FAO services international, regional, and community radio networks and national broadcasters. Our newsroom offers, free of charge, online audio files on FAO's related events and programmes.
FAO declines all responsibility for the opinions expressed by the interviews in this web site. The mention or omission of specific companies, their products or brand names does not imply any endorsement or judgement by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
|
FAO’s recent mangrove assessment study: The world’s mangroves 1980-2005 |
 |
According to Ms. Mette Loyche Wilkie, FAO's Senior Forestry expert, land competition is a major cause of large losses of mangroves. The mangroves play a crucial role in protecting coastal areas against erosion, cyclones and wind -- and as such adverse effects as those of the 2004 Tsunami.
|
| More with Mette Loyche Wilkie: |
| Duration:
2Min.18Sec. |
|
Format:
mp3 |
| As the International community celebrates the World Wetlands Day, 2 February 2008 , FAO calls for more awareness and actions to protect the coastal wetlands and the mangrove ecosystem, a precious shelter and source of life. Again Mette Loyche Wilkie: |
| Duration:
1Min.36Sec. |
|
Format:
mp3 |
Co-Management: a way towards sustainable development in Aceh, Indonesia. |
 |
Three years after the Tsumani deadly hit Aceh, the fishers, the coastal communities, the state and several aid agencies continue to join efforts in rebuilding the livelihoods. Last year, a 3 year-project on the 'Rehabilitation and sustainable development of fisheries and aquaculture affected by the tsunami in Aceh Province, Indonesia', funded by the American Red Cross, commenced under the responsibility of the Government and FAO.
|
| Dr. John Kurien is the Project's Fisheries Co-Management Advisor in FAO's Rehabilitation Support Coordination Unit in Banda Aceh. He, recently, visited FAO Headquarters in Rome where he presented the approach being taken for the fisheries co-management component of the project after three months of direct involvement in the field. We met him. He had this to say: |
| Duration:
1Min.20Sec. |
|
Format:
mp3 |
| On the ground, Dr. Kurien's key partner is the 'Panglima Laot': 'Commander of the Sea'. "It's an Institution, a concept, a person", John Kurien explains: |
| Duration:
54Sec. |
|
Format:
mp3 |
Fisheries Rehabilitated in Sri Lanka |
 |
At a special debate on 'The Role of Aquaculture in Sustainable Development', this week in Rome on the occasion of the FAO General Conference (17-24 November 2007), President Mahinda Rajapakse of Sri Lanka thanked the international community for the rehabilitation of the agricultural and fisheries sectors, in the aftermath of the December 2004 Tsunami.
|
| This is an extract from President Rajapakse's message: |
| Duration:
1Min.8Sec. |
|
Format:
mp3 |
Working together after tsunami (March 2005) |
 |
The Bay of Bengal Programme is an Inter-Governmental Organisation (BOBP-IGO) mandated to enhance cooperation among member countries, other countries and organisations in the region and provide technical and management advisory services for sustainable coastal fisheries development and management in the Bay of Bengal region. It assists the member countries -- Bangladesh, India, the Maldives and Sri Lanka -- in sustaining fisheries production and ensuring livelihood security for millions of fisher folk in the region. BOBP-IGO took part in the FAO Committee on Fisheries (Rome, 7-11 March 2005) and is a key FAO's partner in the rehabilitation plans and strategies after the tsunami.
The following is an interview with Dr. Yugraj Yadava, Director of Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organisation (BOBP-IGO), by L. Kambirigi (FAO)
|
| Part 1: Recovering and aid co-ordination |
| Duration:
3Min.16Sec. |
|
Format:
RealAudio (221 KB)
|
mp3 (1,566 KB) |
| Part 2: Analysis of assessment and next medium and long term actions |
| Duration:
1Min.45Sec. |
|
Format:
RealAudio (119 KB)
|
mp3 (841 KB) |
Voices from Tsunami-hit coastal communities (March 2005) |
 |
Non-Governmental Organizations are FAO's key partners in implementing the agricultural and fishery Rehabilitation Plan in the tsunami-affected countries, in the Indian Ocean. They have attended the FAO Committee on Fisheries (Rome, 7 to 11 March 2005). Listen to two of them:
|
| Ms. Ravadee Prasertchaoensuk (read 'Praserserenso') represents the Federation of Fisher Folks of Thailand . She insisted that decisions on tsunami rehabilitation efforts and strategies--such as relocating the fishermen away from their previous areas--should be taken with the coastal communities: |
| Duration:
1Min.50Sec. |
|
Format:
RealAudio (123 KB)
|
mp3 (878 KB) |
| Fr. Xavier Pinto represents the 66 member state-World Forum of Fisher-Peoples (WFFP) of which the India's National Forum of Fish Workers is a member - He lives in Goa, India's Western Coast, where he advocates that rehabilitation must be conducted in respect of the people's specific needs and culture
|
| Duration:
2Min.44Sec. |
|
Format:
RealAudio (184 KB)
|
mp3 (1,307 KB) |
Committee on Fisheries -- Rome, 7-11 March, 2005 |
 |
Rome, 7 March 2005: Representatives of nearly 50 countries are gathering at FAO's Rome headquarters for the 26th meeting of the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI).
