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Currents E-News April 2008
IN THIS EDITION:
MARINE AND COASTAL LEGISLATION, POLICY AND PLANNING
1. When our oceans turn sour (Australia)
2. United effort over whales (New Zealand)
3. Protector of our ocean (Pacific)
4. Congress to investigate Pacific fisheries advisory body (Hawai’i)
5. Turkey hosts Pacific leaders' meeting (Turkey)
6. We Say: Rudd's Improving Relations With The Islands (Pacific)
7. Members discuss Pacific Plan (Fiji)
MARINE PROTECTED AREAS
8. Marine Protected Areas: More important than you think (Northern Mariana Islands)
9. NW Hawaiian Islands proposed for world list (Hawai’i)
10. Push for guardians of the sea (Fiji)
FISHERIES
11. Activists tackle tuna fishers in Pacific (Pacific)
12. Study to evaluate Hawaii gillnet restriction (Hawai’i)
13. Palau Bill Would Ban Export Of Migratory Fish (Palau)
14. Fishing: Overfishing Threatens 2 Main Tuna Species (Solomon Islands)
15. Pacific LDCs outline priorities - Fisheries subsidies, export taxes, WTO membership (Pacific)
16. 100,000 Tuna Tagged In The Pacific (Pacific)
17. Fisheries sector expects record output (Philippines)
AQUACULTURE
18. WWF discusses Aquaculture Impacts (New Zealand)
19. Learning from Success Stories (Asia)
20. Support for Aquaculture Development (New Zealand)
21. Seaweed demand rises (Fiji)
22. Cold spell kills off fish farm stocks (Vietnam)
23. EU Funds Study To Help Ailing Black Pearl Industry (French Polynesia)
24. More prawn farms needed (Fiji)
25. Shrimp farmers urged to exercise disease control (Borneo)
26. Organic acquaculture pushed (Philippines)
27. Zamboanga fish hatchery starts operating (Taiwan)
CLIMATE CHANGE
28. Climate change protection a Pacific challenge (Pacific)
29. Warming trends rise in large ocean areas: study (Vietnam)
30. We put it there, so let's go first in cleaning up (Australia)
31. Solomons’ Malaita Showing Effects Of Rising Sea (Solomon Islands)
32. Endangered Islands (Asia Pacific)
33. Warming a threat to birds, coral reef (Hawai’i)
NATURAL HAZARDS
34. Vanuatu's Tsumani Response Ability Undergoing Assessment (Vanuatu)
35. Whole Lotta Shaking Going On (Pacific)
MARINE & COASTAL INVASIVE SPECIES
36. Pacific Invasives Learning Network in Yap (Federated States of Micronesia)
37. Fresh Water Dip Can Cure Deadly Squirt (New Zealand)
MARINE SPECIES
38. Teach ecology with 'Reef in a Box' (Guam)
39. Save Danajon barrier reefs (Philippines)
40. Catching corals' spectacular moment (Palau)
41. Almost Extinct Turtle Discovered Living In Wild In Northern Vietnam (Vietnam)
42. Betel Nut Chewing Endangers Reefs (Solomon Islands)
43. Nuked coral reef bounces back (Marshall Islands)
44. Coastal villagers ripped off, coral monitors reveal (Fiji)
45. Sabah Leads The Way In Turtle Conservation (Malaysia)
46. Campaign to save reefs launched (Solomon Islands)
47. Asian Waterbirds Stage Remarkable Comeback (Cambodia)
48. Imposing giants (Malaysia)
49. SPREP Moves to Save Reef - Declares 2008 Pacific Year of the Reef (Pacific)
50. Operation Save Our Corals (Pacific)
PETROLEUM AND MINERALS
51. Guarding the riches of the ocean (Pacific)
52. PNG’s Ramu Nickel Mine To Dump Tailings In Sea (Papua New Guinea)
53. Japan to plant coral island in the Pacific (Japan)
54. Korea wins sea mining rights from Tonga (Korea)
55. Nautilus unveils first seabed haul (Papua New Guinea)
SHIPPING AND PORTS
56. Shipping: Pool Resources, Expertise, Islands told- Fiji’s franchise scheme a model to follow (Pacific)
COASTAL WETLANDS
57. ADB blamed for mangroves destruction in Asean region (Philippines)
58. ‘Wetlands’ Talks In Samoa (Samoa)
POLLUTION
59. American Samoa’s House of Representatives backs bill banning plastic bags (American Samoa)
RECREATION AND TOURISM
60. Maldives Wants Emissions Cuts But Not From Tourism (Maldives)
61. Steady Growth In South Pacific Tourism (Pacific)
62. Whale watching makes a splash (New Zealand)
PUBLICATIONS & WEBSITES
63. Launching of the ReefBase Pacific DVD Version 1.0 (Pacific)
64. Experience Marine Reserves Website – Marine NZ (New Zealand)
65. Locally-Managed Marine Areas: A guide to supporting Community-Based Adaptive Management (Pacific)
66. Marine Science Review 256: Introduced species (International)
67. Marine Science Review 254: Coral and coral reefs (International)
68. Increasing Capacity for Stewardship of Oceans and Coasts: A Priority for the 21st Century (USA)
69. Pacific Islands Regional Marine Species Programme 2008–2012, SPREP (South Pacific)
WORKSHOPS, CONFERENCES AND EVENTS
70. Asian Wetland Symposium 2008- Wetlands -The Heart of Asia (Vietnam)
CALL FOR PAPERS & ABSTRACTS
71. 29th Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology & Conservation (International)
72. Coastal Zone Asia-Pacific Conference (China)
73. International Marine Conservation Congress: call for papers (International)
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MARINE AND COASTAL LEGISLATION, POLICY AND PLANNING
1. When our oceans turn sour (Australia)
Abridged from: Opinion Piece, The Age by Ross Allen and Anthony Bergin
21 April 2008
Full text: http://www.theage.com.au
In a speech to the Australian Strategic Policy Institute last week on Australia's focus on the Pacific, parliamentary secretary for Pacific Island affairs Duncan Kerr pointed to the effect of marine acidity on coral reefs, the backbone of economic activity for many islander communities. Kerr noted that if land drowns and coral reefs die, the Pacific faces mass movements of people, presenting strategic and humanitarian challenges for Australia. Confronting the profound problem of acid oceans that could devastate ocean life would demonstrate the Government's commitment to communities dependent on coastal resources in Australia, the Indian Ocean and South Pacific, as well as dealing with long-term global change.
