The Online Magazine for Sustainable
Seas
June, 2001 Vol. 4No.6
June, 2001 Vol. 4No.6
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The Online Magazine for Sustainable
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June, 2001 Vol. 4No.6 |
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Coastal Alert |
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Philippines World
The Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998 mandates local governments to delineate their municipal waters, defined by law as including “not only streams, lakes, inland bodies of water and tidal waters within the municipality which are not included within the protected areas as defined under Republic Act 7586 (The NIPAS Law), public forest, timber lands, forest reserves or fishery reserves, but also marine waters included between two lines drawn perpendicular to the general coastline from points where the boundary lines of the municipality touch the sea at low level and a third line parallel with the general coastline including offshore islands and fifteen kilometers from such coastline.” With the approval of the guidelines, local governments are expected to delineate and then enforce the boundaries of their municipal waters for regulation, conservation and licensing purposes, among others. “We hope the delineation will be completed soon so we can avoid uncertainties and enforce our coastal laws more effectively,” said Roy Chan, regional fisherfolk representative for Region 11 to PAMANA, a fishers’ organization. The guidelines were piloted in several municipalities in the provinces of Masbate, Davao del Sur and Bohol. Agreement to stop child labor in deep-sea fishing
signed Among the signatories to the agreement were the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and the Abines Sisters and Brothers Corporation (ASB), a Cebu-based paaling fishing company, and the ILO. Wenard Konrad Blenk, ILO director of the Manila and Southeast Asia Multi-Disciplinary Team, said the agreement highlights the positive partnership and collaboration forged between government and the private sector to gradually eliminate child labor in the deep-sea fishing industry. A child involved in paaling earns only around Php800 a month, working the entire stretch of 10 months in every paaling expedition, where he faces major hazards such as drowning, getting sick while at sea, impaired hearing, shark attacks, and sea snakes’ bites. E.T. Suarez, Manila Bulletin, 06.17.01 International groups to help rehabilitate Manila
Bay The Partnership in Environmental Management for the Seas of the East Asia (PEMSEA) is a five-year (2000-2004) project of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) that aims to “protect the life-support system and enable the sustainable use and management of coastal and marine resources through inter-governmental, inter-agency and inter-sectoral partnership to improve quality of life in the East Asian region.” In the Philippines, the project is being operationalized jointly by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) as the host institution, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) as executing agency, and the United States Development Programme (UNDP) as implementing agency. PEMSEA’s primary role is to contribute to current undertakings in rehabilitating Manila Bay by setting up mechanisms and institutional arrangements; develop project proposals for submission to financial institutions, donors and investors to meet its financial requirements; and assist concerned government agencies to identify opportunities for environmental investments in the Bay. Manila Bay is one of three sub-regional sea pollution hotspots in Southeast Asia identified by PEMSEA. The other two are the Gulf of Thailand and Bohai Sea in China. The Manila Bay Environmental Management Project covers three administrative regions, namely, National Capital Region (NCR), Region III (Central Luzon), and Region IV (Southern Tagalog Region). These regions drain water into Manila Bay, which serves as the catchment basin, through Pasig and Pampanga Rivers and numerous arteries of waterways. B.G. Enriquez in Philippine Star, 06.24.01 Subic hosts international meet on protected areas The meeting, hosted by the NGOs for the Integrated Protected Areas, Inc. (NIPA), tackled topics such as promoting and enhancing stakeholders’ participation in protected areas management, ethnicity and cultural issues, women and gender issues, policy environment, scientific approaches and considerations, strengthening environment networks for the promotion of local and international initiatives, financing, and poverty reduction in protected areas. NIPA is the largest nationwide consortium of leading civil society organizations in the Philippines involved in environmental work, focusing on protected areas management. The Conference was hailed as an important step toward shared and coordinated efforts in protected areas management and biodiversity conservation. The Philippines is one of the highest priority countries in the world for conservation, primarily because it has among the highest biodiversity in the world for both plant life and animal life and one of the highest level of uniqueness or endemicity among species, but also a high rate of deforestation and habitat destruction that threatens this biodiversity. T.F. Lozano, Manila Bulletin, 06.17.01 RP gets loan for port development The port development funds, included under the 24th yen loan package to the Philippines, will finance the upgrading work for the ports of Davao, General Santos, Zamboanga and Iloilo. A priority thrust of the current