On the agenda:
- Réhabilitation efforts in Tsunami-affected countries
- Implementation of the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries as 2005 marks its ten-year Anniversary.
|
| A minute of silence in memory of the Tsunami victims |
| Opening statement by Mr. David Harcharik, FAO Deputy Director-General: |
| Duration:
1Min.25Sec. |
|
Format:
RealAudio (96 KB)
|
mp3 (684 KB) |
| Code of Conduct and Trade: two major issues |
| Again, Mr. Harcharik in his address to the FAO Committee on Fisheries |
| Duration:
1Min.8Sec. |
|
Format:
RealAudio (77 KB)
|
mp3 (548 KB) |
After-Tsunami: FAO has received firm donor commitments of around US$20.5 million |
 |
Fisheries are the worst affected sector after the Tsunami. There is an urgent need to rehabilitate it in a coordinated, appropriate and sustainable manner. Priorities are, here, listed by Jeremy Turner, Chief of FAO's Fishery Technology Service:
|
| Duration:
2Min.1Sec. |
|
Format:
RealAudio (136 KB)
|
mp3 (970 KB) |
| Recovery assistance in Fisheries will not be purely technical but will also invest in sustainable livelihood options towards alleviating poverty, as Jeremy Turner explains. |
| Duration:
2Min.32Sec. |
|
Format:
RealAudio (171 KB)
|
mp3 (1,214 KB) |
South-Asia: FAO's 4 phase-plan to urgently start rebuilding the livelihoods. |
 |
Richard China is the Rome-based Co-ordinator for FAO's response to the Tsunami; he recently visited Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Indonesia and Thailand. Commenting on the progress made to the needs' assessment in South-Asia, he says that the Fishery and Livestock sectors have to be urgently rehabilitated and that preparing the March planting season is a priority. Thus, dependency on food aid for the next 12 months could be avoided:
|
| Richard China: |
| |
| Duration:
3Min.13Sec. |
|
Format:
RealAudio (217 KB)
|
mp3 (1542 KB) |
| The cost: Initially, FAO appealed for US$ 26.5 million but there is a need for more assistance, now, adds Richard China: |
| Duration:
1Min.52Sec. |
|
Format:
RealAudio (127 KB)
|
mp3 (896 KB) |
Southern India recovers from the Tsunami disaster: reconstruction has started. |
 |
In Tamil Nadu, life is returning to normal. However, further assessment already underway will tell about the magnitude of the needs in the affected communities. Dr.Yugraj Yadava, is the Director Bay of Bengal Programme Inter- Governmental Organisation (BOBP), based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Southern India. He has toured some of the Tsunami affected-Indian states and he has this to say:
|
| Duration:
4Min.24Sec. |
|
Format:
RealAudio (293 KB)
|
mp3 (2,010 KB) |
Tsunami Fisheries assessment by FAO |
 |
FAO will have to help Tsunami hit-fishermen rebuild their boats and revive the fishing business in the affected districts, according to Jeremy Turner, Chief of FAO's Fishing Technology Service, in Rome.
|
| Tsunami fisheries preliminary assessment, impact on fishermen and FAO's response: |
| Duration:
2Min.25Sec. |
|
Format:
RealAudio (161 KB)
|
mp3 (1142 KB) |
| Impact on fish and marine resources and FAO's role: |
| Duration:
2Min.4Sec. |
|
Format:
RealAudio (141 KB)
|
mp3 ( 989 KB) |
Tsunami hit hard fisherfolks in the Bay of Bengal |
 |
5 January, 2005 -- "The last seven or eight days have been very trying for us at the Bay of Bengal Programme (BOBP-IGO) as we have
been engaged in making assessments of the damage to the fisheries sector in the southern States of India and also providing necessary support to the local Government in terms of technical inputs", says Dr. Yugraj Yadava,
Director of
Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organisation (BOBP-IGO), talking to FAO from
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
The fisheries sector in Tamil Nadu has suffered major damages, followed by Pondicherry, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Besides loss of lives and assets such as houses and personal belongings, fishing boats and nets, the fisheries infrastructure (Fishing Harbours and fish Landing Centres) has also suffered heavy damages.
(BOBP-IGO photo)
|
|