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2. United effort over whales (New Zealand)
Abridged from: The Dominion Post
16 April 2008
Full text: http://www.stuff.co.nz
The New Zealand Government will meet its Australian counterparts tomorrow to prepare a joint strike that aims to stop Japan whaling in the Southern Ocean. The meeting between Conservation Minister Steve Chadwick and Australia's Environment Minister, Peter Garrett, will discuss making "one big hit" on Japan during the International Whaling Commission's annual conference in Chile in June. Ms Chadwick said she hoped adopting a joint approach would put pressure on pro-whaling countries to abandon scientific whaling.
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3. Protector of our ocean (Pacific)
Abridged from: Fiji Times
13 April 2008
Full text: http://www.fijitimes.com
Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, could become the face for the protection and safety of the Pacific Ocean. Governor Schwarzenegger, is being sought after by planners of a new initiative to be known as the "Pacific Ocean 2020 Challenge." This challenge, which is being coordinated by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature based in Suva, seeks to focus global attention, build new partnerships, and generate the necessary commitments to address threats to the world's largest natural resource the Pacific Ocean by 2020.
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4. Congress to investigate Pacific fisheries advisory body (Hawai’i)
Abridged from: KPUA.net
9 April 2008
Full text: http://www.kpua.net
The Government Accountability Office plans to investigate whether the federal advisory body responsible for protecting fisheries off Hawaii and other parts of the Pacific is properly using and accounting for government money.
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5. Turkey hosts Pacific leaders' meeting (Turkey)
Abridged from: tvnz.co.nz
9 April 2008
Full text: http://tvnz.co.nz
Turkey is working to cement closer ties with Pacific nations by hosting a meeting of regional diplomats in Istanbul. Foreign ministers from Nauru, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, Marshall Islands, Cook Islands, Tuvalu, Papua New Guinea, Palau, Fiji, the Federated States of Micronesia and Samoa, as well as a representative of Tonga's foreign ministry are attending. The Australian government will be represented by its ambassador to Turkey, Peter Doyle. The meeting runs from Wednesday until Friday. Topics to be discussed included development assistance, tourism and climate change.
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6. We Say: Rudd's Improving Relations With The Islands (Pacific)
Abridged from: Islands Business
5 April 2008
Full text: http://www.islandsbusiness.com
There is every indication that Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s first official visit to Papua New Guinea last month is living up to expectations about his Labor Party’s earnestness to mend fences with its largest Pacific Island neighbour in particular and the rest of the islands in general....Another important issue that has found its way in the declaration is the concern that Australia and the Pacific Islands share on climate change and sea level rise.
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7. Members discuss Pacific Plan (Fiji)
Abridged from: Fiji Times
3 April 2008
full text: http://www.fijitimes.com
Officials from around the Pacific met to gauge progress and a way forward at the Pacific Plan Action committee meeting in Nadi. Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat Secretary General Greg Urwin said the Pacific Plan Action Committee was chaired by the Forum Chair and comprised of senior government representatives from all Forum members, as well as observers from Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific agencies and Pacific Territories....Mr Urwin said five priorities had been identified by leaders as 'key' for the region's development, including fisheries, energy, trade and economic integration, climate change and transport.
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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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MARINE PROTECTED AREAS
8. Marine Protected Areas: More important than you think (Northern Mariana Islands)
Abridged from: Saipan Tribune
10 April 2008
Full text: http://www.saipantribune.com
Marine Protected Areas are parts of our marine environment that are protected by law or regulations from certain activities such as fishing. There are many reasons for establishing MPAs; the main idea behind these establishments is to protect our marine ecosystems so that they are able to replenish, reproduce and become healthier for the future. MPAs are also implemented with conservation of natural and cultural heritage in mind. In reality, “marine protected area” is a term that encompasses a variety of conservation and management methods.
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9. NW Hawaiian Islands proposed for world list (Hawai’i)
Abridged from: Honolulu Advertiser
31 March 2008
Full text: http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com
The National Park Service is proposing Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument as one of two initial U.S. nominees to the World Heritage List, which recognizes the most significant cultural and natural treasures on the planet....Papahanaumokuakea, designated a marine national monument in 2006, comprises a 1,200-mile string of islands and adjacent waters northwest of Kaua'i that represent the oldest example of island formation and atoll evolution in the world, according to the state and federal agencies that manage the area.
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10. Push for guardians of the sea (Fiji)
Abridged from: Fiji Times
28 March 2008
Full text: http://www.fijitimes.com
Many communities in Fiji have benefited from marine-protected areas in terms of having a sustainable livelihood for them and their future generations. Eight participants from four communities Macuata, Taveuni, Ba and Tavua attended a one-day workshop on the role of the media and how they could relate their story concerning their marine-protected areas.
