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Currents E-News February 2008
IN THIS EDITION:
MARINE AND COASTAL LEGISLATION, POLICY AND PLANNING
1. Australia, NZ to tackle climate change (Australia)
2. Navy sonar testing off Isles faces latest court hearing (Hawaii)
3. Australia developing a preventive strategy in Pacific Islands affairs (Tonga)
4. Oceans And Coasts Initiative Will Focus On Offshore Resources (USA)
5. Govt gives Pacific $2m to fight climate change (Australia)
6. Climate Change, Governance Policies Remain Concerns for Developing Pacific Nations (Pacific)
COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT
7. Conservation moves south (Fiji)
MARINE PROTECTED AREAS
8. Marine life grows in protected areas (Fiji)
9. Kiribati creates world's largest marine reserve (Kiribati)
10. Better protecting our unique marine environment (New Zealand)
11. Chen urges regional cooperation on visit to Dongsha Island (Taiwan)
FISHERIES
12. Marine Police Seize Illegal Philippines Fishing Boat (Palau)
13. Poachers detained in Torres Strait (Australia)
14. Strict control on tuna (Pacific)
15. Solomons to ban sea cucumber harvesting (Solomon Islands)
16. Vietnam considers Australia promising seafood market (Vietnam)
17. Major misuse of project money showing up, says top investigator (Solomon Islands)
18. Kiribati Economy Hit By Drop In Fishing Licenses (Kiribati)
19. Debate rages over Pacific-wide fisheries body (Pacific)
20. American Samoa cannery head spells out impact of higher minimum wages (American Samoa)
21. Special Session of Heads of Fisheries (Pacific)
22. Solomon Islands opposes Forum Fisheries Agency amalgamation (Solomon Islands)
23. Hearing for impounded Taiwanese fishing vessel to begin next month (Guam)
24. High Seas Drama: Pacific islands question need for Tuna Commission (Pacific)
AQUACULTURE
25. Global Trade In Tiger Shrimp Threatens Environment (Asia)
26. Nation ponders new world of marine economy (Vietnam)
27. Tasman aquaculture management area (New Zealand)
28. Aussie’s passion for pearl on Con Dao island (Vietnam)
29. Palau should eye fish farming (Palau)
30. Marine fish hatchery training course for the Philippines (Philippines)
31. Cell Aquaculture hatchery in Malaysia (Malaysia)
CLIMATE CHANGE
32. Palau calls for security council action to protect island Nations from sea-level rise (Palau)
33. Cook Islands Development Plan To Include 'Climate Proofing' (Cook Islands)
34. Australian govt delegation off to Kiribati (Pacific)
35. US-Led Climate Talks Open in Hawaii Amid Protests (Hawaii)
NATURAL HAZARDS
36. Indonesia Floods Kill 11 People, Displace Thousands (Indonesia)
37. High Seas, Winds Feature In Central Pacific Weather Outlook (Pacific)
38. Monitoring Asia-Pacific disasters from space (Australia)
INVASIVE MARINE AND COASTAL SPECIES
39. Alien invasion at high levels in Hawaiian waters (Hawaii)
MARINE SPECIES
40. Ocean ‘desert’ zone extends to isles (Hawaii)
41. Habitat loss drives decline in amphibians (Singapore)
42. Journeys of the white shark tracked by scientists (Pacific)
43. Sharks on brink of extinction (International)
44. The Science of Acoustic Research (Hawaii)
45. ‘Marama ni Yadua’ Returns! (Fiji)
46. Youth urged to take action to save reefs (Pacific)
PETROLEUM AND MINERALS
47. Canadian mining company says its operations will benefit Tonga (Tonga)
48. Natural gas project put at $11b (Papua New Guinea)
SHIPPING AND PORTS
49. Toxic ship on the way to Guam? (Guam)
BLUE ENERGY
50. Wave power Hawai'i, new energy technology off Maui (Hawaii)
COASTAL WETLANDS
51. Shame for Sabah not to be listed, says Masidi (Malaysia)
POLLUTION
52. Pollution Forces Tuna Plant To Spend, Delay Opening (Marshall Islands)
53. Scientists investigate ocean 'plastic soup' (Hawaii)
RECREATION AND TOURISM
54. Donated yacht to aid conservation (New Zealand)
55. Philippines Strives to Control Boom on Paradise Isle (Philippines)
56. Ban on scuba-spear fishing helps wrasse population growth (Northern Mariana Islands)
57. Guam establishes economic ties with Cairns (Guam)
58. Tourism: Ecotourism The Way Forward For PNG (Papua New Guinea)
59. Tourism: Surf’s Up In Solomons (Solomon Islands)
RESEARCH
60. Scripps expedition provides new baseline for coral reef conservation (USA)
61. Birth of the Tojo Una-Una Coral Triangle Centre in the Togean Islands, Gulf of Tomini (Indonesia)
62. No Pristine Oceans Left, New Map Shows (International)
63. Scientists develop anti-cancer drug from sea algae (South Pacific)
PUBLICATIONS & WEBSITES
64. Introductory Guide to Marine Protected Areas on the High Seas (International)
65. SPC Fisheries Address Book 2008 (Pacific)
66. The Rising Tide: Kiribati (Kiribati)
67. Coral Reefs (International)
68. Valuing Pacific Fish: A framework for fisheries-related development assistance in the Pacific (Australia)
OPEN FOR PUBLIC COMMENT
69. Draft Conservation Strategy for Pacific now complete (Pacific)
EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
70. 2008 Pacific Future Environment Leaders Forum - Call for Participants (Pacific)
GRANTS
71. USDA launches $275K in conservation grants (Hawaii)
WORKSHOPS, CONFERENCES AND EVENTS
72. International Year of the Reef 2008 (International)
CALL FOR PAPERS & ABSTRACTS
73. Coastal Zone Asia-Pacific Conference (China)
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MARINE AND COASTAL LEGISLATION, POLICY AND PLANNING
1. Australia, NZ to tackle climate change (Australia)
Abridged from: Sydney Morning Herald
27 February 2008
Full text: http://news.smh.com.au
Relations between Australia and New Zealand are set to get even tighter after agreeing to work closely on tackling climate change and problems in the South Pacific. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, with senior members of his cabinet, met his NZ counterpart Helen Clark in Canberra to discuss a broad agenda including climate change, the South Pacific, closer economic cooperation, as well as the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
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2. Navy sonar testing off Isles faces latest court hearing (Hawaii)
Abridged from: The Honolulu Advertiser
11 February 2008
Full text: http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com
The contentious issue of Navy sonar and its effects on marine mammals has again been in the courts and news recently. It's environmentalists 2, Navy 0 in the latest round of West Coast federal court decisions, with a hearing scheduled today before U.S. District Judge David Ezra in Honolulu.