administration, the four ports are being developed under the government’s Southern Philippines Port Development Package (SPPDP). The loan was recently granted during the signing ceremonies held in Tokyo. The PPA said a total of Php155.19 million would be needed to develop the said ports, with the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) approving the package two years ago. PPA pointed out the projected increase in port traffic in the coming years would require the speedy development of the ports. Development plans include improvement of cargo handling capabilities and infrastructure development. J. Realubit in Philippine Star, 06.14.01 Guimaras is site of RP’s first mariculture park The park was set up jointly by the government-hosted Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center-Aquaculture Department (SEAFDEC-AQD), Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR), and the provincial government of Guimaras. A mariculture park is an area in marine waters designated for the growing of marine species and provided with the appropriate infrastructure for ease of installation and operation. The Guimaras marine park operates like a marina, where private yachts can dock and avail of service utilities for a fee. It will be provided with mooring facilities and possibly a floating backwater. Service facilities such as nursery, working platform for harvesting, feed warehouse and technicians’ quarters are also provided. A resident technical expert ensures the proper implementation of production protocols and preventive laboratory diagnosis, including determination of dissolved oxygen and biological oxygen demand to safeguard the area from pollution. Igang Bay was found ideal for the mariculture park because it is protected from strong winds during typhoons and has been the site of SEAFDEC-AQD’s research and technology verification cage farming facilities for years. The park is provided with cages for demonstration purposes, using milkfish as the first culture species. Target beneficiaries are the local municipal fishers. R.A. Fernandez in Philippine Star, 06.17.01 Fishponds on Central Luzon waterways ordered
demolished Chief Supt. Enrique B. Galang, Jr., chairman of the Central Luzon Regional Disaster Control Council (RDCC), also warned people illegally constructing fishponds on the waterways and tributaries in Pampanga, Bulacan and Bulan would be charged in court. The warning came following reports that a barangay captain (top elected village official) in Bangkal-Sinubli in Lubao built fishponds on a tributary of the Porac-Gumain River. Residents blamed barangay captain Jesus de Guzman for the floods they have been experiencing in recent years. “Since the fishponds were built, our community has always been submerged in floodwaters during the rainy season,” they complained. Galang said he had coordinated with the Department of Agriculture in the review of the legal aspects of the fishpond ownership in the provinces of Bulacan, Pampanga and Bataan to determine violations of public safety laws. He also contacted the Department of Public Works and Highways to secure its support for the campaign. Government scientists had earlier said the widespread flooding in Central Luzon during the rainy season is a result of heavy siltation of rivers and creeks with volcanic and pyroplastic materials from the 1991 eruption of Mt Pinatubo. F. Roxas, Manila Bulletin, 06.17.01 Agriculture department aids fishers’ groups The projects, amounting to Php0.87 million released through the National Agriculture and Fisheries Council (NAFC) and input-assisted projects of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Region 7, include seaweed culture, milkfish cages, fishpots, seaweed nursery, purchase of motorized pumpboat and fishing paraphernalia. SunStarCebu, 06.24.01 Bantay Dagat says tight controls needed if blasting
cap industry is legalized Talisay’s blasting cap industry reportedly supplies dynamite fishers from Pangasinan, Navotas, Masbate, Palawan, Panay Island, Southern Samar and Mindanao. Legalization, according to its proponents, will allow blasting caps to be sold to legitimate users, and thus reduce, if not eliminate, their use in dynamite fishing. Cebu Bantay Dagat Commissioner Elpidio dela Victoria said, however, that legalization must be accompanied by strict controls to ensure that the blasting caps are sold only to legitimate buyers. Also, to give local manufacturers a competitive edge as new market players, the government must impose quotas on blasting caps imports. Legitimate users of blasting caps, such as mining companies, currently source their blasting caps requirements from overseas suppliers. F.C. Contratista, The Freeman, 06.15.01 Environment lessons earn recognition for two
schools Besides planting trees, the Mantalongon National High School in Dalaguete and the Looc Elementary School in Malabuyoc have begun incorporating environmental education in subjects like Science, English and Social Studies. For this, they received plaques of merit from the Cebu Biodiversity Conservation Foundation (CBCF) supported by the British Embassy and the University of the Philippines Cebu Extension. Teachers of the two schools were among those who attended a seminar-workshop on environmental education conducted by CBCF. Topics included in daily lectures are biodiversity conservation, wildlife, aquatic ecosystem, water quality, environmental ethics and pollution. Marisol Pedregosa of the CBCF said it is easier to include environmental issues in ordinary lectures than change the curriculum of elementary and high schools. The environmental action plans, drafted by