WWF's Global Annual Forest Report 97

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"Grow mangrove, harvest shrimp"
Pakistan has eight species of mangrove stretching from the Rann of Kutch in the east to Gwatar Bay on the Iranian border in the west. But, where there were once vast areas of mangrove forests along the coastline, these are now just dwindling areas of trees which continue to be over-exploited.

Local communities have traditionally collected animal fodder, fuel wood and tannin from the mangrove forests but, as the tangled roots of mangrove trees serve as nurseries for shrimps, crabs and several species of fish, this forest destruction has led to a decline in the shrimp harvest.

In a bid to improve the fate of Pakistan's mangrove forests, WWF launched a project in Sonmiani, (an hour's drive north of Karachi), to encourage local communities to look after mangrove forests in order to protect the shrimp population on which they rely for food and income. As many of the locals believed that the trees were a "Gift from God" and would live forever, much of WWF's early work was aimed at persuading villagers to accept the idea of sustainable forest management and many of the initial meetings were held informally in the tea shops and meeting houses of the area. Now, two mangrove nurseries have been established and the seedlings from these have been planted in 40 hectares of bog. WWF aims to rehabilitate an additional 100 hectares of forest in Sonmiani and, in time, to increase this to 700 hectares of sustainable forest.

The education programme has been extended beyond the poster campaign encouraging locals to "Grow mangrove, harvest shrimp" and now involves local schools where children are learning about "ecosystems" and the importance of sustainable living.