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Interested in this topic? View MCCN’s website for more: Marine Protected Areas
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FISHERIES
11. Activists tackle tuna fishers in Pacific (Pacific)
Abridged from: AFP
22 April 2008
Full text: http://afp.google.com
Ship-borne activists said Tuesday they had targeted fishing boats from South Korea, Taiwan and the US in high-seas protests against the "plundering" of tuna in the Pacific. In the latest confrontation, crew from the Greenpeace ship Esperanza boarded a Taiwanese boat, the Nian Sheng 3, to inspect their catch and then escorted them out of international waters, a spokesman said. The captain of the tuna boat, which also contained hundreds of frozen shark fins and tails, allowed the activists to board, Greenpeace campaign leader Lagi Toribau told AFP by telephone from the Esperanza.
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12. Study to evaluate Hawaii gillnet restriction (Hawai’i)
Abridged from: Honolulu Advertiser
21 April 2008
Full text: http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com
Researchers from Oceanic Institute, an affiliate of Hawai'i Pacific University, will be surveying fish populations in two areas on Windward O'ahu. One site is Kailua Bay, where lay-gillnets have been banned altogether. The other site is Waimanalo Bay, where use of the nets is restricted, but still allowed, the news release said.
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13. Palau Bill Would Ban Export Of Migratory Fish (Palau)
Abridged from: Pacific Islands Report
15 April 2008
Full text: http://pidp.eastwestcenter.org
President Remengesau has proposed a bill which prohibits the commercial export of highly migratory fish from Palau and bans foreign fishing vessels from Palau waters. The president introduced Fisheries Protection Act of 2008. In a letter to Olbiil Era Kelulau leaders, the president said the bill would finally put an end to the over-exploitation of Palau’s highly-migratory fish populations by creating one of the largest sanctuaries for migratory fish in the Pacific.
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14. Fishing: Overfishing Threatens 2 Main Tuna Species (Solomon Islands)
Abridged from: Islands Business
5 April 2008
Full text: http://www.islandsbusiness.com
Suddenly, the 29-year-old Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency Secretariat in Solomon Islands’ capital, Honiara, becomes the epicentre of attraction to its political leaders. In the first three months of this year for example, the secretariat hosted one Prime Minister, a Premier and a foreign minister. It seemed regular warnings of overfishing has finally hit home at the highest political level. But since seeing is believing, they all wanted to “peep in” to see the actual goings-on in terms of fishing activities, particularly by foreign fishing boats licensed to fish in our waters. So came they did.
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15. Pacific LDCs outline priorities - Fisheries subsidies, export taxes, WTO membership (Pacific)
Abridged from: Islands Business
5 April 2008
Full text: http://www.islandsbusiness.com
The deputy Prime Minister of Samoa and trade ministers from Solomon Islands and Vanuatu were among 30 trade ministers from mainly African Least Developed Countries who met in late February in Maseru, capital of the mountain Kingdom of Lesotho....
At the forefront of the Pacific LDCs’ concerns were fisheries subsidies, the accession process to WTO membership and export taxes...
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16. 100,000 Tuna Tagged In The Pacific (Pacific)
Abridged from: Pacific Magazine
4 April 2008
Full text: http://www.pacificmagazine.net
The Secretariat of the Pacific Community Pacific Tuna Tagging Programme has just passed a significant milestone: 100,000 tuna tagged since the project started in Papua New Guinea late in 2006...The Pacific Tuna Tagging Programme is a large research project designed to provide new information on tuna movements, mortality and behaviour. This information will result in more accurate assessments of the status of skipjack, yellowfin and bigeye tuna stocks and the impacts of fishing on them.
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17. Fisheries sector expects record output (Philippines)
Abridged from: Philippine Daily Inquirer
27 March 2008
Full text: http://business.inquirer.net
The output of the local fisheries sector is expected to hit a record 5.3 million metric tons this year, as the Department of Agriculture beefs up anti-poaching efforts and aquaculture projects. Of this target, some 2.7 million MT are estimated to come from the aquaculture sector, 1.15 million MT from commercial fisheries, and 1.48 million MT from municipal fishing.
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Interested in this topic? View MCCN’s website for more: Commercial and Recreational Fishing Impacts
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AQUACULTURE
18. WWF discusses Aquaculture Impacts (New Zealand)
Abridged from: Scoop
18 April 2008
Full text: http://www.scoop.co.nz
On Thursday and Friday of this week Aquaculture New Zealand is hosting the New Zealand round of the WWF Aquaculture Dialogues. Initiated in 2004, the WWF Aquaculture Dialogues have been have been held throughout the world. Involving a wide range of stakeholders within each country’s industry they have sought to establish a set of standards that can be used at a future date as the basis of an environmental certification programme.
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19. Learning from Success Stories (Asia)
Abridged from: The FishSite
10 April 2008
Full text: http://www.thefishsite.com
The Network for Aquaculture Centres in Asia Pacific is to document aquaculture success stories in a bid to help others see how aquaculture can move to a more sustainable future. The move follows the recommendations of the Workshop on Research Needs to Sustaining Aquaculture to 2025 and Beyond that was held in Rayong, Thailand in June last year.
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20. Support for Aquaculture Development (New Zealand)
Abridged from: the fishsite.com
10 April 2008
Full text: http://www.thefishsite.com
The New Zealand Government is to provide funds to back aquaculture development in the Canterbury and Waikato areas. Environment Minister Trevor Mallard has announced nearly NZ$100,000 of funding for Environment Canterbury and NZ$24,000 for Environment Waikato to develop procedures for dealing with applications for new aquaculture space and for research on environmental effects, respectively.