participating teachers during the workshop, also included periodic cleanups, solid waste management in the campus and tree planting. Teachers, however, lamented they lack materials for their lectures. LAP in SunStar Cebu, 06.17.01 World The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) will bring together an unprecedented network of scientists, experts, government bodies and environmental groups. It aims to plug important gaps in knowledge on the true health of habitats and whether they are continuing to function for the benefit of humans and the plants and animals that make them their homes. The study should improve not only understanding of the impacts that humans are having on the fragile planet, but also provide remedies and chart ways in which the Earth's ecosystems can be saved and restored. Klaus Toepfer, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which is playing an important role in the project, said: "If we are to rescue the Earth's life support systems, we need hard facts. We already know a great deal. We have sufficient knowledge to turn fine words into actions. But important questions remain, which is why I welcome this scientific undertaking.” UNEP, working with partners and with funding from bodies and organizations such as the Global Environment Facility and the United Nations Foundation, will be using a unique set of Landsat satellite images donated by the United States's National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The images, 16,000 in all, contain vital information on the changes that have occurred to coastal areas, countryside, mountains, wetlands, agriculture and urban sprawl since the Earth Summit in 1992. Dan Claasen of UNEP's Division of Early Warning and Assessment said: "The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment is a four year-project. One of our first tasks will be to find a common approach among the various scientific and other organizations on how to assess the health of ecosystems. One of the most difficult challenges will be the assessment of inaccessible coastal and deep ocean areas including coral reefs, mangrove swamps and the continental shelves. We hope the satellite data will play an important role in mapping the location and extent of such sites. This will allow us to identify areas where direct scientific assessments by people on the ground are urgently needed". The MA will build on the Pilot Analysis of Global Ecosystems (PAGE) published in 2000 and produced by the World Resources Institute (WRI) in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme, UNEP and the World Bank. Angela Cropper of the A.Cropper Foundation in Trinidad and Tobago and co-chair of the assessment panel of the $21 million MA said," The pilot analysis shows that the driving forces behind rapid deterioration of the world's ecosystems are rapid population growth and increased consumption. We now want to expand this analysis and go deeper".Ship dismantling industry set to go green Geneva/Nairobi -- International experts on hazardous wastes and shipping joined forces in Geneva last June 19 under the auspices of the Basel Convention on the Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal to start finalizing international Guidelines for the environmentally safe dismantling of obsolete ships. "By taking responsibility for the environmental impacts of its expired equipment, the shipping industry is setting a high standard for other industries to emulate," said Klaus Toepfer, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, which provides the Convention's secretariat. "These Guidelines also demonstrate once again the vital contribution that the Basel Convention is making to reducing the risks of hazardous wastes." Although ships played a role in inspiring the international community to adopt the Basel Convention in 1989 -- as the vehicles for highly publicized cargoes of hazardous wastes sent from industrialized countries for dumping in developing and East European countries -- it is only in the last several years that the toxic materials they themselves are made of have become a priority issue. The decommissioning of a large vessel may involve the removal of many tons of hazardous wastes, including Persistent Organic Pollutants such as PCBs, heavy metals such as mercury and lead, asbestos, and oil and gas. Dismantling can also result in the release of dioxin and sulphur fumes. Workers, local communities, coastal and ocean biodiversity, groundwater and air are all at risk. The 89-page Guidelines seek to minimize or eliminate these risks by introducing universally applied principles for the environmentally sound management of ship dismantling. They detail procedures and good practices for decommissioning and selling obsolete ships, dismantling them, sorting the parts (for reuse, recycling and disposal), identifying potential contaminants, preventing toxic releases, monitoring environmental impacts, and responding to emergencies and accidents. They also address the design, construction and operation of ship dismantling facilities. Because ship breaking is so labor-intensive, the industry has established a strong presence in several Asian developing countries, which also provide eager markets for the recycled parts. India breaks 42% of the vessels that are dismantled every year, Bangladesh 7%, Pakistan 6%, China 4%, and the rest of the world 41%. As world trade expands so does the global shipping fleet. It is estimated that 500-700 merchant vessels, including oil tankers and cargo ships, will be scrapped annually over the next 15 years. The average age of the cargo-carrying fleet is now 18 years, compared to