The Online Magazine for Sustainable
Seas
March, 2003, Vol.4 No. 3
March, 2003, Vol.4 No. 3
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The Online Magazine for Sustainable
Seas
March, 2003, Vol.4 No. 3 |
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Coastal Alert |
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Philippines World Philippines Philippines' DENR issues call for help in saving
Philippine biodiversity Speaking before the National Seminar-Workshop for the Philippine Research and Development Agenda on Biodiversity Conservation, Ignacio said, The Philippines is considered to have one of the highest biodiversity concentrations in the world. Unfortunately, this biodiversity is also among the most threatened in the world. He noted that biodiversity research in the country still has no clear institutional structure and mechanism that would rationalize agenda-setting. He added, however, that no matter how much effort is devoted to biodiversity conservation and no matter how well crafted the framework is, it would be futile for our biodiversity if we are not able to effectively address several critical challenges. Such challenges, he said, include poverty, the biggest threat to biodiversity conservation; making biodiversity conservation relevant to the day-to-day lives of the people; people’s education on this field; and meaningful participation of the stakeholders, especially the local government units (LGUs). Dr. Theresa Mundit Sison-Lim, Protected Areas Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) assistant director, said the Philippines is one of 17 countries that contain 60-70 percent of the world’s biodiversity, and ranks four in the list of the world’s biodiversity centers, next to Brazil, Colombia and Indonesia. The country has 13,500 known species of plants (five percent of the world’s flora), more than 8,000 of which are flowering plants. It has 1,085 species of terrestrial vertebrates consisting of 558 species of birds, 293 species of amphibians, and 18 species of mammals, as well as 13,800 invertebrates. In 1999, the Philippines was identified as one of the 25 biodiversity hotspots or priority areas for conservation, said Lim. On a per unit area basis, the Philippines is the top megadiversity country and hottest of the hotspots, she noted. Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (ERDB) director Celso Diaz and assistant director Vicente Cabrera also noted in a joint report that the Philippines is the 23rd most plant-rich countries in the world, and the seventh in Asia. However, Philippine dipterocarp forests are under assault from deforestation and habitat alteration, and their destruction results also in the loss of associated organisms. The country’s mangrove forests have declined from 450,000 hectares in 1918 to only 139,100 hectares in 1988, and only five percent of its 18,000-square km coral reefs are in excellent condition. Executive Director Rafael D. Guerrero III of the Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development (PCAMRD) also reported that the country has 356,328 hectares of lakes, rivers, swamplands and reservoirs, which host 44 primary freshwater fishes, 53 species of freshwater crustaceans, and more than 7,000 species of freshwater mollusks. With the exception of Laguna de Bay, the country’s largest lake, there has been little or no effort to conserve the biodiversity of freshwater ecosystems on a holistic or integrated basis, said Guerrero. Ignacio said the government has drafted a National Biodiversity Strategy and Plan (NBSAP) and formulated a Biodiversity Conservation Priority Setting Program that identifies 170 land-based and 36 marine priority areas. He exhorted everyone to step up efforts in biodiversity conservation. Let us work hard, let us work fast, and let us work effectively, he said. RA Fernandez in The Philippine Star , 03.24.02 National fishery production projected to grow 10%
in 2002 The fishery sector grew by 5.5 percent in 2001, with the aquaculture sub-sector growing by 10.6 percent, municipal fishery sub-sector by 4.4 percent, and the commercial sub-sector by 4 percent. Sarmiento said that in 10 years, the aquaculture sector is expected to supply over 50 percent of the country’s total fish requirement. BFAR considers this as the ideal ratio. Total fisheries output has increased from 2.7 million metric tons in 1998 to 2.8 million metric tons in 1999, 2.9 million metric tons in 2000, and 3.1 million metric tons in 2001. Of this output, 35 percent came from aquaculture, 33 percent from municipal fisheries, and 32 percent from commercial fisheries. R. dela Cruz, Philippine Star, 03.10.02 Scientists call for better management of Philippine coral reefsMANILA, 7 March 2002 Scientists called for better management of Southeast Asia’s marine protected areas, especially in the Philippines whose coral reefs rank as among the most threatened in the region. Philippine coral reefs, the second largest in the region, are facing severe threats from overfishing, destructive fishing, and sedimentation and pollution. The call was issued in response to a new report, Reefs at Risk: Southeast Asia (RRSEA), which was co-written with scientists from the University of the Philippines’ Marine Sciences Institute and the Silliman University Marine Laboratory. The new report is published by World Resources Institute (WRI), the United Nations Environment Programme, World Conservation Monitoring Center (UNEP-WCMC), ICLARM The World Fish Center, and the International Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN). Reefs at Risk: Southeast Asia, the most detailed analysis of its kind, indicate that the threats to the world’s most important and most extensive coral reef systems are higher than originally estimated when a similar survey was taken in 1998. The report is based on a vast database on the region’s coral reefs compiled by 35 scientists from the Philippines, other Asian countries, the US, Australia and the UK. Using sophisticated computer software and a new index of threats, the scientists estimate that as much as 98 percent of the Philippines’ reefs are severely threatened by human activities compared with the 88 percent average for the region. The Philippines has more than one-fourth of the region’s coral reefs, next only to Indonesia. Coral reef condition in the Philippines and throughout Southeast Asia continues to decline, said Lauretta Burke, a WRI researcher and co-author of the report. Although our report indicates that the picture is pretty grim, it will provide resource managers and government officials with the kind of information that they need to effectively manage their coral reefs. There are 646 marine protected areas in Southeast Asia, but of the 332 whose management status could be determined, only 14 percent were rated as effectively managed. The Philippines has 136 marine protected areas, containing 7 percent of the country’s coral reefs, but only 14 of them can be rated as well managed. The report cited the Philippines’ move toward community-managed marine protected areas, which enhances local support, reduces conflicts and bolsters enforcement. In many Southeast Asian countries, these areas are still managed through central government programs, many of which are understaffed and insufficiently funded. Although effective management requires additional investments, the report states that the cost of inaction is even higher. In the Philippines, current levels of blast fishing, overfishing and sedimentation could cost more than US$2.5 billion over a 20-year period. Over all, the sustainable value of Southeast Asia’s coral reef fisheries is estimated at US$2.4 billion annually. Southeast Asia is considered the global epicenter of marine diversity. Its nearly 100,000 square kilometers of coral reefs, or 34 percent of the world’s total, house over 600 of the 800 reef-building coral species in the world. About 400 species can be found in the Philippines, 12 species of which are unique to the country. The authors based their conclusions on a set of new standardized indicators that take into account such threats as coastal development, overfishing, destructive fishing, marine pollution, and sedimentation and pollution from inland activities. These indicators form the Reefs at Risk Threat Index, which identifies areas most at risk and highlights the linkages between human activities and reef condition. The report concludes that overfishing is the most pervasive threat to coral reefs in Southeast Asia. About 64 percent of Southeast Asia’s reefs are threatened by overfishing. If fishing in Southeast Asia is not reduced to more sustainable levels, both coral reefs and food security will be further imperiled, said Mark Spalding, a co-author of the report and an organizer of ICRAN, a global partnership aimed at halting reversing the decline of the world's coral reefs. The report recommends the following:
