16 Pacific Nations To Lose 50%+ Of Mangroves To Rising Seas - UNEP

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SYDNEY — Global warming could lead to the destruction of more than half the mangrove wetlands of some Pacific islands, wiping out or reducing marine breeding grounds that support multi-million dollar fisheries, a UN report says.

A U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP) report looking at the impact of rising seas on mangroves in 16 Pacific nations found the worst hit-islands would be American Samoa, Fiji, Tuvalu and the Federated States of Micronesia.

The report, released on Monday, found that these island nations could lose more than half their mangroves by the end of the century. "The true economic value of ecosystems like mangroves is now starting to emerge," said report coordinator Kitty Simonds. "Mangroves are important nurseries for fish, act to filter coastal pollution and are important sources of timber and construction materials for local communities," she said. "Pacific islanders also harvest dyes from mangroves to treat textiles, nets and fish traps."

The report said goods and services generated by mangroves may be worth an average of US$900,000 per square km, depending on their location and uses.

An estimated 75 percent of commercially caught prawns in Australia's tropical state of Queensland depend on mangroves. In Malaysia, a 400 sq km (154 sq miles) managed mangrove forest in Matang supports a fishery worth US$100 million a year.

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