[Coral-List] Even Chickens can Help Save Coral Reefs

[Austin Bowden-Kerby]

Dear Friends and colleagues,

>From the comments, a word of clarification re the "Happy Chickens for
Food Security and Environment" project is needed:  We do not support
factory farming of chickens ("sad chickens" if you will), which is in
my opinion cruel and which can result in considerable waste release
into the environment, plus reliance on expensive commercial feeds
imported to the islands.

We do promote small-scale backyard production of chickens at very low
densities (subsistence level), so that the flock is able to obtain
most of its food by forging for worms and bugs and grass around the
compound.  One or two dozen chooks per family- just enough to provide
eggs for daily use and an occasional rooster or hen for the table.
The chickens breed to produce the next generation, and so the farmers
become self sufficient early on, while becoming less dependent on reef
fisheries and bush meat to provide protein for their nutritional
needs.

Today is the last day to give through the Global Giving web portal.

Thanks again,

Austin

http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/happy-chickens-for-food-security-and-environment-1/

> Message: 5
> Date: Thu, 26 Mar 2015 10:48:53 +1200
> From: Austin Bowden-Kerby <abowdenkerby at gmail.com>
> Subject: [Coral-List] Even chickens can help save coral reefs!
> To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
>
> Please consider supporting and participating in our initiative to
> support community-based MPAs presently on Global Giving.
>
> Even chickens can help save coral reefs!
>
> Poverty and a lack of alternative protein sources is directly linked
> to overfishing, which in turn leads to coral reef decline as coral
> predators become plagues and algae overgrows the reef. Reef
> degradation in turn leads to increased levels of hunger and more
> desperate acts of destructive fishing, using poisons and explosives to
> fish. Many have said that we must address food security and poverty in
> order to break this cycle of overfishing and destruction and to
> restore coral reefs where most of them are found- in the less
> developed countries.
>
> Although very small, this project is up and running, perhaps the first
> project of its kind. We can now support community-based no-take areas
> in developing countries with "Happy Chicken" poultry projects,
> replacing the protein lost during initial project establishment as
> well as preventing increased fishing pressure on the remaining fished
> reefs.
>
> We were able to provide at cost more than five thousand chicks to poor
> Fijian farmers last year. This year Vanuatu is our intended main
> target due to the recent severe cyclone (winds gusting up to
> 320Km/hr), wiping out nearly all village chickens and damaging coral
> reefs.
>
> After the Vanuatu post-cyclone focus, we are seeking coral reef
> partnership sites in Fiji and Vanuatu and the region for 2016, if any
> want to add poultry to reinforce their sites. We would also be happy
> to assist other geographic areas with startup of your own project.
>
> For more details on our project please visit Global Giving at the link below.
> On March 27th the funding portal will close on the website, but
> donations can still be accepted by contacting Global Giving.
>
> http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/happy-chickens-for-food-security-and-environment-1/
>
> Thanks so much!
>
> Austin Bowden-Kerby, PhD
> Corals for Conservation
> abowdenkerby at gmail.com
> P.O. Box 4649 Samabula, Fiji Islands
> https://www.facebook.com/C4Conservation
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p009j6wb
>
> Sustainable Environmental Livelihoods Farm
> Km 20 Sigatoka Valley Road, Fiji Islands
> (679) 938-6437
> http://permacultureglobal.com/projects/1759-sustainable-environmental-livelihoods-farm-Fiji