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3. Australia developing a preventive strategy in Pacific Islands affairs (Tonga)
Abridged from: Matangi Tonga Online
8 February 2008
Full text: http://www.matangitonga.to
The establishment of the post of Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs by Australia's new Labour government is to honour a commitment that was made by the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd during the General Election late last year. Hon. Duncan Kerr, the Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs said in Nuku'alofa this week, that during the election, Mr Rudd had pointed out the importance of the Pacific Region to Australia, "a corner stone of our foreign affairs strategic and security interests." Duncan highlighted two specific areas of concern as, climatic change and political stability in the islands.
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4. Oceans And Coasts Initiative Will Focus On Offshore Resources (USA)
Abridged from: Pacific Magazine
5 February 2008
Full text: http://www.pacificmagazine.net
U.S. President George W. Bush is proposing $7.9 million to launch a Department of the Interior initiative to help protect ocean and coastal resources through unique partnerships to clean up marine debris, conserve coral reefs, improve ocean science and map vital areas of the U.S. extended continental shelf. This increase is part of the Department’s overall contribution of $956 million to implement the Ocean Action Plan in 2009.
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5. Govt gives Pacific $2m to fight climate change (Australia)
Abridged from: ABC News Online
3 February 2008
Full text: http://www.abc.net.au
The (Australian) Federal Government says $2 million in funding to help some South Pacific nations fight climate change is just the first allocation of a much larger assistance fund. Parliamentary secretary for Development Assistance Bob McMullan says the $2 million will be provided through AusAID to fund programs in Samoa, Fiji, Vanuatu, Tonga and Solomon Islands. During the election campaign the Government promised $US150 million to help the South Pacific adapt to climate change. Mr McMullan says today's announcement is the start of that program.
Download video: http://www.abc.net.au
Related articles:
http://www.mvariety.com
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6. Climate Change, Governance Policies Remain Concerns for Developing Pacific Nations (Pacific)
Abridged from: Pacific Magazine
29 January 2008
Full text: http://www.pacificmagazine.net
Given the dramatic challenges presented by climate change, including the risk that some islands in the Pacific may become uninhabitable, the Asian Development Bank's Pacific Strategy will be further refined to provide more emphasis on environmental management to help the region better manage its vulnerable natural environment. The midterm review of ADB's Pacific Strategy 2005-2009 highlighted key initiatives implemented under the Strategy to support development in the Pacific Developing Member Countries and the steps needed to help the region face the challenges of climate change.
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Interested in this topic? View MCCN’s website for more: Marine and Coastal Legislation, Policy and Planning
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COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT
7. Conservation moves south (Fiji)
Abridged from: The Fiji Times
9 February 2008
Full text: http://www.fijitimes.com
Conservation has reached one of the most isolated islands of Fiji Ono-i-Lau, Fiji's southern most territory. Recently, a group of environmental workers together with government and community partners visited Ono-i-Lau for its first extensive environmental survey. Ono-i-Lau is listed as an area of national significance for marine biological diversity as identified during a 'national marine biodiversity prioritisation workshop' conducted by WWF in 2003 with the participation of local and international marine experts and scientists.
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Interested in this topic? View MCCN’s website for more: Natural Resource Management
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MARINE PROTECTED AREAS
8. Marine life grows in protected areas (Fiji)
Abridged from: Fiji Times
24 February 2008
Full text: http://www.fijitimes.com
Fiji's commitment to establish a Marine Protected Area Network covering 30 per cent of the country's in-shore fisheries by 2020 could be realised earlier than expected. This commitment made in January 2005 by the Government has resulted in more than 200 marine protected areas within Fiji's 410 customary fishing grounds, known as i qoliqoli. That's more than 50 per cent of the total target accomplished within just three years.
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9. Kiribati creates world's largest marine reserve (Kiribati)
Abridged from: Reuters
14 February 2008
Full text: http://uk.reuters.com
The Pacific island nation of Kiribati has created the world's largest protected marine reserve, brimming with reefs, fish and birds, conservation groups said on Thursday. The Phoenix Islands Protected Area, covering 410,500 square kilometres, is one of the planet's last intact coral archipelagos and is threatened by over-fishing and climate change, the groups say. It lies near the equator about half way between Fiji and Hawaii. "The creation of this amazing marine protected area by a small island nation represents a commitment of historic proportions," said Russell Mittermeier, president of Conservation International.
Related articles:
http://www.planetark.com
http://www.telegraph.co.uk
http://www.telegraph.co.uk
http://www.sciencedaily.com
http://news.theage.com.au
http://www.nytimes.com
10. Better protecting our unique marine environment (New Zealand)
Abridged from: Scoop
14 February 2008
Full text: http://www.scoop.co.nz
(NZ) Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton and Conservation Minister Steve Chadwick have today announced the next step in protecting New Zealand’s marine environment. The country has been divided into 14 coastal regions to create a network of Marine Protected Areas that reflect the diversity of New Zealand’s marine environment. Local groups, or forums, will now identify which areas in each region should be protected.