Coral resources are being stressed at unsustainable rates, said former Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos, an avid scuba diver, in the foreword to the report. Better information about the location of reefs and their accompanying threats is critical to alleviating the many pressures that threaten their future. Funds for the Reefs at Risk: Southeast Asia are provided by The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), the United Nations Foundation (UNF), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Experts present findings on critical bays, gulfs The Conference was convened by the Fisheries Resources Management Project (FRMP), now being implemented by the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR). Experts’ findings on eleven bays were presented Lingayen Gulf in Region 1 (Ilocos), Puerto Princesa Bay and Honda Bay in Region 4 (Southern Tagalog), Sapian Bay in Region 6 (Western Visayas), Gingoog Bay in Region 10 (Northern Mindanao), Davao Gulf in Region 11 (Southern Mindanao) and Butuan Bay in Caraga. Conducted for more than one year starting 2000, the benchmark bay studies are now used by fishers, local government units, and community-based and non-governmental organizations to draft fisheries and coastal resource management plans in various areas of the country. These studies have assumed greater importance now, as serious problems hound our fishing areas. These problems threaten the survival of our fisherfolk and our coastal communities, as illustrated by the fish kill that happened recently in the Lingayen Gulf, one of our priority areas, said Marciano Carreon III, FRMP director. FRMP is a six-year project being implemented in 18 priority bays and gulfs covering more than 100 coastal communities nationwide. It addresses concerns related to dwindling fish catch, resource management systems, alternative livelihood and the need to strengthen local government units, government agencies and concerned non-governmental organizations. Philippine Daily Inquirer, 03.03.02 New method doubles production of abalone Abalone, one of the most valuable marine mollusks, is sold fresh, frozen, canned or dried. The foot of the larger varieties can provide several sliced steaks. The shells are used for jewelry, buttons and ornaments. Because of its commercial importance, research on how to improve its production has been going on for years. In 1994, success in the natural spawning of abalone in tanks and better understanding of its life cycle in captivity paved the way for the development of seed production techniques by SEAFDEC-AQD. Last year, the project was enhanced further by the establishment of a stock enhancement program aimed at propagating resource organisms or modifying natural habitat and environmental conditions for the depleted stocks to recover and increase production in natural grounds. Masbate town is first to delineate municipal waters, DENR steps up delineationMANILA, 19 March 2002 As the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) steps up the delineation of municipal waters nationwide, the municipality of Pio V. Corpus in Masbate became the first local government unit to have officially delineated through a municipal ordinance its municipal waters using the guidelines contained in DENR Administrative Order No. 2001-17 (DAO 17). Republic Act No. 8550 or the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998 provides for the delineation of municipal waters, which it defines as including not only streams, lakes, inland bodies of water and tidal waters within the municipality which are not included within the protected areas as defined under Republic Act No. 7586 (The NIPAS Law), public forest, timber lands, forest reserves or fishery reserves, but also marine waters included between two (2) lines drawn perpendicular to the general coastline from points where the boundary lines of the municipality touch the sea at low tide and a third line parallel with the general coastline including offshore islands and fifteen(15) kilometers from such coastline. DAO 17 is a landmark issuance that sets the technical guidelines for the delineation and delimitation of municipal waters based on the archipelagic doctrine. The archipelagic doctrine is a fundamental pillar of the Philippine concept of national territory, enshrined in Article 1 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution. It states that all landmasses, regardless of size, must be treated in the same manner, and that water forms the link between the disparate islands. Although Philippine law has embraced the concept of municipal waters since 1916, the boundaries of these waters have never been delineated, noted Jay Batongbacal, a marine policy expert and executive director of the Philippine Center for Marine Affairs, in his policy paper A Crowded Shoreline: Review of the Philippines’ Foreshore and Shoreland Management Policies. DAO 17 is the first instrument in Philippine history that directly addresses the technical problems of delineating the municipal waters of the country, Batongbacal said. The order appropriately uses the archipelagic doctrine as basis for delineation, he added. The proper application of the doctrine demands that, as a national policy, we should treat all of our islands in the same manner, not allowing some of them to be insignificant as if they were mere parts of the water, and that we should not allow the waters to create highly fragmented political units. DAO 17 is hailed by a large segment of coastal stakeholders including local governments, marginal fishers, people’s organizations and NGOs for providing the mechanics for establishing the extent and limits of the LGU’s fishery management area, and thus encouraging a system of rational and sustainable use and management of municipal fishery resources, which have been on a steady decline for many years because of habitat destruction and overfishing. The implementation of DAO 17 was temporarily delayed last year when it was opposed by the Alliance of Fishing Federations, a group of commercial fishing operators on grounds that it had legal infirmities. The Department of Justice subsequently issued a statement saying the issue raised by the alliance was not a matter that the Justice Secretary could render an opinion on because it was technical in nature and therefore required the technical expertise of technical people like surveyors and geodetic engineers. The DOJ statement served as the basis for DENR’s decision to proceed with the delineation despite continued opposition from commercial fishers. And despite budgetary constraints, DENR, through the National Mapping Information and Resource Authority (NAMRIA), has pulled all stops to hasten the delineation process. So far, NAMRIA has certified the technical descriptions of the municipal waters of 12 municipalities in Masbate. These include Pio V. Corpus, Placer, Mobo, Uson, Cawayan, Cataingan, Milagros, Palanas, San Pascual, Claveria, Aroroy, and Esperanza. Prior to certification, the technical descriptions went through a province-wide public hearing held in Masbate City last February 7. Besides Pio V. Corpus, the municipality of Placer has also passed an ordinance adopting the technical description issued and validated by NAMRIA with the assistance of CRMP and the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP). NAMRIA, CRMP and LMP also assisted in the validation of the technical descriptions of the municipal waters of the provinces of Antique and Surigao del Sur. Fishkill update: Fish pen operators ignore advice on recoveryBOLINAO, Pangasinan Ignoring the advice of experts to allow municipal waters to recover from pollution, aquaculture operators here have re-stocked some of their fish pens and cages to recoup their losses. Almost all of the operators have unpaid loans for stocks and feeds so they want to earn by re-stocking, Elias Quisay, president of the Bolinao Fishermen Association, said. Quisay, who claimed to have lost Php15 million from the fish kill that struck Bolinao last month, said the municipal government issued a resolution on the moratorium of fishery operations without a public hearing. He said environment activist Margaret Celeste was barking up the wrong tree when she accused the operators of damaging the environment. In her letter to the association, Celeste said the BFA members would be held accountable to the residents and to the law if the fishery industry was not properly regulated and a fish kill occurred again. Do not provoke us to rally against you, Celeste said in her letter. Quisay, however, said the operators have learned their lesson, claiming they care for the municipal waters because it was us operators who will be affected when something goes wrong with the environment. More than her (Celeste), we have interests at stake because our livelihoods are in the sea. She has no interest because she has no fish cage, he said. Quisay said Celeste must direct her criticisms at big capitalists who are not from Bolinao but own big fish pens and cages in the town. They come and go. When they don’t earn anymore, they more to other places, but we stay here, he said. Y. Fuertes, Philippine Daily Inquirer , 03.10.02 ‘Killer’ methods, overfishing strain Visayas’ ‘fishing
bowl’ In a study conducted with local fishers in the village of Lipayran, the Environmental Legal Assistance Center (ELAC) found that only about 45 percent of the area’s 118-hectare reef has live hard coral cover, and 23.5 percent has soft coral cover. Local residents said they often hear as many as 25 blasts a day from dynamites used to catch fish. Coral reef destruction has resulted in decreased fish catch for fishermen. