Bulletin #01-16 January Edition 2016.
This Rotarian Action Group for Endangered Species or RAGES is a Rotarian Action Group and operates in accordance with Rotary International policy but is not an agency of, or controlled by Rotary International.
1. JANUARY CHAIR REPORT
G ‘ day
It has been 3 months since I compiled a news letter, with Christmas and the new Year as well as work load building it has been difficult.
However I am now back at home back at work and in the office.
Since July 1st 2015 (RAGES starts work) we have looked at several projects and ways we can mobilise Rotaractors and Rotarians in the fight to save endangered species on our planet.
Your Board feels that we are ready now to Spring Into Action!
We will be putting a big effort into the Seoul Convention in May this year. We have been allocated a break out session for RAGES to be held in Seoul at the Kintex Centre on Wednesday June 1st from 3.00 pm – 4.00 pm. We hope to see as many of you there as possible.
PRIVP Anne L. Matthews will be the moderator for the RAGES break out session.
We also have a booth in the House of Friendship and we would welcome as many of you as possible to help with the booth. This Convention Seoul RICON 2016 will be the launching pad for our endorsed projects in 2016-2017 and beyond.
During the past month another species of rhino has been declared extinct in the world, The Eastern Sumatran rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis harrissoni). See story following this report.
As always we have much to do and at the Seoul RICON we will release ways that Rotary and Rotaract clubs can become involved in RAGES.
We will have several members of the RAGES Board in Seoul so you can talk with us directly.
See you in Seoul!
Yours in Rotary
John Glassford
Chair 2014 -2016
Rotarian Action Group for Endangered Species
Rotary Club of Coolamon District 9700
New South Wales, Australia
Another giant has left us: the Sumatran rhino is extinct in the wild
The eastern Sumatran rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis harrissoni), also known as the Bornean rhino, is the world’s smallest rhino, a subspecies of the Sumatran rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis), and is a shy and lone creature that inhabits Bornean forests.
Or better, it inhabited. In fact, according to the Environment Minister Masidi Manjun, there are no Sumatran rhinos left in the wild in the Malaysian state of Sabah. In 2008, about 50 rhinos lived in the wild, 5 years later there were only 10 individuals left, and today they are likely to be extinct.
The decline of this species is mainly linked to 2 factors: poaching for rhino’s horn(the horn actually doesn’t have any medical benefit, contrary to many people’s beliefs), and habitat loss due to deforestation, mainly carried out to make place to oil palm plantations, and to human settlements.
MORE HERE
THE POSTER CAMPAIGN.
The Say NO! Poster campaign is moving along well with Duke Ingram and Rubin Besureis continuing the awareness campaign. Duke advises us that they are working on some great fund raising activities in England in the upcoming months, stay tuned for details as they come to hand.
The latest signatures include Beverly and Dereck Joubert :
Beverly and Dereck Joubert “Soul of the elephant.”
Click on the link below for a wonderful video on their work, simply stunning.
Soul of the Elephant
Despite living in the wild in Botswana for 30 years, filming, researching and exploring the world they have come to know so well, award-winning filmmakers and conservationists Dereck and Beverly Joubert say they are often still surprised by what they come across on their journeys. Such was the case when the couple were exploring the backwaters of the bush one day and stumbled upon the skulls of two large bull elephants with their ivory tusks intact. To the Jouberts, this is always cause for celebration because it means the giants died of natural causes and not, for example, from poaching, snares or bullets.
Dereck and Beverly Joubert are award-winning filmmakers from Botswana who have been Explorers-in-Residence for over four years. Their mission is the conservation and understanding of the large predators and key African wildlife species that determine the course of all conservation in Africa.
They have been filming, researching, and exploring in Africa for over 25 years. Their coverage of unique predator behaviour has resulted in 22 films, 10 books, six scientific papers, and many articles for National Geographic magazine. This body of work has resulted in five Emmys, a Peabody, the World Ecology Award, and the recent induction into the American Academy of Achievement. With their stunning cinematographic storytelling they bring the very essence of our beautiful nature to life.
Thank you Dereck and Beverly.
KENYA TO BURN 120 TONNES IVORY IN APRIL
Kenya Will Make A Bold Move Against Poaching At An Upcoming Global Summit.
LEADING Hollywood and media personalities will be in Kenya in April to attend a major summit on the illegal trade in wildlife.
Among those expected in Nairobi are naturalist and broadcaster David Attenborough, American actor and film producer Leonardo DiCaprio and American business magnate and philanthropist Michael Bloomberg, a former New York mayor.
The others include Australian-American actress Nicole Kidman, billionaire businessman George Soros, Yao Ming, Elton John, Paul Allen, Kim Tan and Howard Buffet.
In April, many important minds will attend a major global summit in Kenya. This eventaims to lessen the impact of poachers who hunt rhinos and elephants for their ivory tusks. At the Pan-African Giants Club summit, Kenya plans to set fire to over 120 tonnes (that’s nearly 265,000 US pounds!) of ivory – worth approximately $270 million – as major statement against the poaching industry. Of this historic burning, Kenyan presidential spokesman Monoah Esipisu said the following:
“Kenya plans to use the occasion to torch as many as 120 tonnes of ivory, the largest stockpile of ivory ever destroyed by any country, as proof of our commitment to zero tolerance for poaching and illegal ivory trade. The fire will be eight times the size of any ivory stockpile destroyed so far, (see below).”
Kenya has taken drastic steps to shut down the once-booming ivory industry as a whole. Fortunately, a lot of this work has paid off. However, there’s still a bit of a problem, as the country has allowed a loophole (which allows the sale of ‘one off’ ivory) to persist since 1989. More than that, this is just one country in what’s the largest continent in the world — a continent that has poached some 100,000 elephants in the last three years.
The Kenyan law has done an excellent job in its short life, though, cutting numbers down by 80%. In the time since the bill was introduced, elephant and rhino poachings have been reduced from 57 to just 5, which is impressive. That success has been attributed to the high-level penalties that are enforced by the Wildlife Management and Conservation Act 2013. This act added more park rangers and improved surveillance at local airports.
One can only hope that the rest of Africa will soon enact similar legislature before both rhinos and elephants are wiped out completely. Several known species are already well at risk of extinction!.
ROTARY INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION SEOUL 2016
N.B. Your Board is calling for volunteers who will be in Seoul next May 28th-June 2nd 2016.
We will need help to man our RAGES Booth in the House of Friendship and also the break out session.
It is a requirement as a Rotarian Action Group to hold our Annual General Meeting at the RI Convention.
In 2016 it will be in Seoul.
Get back to me if you are going and can help.
Seoul is the ideal location for a Rotary convention and a delightful travel destination to explore. You’ll find traditional tea houses and regal palaces alongside posh shopping malls and bustling markets. Make sure to include extra time in your travel plans to experience the wonders of South Korea.
FOOTNOTE
RAGES FACEBOOK PAGE
This week our RAGES Facebook page has reached over 12,000 people and is working well for us. I urge you all to join us on Facebook for daily news on RAGES:
Click on the logo below and join us please on Facebook.
CONTACT DETAILS:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 61 2 6927 6027 {61 is the code for Australia}.
Postal: 22 Moore Street, GANMAIN, NEW SOUTH WALES 2701, AUSTRALIA.