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21. Seaweed demand rises (Fiji)
Abridged from: Fiji Times
9 April 2008
Full text: http://www.fijitimes.com
Fiji needs to increase seaweed farming to help meet export demand, says Agricultural Marketing Authority business development manager Aca Domolailai. He said Fiji presently exported 15 tonnes every three months to markets in the Phillipines and Korea. "At the moment, we are not meeting the demand which companies in the Phillipines and Korea want. "The market wants a fortnight's supply and most of the buyers want the Fiji product because of its quality," Mr Domolailai said.
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22. Cold spell kills off fish farm stocks (Vietnam)
Abridged from: Viet Nam News
7 April 2008
Full text: http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn
The recent cold spell caused many pond fish to die, putting pressure on the industry in the North to keep up supplies. The seafood breeding sector has so far officially lost US$9.1 million, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Aquaculture Department. However, the real damage is expected to be much higher.
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23. EU Funds Study To Help Ailing Black Pearl Industry (French Polynesia)
Abridged from: Pacific Magazine
7 April 2008
Full text: http://www.pacificmagazine.net
The European Union has earmarked some US$5.8 million as part of a plan to reform and boost French Polynesia's ailing black pearl industry, Maritime Resource Minister Keitapu Maamaatuaiahutapu announced .. The project, which is scheduled to run over a three-year period from 2008 to 2010, involves on-site training by roving experts for black pearl farmers, with a particular focus on quality control and productivity.
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24. More prawn farms needed (Fiji)
Abridged from: Fiji Times Online
5 April 2008
Full text: http://www.fijitimes.com
Fiji imports about 600 tonnes of prawns as local production can only yield 100 tonnes because of less interest in prawn farming by locals..."Even though Fiji has the ideal condition for prawn farming, there hasn't been many takers despite the huge market for prawns locally and overseas. "The reluctance shown by local investors has resulted in New Caledonia, with less ideal conditions than Fiji, produce 2000 tonnes of prawns annually," a Ministry of Information statement said. The farm at Navua, which is the largest freshwater aquaculture facility in the South Pacific, produced 19 tonnes of prawns last year but the targeted production is 24 tonnes per annum with a projected income of $250,000.
Related articles:
http://www.fijilive.com
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25. Shrimp farmers urged to exercise disease control (Borneo)
Abridged from: Borneo Bulletin
30 March 2008
Full text: http://www.brunei-online.com
Viral diseases affecting shrimps have resulted in significant economic losses globally, and have forever changed the way shrimps are farmed. This was said by IAI expert Dr Kerry Claydon during the 6th Aquaculture Seminar on "The Impact of Diseases on Shrimp Culture".
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26. Organic acquaculture pushed (Philippines)
Abridged from: Visayan Daily Star
29 March 2008
Full text: http://www.visayandailystar.com
Delegates at an Expert Forum on Organic Aquaculture advocated that tilapia, shrimps, milkfish and other aquaculture products in Negros Occidental will reach maximum growth if produced under environmental-friendly conditions with no pesticides and toxins, a press release from the forum organizers said. Participants discussed the difference between the conventional aquaculture and organic aquaculture, the latter employing an overall farm management system and food production that focuses on best environmental practices.
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27. Zamboanga fish hatchery starts operating (Taiwan)
Abridged from: GMANews.tv
30 March 2008
Full text: http://www.gmanews.tv
A P30-million fish hatchery project will be inaugurated in Tawi-Tawi, chairman of the Mindanao Economic Development Council said. Mr. Leyretana said the project will produce fingerlings and juveniles of marine species, particularly humpback grouper, abalone, and sea cucumber...
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Interested in this topic? View MCCN’s website for more: Aquaculture
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CLIMATE CHANGE
28. Climate change protection a Pacific challenge (Pacific)
Abridged from: ABC Radio Australia
15 April 2008
Full text: http://www.abc.net.au
A leading planner in the Pacific says instituting measures to protect people, infrastructure and the environment from climate change will be more challenging than in developed countries. The president of the Pacific Islands Planning Association, Tagaloa Jude Kohlhase, made the statement at the Planning Institute of Australia's National conference in Sydney. Mr Kohlhase says with the bulk of the Pacific's population and economic assets located in low-lying coastal areas the region is more vulnerable than others to the increased and more severe weather events associated with climate change.
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29. Warming trends rise in large ocean areas: study (Vietnam)
Abridged from Reuters
9 April 2008
Full text: http://uk.reuters.com
Warming trends in a third of the world's large ocean regions are two to four times greater than previously reported averages, increasing the risk to marine life and fisheries, a U.N.-backed environmental study said. Overfishing, coastal pollution and degradation of water quality were common in all 64 large marine ecosystems studied by scientists who contributed to the U.N. Environmental Program report presented at an international conference on oceans, coasts and islands in Vietnam this week.
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30. We put it there, so let's go first in cleaning up (Australia)
Abridged from: The Age, Opinion piece by Peter Singer
3 April 2008
Full text: http://www.theage.com.au
In Australia, we know that water for irrigation is limited, and we are beginning to discuss how best to divide it up. Here's one way of doing it: let those with the biggest pumps take as much as they want, never mind what that leaves for others. Not fair, you say? You're right. But then, why are we doing exactly this method of dividing up a scarce resource right now — not with water, but with the atmosphere? Perhaps because we're not used to thinking of the atmosphere as a scarce resource, we don't see how unfairly we are behaving...If the rule of law had the same clout internationally as it has within national borders, we would already be feeling the cost of breaking that promise. Tuvalu, our tiny Pacific island neighbour, has threatened to sue Australia and the United States because, according to some scientific estimates, most of the low-lying coral atolls will disappear under the waves over the next 50 years.