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, small fishers in non-motorized boats could catch as much as 20 kilos of fish a day; today, their catch is down to three kilos a day. The ELAC study also noted that the still dense seagrass beds in Lipayran are an important resource to fishers, but they too are increasingly subjected to destructive fishing methods. Local fishers engage in sudsud, a fishing method that involves combing shallow waters for fingerlings and small fish using a net with a wooden or bamboo frame. ELAC plans to help the community draft a coastal resource management plan and establish a marine sanctuary, and to teach them to conduct regular monitoring of fish population and biodiversity in the area. To ease pressure off the sea, the group also plans to develop alternative livelihood opportunities for local fishers. LAP in Sun.Star Cebu , 03.24.02 Cebu town imposes fees on divers, snorkelers Foreign divers are charged Php50 to enter the sanctuary without a camera, Php150 with a still camera, and Php300 with a video camera. Filipino divers are asked to pay Php25 each if they enter without a camera, Php75 if they bring in a still camera, and Php 150 if they have a video camera. Income from entrance fees will be shared among stakeholder institutions, with the local fishers association getting 40 percent, the barangay (village) government 20 percent, and the municipal government 30 percent. Although more dive groups mean more funds, local fishers want to limit the number to 10 divers at a time, to prevent damage to coral reefs. The sanctuary was established through the Central Visayas Resource Management Project in 1986, when the fishers association first banned fishing in the 20-hectare area. Later, they also prohibited diving there. But violations were rampant. On one occasion, recalled Escolastico Abrenica, president of the fishers association, their guardhouse was strafed by a group of fishers who wanted to fish inside the sanctuary. Abrenica is hopeful that the new regulations will gain better public acceptance, as people become more aware of the benefits of the sanctuary. He noted that before the establishment of the sanctuary, fishers’ catch was only two kilos a day; some time after the sanctuary was established, their daily catch went up to 10 kilos. This encouraged other fishers to join the association. In the 1990s, the association had 20 member-families; membership has since grown to 36 families. LAP in Sun.Star Cebu, 03.24.02 Group opposes Bohol reclamation project The project will destroy the city’s marine resources, he Concerned Coalition Against Rehabilitation (C-CARE) warned, noting experts’ opinion that reclamation will affect water current, with the pollutants reaching the nearby resort island of Panglao. Moreover, C-CARE said, the project would veer away from the province’s economic and socio-cultural thrust. Proponents claim that the reclaimed land will provide areas for commercial and industrial use as part of efforts to decongest the central business district. It will also solve the sewerage problem as the project will provide sewerage and sewage treatment facilities, they added. Of the total reclamation area of 59 hectares, the private consortium will get 28.91 hectares or 49 percent. The government will receive 30.09 hectares of 51 percent, to be divided between the city government (8.4 hectares) and the Public Estates Authority (3.6 hectares) under a 70-30 percent sharing scheme. City Mayor Jose Torralba strongly supports the project, which was shelved before the 2001 elections. C-CARE said the project was not pursued to prevent it from becoming an election issue. C.A. Fuentes, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 03.08.02 Mactan reefs destroyed by coral mining industry? Scuba diving expert Alfonso Amores estimated that 80 percent of the coral formations in Punta Engano strait to Suba Bas-bas, Tinggo to Baring, Sulpa islet and Caubian Daku have already been destroyed. Amores speculated that persons who are engaged in exporting corals are behind the destruction of the coral reefs, as well as fishers who use explosives and cyanide. He said one can see from the shoreline of Marigondon up to near the ledge, some 125 meters away, a bed of broken skeletal remains of coral formations. This used to be a bed of healthy coral formations teeming with life 50 years ago, said Amores, a medical doctor by profession. He recalled that a few years ago, he still found a bed of black corals in the area, but these were no longer there when he returned recently. The sad thing is that the size of the corals indicated that it was probably there at the time the Battle of Mactan was raging a few kilometers away [nearly 500 years ago], Amores said. Isabelo Montejo, assistant regional director for technical services of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), refused to confirm the coral mining reports, but admitted that a huge part of the corals in the area has been destroyed. Amores suggested the creation of a group to be placed under the Lapu-Lapu
City government tasked to protect its coastal seawaters from the coral
miners. R.U. Borromeo,
The Freeman, 03.12.02 Female dolphin stuck in reef, wounded, dies Madeleine Nabarce, fish nurse of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), said the bottle-nosed female dolphin had 13 wounds caused by the sharp rocks that trapped her. Nabarce said a fisherman found the 400-kilo, 11 feet dolphin jerking and struggling to break free. She said she found no other would on the dolphin aside from those that were caused by the rough rocks. PNA in Cebu Daily News, 03.09.02 Sulu Fund has new name, office The Foundation may also be contacted at email address ccef@mozcom.com. World Environment, fisheries tackled in WTO negotiations Hussein Abaza, Head of the United Nations Economic Program’s (UNEP) Economic and Trade Branch, said: " We are slowly amassing a wealth of hard facts about the complex relationship between trade liberalization, subsidies and their environmental and social impacts, especially in the area of fisheries. It is becoming clear that developing countries stand to gain a great deal from trade in fisheries products, but only if trade and fisheries policies are reformed to support sustainable management of these resources. The country studies we have commissioned, including [a] new one from Mauritania, not only shed important light on the damage that can be caused by unregulated trade liberalization, but also offer pointers to the actions needed so that trade in fish contributes to development and sustains marine ecosystems". Klaus Toepfer, Executive Director of UNEP, said:" Fisheries represent, to many developing countries like Bangladesh, a real opportunity for economic development. The fish stocks in many developed country waters have been severely depleted as too many, often heavily subsidized, fleets chase too few fish. As a result they are looking elsewhere for catches. It is vital that the unsustainable fishing of the past and the present is not exported to the developing world". "The new round of WTO talks, offer a golden opportunity to marry trade liberalization with poverty reduction and environmental safeguards. I believe UNEP's work, comparing and contrasting the differing fortunes of poorer nations in this difficult area, can inform the trade talks and lead to a successful and more sustainable outcome, " he added. The case of Mauritania highlights the difficulties facing developing countries who, in the push to generate much needed foreign exchange earnings to help fight poverty and assist in economic development, license foreign fleets to use their fishing grounds. For nearly two decades, fishing vessels from the European Union, Japan and China have had increasing access to Mauritanian waters fishing grounds where the target species include octopus and shrimp. There are now an estimated 251 industrial, factory-style foreign vessels operating there. The preliminary country report, compiled for UNEP by the National Oceanographic and Fisheries Research Centre in Nouadhibou, shows that giving this access has had significant impacts on the marine environment. Overfishing due to a failure by some fishing boats to comply with the rules, lack of enforcement and a shortage of fisheries protection boats alongside other factors, have led to a dramatic fall in catches as fish stocks are over-exploited. For example, catches of octopus have fallen by more than 50 per cent in the past four years. Local employment in the fishing sector has also been hit as a result of the overfishing and overcapacity in the foreign fleets. The number of people employed in the traditional octopus fishery in Mauritania has fallen from a peak of nearly 5,000 in 1996 to around 1,800 now. Current regulations are allowing the EU shrimp boats to use a smaller mesh size of 50mm for their nets when compared with the native Mauritanian boats, the preliminary report says. This, the report argues, is leading to the accidental capture of other marine species. This bycatch, which may have important impacts on the marine environment and the supply of traditional fish to local markets, can amount to as much as 58 per cent of the catch of the EU boats. Other, unforeseen, impacts on local livelihoods and the national economy have been occurring. In 1998 Japan cancelled orders from Mauritania for octopus choosing to buy, from Spain, cheaper catches landed in Europe from Mauritanian waters. The report concludes that Mauritania has made far less out of granting foreign boats access to its waters than had previously been supposed. It says, "In granting European boats the right to fish in Mauritania, the Government is using economic arguments that take into account only what return that may bring the country, and not what is might cost. UNEP conducted a workshop, just days before the WTO negotiations began on March 22, to discuss trade policies affecting the environment. Said Abaza, "This capacity building workshop, for which we have raised funding so as to bring in delegates from developing countries across the world, will help these nations develop the combination of trade, environment and development policies needed to maximize the benefits of trade. We hope the new round of WTO talks will eventually deliver a legally binding agreement that increases developing countries trading opportunities, respects the environment and helps deliver sustainable development to all the peoples of the world," he said. Well-managed fisheries vital for environmentally
