[Coral-List] Even chickens can help save coral reefs!
Douglas Fenner
douglasfennertassi at gmail.com
Fri Mar 27 16:24:03 EDT 2015
Yes, but let's not forget that both population and consumption per
capita are the ultimate drivers of reef degradation. If each person
consumed huge amounts but the human population was tiny, there would be no
problem. Likewise, if each person consumed almost nothing but the
population was large, there would also be no problem. We're all in this
together, both the developed and developing countries contribute to the
problem.
I would love to see population and/or consumption be decreased quickly
to solve the problem. But the only way that population can decrease
suddenly is by mass human mortality on a scale that I certainly hope we
never have to see. That is not a viable option. Family planning is
desperately needed, and there are many who want it but can't afford it, and
unfortunately, the US has in the past cut foreign aid for family planning.
Not smart in my opinion. But the reefs will ALL be LONG dead long before
the population can be reduced by family planning, or even slowed! China's
population is still growing decades after they instituted the one-child
family, a system which goes much farther than just providing family
planning for those that want it.
We need to get real. We are NOT going to solve the coral reef crisis
by reducing the population, it is WAY WAY too slow.
As for consumption, just try asking people who have money not to spend
it on things for themselves. Ask them to live an austere life with none of
the modern conveniences. How many will do it?? Precious few. I wish that
there were more people that would be willing to simply cut back on waste,
but even that is hard to get people to do in a place like the states. I
know people who have filled their garages with stuff they bought that they
don't use. Do we think it would be fair to ask the people in developing
countries to not increase their consumption as their incomes rise?? The
population in China and India together dwarf all the presently developed
countries' population put together (over 2 billion vs. well less than 1
billion). Again, we'd better get real. We need to know what we're up
against. Total world consumption will rise both with population and the
world economy growth. Period. If you have a magic solution, more power to
you, go to it. But you're going to have to convince a significant portion
of 7 billion people to do something they don't want to do. Good luck!
I think we have to come up with other solutions, like trying to
increase efficiency and reduce waste. That doesn't hurt the amount people
have. We might somehow get people to reduce buying things they end up not
using, but if they have more money then they need for the basics, they tend
to buy more.
So targeted programs, like trying to improve the supply of other
sources of protein, are a good idea, in my view. We in the developed world
don't have to have chickens running loose all through our villages, but the
developing world does, chickens turn tiny bits of food into something
people can eat. I'm no expert on chickens, but doesn't sound like a bad
idea to me. Chickens won't save the world's reefs, but they could be one
of a zillion different strategies to try to help out. Seems like an
innovative one to me. But what do I know about chickens? (precious
little, except they are all around my house! grin.)
I would argue that our only hope to save the reefs is to work on
decreasing the proximate causes of reef degradation, only that can possibly
be changed fast enough to save them. I include in proximate causes, things
like climate change and acidification, as well as all the local impacts,
you know, the usual suspects, like sedimentation, nutrification,
overfishing, introduced species, diseases, etc, etc, etc, etc.
We need to be realistic about what simply won't work, and concentrate
on things that have at least some chance of working.
Cheers, Doug
On Fri, Mar 27, 2015 at 12:31 AM, Griffin, Dale <dgriffin at usgs.gov> wrote:
> Hear, Hear.....good points Phil....especially about the density of our
> species..that is the heart of the problem.....chickens?...what comes to my
> mind are the free roaming chickens in Key West running around
> depositing *Serratia
> marcescens* here and there......and they make good hosts for various viral
> pathogens (like influenza)...which ironically may one day impact the
> density of our species issue!
>
> "Everybody is ignorant, just on different subjects"
> Will Rogers
>
> Dale W. Griffin, Ph.D., MSPH
> Environmental/Public Health Microbiologist
> United States Geological Survey
> 600 4th Street South
> St. Petersburg, FL 33701
> Office # - 727-502-8075
> Fax # - 727-502-8001
> Cell # 850-274-3566
> email - dgriffin at usgs.gov
>
> email - dale.w.griffin at gmail.com
>
> <http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Dale_Griffin/>
>
> http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Dale_Griffin
>
> https://profile.usgs.gov/professional/mypage.php?rfs=y&name=dgriffin
>
> On Thu, Mar 26, 2015 at 9:35 AM, Phil Dustan <dustanp at cofc.edu> wrote:
>
> > Dear Listers,
> > Chickens might help alleviate hunger but do not forget what happened to
> > the ecology of the shallow waters of Great South Bay,Long Island NY or
> the
> > Chesapeake when great masses of chickens began to be farmed there. The
> same
> > goes for pigs on small islands in the Seychelles and other small island
> > nations. What we really need is a clear path towards reducing the density
> > of our species all around the planet.