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31. Solomons’ Malaita Showing Effects Of Rising Sea (Solomon Islands)
Abridged from: Pacific Islands Report
2 April 2008
Full text: http://pidp.eastwestcenter.org
Minister for Environment, Conservation and Meteorology Gordon Darcy Lilo confirms that effects of global warming are now evident in Solomon Islands. Speaking in Parliament last week, Mr. Lilo said the effects include coastal erosion, inundation and salt water intrusion of Fanalei and Walande Islands in Malaita Province and the sinking of Hakupa Island in Ontong Java, also in Malaita Province.
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32. Endangered Islands (Asia Pacific)
Abridged from: CNN.com/asia
1 April 2008
Full text: http://edition.cnn.com
With every click of his camera, Japanese photographer and activist Shuuichi Endou hopes to draw attention to the plight of Tuvalu, a remote nation of people whose home is slowly disappearing. Tuvalu is the world's fourth smallest country behind Vatican City, Monaco and Pacific Ocean neighbor Nauru. He's taking 10,000 photos, one of each person who lives there, to show the world the human face of climate change.
View images “10,000 Faces of Tuvalu” online: http://edition.cnn.com
Related articles:
http://solomontimes.com
http://www.islandsbusiness.com
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33. Warming a threat to birds, coral reef (Hawai’i)
Abridged from: Honolulu Adviser
29 March 2008
Full text: http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com
Hawai'i has some advantages over other areas when it comes to climate change, but the state's native forest bird and coral reef populations could be severely damaged, a climate change biologist said this week. Conservation International scientist Lee Hannah said that while projected temperature change in Hawai'i is less than elsewhere, native species could still suffer from climate change.
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Interested in this topic? View MCCN’s website for more: Climate Change
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NATURAL HAZARDS
34. Vanuatu's Tsumani Response Ability Undergoing Assessment (Vanuatu)
Abridged from: Pacific Magazine
21 April 2008
Full text: http://www.pacificmagazine.net
A week long assessment of Vanuatu’s tsunami warning and mitigation system which begins tomorrow will help the country better prepare for tsunamis, says Vanuatu Meteorological Service Director, Mr Jotham Napat. Napat says the assessment will determine areas needing attention and how to better respond to tsunami warnings.
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35. Whole Lotta Shaking Going On (Pacific)
Abridged from: Pacific Magazine
10 April 2008
Full text: http://www.pacificmagazine.net
There have been over 10 recorded undersea earthquakes in the past 24 hours between Vanuatu and neighbouring New Caledonia, including one peaking 7.3 on the Richter scale.
The most powerful quake occurred at 11:46 p.m. local time on Wednesday at an estimated depth of 35 kilometres below sea level, the Colorado-based U.S. Geological Survey said.
Further information: http://www.reefbase.org
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MARINE & COASTAL INVASIVE SPECIES
36. Pacific Invasives Learning Network in Yap (Federated States of Micronesia)
Abridged from: SPREP Website
16 April 2008
Full text: http://www.sprep.org
The Federated States of Micronesia is a very active member of the Pacific Invasives Learning Network with three of its four states currently members: Pohnpei, Kosrae and Yap. Yap has four priority invasive species projects; a group of terrestrial weeds, the invasive fish tilapia, urban cats and dogs, and rats in the urban environment. Dr Key will assist Yap in linking with other countries carrying out similar programmes in order to fill information gaps.
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37. Fresh Water Dip Can Cure Deadly Squirt (New Zealand)
Abridged from: thefishsite.com
27 March 2008
Full text: http://www.thefishsite.com
A sea squirt that threatens New Zealand’s mussel industry may be stopped by a simple and environmentally safe treatment – fresh water. The technology, developed by biosecurity scientists at Cawthron in Nelson, is simple - the mussels are simply immersed in fresh water. Senior Scientist Dr Barrie Forrest, who heads the Marine Biosecurity Group at Cawthron, trialled a range of possible treatments, building on knowledge from previous research into biosecurity management tools that had been funded by the Foundation and the Ministry of Fisheries.
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MARINE SPECIES
38. Teach ecology with 'Reef in a Box' (Guam)
Abridged from: guampdm.com
20 April 2008
Full text: http://www.guampdn.com
With the future at stake, the University of Guam and the island's marine environment have found the perfect ally: children. The university's Marine Lab is introducing the "Reef in a Box," a teaching tool intended to help ensure Guam's sea life doesn't become a faint memory. "2008 is the International Year of the Reef, and this project helps to instill in schoolchildren a lifelong appreciation of Guam's coral reefs," said the Marine Lab's Peter Schupp.
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39. Save Danajon barrier reefs (Philippines)
Abridged from: The Bohol Chronicle
20 April 2008
Full text: http://www.theboholchronicle.com
Key officials of the four provinces of regions seven and eight have manifested their commitment to develop, protect, conserve and manage the 272-kilometer vast Danajon Double Barrier Reefs, the only documented double barrier reefs in Indo-Pacific region that is very rich in biodiversity and marine eco-systems.
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40. Catching corals' spectacular moment (Palau)
Abridged from: BBC News
20 April 2008
Full text: http://news.bbc.co.uk
The coral reefs in the tropical western Pacific are at the brink of one of the most spectacular and significant nights in their annual life cycle. By the light of April's full moon on Sunday or, quite likely a night or two after, corals will be mating en masse. Along the length of the island archipelago that makes up the Republic of Palau, millions of coral colonies will simultaneously release billion upon billion of eggs and sperm into the dark waters.
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41. Almost Extinct Turtle Discovered Living In Wild In Northern Vietnam (Vietnam)
Abridged from: Science Daily
19 April 2008
Full text: http://www.sciencedaily.com
"Swinhoe's soft-shell turtle" was thought to be extinct in nature. Cleveland Metroparks Zoo has announced the discovery of a critically endangered turtle in northern Vietnam that previously was thought to be extinct in the wild. Experts from the Zoo's Asian Turtle Program confirmed that they have identified the only known living specimen of a Swinhoe's soft-shell turtle (Rafetus swinhoei) in nature.