an average scrapping age of 25-26 years. Concerned that the practices at major breaking yards violate the Basel Convention's provisions, the EU is studying the feasibility of dismantling ships in Europe. The US has prohibited the export of government-owned vessels to the major breakers and is also considering its own disposal capacity. The Asian ship breakers are deeply concerned not to lose this important business. Due to different reporting methods in many countries, it is extremely difficult to produce reliable statistics on the generation and cross-border movements of hazardous waste. According to statistics that many governments have provided to the Basel Convention, about 252 million tons of hazardous wastes were generated worldwide in 1998. Statistics on cross-border trade show that most transported waste was recycled. According to export statistics, 10% went for disposal, 83% for recycling, and 7% unknown; according to import statistics, 14% went for disposal, 73% for recycling, and 13% unknown. Pioneering sea turtle recovery plan agreed for
Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean Under the auspices of the Convention on Migratory Species - an international treaty linked to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) - countries have agreed to 24 programmes and 105 specific projects designed to reverse the decline of loggerhead, olive ridley, green, hawksbill, leatherback and flatback turtles throughout the vast region. Douglas Hykle, Deputy Executive Secretary at the Convention on Migratory Species(CMS), said the turtle conservation programme was a vital new development for saving these culturally and ecologically important species. "Having existed on Earth for millions of years, sea turtles are an important component of the marine ecosystem, and serve as indicators of the health of the environment in which they live. Their aesthetic appeal draws conservationists and tourists from around the world to nesting beaches throughout the region, generating income for local communities, " he said. All is not well though. Levels of harvest are frequently unsustainable, and have led in some cases to dramatic crashes in turtle numbers. The Memorandum of Understanding on turtle conservation marks and important milestone in efforts to reverse the declining fortunes of these important marine creatures. "The measures to be taken focus on reducing threats, conserving critical habitat, exchanging scientific information, increasing public awareness and participation, promoting regional cooperation and finding funding for implementing this vital conservation work," said Hykle. A number of major conservation projects for marine turtles are now already underway or are in the pipeline including ones in India, Pakistan and Iran. Long-term monitoring programmes are well-established in Australia and South Africa. Many countries are working with non governmental organizations such as local and international wildlife groups. The comprehensive plan for conserving turtles of the Indian Ocean and South-East Asia was agreed in Manila from 20-23 June 2001. Held under the auspices of the CMS, the Conference on the conservation and management of marine turtles of the Indian Ocean and Southeast-Asia brought together delegates from 21 bordering States. Once plentiful throughout the region, many of the six species of sea turtles found there have become seriously depleted due to excessive harvesting, destruction of nesting and feeding habitats, and accidental taking in fisheries operations. Those 6 marine turtles species include the loggerhead (Caretta caretta), olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea), green ( Chelonia mydas), hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), Leatherback ( Dermochelys coriacea) and the Flatback turtle (Natator depressus). Eight countries immediately signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) under the CMS, and others are expected to do so after review by the responsible government authorities. The MoU, which has a potential membership of at least 40 countries, will come into effect on 1 September 2001. The conference approved a proposal to establish a small secretariat to help co-ordinate activities under the MoU. The office is to be housed with an existing UNEP regional office in Bangkok, and is expected to be operational early next year. The Governments of the United States and Australia, as well as UNEP have all pledged financial support towards the cost of establishing and running the secretariat. All-you-can-eat economy is making the world sick In a year when oil prices hit a 15-year high, car production also peaked. The world's fleet of passenger vehicles reached 532 million in 2000. At the same time, average fuel economy remained stagnant at mid-1980's levels. Just before the Bush Administration effectively pulled out of the Kyoto protocol, Americans were driving their cars further than ever before. Total U.S. carbon emissions were 13 percent higher than they were in 1990. While technological innovation soars, 90 percent of commercial energy use worldwide continues to come from fossil fuels. Alternative energy sources such as wind still only account for one percent of the world total, reports Vital Signs 2001. "Living in the 21st century, we like to think of ourselves as sophisticated, post-modern, technology-savvy world citizens," Renner said, "but the truth is that our cyber economy is still fueled by the same old energy sources. And as long as consumers do not demand change, manufacturers will continue to churn out environmentally destructive products." Gasoline, aluminum