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11. Chen urges regional cooperation on visit to Dongsha Island (Taiwan)
Abridged from: The China Post
10 February 2008
Full text: http://www.chinapost.com.tw
In a news release from the Presidential Office, Chen stated in his address that the establishment of the Dongsha Atoll Marine National Park last year was the first step by Taiwan to carry out the eco-friendly development proposal. The park is the seventh national park of Taiwan.
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Interested in this topic? View MCCN’s website for more: Marine Protected Areas
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FISHERIES
12. Marine Police Seize Illegal Philippines Fishing Boat (Palau)
Abridged from: Pacific Magazine
27 February 2008
Full text: http://www.pacificmagazine.net
Palau’s Marine Law Enforcement patrol vessel has apprehended and placed under custody a Philippine registered fishing boat within Palau’s exclusive economic zone. The crew of the fishing boat are reported to be both Filipino and Indonesian. A new procedure is now taking place at the dock where the seized boat is being held - a big fish sale open to the public.
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13. Poachers detained in Torres Strait (Australia)
Abridged from: Sydney Morning Herald
26 February 2008
Full text: http://news.smh.com.au
Eight vessels have been seized and 71 people detained by customs officers for fishing illegally in Torres Strait. A total of 71 fishers from Papua New Guinea were detained briefly before being taken to Daru Island and handed over to PNG authorities. Customs said seven of the eight illegal boats had been fishing for sea cucumber, a delicacy in parts of Asia, while the eighth vessel had been fishing for tropical rock lobsters.
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14. Strict control on tuna (Pacific)
Abridged from: Marianas Variety
21 February 2008
Full text: http://www.mvariety.com
Pacific island countries, including Papua New Guinea, have agreed to enforce strict controls to conserve the fast depleting tuna stocks in their oceans. At a special meeting at Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency headquarters in Honiara, Solomon Islands last week, it was agreed under the Palau Arrangement Vessel Day Scheme that strict limits would be enforced to conserve the tuna stocks. The countries attending the meeting were the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Palau, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and PNG who are parties to the Nauru Agreement.
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15. Solomons to ban sea cucumber harvesting (Solomon Islands)
Abridged from: Radio New Zealand International
19 February 2008
Full text: http://www.rnzi.com
The Solomon Islands Fisheries Ministry says it will ban the harvesting and selling of sea cucumbers from April this year. The selling of the sea animal had been banned earlier, but it was lifted a few weeks after the tsunami hit the country last year to support fishermen in earning some money.
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16. Vietnam considers Australia promising seafood market (Vietnam)
Abridged from: Nhan Dan
19 February 2008
Full text: http://www.nhandan.com.vn
Vietnamese seafood exporters are being urged to focus on improving the quality of exports to Australia, as the country is considered to be a promising market.
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17. Major misuse of project money showing up, says top investigator (Solomon Islands)
Abridged from: Solomon Star
18 February 2008
Full text: http://www.solomonstarnews.com
Large amounts of public money appear to have been misused in fisheries projects last year, Auditor-General Augustine Fatai said yesterday.
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18. Kiribati Economy Hit By Drop In Fishing Licenses (Kiribati)
Abridged from: Pacific Radio News
15 February 2008
Full text: http://www.niufm.com
The Kiribati economy is in crisis and an economist is warning the government to look for other avenues to bring in money before it's too late. Previously the island depended on income from overseas fishing licenses but that has declined.
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19. Debate rages over Pacific-wide fisheries body (Pacific)
Abridged from: ABC Radio Australia
13 February 2008
Full text: http://www.radioaustralia.net.au
The battle over whether to amalgamate the Pacific's peak fisheries body with other regional institutions continues to rage, with leaders, conservationists and analysts weighing in on all sides of the debate. Environmentalists argue more needs to be done to protect the region's fish stocks, while others say it needs to be left in the hands of Forum fisheries members.
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20. American Samoa cannery head spells out impact of higher minimum wages (American Samoa)
Abridged from: Radio New Zealand International
12 February 2008
Full text: http://www.rnzi.com
The general manager of Star Kist Samoa, one of the two canneries in American Samoa, Brett Butler, says low labour cost countries such as Thailand, the Philippines and Fiji will be ready to absorb any production that the local canneries can’t provide. Star Kist and fellow cannery Samoa Packing say the annual 50 cent hikes to the local minimum wage may force them to close.
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21. Special Session of Heads of Fisheries (Pacific)
Abridged from: Pacific Magazine
11 February 2008
Full text: http://www.pacificmagazine.net
A Special Session of Pacific Island Heads of Fisheries will be held at the Food and Agriculture Organization’s Sub-regional Office for the Pacific Islands headquarters in Apia, Samoa, from 11 to 13 February 2008. The purpose of the Special Session is to review and endorse a revised strategic plan for fisheries management and sustainable coastal fisheries in the Pacific Islands.
Related articles:
http://www.pacificmagazine.net
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22. Solomon Islands opposes Forum Fisheries Agency amalgamation (Solomon Islands)
Abridged from: Islands Business
7 February 2008
Full text: http://www.islandsbusiness.com
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Dr Derek Sikua says the Pacific nation remains opposed to the idea of amalgamating the Forum Fisheries Agency with other regional institutions. He said there have been attempts to amalgamate regional institutions and the Forum Fisheries Agency which came under the spotlight recently.
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23. Hearing for impounded Taiwanese fishing vessel to begin next month (Guam)
Abridged from: Marianas Variety
5 February 2008
Full text: http://www.mvariety.com
The hearing for Marshalls 201, the $15 million fishing vessel impounded for illegal fishing inside the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone in 2006 will start in March after the U.S. Attorneys Office informed its availability for the court proceeding.