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42. Betel Nut Chewing Endangers Reefs (Solomon Islands)
Abridged from: Solomon Times Online
16 April 2008
Full text: http://www.solomontimes.com
Betel nut chewing contributes to the degradation of coral reefs, was a message among others that stood out at the launch of the Pacific year of reefs 2008. People who enjoy chewing betel nuts were told to think twice about how much damage their habit has done to the reefs.
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43. Nuked coral reef bounces back (Marshall Islands)
Abridged from: New Scientist
14 April 2008
Full text: http://environment.newscientist.com
What does a coral reef look like 50 years after being nuked? Not so bad, it seems. Coconuts growing on Bikini Atoll haven't fared so well, however. Three islands of Bikini Atoll were vapourised by the Bravo hydrogen bomb in 1954, which shook islands 200 kilometres away. Instead of finding a bare underwater moonscape, ecologists who have dived it have given the 2-kilometre-wide crater a clean bill of health. "It was fascinating – I’ve never seen corals growing like trees outside of the Marshall Islands," says Zoe Richards of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies in Australia.
Related articles:
http://news.theage.com.au
http://environment.newscientist.com
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44. Coastal villagers ripped off, coral monitors reveal (Fiji)
Abridged from: Fiji Times
14 April 2008
Full text: http://www.fijitimes.com
Tourists have long been attracted to the seas surrounding Fiji. Villagers selling coral are, however, been exploited, says the Fisheries Department. Coastal villagers who plant and sell corals are being ripped off by exporters who pay them only $150-$200 a week compared to the annual turnovers of $1.5m-$2m the companies recorded. The Fisheries Department has decided that it is not going to increase the number of operators who go out or work with coastal communities to collect both live and dead corals for the reefs.
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45. Sabah Leads The Way In Turtle Conservation (Malaysia)
Abridged from: Bernama.com
14 April 2008
Full text: http://www.bernama.com.my
The Turtle Islands Park has been instrumental in turtle conservation since 1966 and encompasses three islands - Pulau Selingaan, Bakkungan Kechil and Gulisaan - covering an area of 1,740 hectares...Pulau Gulisaan is the main landing point for the Hawksbill turtle in Southeast Asia. Realising how important the marine habitat is, the Sabah state government bought over the three islands and turned it into a marine park in 1977. Since then it has been under the care of the Sabah Parks, an agency under Sabah's Tourism, Culture and Environment Ministry.
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46. Campaign to save reefs launched (Solomon Islands)
Abridged from: Solomon Star News
10 April 2008
Full text: http://solomonstarnews.com
Solomon Islands launched the “Pacific Year of Reefs 2008” campaign yesterday. Minister from Environment, Conservation and Meteorology Gordon Darcy Lilo launched the campaign under the theme “Strong Reefs, Strong Islands”. Samoa-based Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme initiated the Pacific Year of Reefs 2008 campaign. It was aimed at saving the Pacific’s coral reefs.
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47. Asian Waterbirds Stage Remarkable Comeback (Cambodia)
Abridged from: Science Daily
8 April 2008
Full text: http://www.sciencedaily.com
According to a new report by the Wildlife Conservation Society several species of rare waterbirds from Cambodia's famed Tonle Sap region have staged remarkable comebacks, thanks to a project involving a single team of park rangers to provide 24-hour protection to breeding colonies. The project pioneered a novel approach: employing former hunters and egg collectors to protect and monitor the colonies, thereby guaranteeing the active involvement of local communities in the initiative.
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48. Imposing giants (Malaysia)
Abridged from: The Star
8 April 2008
Full text: http://thestar.com.my
Humphead wrasses (also known as Napoleon or Maori wrasse) are among the most beautiful, yet bizarre-looking, fish in the sea. With their bulbous lips, prominent forehead humps and a body pattern consisting of swirls, spots and lines in shades of electric blue, grey and green, humpheads rank high on recreational divers’ “must see” list – yet they are being eaten out of existence. Global reef checks show the species have disappeared from even the best reefs over most of its range.
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49. SPREP Moves to Save Reef - Declares 2008 Pacific Year of the Reef (Pacific)
Abridged from: Islands Business
5 April 2008
Full text: http://www.islandsbusiness.com
The reefs of the Pacific have provided generations of our people with sustenance and protected us from harm. Today, our reefs are threatened as never before. In other words, “it’s time for us to give back.” This is the underlying message of the Pacific Year of the Reef 2008 of which SPREP is a key partner. SPREP’s last “year of the reef,” in 1997, was widely praised for raising awareness of the condition of reefs and the need for greater protection. Ten years later, the message is the same, but with greater urgency: “the stronger our reefs, the stronger our islands.”
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50. Operation Save Our Corals (Pacific)
Abridged from: Islands Business
5 April 2008
Full text: http://www.islandsbusiness.com
Indo-Pacific Ocean, a region that encompasses Indonesia to the west and French Polynesia to the extreme east, is losing 3168 square kilometres of coral cover each year. Translated to island language, that’s equivalent to losing 450 rugby fields a year. Put another way, this vast region lost two percent of its corals in the eight years between 1995 and 2003. Compare that with the net annual loss of rainforest worldwide at 0.4%. These figures were shared at a recent regional environmental forum in Fiji by the coral reef management officer at the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme, Caroline Vieux.