and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastics-which are manufactured through highly polluting processes-represent the resource binge we're on. Consumer demand for common items such as automobiles, aluminum cans and children's toys spurs these industries. But while alternatives are available for almost every PVC use and aluminum recycling requires only five percent as much energy as primary production, little pressure is being placed on manufacturers to change production methods. Our appetite for meat has also been soaring. The number of four-footed livestock on earth at any given moment has increased 60 percent since 1961, and the number of chickens, ducks and other fowl, has quadrupled, from 4.2 billion to 15.7 billion. Feedlot production-the fastest growing method for raising livestock-has emerged as a major threat to soil, air and water quality. In the US, livestock produce 130 times more manure than humans do. Though concentrated in North America and Europe, feedlots are also popping up near urban centers in Brazil, China, India, the Philippines and elsewhere in the developing world. The demand for more meat has also spurred the feeding of antibiotics to farm animals, a practice which has been increasingly implicated in reducing the effectiveness of these drugs in humans. Drug resistance is rising across a wide range of bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi that are responsible for diseases from malaria to AIDS. Pharmaceuticals are one of the most profitable and fastest-growing industries in the world, increasing from $132 billion in 1983 to $337 billion today. But big pharmaceutical companies have tended to neglect the health of large portions of humanity. All of the world's top selling drugs are designed to treat First World conditions including heart disease, high blood pressure, indigestion and obesity. A survey of 1,233 drugs that reached market between 1975 and 1997 found that only 13 were approved specifically for tropical diseases. In the face of all these changes, the findings from Vital Signs 2001 also show that when consumers demand it, environmentally friendly and socially responsible methods of production can be achieved, Renner said. "The power of consumer choice cannot be underestimated; for good or for bad it can sicken or save our planet." Worldwatch Institute WTO upholds US rights to protect sea turtles For full text and graphics visit: Turtle rescue team among 18 individuals and organizations
honored on World Environment Day The awards are presented every year by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), on World Environment Day (5 June), to individuals and organizations who have made outstanding contributions to the protection of the environment. A total of 18 awards, in both the youth and adult categories, are being made this year at celebrations in Torino, Italy. Klaus Topefer, Executive Director of UNEP, said, "The winners of UNEP's Global 500 Roll of Honour are members of a broad and growing environmental movement that is flourishing around the world. They have taken the path that most of us hesitate to take for want of time or caring". The winners:Adult category – Cubasolar, Cuba; Dalian Municipal Government, People’s Republic of China; Environmental Investigation Agency, United Kingdom; Dr. Frederick Gikandi, Kenya; Dr. Chan Eng Heng and Liew Hock Chark, Malaysia; Dr. Jiro Kondo, Japan; Loren Legarda-Leviste, Philippines; Sven Olof Lindbald, United States of America; Jung Hee Park, Republic of Korea; Professor Oscar Ravera, Italy; Sydney Olympic Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (SOCOG) and Olympic Coordinating Authority (OCA), Australia; and Triciclo, Italy Youth category – Arunee Dejdamrongsakkul, Thailand; Evergreen
Club of Ghana, Ghana; Jose Marti Pioneer Organization, Cuba; Khohlooa,
Matholoana and Likobo Herdboys, Lesotho; Jean-Dominic Levesque-Rene,
Canada; and Yayasan Anak Warisan Alam, Malaysia "Because all reptiles and amphibians harbor Salmonella bacteria, anyone who so much as touches a turtle or even just the surface such animals have been on risks becoming infected," says Teresa Telecky, Ph.D., director of the Wildlife Trade Program for The HSUS. "The risk of illness or even death is a high price to pay for the short-lived thrill of winning a frog-jumping contest, racing a turtle or taking home a lizard won as a prize." These events put the animals at risk, as well. Reptiles and amphibians, cold-blooded creatures who cannot regulate their body temperatures, normally escape the heat by burrowing underground or staying underwater. Those forced out in the open under the blazing summer sun risk severe injury or death from hyperthermia and dehydration. Although the only way to eliminate the risk of contracting Salmonella from a reptile or amphibian is to avoid contact altogether, the U.S. Department for Health and Human Services' Center for Disease Control and Prevention makes the following suggestions to reduce the risk of contracting Salmonella:
To find out more about the risks associated with handling reptiles
and amphibians or to learn what you can do to stop reptile and amphibian
give-aways and contests, visit The HSUS Online at www.hsus.org. A deadlock in EU negotiations on how to tackle global warming weakens
the EU's position in negotiations with President Bush at the EU summit
in Gothenburg. After having been heavily criticized for the withdrawal
from the Kyoto protocol, Bush promised a science-based response to
the question More information on the EU green energy plan can be found at: http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=11120,
