The Online Magazine for Sustainable
Seas
September, 2001 Vol. 4 No. 9
September, 2001 Vol. 4 No. 9
|
|
|
The Online Magazine for Sustainable
Seas
September, 2001 Vol. 4 No. 9 |
|
|
Coastal Alert |
 |
|
|
World Philippines Workshop participants also urged ADB to allow the private sector to participate more actively in deliberations on the social and environmental effects of projects being considering for ADB assistance. The ADB draft environment policy calls for transparency and public participation in the implementation of projects, and for compliance by countries receiving ADB assistance with environmental laws in the implementation of its projects. ADB already requires all proposed projects to go through an environmental impact assessment. Under the draft policy, any concerned individual will be allowed to request an evaluation of an ADB-assisted project that he or she suspects has adverse impacts on the environment. Participants suggested that ADB should also include in its policy that projects should enjoy “community acceptance” before implementation. They said that compliance with the policy should be considered in deciding whether a country gets assistance or not. Recommendations generated from consultative workshops across 22 countries will be incorporated in the working draft of the ADB environment policy. The policy is expected to be completed early next year and then forwarded to the ADB Board for approval. LAP in Sun.Star Cebu, 09.09.01 Regional cooperation for tuna fishers to be expanded Citing problems that battered the international tuna industry in recent years, such as over-production and soaring operational costs, Montemayor commended members of the industry for their ability to maintain their global lead despite difficulties. He also promised stronger support, saying the government would be discussing the terms of bilateral agreements with the governments of Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and Palau, who were also at the conference. “Since our neighbors are also developing countries like us, we have to pursue these interests in a spirit of friendship, cooperation, and mutual benefit,” said Montemayor. The tuna congress, he noted, was an “opportunity to discuss the delicate and urgent issues of poaching and piracy in the high seas and coastal areas.” In return for gaining fishing access to their territorial waters, the Philippines could provide viable business ventures, technology and training in sustainable fisheries to these countries, he added. The Philippine tuna industry generates more than 100,000 jobs and $180 million in annual exports. Total tuna landing exceeds 300,000 MT annually, putting the country in third place among the world’s tuna producers in terms of catch, and in fifth in terms of canned tuna production. More than 60% of the economy of the General Santos City area, where most of the Philippine tuna industry is centered, depends on the tuna industry. The 3rd National Tuna Congress was co-organized by the GEM Program of the United States Agency for International Development, General Santos City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Department of Agriculture, Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Interior and Local Government, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, and the General Santos City government. Leyte mining firms warned: Comply with environment
laws The two firms’ environmental impacts range from soil collapse or erosion to air and marine resources pollution. Pasar, a copper exporter, occupies 80 hectares, while Philphos has more than 100 hectares in the 424-hectare Leyte Industrial Development Estate (Lide). With 2,100 regular employees, it is one of the largest copper smelters in Asia-Pacific. The other company, Philphos, is a recipient of Pasar’s primary waste, sulfuric acid, which it uses for fertilizer production. Because it uses and produces different chemical concentrates and elements, including sulfur, mercury, and zinc, Pasar has state-of-the-art anti-pollution equipment. Nevertheless, DENR found “fugitive emission” at its smelter and ore plants, and saw dead fish in the sea near where both Pasar and Philphos are located. DENR said a fish kill was reported last May 19 and 23 in Matlang Bay, in front of the Philphos facilities. Pasar said it would acquire new equipment that will reduce emission from its smokestack, but cautioned people from putting all the blame on its operations, because “Pasar is not the only company in Lide.” Residents also complained there is a noticeable stench of chemicals near the plants of both Pasar and Pasar. GN in Sun.Star Cebu, 09.24.01 RP “cleans up the world” The Philippines reported the highest number of volunteers that participated in the ICC in 2000. More than 590,000 people joined last year’s cleanup, collecting a total of 6,309,118 pounds of trash, also the highest recorded for the year. These achievements officially made the country the Volunteer Mobilization and Cleanup Capital of the World. B. Baruc, Cebu Daily News, 09.24.01 Fisheries bureau checks for red tide, shrimp virus
