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Tuléar, Madagascar – An unprecedented combination of climate change and increasing human pressures could have a devastating effect on coral reefs in the near shore areas of Southern Madagascar.

A study commissioned by WWF modeled current threats to the coral reef system to determine its future vulnerability to climate change.

The Tuléar reef is the third largest in the world, and one of only five large continuous reef systems in the world.

The reef ecosystem houses an extreme abundance of different marine species including nearly 400 fish species and over 300 coral species. Whales and dolphins pass through the reef system and marine turtles graze on the reefs and nest on the surrounding beaches. The blue spotted bamboo shark, which is endemic to Madagascar, is another species that might suffer when temperatures rise and fish stock dwindles.

People who depend on fishery on their livelihood, the majority of the region’s population, would also suffer severely.

“A destruction of the reef would leave tens of thousands of people in jeopardy, with severe impact on their main source of income or adequate food supplies,” said Gaëtan Tovondrainy, head of the marine project with WWF Tuléar.

“With increasing global temperatures, the corals within Tuléar reef could succumb to massive bleaching events and become infested with green algae. The latter would smother the coral and therefore reduce feeding opportunities for fish. “

According to the study the Tuléar reef ecosystem is one of the most vulnerable sites in the western Indian Ocean. While some of the reefs around the smaller islands are in good conditions, others near estuaries are degraded from the sediments caused by deforestation upstream. These human pressures act to make the reefs more vulnerable to the threats of climate change.

The global phenomenon of coral bleaching in 1998 primarily affected the reefs in the northern part of the region such as the Seychelles and Comoros. But nowadays climate change affects other reefs as well.

“Increased bleaching of corals and green algae invasions are two direct effects of climate change on these important ecosystems and they can be seen clearly around Tuléar” Tovondrainy said.

The reef system is vital for the community’s survival. This region is home to people from the group who traditionally migrate up and down the coast in line with seasonal changes. Nearly 20,000 traditional fishermen and 15,000 canoes operate on the Tulear reef system.

This traditional form of resource use is being threatened and migrants from inland areas affected by drought and deforestation increase competition for resources.

“It is poor countries like Madagascar that have contributed the least to the problem but will suffer the worst consequences. If we can’t stop climate change, the collapse of the Tuléar reef system is just one of many severe consequences for the local population” says Tiana Ramahaleo, head of the WWF Conservation Science and Species Programme in Madagascar. “That’s why we desperately hope for a good deal in Copenhagen”

Faux Cap, Madagascar – Toxic waste from a ship which went down off the coast in southern Madagascar in August has had severe impacts on the health of local people and on the rich coastal and marine environment, according to a study supported by WWF.

The Turkish vessel Gulser Ana grounded near Faux Cap in the very south of Madagascar The ship carried 39000 tons of raw Phosphates, 568 tons of fuel, 66 tons of diesel and 8000 litres of lubricant, most of which was slowly released into the Indian Ocean. The accident occurred in a whale reproduction and migratory corridor zone during the migratory season.

The report, co-funded by WWF was prepared by an interdisciplinary team of eight scientists which went to Faux Cap shortly after the accident.

While one to three whales normally beach in the area each year, nine whales beached in September alone, and some beach stretches seem to be real death zones, the report found. Villagers suffer from diseases such as respiratory problems, skin diseases and diarrhoea.

“WWF is very concerned about the possible negative impacts on biodiversity especially marine and coastal species, the threats to the ecosystems and the loss of people’s livelihood options. That’s why we decided to fund this mission,” said Harifidy Olivier Ralison, WWF Western Indian Ocean Marine Programme Coordinator.

Oil clumps cover the beach 30 km to the east and even further to the west of the shipwreck. People who were hired to clean up the area are not equipped properly and lack clothes protecting them. The collected oil clumps land in plastic bags on the beach where they are likely to burst and cause further damage, the report founds.

Almost half the 40’000 people in the area have been affected by consequences of the shipwreck, the study found with a key impact being the banning of fishing for three months.
Some 25 to 40 percent of the inhabitants depend on fishery as their source of income.

The impacts on marine species are also tragic.

“Like human beings, whales suffer from respiratory problems due to diesel odour. They come to the surface from time to time to breathe, so if they happen to surface through an oil film, this might result in the animal’s death,” Yvette Razafindrakoto, WCS (World Conservation Society) marine mammal specialist said.

Although raw phosphate is not poisonous, a huge amount of it being suddenly released into the ocean can be problematic. The expert team found signs of eutrophication in front of the shipwreck. « Phosphate acts like fertilizer, which leads to an extensive algal bloom. This depletes the oxygen in the surrounding marine environment and could cause the disappearance of species such as fish and molluscs» said Ralison.

Some common species of sand crabs were also only found sporadically and other species, such as various gastropods contained a very high amount of heavy metal, which is connected to higher mortality.