the report by the European Climate Change Program can be downloaded
at: http://europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guesten.ksh
with optional search The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) will consider measures to restrict the caviar trade of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan at a meeting next week in Paris (19 - 22 June). Iran, which is also attending today's discussions, is not facing restrictions because its management system for sturgeon is relatively effective. "Caviar-producing sturgeon are one of the world's most valuable wildlife resources, and it is vital to the people of the Caspian Sea region that they be managed sustainably for the benefit of generations to come," said Executive Director Klaus Toepfer of the United Nations Environment Programme, which is taking the lead in organizing the meeting. The national officials will consider "action proposals" put forward by UNEP and its partners. The key proposal is to complete negotiations for a regional agreement on shared fish resources, including sturgeon. This week's meeting is intended to increase momentum towards an agreement. It is also exploring how to obtain resources for developing the Caspian Sea's full sturgeon potential and assisting the communities that depend on sturgeon for their livelihood. Until 1991, two countries -- the USSR and Iran -- virtually controlled the caviar market, investing heavily in controlling and maintaining fish stocks. This made it easy to trace the source of any given shipment of caviar. With the demise of the USSR, the system collapsed, and many entrepreneurs dealing in "black gold" sprang up to replace the state-owned companies. According to TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring programme of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and IUCN-The World Conservation Union, the Caspian Sea sturgeon catch has plummeted from 22,000 tons in the late 1970s to 1,100 tons in the late 1990s. Reduced river flow, the destruction of spawning sites, corruption, poaching, organized crime and illicit trade have all contributed to the decline. One result is that the illegal catch in the four former Soviet Republics is now 10 or 12 times higher than the legal take. Recognizing the crisis, the 1997 meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES listed all species of sturgeon on CITES' Appendix II, effective 1 April 1998. This listing means that all caviar exports must now comply with strict CITES provisions, including the use of permits and specific labeling requirements. To obtain the necessary permits for export, it must be shown that trade is not detrimental to the long-term survival of the species. In addition to the Caspian States, CITES is pressing Romania, Turkey, and Ukraine to reduce or ban exports until they improve their own monitoring and trade systems. Due to the CITES Appendix II listing and related measures, illegal
caviar exports to Europe have dropped dramatically. However, the domestic
market in the range States remains an important outlet for illegal
catches. This means that trade controls are not enough to ensure the
sturgeon's long-term survival. International support for stronger
fisheries management in the Caspian Sea must be a vital part of any
solution to the sturgeon crisis. Iceland’s rejoining the IWC follows a 1999 decision by Iceland’s parliament to resume commercial whaling within its territorial waters. Iceland has yet to resume its whale hunts, due mainly, most believe, to concerns that following massive international public protests over whaling, several international fish distributors had refused to sell Icelandic fish while Iceland continued to hunt whales. “This is no more than an attempt by Iceland to revive its own out-dated commercial whaling industry,” said Karen Steuer, IFAW Director of Commercial Exploitation and Trade in Endangered Wildlife. “If Iceland truly did respect the important role of the IWC, it would seek to join the commission and abide by the decisions of the majority of its members. Instead, it chooses to deliberately undermine the effectiveness of this important convention by pursuing its own political interests.” The IWC is meeting in London from 23-27 July 2001. Center for Marine Conservation becomes The Ocean
Conservancy, calls for at least five percent of US oceans and key
international sites protected as ocean wilderness “This is a new era—the era of the oceans,” said Roger Rufe, The Ocean Conservancy president. “Our new name more accurately reflects our new emphasis on conserving and protecting significant parts of our oceans. With it, we are building on our past success and reputation as the nation’s oldest and largest marine conservation organization, and expanding to reflect our commitment to become even more effective ‘advocates for wild, healthy oceans.’” With the new name, the organization also launched a challenge to the American people and the US Administration to protect at least five percent of U.S. waters and key international sites as ocean wilderness. The Ocean Wilderness Challenge identified five U.S. sites and one Caribbean site that would form the ideal cornerstones of this strategy. These sites include areas to be selected within Glacier Bay and Prince William Sound in Alaska; the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands; the Channel Islands off the southern California coast; Florida’s Dry Tortugas; and the San Andrés Archipelago off the coast of Nicaragua. These six sites are unique and contribute immensely to the planet’s overall health. In the months and years ahead, The Ocean Conservancy will work with local and national