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24. High Seas Drama: Pacific islands question need for Tuna Commission (Pacific)
Abridged from: Islands Business
4 February 2008
Full text: http://www.islandsbusiness.com
Pacific Islands countries have questioned the need to include foreign nations in the Tuna Commission after they failed in a dramatic fashion to agree on ways to conserve their highly migratory tuna stocks in the high seas...The drama began when the Guam meeting covered the issue of conservation measures for bigeye and yellowfin tuna in the high seas, which are the sectors of the ocean that are beyond the 200-mile exclusive economic zones of each of the Pacific islands states.
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Interested in this topic? View MCCN’s website for more: Commercial and Recreational Fishing Impacts
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AQUACULTURE
25. Global Trade In Tiger Shrimp Threatens Environment (Asia)
Abridged from: Environmental News Network
19 February 2008
Full text: http://www.enn.com
The cultivating of fish and shellfish in artificial ponds has increased dramatically in the last few decades, apace with the ever greater depletion of fish stocks in the oceans. International aid organizations, working with local governments, have made major commitments to expanding aquaculture in the hope that such activities would alleviate poverty and spur economic growth in these areas. But the Swedish human geographer Daniel A. Bergquist has shown, using Sri Lanka and the Philippines as examples, that a major portion of the local population is excluded from these activities and continue to be just as poor as ever.
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26. Nation ponders new world of marine economy (Vietnam)
Abridged from: Viet Nam News
16 February 2008
Full text: http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn
Viet Nam must renew its thoughts and visions on a marine-based economy, scientists have said. At a recent seminar entitled: Visions on a Marine Economy and the Development of Vietnamese Aquaculture, held by the Viet Nam Institute for Social Sciences and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Professor Do Hoai Nam, President of the Institute, said that one of the key points of a marine strategy would be vision, and that vision should be implemented alongside the strategy’s economic contents.
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27. Tasman aquaculture management area (New Zealand)
Abridged from: Scoop
15 February 2008
Full text: http://www.scoop.co.nz
More than 100 hectares of new aquaculture space in the Tasman region has received preliminary approval, (NZ) Fisheries Minister Jim Anderton announced today. He said the advice he received from the Ministry of Fisheries was that preliminary approval would be granted for 108 hectares of new aquaculture space.
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28. Aussie’s passion for pearl on Con Dao island (Vietnam)
Abridged from: Grofish
10 February 2008
Full text: http://www.growfish.com.au
From the centre of the Con Dao district, it is easy to ask for the way to the house of the ‘pearl Westerner,’ a nickname the Con Dao people call Jordan Lee from Australia. Jordan Lee is the first foreigner to start business in Con Dao island by opening a farm to raise oysters to cultivate pearls.
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29. Palau should eye fish farming (Palau)
Abridged from: Marianas Variety
5 February 2008
Full text: http://www.mvariety.com
Palau should consider fish farming as a thriving business venture; this is according Dr. Ming-Je Tang, Vice President of the National Taiwan University. Tang in an interview said that with Palau rich marine resources, fish farming has a high economic value. Tang said that Palau can reserve a certain portion of its waters to cultivate one of its marine resources such as Napoleon Wrasse.
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30. Marine fish hatchery training course for the Philippines (Philippines)
Abridged from: The News Today
4 February 2008
Full text: http://www.thenewstoday.info
The Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific announced the first in-country marine fish hatchery training course for the Philippines. This training course is funded by the Australia Centre for International Agriculture Research and is being undertaken in cooperation with the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center's Aquaculture Department.
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31. Cell Aquaculture hatchery in Malaysia (Malaysia)
Abridged from: Sydney Morning Herald
31 January 2008
Full text: http://news.smh.com.au
Fish hatchery firm Cell Aquaculture Ltd has entered into a joint-venture deal with Malaysia's ASSAR Fishery Sdn Bhd to build and manage a $9 million barramundi aquaculture production facility using Cell's technology.
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Interested in this topic? View MCCN’s website for more: Aquaculture
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CLIMATE CHANGE
32. Palau calls for security council action to protect island Nations from sea-level rise (Palau)
Abridged from: Marianas Variety
22 February 2008
Full text: http://www.mvariety.com
Addressing the General Assembly of the United Nations at the High Level Debate on Climate Change, H.E. Stuart Beck, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Palau, citing the “life or death” nature of sea-level rise for the world’s island nations, urged the Security Council to utilize its powers under Chapter VII of the UN Charter to address this threat to member states by imposing mandatory greenhouse gas emission standards on all member states, and utilizing the power to sanction, if necessary, to encourage compliance with such standards.
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33. Cook Islands Development Plan To Include 'Climate Proofing' (Cook Islands)
Abridged from: Pacific Magazine
15 February 2008
Full text: http://www.pacificmagazine.net
The Asian Development Bank and the governments of Japan and New Zealand are helping Cook Islands prepare an infrastructure development plan that will include climate proofing projects to mitigate the impact of severe weather events. Islands in the Pacific are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Extreme climatic events in Cook Islands such as cyclones have had a significant impact on the nation’s physical infrastructure, impeding development and economic growth.
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34. Australian govt delegation off to Kiribati (Pacific)
Abridged from: ABC Radio Australia
5 February 2008
Full text: http://www.radioaustralia.net.au
Kirabati is the next step in an Australian government visit to the Pacific. Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance, Bob McMullan and Parliamentary secretary for Pacific Island Affairs Duncan Kerr are now in Tonga after visiting Samoa. Bob McMullan says this tour is an important first step in Australia's relationship with the Pacific. He's told Pacific Beat, the focus in Kiribati will primarily be on climate change.