> > Phil
> >
> > On Wed, Mar 25, 2015 at 6:48 PM, Austin Bowden-Kerby <
> > abowdenkerby at gmail.com
> > > wrote:
> >
> > > 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.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.globalgiving.org_projects_happy-2Dchickens-2Dfor-2Dfood-2Dsecurity-2Dand-2Denvironment-2D1_&d=AwICAg&c=7MSSWy9Bs2yocjNQzurxOQ&r=mxnjGj1-K1cYCH-JH1g-7Q&m=XxfOc4D3025i8ygeHXnv3Y-rkthBNbAHpKXBt4Ipgbg&s=i4pKLNIlvE85AWqUz59QoPAA6Pvg3hZbhFru1Vmd_LA&e=
> > >
> > > Thanks so much!
> > >
> > > Austin Bowden-Kerby, PhD
> > > Corals for Conservation
> > > abowdenkerby at gmail.com
> > > P.O. Box 4649 Samabula, Fiji Islands
> > >
> > >
> >
> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.facebook.com_C4Conservation&d=AwICAg&c=7MSSWy9Bs2yocjNQzurxOQ&r=mxnjGj1-K1cYCH-JH1g-7Q&m=XxfOc4D3025i8ygeHXnv3Y-rkthBNbAHpKXBt4Ipgbg&s=yFlIfJtVfkUBTLxxS1lXX8xch094NHPfQ3OPN-o5T0Q&e=
> > >
> > >
> >
> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.bbc.co.uk_programmes_p009j6wb&d=AwICAg&c=7MSSWy9Bs2yocjNQzurxOQ&r=mxnjGj1-K1cYCH-JH1g-7Q&m=XxfOc4D3025i8ygeHXnv3Y-rkthBNbAHpKXBt4Ipgbg&s=wqpCGCUAW1vMyKvxxNIAKJ431dRUafl63ta_0m8LMPQ&e=
> > >
> > > Sustainable Environmental Livelihoods Farm
> > > Km 20 Sigatoka Valley Road, Fiji Islands
> > > (679) 938-6437
> > >
> > >
> >
> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__permacultureglobal.com_projects_1759-2Dsustainable-2Denvironmental-2Dlivelihoods-2Dfarm-2DFiji&d=AwICAg&c=7MSSWy9Bs2yocjNQzurxOQ&r=mxnjGj1-K1cYCH-JH1g-7Q&m=XxfOc4D3025i8ygeHXnv3Y-rkthBNbAHpKXBt4Ipgbg&s=XmxTP3MWuu-LCoYSVoeCnPp4FXjeVtiDNf3IBrcnQNk&e=
> > > _______________________________________________
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> > >
> > >
> >
> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__coral.aoml.noaa.gov_mailman_listinfo_coral-2Dlist&d=AwICAg&c=7MSSWy9Bs2yocjNQzurxOQ&r=mxnjGj1-K1cYCH-JH1g-7Q&m=XxfOc4D3025i8ygeHXnv3Y-rkthBNbAHpKXBt4Ipgbg&s=GVyQaN9J8anG5LRE7MsyAvJXfIoncECHnwDDKacdR68&e=
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Phillip Dustan
> > Department of Biology
> > College of Charleston
> > Charleston SC 20401
> > Charleston SC
> > 843 953 8086 (voice)
> > 843-224-3321 (m)
> >
> > "When we try to pick out anything by itself
> > we find that it is bound fast by a thousand invisible cords
> > that cannot be broken, to everything in the universe. "
> > * John Muir 1869*
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--
Douglas Fenner
Contractor with Ocean Associates, Inc.
PO Box 7390
Pago Pago, American Samoa 96799 USA
phone 1 684 622-7084
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