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Interested in this topic? View MCCN’s website for more: Marine Species
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PETROLEUM AND MINERALS
51. Guarding the riches of the ocean (Pacific)
Abridged from: Mining Journal Online
18 April 2008
Full text: http://www.mining-journal.com
Space may be called the final frontier on TV, but for mining industry and environmentalists, bragging rights must surely go to the ocean deeps – the most inaccessible and unexplored regions on Earth. Speculation has continued for decades about the potential mineral riches on the ocean floor, but there have always been four problems with extracting them: no one really knows what is down there; the expense of prospecting for such minerals could be prohibitive; there is as yet no comprehensive internationally-agreed legal regime covering potential work in global waters; and there is the risk of causing irreparable damage to ecosystems that are barely understood.
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52. PNG’s Ramu Nickel Mine To Dump Tailings In Sea (Papua New Guinea)
Abridged from: Pacific Islands Report
16 April 2008
Full text: http://pidp.eastwestcenter.org
Ramu NiCO Management Company, the operator of the Ramu nickel and cobalt mine, has promised not to endanger any environment or marine life with its proposed deep sea tailings placement. A company spokesman said that the deep sea tailings discharge was not submarine marine tailings, while submarine tailing discharge system usually discharged the tailing into the shallow sea water.
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53. Japan to plant coral island in the Pacific (Japan)
Abridged from: telegraph.co.uk
10 April 2008
Full text: http://www.telegraph.co.uk
Japanese scientists will attempt to "grow" an island in the Pacific Ocean to maintain its fishing territory. Up to 50,000 shards of coral will be transplanted into the waters around Okinotorishima, two stone outcrops 1,000 miles south of Tokyo, in an effort to stop them sinking. The outcrops sit just 4in above water at high tide. If they disappear, Japan's maritime territory will shrink dramatically. In addition, rights to oil, minerals and gas beneath the seabed could be lost. However, the £3.6 million project is causing friction with China, which refuses to recognise the outcrops as an island and claims they cannot be used to stop Beijing's exploration of the area.
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54. Korea wins sea mining rights from Tonga (Korea)
Abridged from: Islands Business
3 April 2008
Full text: http://www.islandsbusiness.com
Korea has secured the rights to dig up US$100 million in raw minerals a year from beneath the waters of the South Pacific. The Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs said that Korea has won exclusive exploration rights from the South Pacific island nation of Tonga to develop mineral resources in a 20,000-sq.km area within Tonga's exclusive economic sea zone. The ministry said that the underwater area has mineral deposits of more than nine million tons, and Korea should be able to secure 300,000 tons a year if it starts mining the area in earnest. The minerals include gold, silver, copper and zinc.
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55. Nautilus unveils first seabed haul (Papua New Guinea)
Abridged from: Islands Business
3 April 2008
Full text: http://www.islandsbusiness.com
The sample of mineral ore extracted from the seabed of Bismarck Sea symbolizes the start of what may become a new global industry – offshore mining of copper, gold and zinc, reports The National. This was declared yesterday by Nautilus chief executive David Heydon. Historically, the country will be the first country to have the first sub-sea gold and copper mine in the world, and this could set the pace for further undersea exploration for mineral deposits all over the world, he said.
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SHIPPING AND PORTS
56. Shipping: Pool Resources, Expertise, Islands told- Fiji’s franchise scheme a model to follow (Pacific)
Abridged from: Islands Business
5 April 2008
Full text: http://www.islandsbusiness.com
Faced with lack of human resources, poorly maintained ports and poor domestic shipping services, the region is finding it more difficult to be on par with international shipping standards. Although we are descendants of voyagers and skilled seafarers, shipping has become a major challenge and an issue that needs to be addressed if we are to remain connected to the rest of the world. It has been suggested that Pacific Islands countries pool their resources and expertise as a solution.
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COASTAL WETLANDS
57. ADB blamed for mangroves destruction in Asean region (Philippines)
Abridged from: Philippine Daily Inquirer
18 April 2008
Full text: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net
A fisheries coalition has held the Asian Development Bank accountable for mangrove loss and falling fish stocks as it "promoted environmentally destructive aquaculture in the Philippines, Indonesia and other Southeast Asian countries in the ’70s until the ’90s.
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58. ‘Wetlands’ Talks In Samoa (Samoa)
Abridged from: Pacific Magazine
10 April 2008
Full text: http://www.pacificmagazine.net
The Oceania region will soon come together to develop a stronger Pacific voice at the 10th Conference of the Parties to the Ramsar Convention in October. The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme is coordinating a two-day preparatory meeting to be held at SPREP headquarters in Apia, Samoa from 10-11 April. Five Pacific Island countries are a party to the convention that promotes the conservation and wise, sustainable use of wetlands around the world: Fiji, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Republic of Palau, Papua New Guinea and Samoa who will be attending the upcoming preparatory meeting, along with non-party Kiribati who are currently in the process of joining the convention.
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POLLUTION
59. American Samoa’s House of Representatives backs bill banning plastic bags (American Samoa)
Abridged from: Radio New Zealand International
6 April 2008
Full text: http://www.rnzi.com
American Samoa’s House of Representatives has approved in final reading a bill banning plastic bags. Officials of the Department of Marine and Wildlife Protection Agency, the Coral Reef Advisory Group told a House hearing last week that the bill will help protect the territory’s coral reefs and marine life.
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RECREATION & TOURISM
60. Maldives Wants Emissions Cuts But Not From Tourism (Maldives)
Abridged from: Planet Ark
23 April 2008
Full text: http://www.planetark.com
The Maldives, worried about rising seas from climate change, wants steeper cuts in global greenhouse gas emissions but is unwilling to curb its tourism industry, which is reliant on polluting international flights. President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, in Singapore promoting his book "Paradise Drowning" at an environmental business summit, said cutting back on tourism was not the answer even though the country's survival was more important than development.
