Fisheries Conservation Foundation

COASTAL 2100 CAMPAIGN

The number of people living within 100km of the world's coastline has increased tremendously over the last 10-20 years, now amounting to almost 40% of the human population. As a result of that phenomenon, almost 30% of the world's coastal ecosystems has already been extensively altered or destroyed by the growing demand for human uses, such as housing, industry, and recreation. Future impacts in terms of pollutant loads and the alteration of coastal habitats will only continue to grow.

Much of this coastal development is being implemented with very little long-range planning and without a good understanding of the long-term consequences to the biotic resources living along the coasts, including the communities that are a part of such important habitats as coral reefs, mangrove forests, marsh grass flats, estuaries, and coastal shorelines. It is clear that legislators, as well as the public in general, are quite unaware of the potential damages associated with the uncontrolled development along our coastlines.

FCF's Coastal 2100 Campaign(C2100) represents our effort to raise the level of awareness of these issues among all of the stakeholders in this process with the objective of protecting the irreplaceable nearshore fisheries that are at risk.

CAMPAIGN PURPOSE

The goal of the Coastal 2100 Campaign is to establish partnerships with like-minded groups (such as the Save Our Seas Foundation, the Cape Eleuthera Foundation, and the Bahamas National Trust) in an effort to develop a program to identify and financially support education, outreach, and research opportunities that will inform political decision-makers, as well as the public in general, about the conservation measures needed to protect coastal processes and the resources associated with the various coastal ecosystems around the world.

CAMPAIGN ACTIVITIES

Bahamian Flats Fishing Alliance: This year the C2100 has joined with two other FCF Campaigns to form a partnership with the Bahamas National Trust and the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, resulting in the Bahamian Flats Fishing Alliance. The goal of this partnership is to build awareness of the need for a comprehensive coastal zone management plan in the Bahamas. This partnership is dedicated to protecting the coastal areas of the Bahamas and the fisheries that depend on them. To read more about this alliance, click here.

Bahamas By Mail Boat Expedition: Three FCF campaigns (Flats Conservation, Shark Conservation, and Coastal 2100) are planning and fundraising for an expedition of scientists to conduct research and education/outreach efforts regarding marine conservation issues throughout The Bahamas. This multifaceted expedition will raise awareness for the importance of flats habitats and species, as well as facilitate the collection of important data on the diversity of tropical flats. A number of media outlets for educational opportunities are planned. The expedition is in the early stages of planning. More information on program development and fundraising will be available soon.

Arabian Coastal Alliance: FCF has formed a partnership with the Save Our Seas Foundation to develop the Arabian Coastal Alliance, whose efforts will be to promote more conservation-oriented development practices among the nations of the Middle East. This activity is in the early stages of development; more information will follow soon.

PAST ACTIVITIES

The C2100 Campaign assisted faculty from the University of East Anglia and The London Zoological Society to organize and conduct a facilitated planning workshop in conjunction with the International Conference on Coral Reef Conservation which was held December, 2004, at the University of East Anglia, UK. Scientists from all over the world came together to produce an Action Agenda for Coral Reef Conservation.

PARTNERSHIPS

Save Our Seas Foundation www.saveourseas.com
Bonefish & Tarpon Trust www.tarbone.org
Bahamas National Trust www.bnt.bs

CONTACT INFORMATION