Enhanced GEF and CBD efforts to explore funding options for achieving the Aichi

Montreal, 28 July 2011 – The Convention Secretariat, in collaboration with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) country support programme and with the financial support of the European Commission, organized a West Africa regional workshop on biodiversity and finance in support of the Nagoya biodiversity compact in Monrovia, Liberia, on 22 July 2011. The GEF Expanded Constituency Workshop for the region was held in the same venue from 19 to 21 July 2011.

National focal points of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Global Environment Facility from Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Togo attended the regional workshop on biodiversity and finance. They commented that by merely bringing all focal points together alone was already a tremendous achievement for the Convention and the financial mechanism, and strongly recommended that the GEF further organize regional and subregional financial workshops with full participation of all external donors and all relevant

international treaties.

COP10 Excursion to 400 year old Sushi Factory - Clara Simpson

Sushi - A rare delicacy. On the day after our arrival in Japan, our group went on an excursion to Lake Biwa. Among other very interesting things, we visited a Sushi factory. This was not an ordinary Sushi factory. The sushi there does not look (or smell) like the sushi that you buy in your local supermarket. This Sushi was a made from an ancient family recipe and they have been making this sushi for 400 years in the same barrels and in the very same room. This sushi has been kept in a barrel filled with salt, rice, and of course, the fish, for three years, under heavy weights. After having the entire process of the sushi-making explained to us in vivid and fascinating detail, we were invited out to the store at the front of the storehouse for a taste-testing. I selected a piece of the fish, and handed my camera to Emily to film the momentous event. As I had seen numerous others try the sushi and make faces of utter disgust, I was prepared for the worst, however, even after all my preparation, I was not prepared. I put the fish in my mouth and began chewing, at first, I tasted nothing, then, the most horrible taste in the world exploded in my mouth. The taste is too horrible to even describe. In the video which Emily took, I made the most hilarious faces, however, and they accurately portray my reaction to the taste. My advice to you is this: If you see someone eat something weird and they make a face of utter disgust, don’t try it yourself!!!