The Government of Kelantan, the northernmost state on the East Peninsular of Malaysia, announced its 'solution' to tiger attacks in the Tanah Merah and Jeli districts: use the army to hunt and kill all tigers.

The Government's sudden and irresponsible decision was inappropriate, unnecessary and illegal under Federal Law. There is international experience on minimizing human-tiger conflicts without resorting to such extreme measures, and WWF offered assistance to the Kelantan Government and Department of Wildlife and National Parks to find solutions.

WWF-Malaysia asked for a rapid response from Passport holders to stop the slaughter. In days 7000 e-mails were sent to the Malaysian Environment Minister. In response to the public outcry and work on the ground by WWF-Malaysia, the Chief Minister of Kelantan called off his order to kill all tigers!

Chief Minister, Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, was quoted in the Malay Daily newspaper, saying that he welcomed any help that WWF may provide in resolving the issues at Jeli and Tanah Merah. WWF-Malaysia is now working with the Kelantan State Government to address the tiger-human conflict issue in the State.

The extinction of the vaquita may be only a decade away unless stricter protective measures are taken soon. The vaquita is threatened because it lives in a limited geographic area, has a very small population, and is sometimes taken by accident in gill nets set for sharks, rays, shrimp, and other fish stocks. In order to assure the survival of the vaquita, biologists say bycatch of vaquita should be reduced to zero. A complete ban on all gill nets may be the only measure that can even come close to meeting this formidable challenge. However, a ban is a very controversial proposal that cannot be implemented unless it is approved by the Mexican government and alternative livelihoods are successfully developed for the fishermen who would lose their jobs.

In 2002, WWF activists sent 31,000 messages, showing officials in Mexico that there is overwhelming international support for protection of the vaquita. Towards the end of the year, the Mexican government barred most commercial fishermen from the northern Gulf of California, the area home to the vaquita. WWF is concerned, however, about gaps in implementing the fishing ban that could undermine the protection it was intended to provide. We may call on you for help again.

In June 2003, many of the activists received the following response from one of the officials (a similar message was also sent in June 2002):

We refer to the e-mail you so kindly wrote to Soc. Regina Barba Pírez, Titular de la Unidad Coordinadora de Participación y Transparencia.

Concerning your kind e-mail expressing your concern about the endangered status of the vaquita, we thank you for your concern and appreciate the opportunity to explain some of the actions Semarnat is taking to give the vaquita a chance of survival and further recovery. The survival of the vaquita has become one of our priorities:

Since October 2001 we have been enforcing our Environmental Law (Ley General del Equilibrio Ecológico, Reglamento Áreas Naturales Protegidas) by not allowing shrimp trawlers within the Upper Gulf of California and Delta of the Colorado River Biosphere Reserve. This year this enforcement actions will also take place with the support of the Mexican Navy.

Last week we have been working with NGOs and specialists in the field of marine mammals to modify the Management Plan of the Reserve and the Norma 012 in order to include restrictions on gillnets that kill the vaquita.

Semarnat is coordinating efforts to attract new economic alternatives for the fishing communities so that the their livelihood is prosperous, sustainable and overall, compatible with the main objective of the Biosphere Reserve which is the protection of the vaquita and the totoaba. Although we are intensifying our efforts towards the recovery of the vaquita, there is still many actions that need to be implemented to fulfil this goal.

There are two factors affecting the vaquita; both operate at different time frames:

In the short term: The anthropogenic impact of the fishing activities on the mortality of the vaquita.
In the long term: The environmental effect of the lack of water from the Colorado River, which has had a definitive negative effect on the once productive estuary of the Upper Gulf.

In order to ensure the vaquita's survival, we have to resolve both. As I mentioned before, Semarnat is working on minimizing the impact of fishing on the increase mortality of this species, but all concerned parties have to be aware of the importance of both factors.

During the Session of the 54th. International Whaling Commission in Shimonoseki, Japan (May 2002), México received congratulating remarks on all of our actions and efforts to protect this porpoise.

We thank you for your concern and hope you will keep supporting the recovery of the vaquita and its habitat.

Best regards,
Jorge M. Hori Fojaco
Director de Asuntos de Presidencia

Local protesters in Navarra asked for international help to stop Spanish authorities from filling the Itoiz Dam. The authorities' decision to fill the reservoir came in the wake of a new report by an internationally renowned engineer that indicates the project has an extremely high risk of catastrophe, and would never be permitted in any other EU country. The project will not only endanger the local people and the environment, but also jeopardise the safety of a nuclear power plant downstream.

The Government of Navarra and the promoters of the dam, claimed that it is needed to provide drinking water and irrigation to the surrounding areas. However, evidence suggests that very little of the surrounding terrain is suitable for irrigation and the water may instead be redirected to the Mediterranean coast to feed tourist developments. The reservoir would also flood several protected areas of national and international ecological importance.

The Itoiz Dam has been the focus of massive popular resistance, a high profile direct action campaign and legal challenges in the highest courts of Spain and Europe, leading it to become one of the most controversial environmental issues in Spain.

The forests of Velebit are an important migration route for mammals, harbouring brown bear, wolf, wildcat and lynx, as well as the elusive Alpine and Balkan chamois.Yet despite the best intentions of many to protect the area, this unique area was under threat.

Thanks to Passport holders - and especially with the efforts made on the ground, the Northern Velebit National Park was officially gazetted by the Croatian Government, and its management body created.

The park has an extension of 10,900 hectares, at the northern edge of the Velebit mountain range, between the cities of Rijeka and Zadar. The Croatian Government signed an agreement in 2001 to give the Northern Velebit National Park status. It was announced on the occasion of the World Environment Day, and designated a Gift to the Earth by WWF.