.

Anthony J. Hooten Environmental_Services at compuserve.com
Tue Sep 30 00:06:23 EDT 1997


Dear Coral Listers:

The Environment Family of the World Bank, in cooperation with International
Center for Living Aquatic Resources Management (ICLARM), the International
Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI), the Smithsonian Institution, the World
Conservation Union (IUCN), and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
(GBRMPA) will hold a three day Conference on coral reefs associated with
the Fifth Annual World Bank Conference on Environmentally and Socially
Sustainable Development, and the 1997 International Year of the Reef.  The
Conference is dedicated to the memory of Captain Jacques Yves Cousteau, 
and  will be held at the World Bank Headquarters in Washington, D.C. on
October 9, 10 and 11, 1997.  An exhibit accompanying the conference will
take place in the Main Complex Atrium and will be on display October 6. It
will include videos and interactive computer models, photographs
exemplifying sustainable and non-sustainable use of  coral reef ecosystems.
The World Bank will publish the proceedings of the Conference and may also
organize a press Conference to discuss the Conference conclusions and
recommendations. 

The goal of the Conference is to apprise World Bank staff, other
development professionals, environmental journalists, and the general
public of key issues associated with coral reefs, their degradation,
sustainable use options, and conservation. The Conference will provide a
framework for discussion of follow-up actions in areas such as sustainable
marine enterprise, consumer education and marketing, policy and regulatory
frameworks, and examine regional and local strategies to combat coral reef
degradation. The Conference will also provide a forum to help set an agenda
for the International Tropical Marine Ecosystems Management Symposium
(ITMEMS), a  quadrennial event to be launched in Australia in 1998.

The Conference is structured around plenary and working group sessions. The
working groups will focus on the themes discussed in the plenary sessions,
taking into account regional priorities identified in earlier ICRI Regional
Workshops. In the plenary sessions, participants will focus on the
following selected themes: 

      1. Reef Destructive Practices (e.g., dynamite and cyanide fishing;
coral mining), vs. Opportunities for Sustainable Reef-based Mariculture
(e.g., sustainable production in situ, community-based production) and
Low-Impact Extraction (alternative fishing methods/product substitution) 

      2. Illegal and Unsustainable Trade in Reef Products (e.g., in the
live food fish, aquarium and ornamentals trade) vs. Certified Trade and
Sustainable Bioprospecting 

      3. Marine Protected Areas (especially when underrepresented and
inadequately managed) vs. Self-financed Marine Management Areas (e.g.,
through sustainable marine eco-tourism, fisheries stock enhancement, and
options for income-generating activities) 

      4. Marine Information Management and Environmental Education (for
example, the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network, Reef Check and
electronic databases such as ReefBase, FishBase, CoralBase; role of the
civil society in information dissemination and public awareness) 

      5. Economic Valuation of Coral Reefs (this session will provide an
overview of analytical tools for strategic decision-making, such as
application of cost-benefit analysis and valuation methods for coral reefs)


Recognized scientists and practitioners from the field will present
overview papers introducing each of the themes.  Speakers, panelists and
invitees come from a wide range of interest groups to ensure as broad a
coverage of the issues as possible.

Public participation is welcome; however, registration is required.  You
can register for this conference on-line at
http://www-esd.worldbank.org/coralreef97/registration.shtml. 

For more information on the Conference, including the Conference Agenda and
list of invited panelists, please refer to: 

http://www-esd.worldbank.org/coralreef97/home.shtml

Questions can be e-mailed to Marea Hatziolos at Mhatziolos at Worldbank.org,
Martin Fodor at MFodor at Worldbank.org or Andy Hooten at either
AHooten at Worldbank.org or Environmental_Services at Compuserve.com.


Andy Hooten
AJH, Environmental Services
4005 Glenridge Street
Kensington, MD 20895-3708
301-942-8839 (V/F)
Environmental_Services at Compuserve.com.



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