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61. Steady Growth In South Pacific Tourism (Pacific)
Abridged from: Pacific Magazine
7 April 2008
Full text: http://www.pacificmagazine.net
Visitors to the South Pacific continued to grow in 2007. Visitor arrival statistics indicate that 1,334,685 people visited the region in 2007, an increase of 4.1 percent. South-pacific.travel Chief Executive Tony Everitt said “Given the increased cost of oil, this level of growth is a pleasing result. It shows that Tourism continues to lead economic development in the South Pacific.” Growth in visitors to the South Pacific Islands was double that to Australia and New Zealand in 2007, which both recorded a 2% increase in visitors.
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62. Whale watching makes a splash (New Zealand)
Abridged from: NZ Herald
3 April 2008
Full text: http://www.nzherald.co.nz
There has been a 10-fold increase in the number of people whale and dolphin watching in the Pacific region, not including New Zealand or Australia, in the past decade. A review of whale watching in the Pacific released yesterday showed a mammoth surge of visitors to the region who went whale or dolphin watching. In 2005, tourists - mostly international - made more than 110,700 visits to watch whales compared with 10,300 in 1998.
Related articles:
http://www.news.com.au
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PUBLICATIONS & WEBSITES
63. Launching of the ReefBase Pacific DVD Version 1.0 (Pacific)
Abridged from: ReefBase Website
7 April 2008
Full text: http://www.reefbase.org
The ReefBase team is pleased to announce the launch of the ReefBase Pacific DVD Version 1.0. It contains a large collection of reef resource information relating to the Pacific.
64. Experience Marine Reserves Website – Marine NZ (New Zealand)
April 2008
Marine NZ is an information portal that is full of resources about our oceans and beaches. Those resources include stunning underwater photography and videography, as well as marine reports and presentations. It provides tools and resources for students, teachers and all those interested in marine conservation. It is a dynamic site, with interviews, discussions and blogs for visitors to participate in.
View website: http://www.marinenz.org.nz
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65. Locally-Managed Marine Areas: A guide to supporting Community-Based Adaptive Management (Pacific)
April 2008
This document presents step-by-step guidelines and community organizing activities and ‘tools’ used in setting up a LMMA. This guide is intended for those working in the local management of coastal resources, including community members and leaders, local and national government agencies, non-government organizations, universities and other interested parties.
Download publication: http://www.lmmanetwork.org
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66. Marine Science Review 256: Introduced species (International)
Full text: http://64.130.1.197
April 2008
This 11 page publication by Seaweb reviews the latest marine science literature on introduced species.
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67. Marine Science Review 254: Coral and coral reefs (International)
Full text: http://64.130.1.197
April 2008
This 11 page publication by Seaweb reviews the latest marine science literature on coral and coral reefs.
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68. Increasing Capacity for Stewardship of Oceans and Coasts: A Priority for the 21st Century (USA)
Abridged from: The National Academies Press, Website
April 2008
Full text: http://www.nap.edu
Marine environments support the livelihoods, economies, and quality of life for communities around the world. But growth of coastal populations and increasing demands on marine resources are putting the future of ocean and coastal resources at risk through impacts such as overfishing, wetland drainage, climate change, and pollution of coastal waters. Given these demands, it is vital to build capacity-the people, the institutions, and technology and tools-needed to manage ocean resources. This book finds that the most successful capacity-building efforts meet the needs of a specific locale or region based on periodic assessments and include plans to maintain and expand capacity after the project ends.
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69. Pacific Islands Regional Marine Species Programme 2008–2012, SPREP (South Pacific)
Abridged from: SPREP Website
The Marine Species Programme of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment
Programme outlines a regional strategy for the cooperative conservation and
management of dugongs, marine turtles, whales and dolphins. The strategy, which will
be implemented through Action Plans during 2008–2012, will enable Pacific Islanders
to take a primary role in achieving the vision. 50 pages.
Download copy of the Programme: http://www.sprep.org
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WORKSHOPS, CONFERENCES AND EVENTS
COMING UP (May - June 2008)
70. Asian Wetland Symposium 2008- Wetlands -The Heart of Asia (Vietnam)
22- 25 June 2008
A symposium to reflect on the importance of wetlands to the daily life of people in Asia and to look into the progress and challenges in wetlands management and conservation. The Asian Wetland Symposium provides a single platform for discussions among various sectors including, national and local governments, NGOs, scientific experts, the private sector, and local and indigenous people engaged in wetland management to discuss issues, approaches and priorities in wetland management in the Asian Region.
Further information: http://www.aws2008.net/
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CALL FOR PAPERS & ABSTRACTS
71. 29th Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology & Conservation (International)
17-19 February 2009, Brisbane, Australia.
Creating Community Collaboration. This will be the first time the symposium has been held in Australia and the southern hemisphere. The symposium will explore themes such as building communication and networking at local, regional, and global scales. It aims to create linkages between communities and to connect policy-makers at all levels with the latest information coming out of sea turtle research and conservation programs. Abstract submissions are due by 15 September 2008. Further information: http://www.turtlesbrisbane2009.org/ or Email: info@turtlesbrisbane2009.org
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72. 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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73. International Marine Conservation Congress: call for papers (International)
The Marine Section of the Society for Conservation Biology will be hosting its first stand-alone meeting, the International Marine Conservation Congress from 20-24 May 2009 at George Mason University near Washington D.C. This will be an interdisciplinary meeting that will engage natural and social scientists, managers, policy-makers, and the public.
1st Call for symposia and workshops: 1 April - 1 June 2008, decisions by 15 July 2008. Further information on submitting papers: http://www.conbio.org/IMCC ; E: IMCCprogram@conbio.org
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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.
Image courtesy ofOceanwide images.com.
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 