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35. US-Led Climate Talks Open in Hawaii Amid Protests (Hawaii)
Abridged from: Planet Ark
1 February 2008
Full text: http://www.planetark.com
The world's biggest emitters of global-warming greenhouse gases met behind closed doors on Wednesday for a US-sponsored conference, as protesters pointed up Hawaii's vulnerability to climate change. The two-day meeting is meant to spur UN negotiations for an international climate agreement by 2009 so a pact will be ready when the carbon-capping Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.
Related articles:
http://media-newswire.com
http://www.earthtimes.org
http://science.iblog365.com
http://ap.google.com
http://www.ipsnews.net
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Interested in this topic? View MCCN’s website for more: Climate Change
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NATURAL HAZARDS
36. Indonesia Floods Kill 11 People, Displace Thousands (Indonesia)
Abridged from: Planet Ark
25 February 2008
Full text: http://www.planetark.com
Floods and landslides triggered by torrential rains in Indonesia's Java and Nusa Tenggara Timur islands have killed 11 people and displaced thousands over the past two weeks, a health ministry official said on Friday.
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37. High Seas, Winds Feature In Central Pacific Weather Outlook (Pacific)
Abridged from: Pacific Magazine
15 February 2008
Full text: http://www.pacificmagazine.net
The Pacific El Nino/Southern Oscillation Applications Climate Center has released its quarterly bulletin forecasting climate trends for the U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands for the next three months.
Further information: http://www.soest.hawaii.edu
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38. Monitoring Asia-Pacific disasters from space (Australia)
Abridged from: CSIRO Website
5 February 2008
Full text: http://www.csiro.au
A space-based international Earth observation network to detect and monitor natural disasters in the Asia-Pacific region has been formed with a substantial contribution from Australian science. Called Sentinel Asia, the network of information-delivery websites has its roots in the Australian bushfire tracking system, Sentinel Hotspots, which was developed in 2002 by CSIRO, Geoscience Australia and the Australian Defence Imagery and Geospatial Organisation.
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INVASIVE MARINE AND COASTAL SPECIES
39. Alien invasion at high levels in Hawaiian waters (Hawaii)
Abridged from: Raising Islands, Science and Environment blogsite
20 February 2008
Full text: http://raisingislands.blogspot.com
A new study by The Nature Conservancy, published in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, reports that Hawaiian waters have 73 species of marine invasives, and while most are comparatively benign, a full 42 percent are harmful and are disrupting the natural environment. The report, entitled, “Assessing the Global Threat of Invasive Species to Marine Biodiversity,” lists Hawai'i as an ecoregion with “high levels of invasion.”
Further information: http://www.nature.org
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Interested in this topic? View MCCN’s website for more: Invasive Marine and Coastal Species
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MARINE SPECIES
40. Ocean ‘desert’ zone extends to isles (Hawaii)
Abridged from: Star Bulletin
25 February 2008
Full text: http://starbulletin.com
The ocean's dead zones have expanded in recent years to include part of the Hawaiian archipelago, scientists have concluded from space-observation studies. "What's happening is, large portions of the area are becoming less productive," said Jeffrey Polovina, with the National Marine Fisheries Service in Honolulu. That is bad news for larger species such as tunas, sharks and marlins, he said.
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41. Habitat loss drives decline in amphibians (Singapore)
Abridged from: New Scientist
24 February 2008
Full text: http://environment.newscientist.com
It's no longer a mystery why amphibians are marching towards extinction. Loss and degradation of habitat is by far the most important factor in their alarmingly rapid decline, according to the largest global analysis to date. About a third of the world's amphibian species are threatened with extinction, and almost half of all known species are dwindling. Researchers at the National University of Singapore studied environmental and ecological data on 2583 amphibian species, which equates to about 45 per cent of all known species.
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42. Journeys of the white shark tracked by scientists (Pacific)
Abridged from: inthenews.co.uk
19 February 2008
Full text: http://www.inthenews.co.uk
Satellite tracking systems and acoustic sensors have enabled scientists to track the journeys of the world's white sharks. Researchers involved in the Census of Marine Life project called Tagging of Pacific Predators have attached more than 100 tags to white sharks along the central California coast. They found that there are two distant destinations the sharks favour, which they visit on a regular basis each year. Each winter the white sharks move away from the California coast, with the minority choosing to go to the Hawaiian Islands and the majority travelling to the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
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43. Sharks on brink of extinction (International)
Abridged from: The Australian
19 February 2008
Full text: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au
The scalloped hammerhead shark, one of the ocean's most distinctive species, is to be declared endangered because of over-fishing to feed the market for shark fins in China. Populations of the shark, once among the most common top predators, have collapsed over the past 40 years to such an extent that it will be included for the first time on this year's Red List of threatened species. Another eight shark species will be added to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature assessment of extinction risk. The shortfin mako shark, the smooth hammerhead, the big-eye thresher and the common thresher will be declared vulnerable, the silky shark will be declared near-threatened and the tiger, bull and dusky sharks will be given either vulnerable or endangered status.
Related articles:
http://www.smh.com.au
http://uk.reuters.com
http://environment.newscientist.com
http://www.independent.co.uk
http://www.enn.com
http://www.sciencedaily.com
http://www.sciencedaily.com
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44. The Science of Acoustic Research (Hawaii)
Abridged from: military.com
12 February 2008
Full text: http://www.military.com
The Navy's Scientific Operational Naval Acoustic Research Conference was held February 6-7 to provide an opportunity for the Navy's scientists, fleet operators, and environmental specialists to share information regarding recent advances in science, mission requirements, and communication needs. While great progress has been made in recent years, many of the speakers noted that much remains to be learned about how sound behaves underwater and how it affects marine mammals. "We know more about outer space than we do about inner space," said one speaker.
