Pinay featured as environmental hero in Time magazine

MANILA, Philippines — A retired Filipino scientist brought honor to the country after she was featured in "Time" magazine as among the "heroes of the environment." Iloilo-based Jurgenne Primavera was a senior scientist at the Southeast Asian Fisheries and Development Center (Seafdec) until she retired two years ago. Primavera said in an interview with online news site The News Today (www.thenewstoday.info) she is happy that she was featured by Time because this would bring her campaign to a wider audience. "It's not for me. It's for the mangroves," she said. Primavera was among 30 individuals and teams, including activists, scientists, celebrities, innovators and financiers all over the world who were honored for their contribution to the protection of the environment. "They cannot solve climate change alone or save endangered species single-handedly. But by their example, by their willingness to dedicate themselves to what too many still dismiss as a hopeless case, these heroes of the environment provide light in the darkness," the "Time" report for Sept. 26 said. The "Time" report cited Primavera for groundbreaking studies on the life cycles of tiger prawns in her native Philippines, which helped galvanize an aquaculture revolution. It cited her campaign for sustainable fish-farming to protect the mangrove forests that act as a crucial buffer zone between land and sea. "What's a shrimp lover to do? Primavera recommends a simple strategy: save some mangroves so that aquaculture flourishes sustainably. Since mangroves naturally filter water, their forests eradicate farm waste far more efficiently than expensive equipment can. By keeping a four-to-one ratio of mangroves to farm ponds, Primavera believes we can protect nature and enjoy an occasional prawn cocktail, too," the "Time" article on Primavera said. "People might think the mangroves are just wet trees but they give us so much. All we have to do is use them," Primavera said in the magazine. Government records show that there are only 120,000 hectares of mangroves in the Philippines, down from 500,000 hectares in the 1900s. Environmental scientists say many of the mangrove have been destroyed to make way for fishponds and reclamation areas. Mangrove tree were also cut indiscriminately for housing materials or charcoal-making. GMANews.TV