friendly development in poor parts of the globe A preliminary study of Mauritania, where European Union, Japanese and Chinese boats have been given access to fishing grounds, has found that catches of octopus have halved in the past four years and that some species, such as sawfish, have completely disappeared. Details of the report was released last March 15 at a fisheries workshop in Geneva organized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) where delegates discussed the links between international trade and subsidies, and their social and environmental impacts. The meeting also reviewed a second report on fisheries in Bangladesh, which indicates that marine stocks there can support more fishing. Fish stocks in Bangladesh's waters could generate employment and millions of dollars of foreign exchange earnings for one of the world's poorest countries. But the findings from Mauritania, alongside other UNEP-commissioned country studies of Senegal and Argentina, show that strict safeguards must be in place before fishing activities are increased, or foreign fleets are invited in, otherwise Bangladesh could find that its stocks too become vulnerable to over-exploitation, inflicting economic costs and putting at risk much needed food supplies for its own people, rather than generating income. The UNEP fisheries workshop was attended by some 100 delegates from countries around the world and bodies including the World Trade Organization (WTO), the United Nation's Food and Agricultural Organization, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development and the World Wide Fund for Nature. The workshop comes at the start of a new round of world trade talks last March 22, which included negotiations on reducing fisheries subsidies. Conference on poverty adopts Monterrey Consensus The Conference brought together representatives of governments, the business community, international financial institutions and civil society to seek ways of mobilizing crucial resources to eradicate poverty, achieve sustained economic growth and promote sustainable development toward a fully inclusive and equitable global economic system. In the Consensus, the heads of State and government gathered in Monterrey will, as their first step, mobilize financial resources and achieve the national and international economic conditions needed to fulfill internationally agreed development goals, including those contained in the Millennium Declaration to reduce poverty and improve social conditions. In his statement of the Conference, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan pointed out the developing countries’ most crucial needs not handouts, but the chance to trade to make their own voices heard, and ensure that their countries' interests are taken into account, when the management of the global economy is being discussed the chance for their countries to trade their way out of poverty, which means that the markets of the developed world must be fully and genuinely open to their products, and the unfair subsidies to competing goods must be removed [and] relief from an unsustainable burden of debt. Annan also said, however, that in order for developing countries to do without handouts, they first need a helping hand up, in the form of significant increase in development aid. He urged donor countries to raise aid funding to developing countries, saying, There is abundant evidence that aid does work. Aid brings spectacular improvements in literacy, and spectacular declines in infant mortality, when it is channeled to countries with enlightened leaders and efficient institutions. Indeed, enlightened leaders can use aid to build efficient institutions. While noting that aid is vital, Annan also stressed the need to review donor countries’ policies that affect the efficacy of development aid. Development is a complex process, in which many different actors have to work together, and not against each other, he said. It is no good helping dairy farmers in a country if, at the same time, you are exporting subsidized milk powder to it. Paper recommends integrated coastal management
to Earth Summit The paper concludes that a fresh look of delivery mechanisms for effective implementation of measures will be necessary at the Earth Summit. "Such mechanisms need to be founded upon principles of integrated management and good governance, increased resources, expanded public awareness and stakeholder involvement." The paper can be downloaded from http://www.earthsummit2002.org. Coastal Guide News, 03.22.02 2002 World Environment Day celebrations to kick
off in China "I am delighted that China has generously offered to host this important United Nations Day and I believe it will be a unique opportunity to push the environmental agenda forward", said Klaus Toepfer, UNEP's Executive Director. WED, considered one of the most important events on the environment calendar is celebrated every year in more than 100 countries. The occasion serves to inspire political and community action. Governments, individuals, NGOs, community and youth groups, business, industry and the media undertake a variety of activities aimed at renewing their commitment to the protection of the environment. With the theme, Give Earth a Chance, this year's host will organize a series of events that will not only raise environmental awareness but also promote continued environmental action. "The theme calls on each and every one of us to contribute to the healing of the ailing planet. In spite of considerable efforts and significant achievements, many of the problems, which plagued the Earth during the 20th century still linger. More than ever, we need to take the necessary steps to ensure that the environment remains at the top of the global agenda", Toepfer added. The year 2002 marks the 30th Anniversary of UNEP and is also being celebrated as the International Year of Mountains and the International Year of Ecotourism. Deep ocean is losing oxygen "Our climate simulations predict a decrease in oxygen at depths of 500 to 2500 meters in the Southern Ocean and from two research expeditions we now have observed changes in oxygen that support these predictions," said Richard Matear of Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO). The interpretation is that less oxygen-rich water is penetrating into the ocean and this in turn gives additional credibility to climate change models. The oxygen analysis provides a new benchmark of understanding for researchers." The Southern Ocean is considered by oceanographers as the 'lungs' of the world's oceans. Fifty-five per cent of the water that regenerates the deep ocean is formed in this region and hence it is an important region to monitor for changes. Matear said that while no investigation had yet been made on impacts of these changes on marine life, further Southern Ocean sampling was conducted in late 2001 from the Antarctic supply ship Aurora Australis to confirm trends showing up in the climate simulations. Scientific observations of ocean conditions are based on sampling temperature, salinity, oxygen and nutrients in the ocean from research vessels. Funded through the Australian Greenhouse Offices's Climate Change Research Program, Matear, Tony Hirst, also of CSIRO, and Dr Ben McNeil from the Antarctic Cooperative Research Centre used chemical data gathered during oceanographic research voyages south of Australia to look for changes in the ocean conditions. The first was on the ship Eltanin in 1968. The second was a World Ocean Circulation Experiment voyage in 1995. Data from the two cruises were compared in the polar and sub-polar regions. "Climate models predict that increasing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere will change our climate. However, the range of observations available to assess these model predictions is limited," said Matear. "Next to temperature and salinity, oxygen is the most measured quantity in the ocean and through these models, we have been able to demonstrate that oxygen is sensitive to climate change projections. Having demonstrated that oxygen is a valuable indicator of climate change in our models, we now have a quantity to monitor to detect future changes. Global climate observations: To see is to understand "Ocean forecasting is a strategic element in the future of climate prediction," said Peter Lemke, chair of the Joint Scientific Committee of the WCRP. Lemke said the ambitious $1 billion World Ocean Circulation Experiment a decade-long snapshot of the world's ocean backed by more than 20 nations and which winds down this year has provided an essential foundation for climate prediction. "With basic benchmarks for ocean behavior now established, governments must now direct their efforts to supporting new tools such as satellite measurements, the planned deployment of 3,000 Argo deep ocean profiling robots and modeling centers to increase our understanding of what lies ahead for global climate. This will provide scientists with the capability to examine variability in the ocean and interactions between the oceans, atmosphere, land surfaces, polar and glacial regions and generate predictive models of the earth's system," Lemke said. A key objective of the Geneva-based WCRP is to build systems that acquire enough data on these interactions to predict climate activity from seasons to several years ahead on regional scales within a radius of 50-100 kilometres. "While the average global citizen wants to know about today's weather, they also want to know how their world will change in terms of more or less rainfall, warmer or cooler conditions. For industries and government, climate prediction potentially offers substantial economic and environmental outcomes. When regional models can be achieved, governments will see the economic and environmental benefits that flow from their investment in climate research and can integrate these assessments into their management policies," Lemke said. He pointed to scientific understanding of tropical oceans significantly greater than temperate regions and borne out in advance notice of the most recent El Niño event as evidence of success under WCRP initiatives. Formed in 1979, the WCRP is sponsored by the World Meteorological Organisation, the International Council for Science and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission. Its results feed directly into the Scientific Assessments of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The comprehensive IPCC assessments, the latest released in January, 2001 and the next due in 2007, provide the authoritative, up-to-date scientific advice need to inform the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Lemke said some key questions remaining to be answered by science in global climate research are:
-- Commonweath Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) Australian ocean robots to form new wave of climate
alert systems Oceanographers and climate scientists from Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) and the Bureau of Meteorology are leading the international pilot program in the region with 10 Argo floats deployed in 1999 to monitor the Indian Ocean between Australia and Indonesia. "Seeding the global ocean with 3,000 floats is the next logical step, following more than a decade of development and their successful deployment," said Stan Wilson, from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the United States. Wilson, NOAA's Director of International Ocean Programs, works to help ensure the program is promoted within the international community and that the necessary financial resources are made available within the partner countries. "Argo brings the international community together as we better monitor and understand the climate system," he said. The Argo program, in combination with a range of other ocean-observing systems including satellites, will soon provide information on ocean behavior within hours of measurements being taken. Dean Roemmich from Scripps Institute of Oceanography chairs the International Argo Science Team. Argo has grown from having funded 65 floats in 1999 to 225 in 2000 and 480 in 2001. More than 600 floats will be funded by 2002 by the 13-member participating countries and the European Commission. By the end of this year, funds will have been secured for more than a third of the global array. Today there are 337 operational floats throughout the world's oceans sending back real-time data about water temperature, salinity, and currents. The 1.5-meter autonomous floats ride the ocean currents and sink about 2000 meters into the water and drift for 10 days. As they rise to the surface, they collect data which are transmitted via satellite to ground stations. The data gets onto the Global Telecommunications System for use by the operational forecast agencies worldwide. The data is fully and openly available with no periods of exclusive use by anyone, representing a fundamental change in the way traditional oceanography has been done. Argo would not be possible without the "full and open" data policy. It allows use of data by agencies for operational forecasts (thus helping demonstrate the societal benefits) as well as by the research community, thus contributing to understanding of the role of the oceans in climate. While the bulk of robotic floats are in the northern Hemisphere, ultimately two-thirds of all floats will be deployed south of the Equator. Wilson said ocean data and research are essential to:
The international Argo effort began in 1999. Countries engaged in Argo program include Canada, Korea, India, France, Germany, New Zealand, Japan, China, Russia, Indonesia, United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom. The goal is to have 3,000 floats in the ocean by 2006. The Argo array is part of the Global Climate Observing System/Global Ocean Ocean Observing System (GCOS/GOOS) and contributes to both the Climate Variability and Predictability Experiment (CLIVAR) and the Global Ocean Data Assimilation Experiment (GODAE). Central American states agree to promote health
of Northeast Pacific The agreement should also lead to better conservation and a boost in the quality of key coastal habitats including mangrove swamps, coral reefs and beaches upon which millions of people depend for food, construction materials and income from industries such as tourism. The prospects have emerged as a result of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama, signing the Convention on Cooperation in the Protection and Sustainable Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Northeast Pacific. Mexico and Colombia, the two other nations involved in the region, have indicated that they will sign the Convention before the end of the year. An action plan, detailing how the countries concerned will improve the environment of the Northeast Pacific for the benefit of people and wildlife, has also been approved. Key parts of this will include an assessment and crackdown on the high levels of sewage and other pollutants being discharged from cities into the Pacific Ocean. Such discharges are compromising the health of bathing waters and can lead to outbreaks of water-borne diseases such as cholera, which can endanger people and harvests of seafood like shellfish. High sewage discharges and run off of fertilizers from agricultural land are also adding to the risk of algal blooms in the region's coastal waters. Such blooms can produce toxins that in turn kill fish. This part of the action plan could mirror a similar one drawn up for the Wider Caribbean regional seas agreement. Here countries are upgrading existing water treatment works or installing new ones. The project is initially targeting large cities eventually extending the improvements to smaller settlements. Funding is coming from national governments’ own budgets and loans from donors such as regional development banks. Jorge Illueca, Director of the United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) Division of Environmental Conventions, which has brokered the agreement as part of its regional seas program, said: "The Central American coastline of the Northeast Pacific has undergone rapid changes in recent years. Over 90% of the population of Central America lives on this drier, Pacific Ocean, side and so it is here where the environmental pressures are the greatest. Forests along the coast have been largely cleared, resulting in widespread losses of plant and animal species, degradation of the land itself and pollution of rivers, streams, lakes and coastal waters ". "Pressures are also increasing on mangroves which are vital nurseries for fish. The breaking down of all these natural systems is leading to a deterioration of environmental security in the region and to growing numbers of environmental refugees encroaching on highland and other forested lands in the interior, including protected areas. The new agreements offers real hope that these stresses and strains can be countered and genuine improvements can be delivered," he said. Another priority will be an assessment of the risks from oil pollution and a strategy to deal with such events including an evaluation of the region's availability of clean up equipment and personnel. The region is an important shipping route for vessels sailing from Panama up to Alaska in the United States and much of the oil transported from Alaska to the east coast of America via the Panama Canal or through the Bahia de Charco Azul to the Laguna de Chiriqui oil pipeline. Klaus Toepfer, Executive Director of UNEP, said: "The negotiations on this Convention for the Northeast Pacific has been five years in gestation. I am delighted that this work has finally borne fruit. Such cooperation would have been unthinkable only a few years. During the 1980s, Central America was gripped by a profound political and economic crisis. The end of the cold war signaled the beginning of the end of armed conflict in the region and a chance for cooperation on environmental and development issues. The new agreement marks an important step towards achieving even greater stability in the region". Japan to trade in whale meat with Norway despite international moratoriumWASHINGTON, D.C. In defiance of an international ban on trade in whale products, the Government of Japan announced in Tokyo that it intends to import Norwegian minke whale meat beginning as soon as April of this year. This commercial trade in whale products is the first in more than a decade, raising the fears of conservation groups worldwide including the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) who say this is Japan’s most aggressive move to date to revive the international trade. Japanese officials say they intend to import up to a hundred tons of whale meat once they have obtained permission from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. This announcement comes just two months before the annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), to be held in Shimonoseki, Japan. This is absolutely outrageous and must be stopped, said IFAW President Fred O’Regan. Japan and Norway have obviously decided to go their own way, and the rest of the international community be damned. That Japan would undertake this prohibited trade on the eve of hosting an IWC meeting is incredible. It’s pure Kabuki theater. There has been no legal trade in minke whale products from Norway to Japan since 1986 when the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) prohibited international trade. That same year an IWC moratorium on commercial whaling came into effect. Both Norway and Japan showed their opposition to the trade ban by taking reservations on the CITES decision in 1986, and as such are not technically bound by the prohibition. Norway resumed commercial whaling for minke whales in 1993. Since then, Norway has set its own limits for the number of whales taken and catches have increased up to the current catch limit of 674 minke whales set for 2002. The news comes in the wake of the announcement by Japanese officials that Japan will expand its ongoing whaling program in the North Pacific to include endangered sei whales as well as minke, Bryde’s and sperm whales. These audacious decisions are a slap in the face of the international community and decades of good faith efforts to protect and conserve the great whales for future generations. It is time for Norway and Japan to join the rest of the civilized world and abandon plans to return to industrial whaling and trade in whale meat, O’Regan said. Whale meat commands a much higher price in Japan, and there is a much larger market than in Norway. In recent years, Norwegian whalers have sometimes found it hard to sell their catch on the domestic market. In addition, whale blubber is considered a delicacy in Japan but is not eaten in Norway, which maintains a 400-ton stockpile of blubber in hopes of future trade. Charging the use of global commons urged to support