Related articles:
http://www.hawaiireporter.com
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45. ‘Marama ni Yadua’ Returns! (Fiji)
Abridged from: Pacific Magazine
11 February 2008
Full text: http://www.pacificmagazine.net
Attempts over the last 2 years to locate and satellite tag a nesting turtle in Fiji bore fruit in January this year. The collaborative effort between the National Trust of Fiji, the community of Yadua, SPREP, NOAA and WWF has been the climax of on-going efforts over the past years to protect an endangered cultural icon. Yadua community celebrates turtle tagging: North east of Yadua Taba island on a secluded beach locally known as Talice, a nesting hawksbill turtle was located.
Related articles:
http://www.sciencedaily.com
http://www.timesonline.co.uk
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46. Youth urged to take action to save reefs (Pacific)
Abridged from: Saipan Tribune
31 January 2008
Full text: http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?newsID=76571&cat=16
The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme and partners have launched competitions for primary and secondary school students throughout the Pacific region to mark the beginning of activities to celebrate the 2008 Pacific Year of the Reef. In announcing the commencement of competitions, SPREP's Coral Reef Management Officer, Caroline Vieux, stressed the need for urgent, concerted action to effectively protect Pacific reefs.
Further information, SPREP's Pacific Year of the Reef Campaign Coordinator Sereima Savu. E-mail: sereimas@sprep.org Website: www.sprep.org
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Interested in this topic? View MCCN’s website for more: Marine Species
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PETROLEUM AND MINERALS
47. Canadian mining company says its operations will benefit Tonga (Tonga)
Abridged from: Islands Business
7 February 2008
Full text: http://www.islandsbusiness.com
The Canadian mining company, Nautilus Minerals, says its new mining operation in Tonga will bring many benefits to the Kingdom. Nautilus Minerals has won the right to search the deep sea off Tonga for sulphite and other minerals and it will start its exploration in summer.
Related articles:
http://www.radioaustralia.net.au
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48. Natural gas project put at $11b (Papua New Guinea)
Abridged from: Sydney Morning Herald
30 January 2008
Full text: http://business.smh.com.au
Oil Search and its partners in a proposed liquefied natural gas project in Papua New Guinea expect to decide whether the project will proceed to the next stage - front-end design and engineering - by the end of March. The partners, led by operator Exxon Mobil, last year said a 6.3 million tonne a year, two-train LNG development with an onshore plant near Port Moresby was likely to cost around $US10 billion.
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SHIPPING AND PORTS
49. Toxic ship on the way to Guam? (Guam)
Abridged from: Marianas Variety
25 February 2008
Full text: http://www.mvariety.com
A tugship towing a disabled cruise liner loaded with polychlorinated biphenyls or PCB and asbestos is reportedly on its way to Guam to refuel after being refused entry in Hawaii. The SS Independence - now called the Oceanic - is being towed by the tug ship Pacific Hickory, which needs to refuel before heading toward India, where the 57-year-old contaminated liner will be scrapped. Activist and former senator Hope Cristobal has asked the Guam Environmental Protection Agency to stop both ships from coming anywhere near Guam.
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BLUE ENERGY
50. Wave power Hawai'i, new energy technology off Maui (Hawaii)
Abridged from: Raising Islands, Science and Environment blogsite
5 February 2008
Full text: http://raisingislands.blogspot.com
An Australian company will build off the coast of Maui a wave power plant capable of producing 2.7 megawatts of electricity from the rising and falling of the ocean. Oceanlinx has a technology that allows the waves to force a column of air through a turbine. A rising wave shoves the air through the turbine one way. A falling wave sucks it through the turbine the other. It's designed so the turbine keeps turning in the same direction. The Oceanlinx system is just one of a broad range of wave power systems. Some are fixed to the coastline, sucking energy from the crashing of waves on the land. Others use big submerged buoys that bob up and down in the water column. Others have floaters on the surface.
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COASTAL WETLANDS
51. Shame for Sabah not to be listed, says Masidi (Malaysia)
Abridged from: Daily Express
18 February 2008
Full text: http://www.dailyexpress.com.my
Sabah should push for the listing of at least one Ramsar site in the near future, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Datuk Masidi Manjun said Saturday. Speaking at the launch of World Wetlands Day 2008 themed "Healthy Wetlands, Healthy People" at the KK Wetlands Centre, he said it didn't make him feel proud that despite being a State which owns 59 per cent of the 577,500ha of mangrove forests in Malaysia, there isn't a single Ramsar Site.
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POLLUTION
52. Pollution Forces Tuna Plant To Spend, Delay Opening (Marshall Islands)
Abridged from: Pacific Magazine
24 January 2008
Full text: http://www.pacificmagazine.net
A new tuna processing plant in Majuro is faced with unplanned spending of more than half a million dollars to overcome pollution problems caused by a damaged sewage outfall pipe nearby the soon-to-open facility.
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53. Scientists investigate ocean 'plastic soup' (Hawaii)
Abridged from: ABC News Online
17 February 2008
Full text: http://www.abc.net.au
Scientists from the University of Hawaii are planning to conduct a comprehensive study of a giant floating plastic mass in the North Pacific Ocean. Reports of the floating rubbish dump first emerged back in 1997 when an American sailor discovered it. He then established a marine research foundation to raise awareness of the pollution. Now there are a number of scientists who have become alarmed at the situation. It has become known as the "Pacific plastic soup" and stretches from about 500 nautical miles off the coast of California, right across the north Pacific to near the coast of Japan.
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Interested in this topic? View MCCN’s website for more: Water Pollution
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RECREATION & TOURISM
54. Donated yacht to aid conservation (New Zealand)
Abridged from: nzherald.co.nz
23 February 2008
Full text: http://www.nzherald.co.nz
A yacht donated by the sister of its late owner will soon be sailing the South Pacific on a humanitarian and conservation mission.
