Alex Rose-Innes
Almost 900 000 endemic and exotic seedling had so far been planted in Mozambique, covering more than 4 000 hectares.
As part of forestry management efforts, 36% of Zambezia’s areas are being restored. Various resource management committees are overseeing projects in Tete and Nampula as USD 173 000 had been earmarked towards this effort to more than 130 communities.
Over the next two years the Mozambican government plans to increase their planting of mangrove trees intending to preserve the mangrove forest ecosystem and promote sustainable development. With the government’s Mangrove Management Strategy which was adopted earlier this year, the goal is to ensure socio-economic and environmental benefits for the country’s population.
Henriques Bongece, Deputy Minister of Sea, Inland Waters and Fisheries, stressed that all Mozambicans should fight for the preservation of mangrove forests, not only for the benefit to the current population, but also future generations.
SOMALIA
A new fishing law in Somalia is expected to shield its oceans from looters and would provide uniform regulation across the country. A draft by the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources aims to unite all state agencies in order to properly control fishing areas for the first time.
Somalia boasts a lucrative fishing trade, but due to lax laws which were difficult to uphold, looters found various loopholes in the standard licensing conditions. These insufficient laws were cited as reasons for the increase of illegal fishing in a global transnational crime report published this month. This report found that South-eastern Asian vessels, as well as many others from Yemen and Iran, had been operating in Somali waters.
After the fall of the Barré regime in the early Nineties, state institutions had collapsed and Somalia, with its coastline of more than 3 000 kilometres, were left at the mercy of looters.
KENYA
Globally, human rights activists, conservation organisations and even civil society are demanding a proper and swift investigating into the shocking murder of Joanna Stutchbury, a world-renowned environmentalist.
Kenya’s Forestry Service and its Environment Ministry had been urged to ensure the safety of activists, which had seen a spate of attacks. The country’s government had been requested to gazette all forests across Kenya “in order to stop land grabbers who enrich themselves at the expense of all Kenyans.”
Stutchbury had become known for fighting for the Kiambu Forest which is under constant threat from private developers. She had been, according to reports, killed at her home in Thindigua, Kiambu County.
UGANDA
The case against the Ugandan government for not managing outflows of water from Lake Victoria, had been struck off the East African Court roll. Various Kenyans sued the government for flooding which displaced 50 000 people residing on the lake basin and damaging or totally destroying their properties.
The case was first heard in May last year. According to court papers, Uganda was sued for releasing more water than allowed by a legal agreement between Kampala and Egypt. Lake Victoria’s rising levels not only destroyed homes, but also roads and hotels.
It is said that Uganda’s attempts to meet electricity demand could be behind the floods leaving thousands on the shores of Lake Victoria homeless. Lake Victoria flows into the River Nile.
Documents filed at the East African Council of Ministers claimed Uganda had refused to execute a new policy governing the release of water in Jinja, a decision which it is said that led to the flooding of the lake and could claim more lives and cause destruction in the future.