global sustainability policies The WBGU appealed for charging the use of global commons, particularly international airspace and the high seas, saying it is essential that revenues of this kind be allocated for predefined goals to help protect these resources and support international sustainability policies. The WBGU proposed that compensation be paid to developing nations that agree not to use certain environmental resources and to accept possible resulting economic drawbacks. Payments would be rendered for waiving the use of national commons that have global value, such as forests, soils or water bodies. Air traffic is the world's most rapidly growing source of greenhouse gas emissions. Despite their substantial and foreseeable impacts on climate, emissions caused by international aviation do not come under the reduction commitments specified in the Kyoto Protocol, the WBGU noted. It urged German government to work toward the institution, at the international level, of phased, worldwide imposition of user charges on world aircraft emissions based on aircraft type, the flight route, the distance flown and the load. Funds generated should flow into climate protection measures, in particular for increasing energy efficiency and for more widespread use of renewable energies. The council also noted that, although long-distance shipping is the most eco-friendly mode of transport, it causes considerable pollution of the sea and air, and causes global climate change. Like those from aviation, greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping are not covered by the Kyoto Protocol. The council said an annual charge that takes into account the pollution caused by ships should be imposed on the shipping industry, and rebates on a basic amount of charges could be granted according to a number of factors, e.g. eco-friendly shipping line policies, the technological standard of ships, or the type of operations management. The basic charge would be determined according to the carrying capacity of the ships, their engine power and a charge factor, said the council, and the funds generated should be deployed for protection of the seas, in particular for integrated coastal management in developing countries and countries undergoing the transition to a market economy. Measures aimed at adapting to global climate change and for coping with its impacts could be financed, the WBGU also recommended, and the bulk of revenues should be allocated to international institutions already in place, such as the new climate protections funds or the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The council noted that natural resources such as forests, waterbodies or soils, many of which are of global value, are often inadequately protected in developing countries because the population is compelled to behave in an environmentally hostile manner in order to survive. Saying that paying compensation to those states that agree not to exploit these resources in a damaging way can help preserve the environment and at the same time combat poverty, it recommended that the idea of paying for non-utilization of resources be brought into the international policy debate and greater support be given to research in this area. Additional financing for protecting the global commons would enable existing ODA funds to be relieved of these and other tasks and be deployed instead in traditional funding areas such as poverty, the council said. Scientists paint grim picture of Vietnam's coral
reefs Using sophisticated computer software and a new index of threats, scientists estimate that as much as 96 percent of Vietnam's reefs are severely threatened by human activities, compared with the 88 percent average for Southeast Asia. The main threats are destructive fishing, overfishing, and sedimentation and pollution from land-based sources. Vietnam has an estimated 1,122 square kilometers of reefs and about 300 species can be found in its waters. Studies conducted between 1994 and 1997 indicate than only one percent of the country's reefs can be classified as in excellent condition. Destructive fishing practices, like the use of poison and dynamites, threaten as much as 85 percent of Vietnam's reefs. Overfishing threatens more than 60 percent while sediment from upland sources is estimated to threaten 50 percent of Vietnam's reefs. The findings are contained in the report Reefs at Risk: Southeast Asia co-written with scientists from the University of the Philippines’ Marine Sciences Institute and the Silliman University Marine Laboratory. The new report is published by World Resources Institute (WRI) , the United Nations Environment Programme, World Conservation Monitoring Center (UNEP-WCMC), ICLARM The World Fish Center, and the International Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN) . The report acknowledges that Vietnam is trying to address the problem, with two national strategic plans focusing on fisheries and tourism. The government hopes to establish models for sustainable tourism in the Con Dao, Cat Ba, and Ha Long Bay National Parks. CITES incentives inspire vital reforms in wildlife
management A Standing Committee meeting on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) has agreed to lift or modify imposed trade measures in response to pledges by governments to reform their wildlife management and trade practices. Responding to pledges of reform by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) government, the CITES Standing Committee has agreed to withdraw in three phases its earlier recommendation to suspend trade with the country. First, trade for non-commercial purposes other than movements of live birds of prey will be permitted immediately. Second, the prohibition on cross-border movements of live falcons for non-commercial purposes will be withdrawn when a domestic registry of the birds and their owners is completed and confirmed by the Secretariat. Third, commercial trade in CITES wildlife will remain suspended but will be reconsidered when the Standing Committee meets again next November and reviews the situation. "As this week has demonstrated, the CITES regime is effective because we can create powerful incentives for motivating governments to follow the rules and cooperate with one another," said Kenneth Stansell, Chairman of the Standing Committee. "CITES is an invaluable instrument for promoting the conservation and sustainable management of wild plants and animals." Another example of how effective trade restrictions can be was seen last week, when the CITES Secretariat approved new quotas for caviar and sturgeon meat exports from the Caspian Sea. However, while recognizing that the five Caspian States had met the requirements for continuing the caviar trade by establishing the first-ever unified system for surveying and managing sturgeon stocks, the Secretariat also pointed out that illegal harvesting and unregulated domestic consumption continue to threaten the long-term survival of Caspian Sea sturgeon species. During the Standing Committee meeting, the Russian Federation responded to this concern and to a Secretariat report on enforcement needs by pledging to regulate all stages of caviar production, from harvesting to packing; to establish quotas for domestic markets; to require that all caviar containers used in the domestic market are made domestically in order to demonstrate legal origin; and to license all domestic sales of caviar. "These steps are vital to Russia's battle against dealers in illegal caviar," said Willem Wijnstekers, Secretary-General of CITES. The Committee also considered the case of four other States that had earlier been given a 31 December 2001 deadline for adopting national legislation on endangered wildlife trade. Any country failing to comply would be subject to a complete suspension of all CITES-related trade. Fiji, a major exporter of coral, missed the deadline and had its trade suspended. The Committee agreed to lift the suspension, however, in response to Fiji's pledge to table national CITES legislation at its next parliamentary session in June 2002 and to have this legislation enacted before end-2002. Fiji will also set trade quotas for coral species at 50% of last year's exports and introduce a plan of action to address the unsustainable levels of coral harvesting and export. It will not authorize exports until the 2002 quota is formally put into effect, it will copy all export permits to the Secretariat, it will ensure that all export permits are issued only by the authorized national CITES Management Authority. If Fiji fails to enact effective legislation by 31 December 2002, the Secretariat will notify all Parties that all CITES trade is once again suspended. Vietnam, a country rich in wildlife resources, also saw all of its CITES trade suspended when it missed the end-December 2001 deadline for enacting legislation. However, the legislation was in force by mid-February 2002 and the trade suspension has now been lifted. Turkey adopted adequate legislation and its trade was therefore not suspended; a key issue for Turkey is the