COASTAL 2100
The World Research Institute reports that "Nearly 30
percent of the land area in the world's coastal ecosystems
has already been extensively altered or destroyed by growing
demand for housing, industry, and recreation. Globally, the
number of people living within 100 km of the coast increased
from roughly 2 billion in 1990 to 2.2 billion in 1995--four
out of every ten people in the world. As coastal and inland
populations continue to grow, their impacts, in terms of pollutant
loads and the development and conversion of coastal habitats,
can be expected to grow as well. Nutrient pollution has increased
dramatically this century due to greater use of fertilizers,
growth in quantities of domestic and industrial sewage, and
increased aquaculture, which releases considerable amounts
of waste directly into the water. Increasing fishing pressure
has left many major fish stocks depleted or in decline." (WRI
Report: Coastal Ecosystems 2000, ISBN: 1-56973-458-5).
Reports such as this stress how important it is for aquatic scientists to take the lead in educating the public and government entities on the need to control coastal development and embrace smart growth. This FCF campaign is aimed at demonstrating how coastal development can threaten inshore fisheries, as well as the communities and economies that depend upon them.
PROJECTS
FCF helped faculty from University of East Anglia and The London Zoological Society organize and conduct a facilitated planning workshop in conjunction with the International Conference on Coral Reef Conservation. Held at the University of East Anglia, UK, scientists from all over the world came together to share information and produce an Action Agenda for Coral Reef Conservation.
Contacts:
Julie Claussen
Michael Philipp
Photo: (c) Wolcott Henry, 2005