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55. Philippines Strives to Control Boom on Paradise Isle (Philippines)
Abridged from: Planet Ark
11 February 2008
Full text: http://www.planetark.com
It's getting crowded in paradise. About 600,000 tourists came last year to Boracay in the central Philippines, regarded as one of the world's best holiday destinations, and swam, ate and slept on an island that has only about 18,000 full-time residents. Arrivals should rise to about 670,000 this year, and pressure is mounting on the island's infrastructure as more and more hotels and resorts are built to cater for the boom.
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56. Ban on scuba-spear fishing helps wrasse population growth (Northern Mariana Islands)
Abridged from: Saipan Tribune
10 February 2008
Full text: http://www.saipantribune.com
The Northern Mariana Islands are the only jurisdiction in the Pacific to ban scuba-spear fishing, which is seen as a primary factor why the islands still teem with Napoleon wrasses, a type of fish that is being fast depleted in other parts of the world. According to the Division of Fish & Wildlife, scuba spear fishing is a type of fishing that is potentially the cause of the rapid decline of Napoleon wrasses in other areas.
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57. Guam establishes economic ties with Cairns (Guam)
Abridged from: Marianas Variety
5 February 2008
Full text: http://www.mvariety.com
Gov. Felix P. Camacho has began relationships with several government and private industry leaders in Cairns to assist in tourism development, environmental protection, wastewater disposal technology, workforce training, and a partnership with the University of Guam.
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58. Tourism: Ecotourism The Way Forward For PNG (Papua New Guinea)
Abridged from: Islands Business
4 February 2008
Full text: http://www.islandsbusiness.com
Ecotourism involves visitors coming to interact with the natural and cultural attractions of a place rather than visiting man-made attractions. In some countries ecotourism is also taken to mean tourism that has very little impact on the natural environment, even to the extent of implementing measures like composting toilets, raised walkways and solar power to make ecotourism facilities environmentally-friendly. Australian Aaron Hayes, who runs Ecotourism Melanesia, a Port Moresby-based inbound tour company which specialises in sending tourists into the rural areas of Papua New Guinea, is one those who takes a special interest.
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59. Tourism: Surf’s Up In Solomons (Solomon Islands)
Abridged from: Islands Business
4 February 2008
Full text: http://www.islandsbusiness.com
The word is spreading. Growing numbers of surfers from around the world are starting to arrive in the Solomon Islands with their boards. They are heading for the waves of the Western Province, already internationally known to tourists for its diving and fishing attractions. Now the surfers are giving an unexpected—and welcome—boost to tourism numbers and businesses there.
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RESEARCH
60. Scripps expedition provides new baseline for coral reef conservation (USA)
Abridged from: Eureka Alert
25 February 2008
Full text: http://www.eurekalert.org
An expedition led by scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego to a chain of islands in the central Pacific Ocean has yielded an unprecedented wealth of information about coral reefs and threats from human activities. The exploration of four atolls in the Line Islands, part of a chain approximately a thousand miles south of Hawaii, has produced the first study of coral reefs comprehensively spanning organisms from microbes to sharks.
Further information:
More information including images, video and podcasts:
Paradise Redefined: Part I http://explorations.ucsd.edu
Paradise Redefined: Part II http://explorations.ucsd.edu
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61. Birth of the Tojo Una-Una Coral Triangle Centre in the Togean Islands, Gulf of Tomini (Indonesia)
25 February 2008
On 18th February 2008 the Tojo Una-Una "Coral Triangle Centre " (CTC) was officially established as a major local initiative in response to the 6-Country Coral Triangle Initiative. The CTC will develop a local, national and international network to support its work in building local capacity for sustainable management of marine and coastal resources and promoting the conservation of coral reef ecosystems through a wide range of approaches. The CTC will serve as an information, training and research centre and be capable of hosting domestic and overseas scientists and volunteers, with the development of "science-based tourism" as one key objective.
Further information: E: coraltrianglecentre@yahoo.com
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62. No Pristine Oceans Left, New Map Shows (International)
Abridged from: National Geographic News
14 February 2008
Full text: http://news.nationalgeographic.com
No areas of the world's oceans remain completely untouched by humanity's influence, according to a new study. Every area of the oceans is feeling the effects of fishing, pollution, or human-caused global warming, the study says, and some regions are being affected by all of these factors and more. A team led by Ben Halpern of the University of California created the first global map that shows the various kinds of damage being done to marine ecosystems.
Related articles:
http://www.sciencedaily.com
http://www.independent.co.uk
http://news.bbc.co.uk
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63. Scientists develop anti-cancer drug from sea algae (South Pacific)
Abridged from: inthenews.co.uk
12 February 2008
Full text: http://www.inthenews.co.uk
Scientists have identified a new anti-cancer drug that has been isolated from a toxic blue-green algae found in the South Pacific ocean. The researchers found the compound somocystinamide A (ScA) - also known as mermaids' hair - off the coast of Fiji in the South Pacific. After testing the marine compound they discovered that it inhibits neovascularisation, the formation of blood vessels that feed tumours.
Related articles
http://www.sciencedaily.com
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Interested in this topic? View MCCN’s website for more: Marine and Coastal Research
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PUBLICATIONS & WEBSITES
64. Introductory Guide to Marine Protected Areas on the High Seas (International)
Abridged from: Foundation for International Environmental Law and Development (FIELD) Website
February 2008
Full text: http://www.field.org.uk
To assist international policy makers and other relevant stakeholders tasked with addressing the complex questions around establishing marine protected areas on the high seas, FIELD has developed a practical Introductory Guide geared to appeal to a diverse range of policymakers and other stakeholders.