transhipment of illegal caviar. All CITES trade with Yemen, on the other hand, remains suspended until further notice. CITES will work closely with the government to help it develop legislation and train enforcement officers. The 12-15 March Standing Committee also decided to ensure more transparency in its procedures by permitting the participation in its deliberations of NGOs. Around the world, many species of plants and animals have become endangered because of habitat destruction, pollution, unsustainable trade, and other forces. CITES was adopted in 1973 to ensure the long-term survival of any species that are potentially threatened by international trade. Its 157 member governments strictly regulate international trade in threatened wild animals or plants via an Appendix II listing and prohibit international commercial trade in species threatened with extinction via inclusion in Appendix I. Caspian Sea states to resume caviar tradeGENEVA, 6 March 2002 The five Caspian Sea States launched a coordinated program for surveying and managing sturgeon stocks that meets the agreed requirements for proceeding with the 2002 caviar harvest, the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) announced. "For the first time, the Caspian Sea's wild sturgeon populations are being managed through a unified system rather than through competing national systems. This has enabled the region's Governments to demonstrate that sturgeon numbers are indeed stable or, in some cases, increasing", said Willem Wijnstekers, the CITES Secretary-General. "The resumption in caviar sales will bring in much-needed funding so that the hatcheries that are so vital to the sturgeons' long-term survival can be expanded. But this does not mean that the crisis is over. In particular, greater efforts are needed to combat illegal fishing and corruption", he said. CITES halted the caviar trade by Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and the Russian Federation in June 2001 under the so-called Paris Agreement. It gave the four States until the end of the year to conduct a scientific survey of stocks and develop a common management plan. They now have until 20 June 2002 to establish a long-term survey program and to increase significantly their efforts to combat illegal harvesting and trade and to regulate domestic trade. While the fifth Caspian State, Iran, was not subject to the caviar ban, it too has joined the regional effort. The CITES Secretariat has accepted the five States' proposal for a 2002 Caspian-wide quota of some 142 tons (142,237 kilograms) of caviar from five sturgeon species. This is 9.6% below the 2001 quota levels. The decision is based on information recently submitted by the Caspian States and by the Secretariat's frequent missions to the region to assess compliance and verify survey results. The approved 2002 export quotas for caviar are 7,770 kg for Azerbaijan, 75,767 kg for Iran, 23,500 kg for Kazakhstan, 29,400 kg for Russia, and 5,800 kg for Turkmenistan. In addition, Russia and Kazakhstan are allowed to sell registered stocks left over from the spring 2001 harvest. (For details, see the tables posted at www.cites.org.) "In a region where fish stocks were once a carefully guarded state secret, and where there is still no comprehensive political agreement over how to share the Caspian Sea and its resources, this breakthrough on sturgeon management marks a dramatic step forward towards transparency and cooperation", said CITES Deputy Secretary-General Jim Armstrong. "A good example of this new cooperation is the adoption by the Caspian States of a self-imposed moratorium on caviar exports from the species known as ship sturgeon for 2002. Because many of the natural spawning grounds have been destroyed, some 50% of Caspian Sea sturgeon start their lives in artificial hatcheries. Following the Paris Agreement, the Caspian States have invested heavily in expanding and refurbishing these hatcheries. They are also changing their methods to improve the survival rate of fingerlings, for example by releasing them only after they are 50 or 100 grams in weight versus the previous standard of 3 grams. Until 1991, two countries -- the USSR and Iran -- virtually controlled the caviar market, investing heavily in maintaining fish stocks. This made it easy to track the source of any given shipment of caviar. With the demise of the USSR, the system collapsed, and many entrepreneurs dealing in "black gold" sprang up to the replace the State-owned companies. The Caspian once accounted for 95% of world caviar, although this percentage has become closer to 90%. Official catch levels fell from a peak of about 30,000 tons in the late 1970s to less than one tenth that figure in the late 1990s. Reduced river flow, destroyed spawning sites, corruption, poaching, organized crime and illicit trade all contributed to the decline. One result is that before the Paris Agreement the illegal catch in the four former Soviet Republics was estimated to be 10 or 12 times higher than the legal take. The legal caviar trade has been estimated to be worth some $100 million annually, making it perhaps the world's most valuable wildlife resource. Because retail prices of illegal caviar vary widely from country to country, it is difficult to estimate the value of illegal trade. Average wholesale market prices are about $150 per kilo for illegal caviar, $500 for legal caviar, and $1,000 for legal beluga. Recognizing the need for action, in 1997 CITES decided to place all remaining, unlisted species of sturgeon on its Appendix II, effective from 1 April 1998. As a result, all exports of caviar and other sturgeon products must comply with strict CITES provisions, including the use of permits and specific labeling requirements. To obtain the necessary permits for export, it must be shown that trade is not detrimental to the long-term survival of the species. In April 2000, the CITES Conference of the Parties strengthened the controls on sturgeon by adopting a universal labeling system for caviar exports. It further required all range States to coordinate their annual export and catch quotas for 2001. In June 2001, the CITES Standing Committee decided that this had not been achieved and issued a zero quota for Caspian Sea sturgeon and caviar for four countries for the remainder of the year (Iran faced no restrictions because it had a functioning sturgeon management system). Shark finning now prohibited throughout US This prohibition on shark finning in the Pacific Ocean will immediately reduce waste of shark meat and will also prohibit foreign vessels from landing fins in US ports without corresponding shark carcasses. Said retired Navy Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere. "Wasteful fishing practices can lead to devastation of vital living marine resources and economic hardship for the fishermen and communities that rely on the long-term, sustained use of these resources." Finning - the practice of cutting off the fins and throwing the remainder of the shark overboard - is prohibited under state regulations on the West Coast, in a number of Atlantic states and Hawaii and has been prohibited in federal waters of the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea since 1993. In 2000, Congress amended the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and enacted the Shark Finning Prohibition Act out of concern about the status of shark populations and the effects of heavy shark fishing. The intent of the act is to eliminate the wasteful practice of killing sharks only for their fins. The US ban is also consistent with international agreements to better manage shark populations, including the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fishing of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the International Plan of Action for Sharks, and the United Nation's Agreement on Straddling Stocks and Highly Migratory Species. The life history characteristics of sharks, including slow growth, late sexual maturity and the production of few young, make them particularly vulnerable to overfishing and necessitate careful management of shark fisheries. In 1991, the percentage of sharks killed by U.S. longline fisheries in the Pacific Ocean for finning was approximately 3 percent. By 1998, that percentage had grown to 60 percent. Between 1991 and 1998, the number of sharks retained by the Hawaii-based swordfish and tuna longline fishery had increased from 2,289 to 60,857 annually, and by 1998, an estimated 98 percent of these sharks were killed for their fins. Shark fins comprise only between 1 percent and 5 percent of the weight of a shark, and finning results in a 95 to 99 percent waste (by weight). SeaWeb Ocean Update, March 2002 Pope asked to save sea turtles For full text and graphics visit: http://ens-news.com/ens/mar2002/2002L-03-15-07.html Earth Day event teaches consumers to choose ‘environment-friendly’
seafood Featured guest speakers from the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Pacific Coast Federation of Fisherman's Associations, and the Alliance for Seafood Professionals will explain which seafood choices are best for the environment. "We want people to understand that they can make a difference simply by what they order at the restaurant or pick up at the grocery store," said Jennifer Dianto, Seafood Watch Program Manager at Monterey Bay Aquarium. "The To Eat or Not To Eat event will teach consumers how to choose seafood that comes from sustainable, environmentally-friendly sources." Famous chefs from San Francisco's best restaurants will prepare seafood hors d'oeuvres from sustainable fisheries and share cooking secrets at the Aquarium. Additional information on sustainable food choices will be available throughout the evening. Samples of local organic wines will also be offered. Earth Day activities focused on renewable resources will happen throughout day at the Aquarium. Following this event, four lectures will be held, sponsored by Bay Nature magazine, discussing such topics as Great White Sharks, California Coast Marine Mammals, Pollution in the Bay and Introduced Species. "Our goal is to entertain, educate and inspire preservation of our wonderful natural resources," said John Frawley, General Manager of Aquarium of the Bay. "Our lecture series is just one way that we can take an active role in encouraging marine conservation and we feel this is a great way to kick things off." A percentage of the proceeds from "To Eat or Not To Eat" will be donated to the Aquarium's non-profit partner, Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association. New technology minimizes seabird deaths in Hawaii