There are signs that the food chain in the area around Faux Cap is severely harmed. What this means for the coastal ecosystem and the villagers on the contaminated beaches can only be definitively estimated after the passage of some years, the report said.

Source: http://www.panda.org/wwf_news/?178781/Shipwreck-an-ecological-disaster-for-southern-Madagascar

Written by Coordination marée noire

Rescue workers in Madagascar were battling to save a group of humpback whales beached on the southern tip of the island, where a fuel spill from a Turkish freighter threatens an ecological disaster, local media reported Thursday. The MS GULSER ANA, bound for India with a cargo of 39,000 tonnes of phosphates, had to be abandoned by its 23-strong crew on August 26 a few kilometres off Cape Sainte Marie on the vast Indian Ocean island.

Environmentalists and vets are trying to save a number of beached whales, whose blowholes had become blocked with diesel and oil and were close to death.

The cause of the accident to the 189-metre long, 30-metre-wide ship is still unclear. But a statement from Prime Minister’s Monja Roindefo’s office on Thursday said the ship’s cargo comprised far great quantities of diesel and oil than initially thought.

This protected part of Madagascar’s coast is famous for its rich coral reefs, rare species of tortoise and the migrating humpback whales that pass by at this time of year en route to their breeding grounds off Reunion Island.

Fish have also been washing up dead on beaches in the area, which is home to around 2,000 people living in four villages who rely on fishing for an income. The government has announced the suspension of all fishing in the area.

Some 800 people, including nine foreign experts in marine pollution with specialist equipment, have been sent to the remote area to treat the oil slick and clean up the beaches. The prime minister and four of his ministers have also travelled to the remote area by plane from the capital Antananarivo.

The government of the impoverished island has threatened to sue the ship’s owners over the spill.

The ship was reportedly on a blacklist of ships banned from European Union harbours.

Clean-up operations following the grounding of a Turkish-flagged vessel off the coast of Madagascar have started and damage to the environment should be limited, the ship’s operator said in a statement received by AFP Saturday.

The MV Gulser Ana grounded off Faux Cap, on the southernmost tip of the Indian Ocean island, on August 26, damaging its bunker tanks and releasing fuel oil in the sea, the Mardeniz Denizcilik company said.

“The owners, … pollution clean-up experts, are carrying out beach cleaning operations to remove any bunker oil residues arising from the initial escape,” the statement said.

“Anti-pollution experts are working with local residents who are receiving training, equipment and payment in order to assist with this task and we would like to thank them for their hard work and efforts,” it added.

The operator said the ship’s cargo of 40,000 tonnes rock phosphate — a kind of fertiliser — did not pose a threat to the environment.

“Sea currents are carrying any fuel oil to the east and away from the Cap Sainte Marie Marine Reserve and the coral reef, which should avoid any long or medium term environmental damage to the area,” it said.

The operator obviously is not only ignorant but also lying in the public statements, saying: “Over-flights of the area have not shown any evidence of whales or other sea mammals in the area having been in any way affected.”

The operator added that the ship’s 23 crew had been rescued by the Madagascar coast guard and were ashore.

The island relies heavily on tourism and is home to two percent of the globe’s total biodiversity. The majority of its animal and plant species are found nowhere else on Earth.

Rescuers battle to save whales - sapa
Rescue workers in Madagascar were battling to save a number of humpback whales that have beached on the southern tip of the island, where a fuel spill from a Turkish freighter has caused extensive pollution, local media reported on Thursday.

The MS Gulser Ana, which was bound for India with a cargo of 39 000 tonnes of phosphates, has leaked several hundred cubic metres of diesel and oil, as well as its cargo, since running into trouble on August 26 a few kilometres off the vast Indian Ocean island. The ship has since completely sunk.

The 23-member crew was rescued unharmed from the 189-metre-long ship, from which smoke was seen billowing at the time of the rescue. The cause of the incident is still unclear.

Several kilometres of the coastline, famous for its rich coral reefs, rare species of tortoise and the migrating humpback whales that pass by at this time of year en route to their breeding grounds off Reunion Island, have been polluted by the spillage.

Close to death
L’Express reported that veterinarians were trying to save a number of beached whales, whose blowholes had become blocked with diesel and oil and were close to death.

Fish have also been washing up dead along the coast.

The ship was reportedly on a blacklist of ships banned from European Union harbours.

Some 800 people, including nine foreign experts in marine pollution with specialist equipment, have been sent to treat the oil slick and clean up the beaches.

The government of the impoverished island, where fishing and tourism are key employers, has threatened to sue the ship’s owners over the spill.
Regional analysts presume foul play to be at the core of the tragedy, since the owner wanted to get rid of the vessel anyway and some believe its straight insurance fraud.

Source