Download guide (43 pages PDF; approx 463KB download): http://www.field.org.uk
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65. SPC Fisheries Address Book 2008 (Pacific)
Abridged from: SPC Website
Full text: http://www.spc.int
The SPC Fisheries Address Book 2008 is currently available. In addition to more than 1,300 addresses covering 50 countries, the address book includes Exclusive Economic Zone areas, and population estimates provided by the SPC Demography Programme.
Download as PDF (76 pages; 1.57MB download):http://www.spc.int
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66. The Rising Tide: Kiribati (Kiribati)
Abridged from: You Tube
22 January 2008
A short documentary about the effects of global warming on Kiribati, a nation of 33 coral atolls in the central Pacific.
Download and view video: http://www.youtube.com
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67. Coral Reefs (International)
Abridged from: World Ocean Observatory
Full text: http://www.thew2o.net
The World Ocean Observatory have launched their latest online event - Coral Reefs website. This site features videos and podcasts, reports and forums, educational materials and more to explain and highlight the state of the world’s coral reefs.
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68. Valuing Pacific Fish: A framework for fisheries-related development assistance in the Pacific (Australia)
Abridged from: Australian Government, DFAT, AusAid
Full text: http://www.ausaid.gov.au
Download copy: http://www.ausaid.gov.au
The future of Pacific island subsistence and market economies is tied to the health of the freshwater, coastal and oceanic ecosystems of the region and the long term sustainability of their fisheries. The last two decades have been a period of major change in fisheries policies in many countries, with growing international concern over increasing fishing pressure on decreasing global resources. This framework provides a structured and strategic approach to fisheries-related assistance in the Pacific region.
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OPEN FOR PUBLIC COMMENT
69. Draft Conservation Strategy for Pacific now complete (Pacific)
Abridged from: SPREP Website
31 January 2008
Full text: http://www.sprep.org
The draft 2008-2012 Regional Action Strategy for Nature Conservation is now available for comment. The strategy contains a ‘Pacific Nature Conservation Code of Conduct’ as well as a set of ‘Guidelines for implementation of Pacific community conservation programmes’. The strategy was an outcome of the 8th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas held in Alotau, Papua New Guinea in October last year. Over 400 stakeholders of Pacific biodiversity met to contribute to a revised regional action strategy for Nature Conservation.
Further information: The draft action strategy is now available for comment at http://www.sprep.org. Comments must be emailed to theresaf@sprep.org by 22nd February 2008.
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EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
70. 2008 Pacific Future Environment Leaders Forum - Call for Participants (Pacific)
Abridged from: SPREP Digest
Full text: http://www.sprep.org/publication/Digest.asp#February2008
12-14 March 2008
Held at the Laucala Campus of the University of the South Pacific, Fiji.
The Forum will focus on climate change issues, how Pacific islanders will be affected, and what young people can do to increase resilience to climate change in their communities. The Pacific Future Environment Leaders Forum is a leadership initiative for young professionals working in the area of environmental sustainability in the Pacific.
Further information: Ms Aliti Koroi on koroi_al@usp.ac.fj or fax +679 3232891
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GRANTS
71. USDA launches $275K in conservation grants (Hawaii)
Abridged from: Saipan Tribune
15 February 2008
Full text: http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?cat=1&newsID=77019
Honolulu-USDA-NRCS Pacific Islands Area director Lawrence Yamamoto announced the request for proposals for State Conservation Innovation Grants competition. The CIG program is designed to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies.
Further information: http://www.grants.gov/ . For more information about NRCS conservation programs visit http://www.hi.nrcs.usda.gov.
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WORKSHOPS, CONFERENCES AND EVENTS
72. International Year of the Reef 2008 (International)
The International Year of the Reef 2008 is a year-long campaign of events and initiatives hosted by governments, individuals, corporations, schools around the world to promote awareness, conservation action and strengthen long-term constituencies for coral reef conservation. Anyone is welcome and actively encouraged to participate in this Initiative.
More information: http://www.icriforum.org and http://www.iyor.org/
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CALL FOR PAPERS & ABSTRACTS
73. Coastal Zone Asia-Pacific Conference (China)
Held in Qingdao, China, 19-22 October, 2008. The conference theme is 'Sustainable Coasts and Better Life,' with a focus on how to manage coasts to cope with climate change and expanding populations. The conference will be hosted by Professor Guifang (Julia) Xue at Ocean University of China, Qingdao. Further information can be found on conference website: http://www.czapa.org and now open for on-line abstract submission. The deadline for submission is 15 June 2008.
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View full calendar of events on MCCN website: Workshops, conferences and events
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DISCLAIMER
The views and opinions expressed in Currents E-News are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Australian Government or the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources.
While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that the contents are factually correct, the Commonwealth does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the contents, and shall not be liable for any loss or damage that may be occasioned directly or indirectly through the use of, or reliance on, the contents of this publication.
All material in Currents E-News may be reprinted unless it has been sourced from an unidentified publication whereby no reprint is authorised except by permission from the source publishers.
News articles are posted as a free community service for the purposes of non-commercial education, research and study review and news reporting, and are archived for reference of students and researchers as a 'fair dealing' activity under Australian Copyright Law.
Marine Coastal Community Network (MCCN) is a national, not-for-profit Network that facilitates government, industry & community involvement in marine and coastal conservation and sustainability initiatives. Marine Coastal Community Network is supported by the Australian Government.
Currents E-News is compiled by Anne Briggs for Marine Coastal Community Network.
MCCN acknowledge the valuable support of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme’s - Pacific Environment Information Network (PEIN) Digest.
Anne Briggs
Marine Coastal Community Network
PO Box 709
Spit Junction NSW 2088
Sydney, Australia
E: anne@mccn.org.au
W: http://www.mccn.org.au
Supported by the Australian Government 