long-line fishery First developed in 1995, the underwater setting chute releases baited hooks underwater, out of sight and reach of these diving seabirds. It has been tested in New Zealand, and is currently undergoing trials in Australia's tuna longline fisheries. Trials were completed off the coast of Hawaii last week. "Preliminary analysis of the research data indicates the chute was significantly more effective at avoiding seabird deaths when compared to a control of setting under normal tuna fishing practices," said Eric Gilman, project manager for the trial of the chute and Pacific representative for Audubon's Living Oceans Program. Of the man-made and natural threats to seabirds, one of the most critical global problems is incidental mortality in longline fisheries. Birds most at risk from death in Hawaii's and other North Pacific longline fisheries are petrels and albatross, including the Short-tailed, Black-Footed and Laysan albatrosses. The birds get hooked or entangled when the gear is being set and are dragged underwater and drown as the fishing gear sinks. The results of the trial indicate that when the gear is set under control conditions without the underwater setting chute, seabirds contacted 6.5% of baited hooks set, resulting in the mortality of 24 seabirds. When the gear is set with the chute, seabirds contacted 0.2% of baited hooks set, and no birds were caught or killed. "This project demonstrates that collaboration between an environmental NGO, fishing industry, and government management authority is effective and should serve as a model for future efforts," Gilman said. Jim Cook, owner of the fishing vessel Katy Mary and representative of the Hawaii Longline Association, said the longline industry is likely to support use of the chute, as it promises to save fishers money by reducing bait loss, and does not require significant alteration of normal fishing practices." New net designs shown to cut bycatch The findings assume new importance in light of Federal regulations taking effect in April closing some fishing grounds and restricting the length of fishing seasons due to depletion of fishing stocks. The new nets also reduce damage from dragging conventional trawls criticized in a recent National Academy of Sciences report. As part of a long-term study of innovative methods to reduce bycatch and discard, Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences and the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries brought together government agencies from Canada and the US, and working fishermen from Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island at the Memorial University of Newfoundland's Marine Institute's flume tank facility. Manomet's Dr. Chris Glass and the team tested several different net designs devised co-operatively by scientists and fishermen. Such modifications could reduce bycatch while allowing fishermen to continue working. Prior bycatch reduction means, including buying fishermen's boats to put them out of business or severe restrictions on catch size and seasons, hurt fishermen's and coastal communities' incomes. Proctor Wells, owner of the "Tenacious," which fishes out of Phippsburg, Maine, said "This is really a win-win for all involved: these new nets let the fish stocks rebuild, while we fishermen don't lose precious days at sea or have fisheries shut down." Wells' bycatch when he used a new net to fish for whiting was only 1%. The Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences' Marine Fisheries Program, the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries Conservation Engineering Program, the Maine Department of Marine Resources, and fishermen in communities including New Bedford, Provincetown, and Gloucester, Massachusetts; Portland and Phippsburg, Maine; and Pt. Judith, Rhode Island, have worked together since 1996 to design and test alternative net designs. They began by videotaping fish behavior in and around the nets, then redesigned nets to either exclude juvenile or unwanted species from entering the nets at all, or altered the rear of the net so unwanted fish can swim out while the target species remain. Tests of the redesigned nets on species such as squid show significant bycatch reductions. In addition to its direct impact, the project showed that fishermen want to preserve fishing stocks and to learn new ways to improve their operations. Glass said, "Now, fishermen are involved in research with scientists from the beginning, not just at the end. This project gets fishermen away from their normal solitary and competitive work environment, and lets them brainstorm with their peers and with scientists." Said Division of Marine Fisheries' Arne Carr, "When fishermen and scientists observe video of the fish and the fishing gear interaction, both learn so much from each others' comments". Algae might be missing mercury link in aquatic
food chain In a controlled experiment, the researchers followed mercury as it moved from the water, was taken up by algae, and eventually found its way into small animals called Daphnia, which eat the algae. Daphnia, a type of zooplankton, is in turn a food source for many species of fish. While not toxic to the Daphnia or the fish at the levels found normally in nature, methylmercury biomagnification presents a serious health hazard for humans and other animals that eat the fish. Under biomagnification, there is a systematic increase in the concentration of elements, found in tissue of organisms, as they move up the food chain. The study finds that when there is a significant amount of algae present, methylmercury is dispersed widely throughout the single-celled algae. As a result, Daphnia that eat the algae are not exposed to high levels of mercury. However, in systems with fewer algae, the mercury is more concentrated on each plant cell, so the Daphnia eat more mercury with each meal. "Now we understand more fully the connection between mercury in the water and mercury in fish," said Paul Pickhardt, senior author on the paper, and a graduate student at Dartmouth. "We suspected there was an algal link, but few laboratories had the technology to make such precise measurements before. With our trace-metal techniques, we've achieved mercury detection levels that are 50 times more sensitive than any other method." "These results tell us that over the season in a lake, changes that cause the algae to increase or decrease can also quickly produce changes in the amount of mercury that moves through the ecosystem," said co-author Dartmouth Biological Sciences Professor Carol Folt. "This is important because right now, scientists and government officials are trying to figure out how and when to measure mercury in order to issue more precise advisories about human consumption of fish." Technology to decontaminate radioactive wastewater
eyed for commercial application The technology, referred to as "GHR," was obtained from the Institute for Industrial Mathematics, Inc (IIM), of Beer-Sheva, Israel. The acquisition of GHR is part of NSOL's strategy to diversify its technology portfolio into complementary nuclear waste remediation areas that have a high potential for revenue generation in the short-term, and that are in line with the company's goal of ridding the environment of nuclear waste. Water containing tritium and deuterium is produced in significant quantities as a by-product of nuclear reactor operations and weapons complex activities, and is currently stored in several locations worldwide due to the expense of available methods of treatment. Severe health problems for humans and animals are linked to these contaminants and pose a worldwide environmental threat. The company claimed GHR is a ground-breaking technology that will represent the most cost-effective method for removal of contaminant isotopes such as tritium and others from nuclear wastewater." IIM will perform the additional research required to prepare GHR technology for commercial application. Upon conclusion of the commercialization phase, which is expected to last 12 to 15 months, IIM and NSOL will aggressively pursue the filling of worldwide patents. IIM will own the intellectual property and NSOL will have the exclusive worldwide rights for a period of 20 years Inaugural biodiversity informatics prize awarded "The Prize is to be awarded annually to a promising researcher," said Dr John Curran, Chair of the GBIF Science Committee. "The first Prize winner is Dr Nozomi Ytow, Assistant Professor at the University of Tskuba in Japan. Dr Ytow is combining biosystematics and biological diversity informatics research in an exciting and novel way. His work challenges the way we handle biodiversity information and offers the possibility of dramatically speeding up the way we share this information around the world. Ytow will use the Prize to travel to key research centers around the world to share and test his novel ideas on data-basing the vast quantities of biological information held in natural history collections around the world. |
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