partners to achieve ocean wilderness within each of these flagship areas. Telecom industry to launch sustainability initiative The new alliance, called the Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI), brings together some of the world's biggest information and communications technology (ICT) companies and their industry associations and is supported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). It is the first alliance of its kind to involve both telecommunications operators and their suppliers who have committed to manage their own business operations in an environmentally friendly way and also promote sustainable business practices and technologies around the world. " Founding members of this new alliance include AT&T, British Telecommunications, Cable & Wireless, Deutsche Telekom, Ericsson, Lucent Technologies, Marconi, Telcordia Technologies , Telenor and the European Telecommunications Network Operators Association. "At a time in history when our technologies are bringing people closer together, it follows that businesses also work together to contribute to the societies within which they operate," said Chris Tuppen, Chair of the Interim GeSI steering group. "The launch of GeSI will build on existing voluntary activities and act as the focus for a global network of companies and organisations working on sustainability issues in the ICT sector." As an industry, telecommunications tends to be relatively clean. However, as many other industries, it consumes vast amounts of energy, generates waste and affects the physical environment in various ways. Responding to this challenge, the GeSI encourages corporate environmental monitoring and the sharing of best practices like reducing and recycling of waste, saving energy and developing products "designed for the environment." Over the next two years, the GeSI will support research on the role that information and communications technology can play in advancing sustainable development -- climate change, waste reduction and the digital divide are among the main issues that will be addressed first. Participating companies are also looking into how best to "outreach" their knowledge and experience to enable businesses around the world to take new opportunities and expand markets while displaying corporate social and environmental responsibility at the same time. Bathing water report reveals: Europe's coastal
waters cleaner Of the 4,200 inland bathing areas (lakes and rivers) monitored, in 1992 not even 50% had good water quality. In 2000 this figure had increased to almost 94%. The Bathing Water Directive aims to secure clean bathing water across Europe by avoiding or reducing the discharge of sewage which carries micro-organisms that can cause illness. European Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström said: "In the light of new scientific knowledge and management standards we have decided to revise the directive to ensure that the improvements in water quality continue" (see Coastal Guide News No. 9, http://www.coastalguide.org/news/2001-09.html). Belgium scored the highest, the only country to have 100 percent record on all its beaches in sewage bacteria tests during the 2000 bathing season. Portugal scored lowest with a 92.2 percent pass rate. France, which failed to submit monitoring results for the second successive year due to industrial action, will face infringement action soon unless it resolves the situation, an EU official said. For further information on the Bathing Water Report: http://europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guesten.ksh
(fill in date: 21.05.01, query topic: Environment). Coastal
Guide News No. 11 2001 The European Commission is investigating the Airbus issue for irregularities.
For more information visit the website of the Animal Welfare's Airbus
Think Twice campaign: http://www.airbusthinktwice.org/english/index.html.
Coastal
Guide News No. 11 2001 The website is located at http://earthtrends.wri.org. Coastal
Guide News No. 12, 2001 Developed by the National Association for Humane and Environmental Education (NAHEE), KIND News Online complements KIND News, an award-winning classroom newspaper for children in grades K-6. In addition to fun games and projects, KIND News Online offers several interactive features. Youngsters can submit questions about pets and wildlife to Dr. Kind, the veterinarian whose office is always open. And while they're giggling along with Riddle Rat, children can send in their own silly jokes for possible publication in KIND News! The Teacher Zone is a password-protected site for teachers who receive KIND News and their sponsors. There, teachers will find reproducible worksheets, as well as Spanish translations of KIND News. Plus, they can put together a teaching unit on responsible pet care with the easy-to-use plans featured online. For more information about KIND News and NAHEE, also visit www.nahee.org. In addition to global warming, www.pewtrusts.com aggregates content from hundreds of grantees on policy issues such as campaign finance reform, education performance and faith based funding. Call for papers
To contribute, please contact Noëlle F. Lewis, Coastal Resources Center, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, Rhode Island 02882 USA. Tel: 401-874-6870. Fax: 401-789-4670. E-mail: noelle@gso.uri.edu. Website: http://crc.uri.edu/comm. General articles on other coastal management issues are also welcome in all issues. Deadline is August 1, 2001. Articles should be 1,000-1,700 words.
Articles will be edited; please do not include references. |
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