Mangrove Players

Mangrove Players

Yadfon
Small organisation in Thailand formed in 1985
Originally to help fishing communities
Worked with people in Chao Mai which faces two issues:
Mangrove Destruction – for charcoal prod’n, this affects supply of seafood. Yadfon created a 80 hectare managed mangrove which does not allow shrimping
Destruction of Sea Grass – By drag nets, this is an important nursery habitat for fish and shrimps

Saving Greenbelts
In Asia the coastal ecosystems; including coral reefs, sand dunes and mangroves are called ‘Greenbelts’
Their role in coastal protection was shown up in the Tsunami of 2004
TVE Asia produced a series of films called the Greenbelt reports (All of which can be found on YouTube) These were to raise awareness of environmental, developmental and health and social justice issues

Had Chao Mai Marine National Park
Thailand has 10 wetland RAMSAR sites, this one is located in Trang Province and has three distinct wetlands
Chao Mai has around about 100,000 inhabitants whom rely on fishing for a living. Either from canals, the Trang River or coastal areas
They rely on the wetlands as a source of water for fishing and agriculture
250,000 tourists visit the area annually

Biodiversity, or biological diversity, is a term coined to describe the immense variety and richness of life on this planet. Biodiversity includes not only the many species that exist, but also the diversity of populations that make up a species, the genetic diversity among individual life forms, and the many different habitats and ecosystems around the globe.

The use of the term biodiversity grew out of a concern that efforts were needed to conserve, not just particularly charismatic animals, but the diversity of life around the world, including many plants and animals that will never grace a letterhead or be the focus of an international campaign.

There are many ongoing efforts local, national, and international to balance the needs of human populations with the protection of endangered and threatened species.

Nature has varied forms of creation (plants & vegetation (flora), fauna (animals), insects, birds and microorganism etc.). If all these survive, living would be smooth for all species on earth. Thus, bio-diversity would mean that there is need for diverse biological varieties to co­exist without the threat of extinction.

Thus biodiversity would simply mean "varieties of species' right to existence." It also would mean that no one has the right to threaten a species' right to existence. Man, being the homosapien should restrain from actions that would erode species but do everything to protect them from extinction. This will not only protect the environment but also enable smooth human survival as well. Thus, all species are equally important for the sustenance of all human and sub-human species. Hence, there is an urgent need to strengthen the food chain of all living creatures with sustainable and judicious use.