in Region 7 The Bureau has also started examining shellfish in Bais Bay to confirm reports of the occurrence of the red tide in the bay. If the tests come out positive, BFAR will issue a red tide warning for affected areas. Regular monitoring of the 24 prawn farms and nine hatcheries in Region 7 is underway to prevent the introduction of the WSSV, which manifests during the late stage of infection as white spots on the inside surface of the shrimp’s shell. Although the virus does not affect humans, it kills the shrimp. BFAR said it has caused the collapse of the shrimp industry in Ecuador, where it was first discovered in 1989. Since then, the virus has spread to China, Thailand and Indonesia. In the Philippines, it was first reported in some parts of Luzon four years ago. LCR in Sun.Star Cebu, 09.06.01 DENR-7 gets grant for waste treatment and disposal The TDA grant will cover technical assistance in the installation of biomedical waste treatment and disposal technology and environmental options assessment in Region 7. Allen Engineering and Sciences, also known as PC AES, has been designated contractor to perform the project. K.T. Lemonsito in The Freeman, 09.20.01 Cebu official urges probe on dynamite fishing Maambong said investigators should look into how dynamite fishers are able to easily get the chemicals and materials, such as nitrates and blasting caps, used for blast fishing. This, he noted, “is a huge factor in the proliferation of the blast fishing business.” Philippine National Association of Fish Wardens president Elpidio dela Victoria said his group will request concerned national agencies to support local governments in protecting marine life and solve the problem of illegal fishing, and DILG in particular to provide fish wardens with allowances. G.B. Lao in The Freeman, 09.10.01 DENR official admits: Report on coliform presence
in Cebu beach kept from public Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) regional director Alan Aranquez said DENR conducted tests on the sea waters off Mactan in 2000 and found it had a high coliform content. The DENR tests on local beaches came after a similar incident was reported in Boracay. “Our findings revealed that the Marigondon area had the same coliform problem as that found in Boracay. But we felt we had to protect Mactan’s tourism industry, so we did not divulge our test results to the media,” said Aranquez. He hastened to add, however, that barangay and local government officials immediately acted on and solved the problem. J.P. Sollano in The Freeman, 09.22.01 Cebu district’s poorest town has world-renowned
fish sanctuary Officials from at least four towns – Alcoy, Liloan, Barili and Tabuelan – have visited Cordova’s Gilutongan Marine Sanctuary hoping to learn from its success in rehabilitating coastal resources. Tabuela Mayor Rex Gerona, who visited Cordova with 65 other officials from his town, said it is his government’s primary concern to see their waters teeming with fish and other marine life again. He added his group wanted to learn from the Gilutongan experience to improve two existing sanctuaries in their town, which faces the Tanon Strait. The 12-hectare Guiwanon Sanctuary in Barangay Poblacion was established in 1994, while the 18-hectare Olivo Sanctuary was set up this year. The Gilutongan Marine Sanctuary was established in 1991 but strict management and control was implemented only in 1999. Fish surveys conducted in March 1999 showed that only about 1-5 individuals per fish type could be found in every 500 square meter area, both inside and outside the sanctuary. In March this year, the number of fish observed in the survey area was 125-165 individuals per square meter. Cordova Mayor Arleigh Sitoy said the sanctuary has not only improved fish catch but has also provided residents with additional sources of income and thus helped improve their living condition. R.O. Versoza in Sun.Star Cebu, 09.15.01 Meet tackles forest conservation in East Asia In a series of top-level meetings, senior forest officials deliberated and debated on issues concerning forest law enforcement and illegal logging in the East Asia region. Representatives from non-governmental organizations, as well as from the forest industry, also contributed to the technical segment of the deliberations. PNA in The Freeman, 09.13.01 Seven fishers nabbed for poaching in fish sanctuary Bantayan police said guards at the DA project reported the presence of fishers in the sanctuary. They said the fishers were also using fine mesh net in violation of the municipality’s fishery ordinance. The fish sanctuary is used by the DA as a “laboratory” for breeding different kinds of fish. W.A. Berondo in Cebu Daily News, 09.14.01 Barangay officials want seaweed firm closed In a resolution signed by the barangay council, the complainants said samples taken from wastewater discharge pipes of First Marine Colloids (FMC) showed that the company’s facilities did not conform to prescribed environmental standards. The complainants also asked DENR to perform an environmental audit of the company’s wastewater treatment facility. The FMC facility was blamed for a fish kill said to have occurred at nearby Ouano Wharf about six years ago. The BFAR has been asked to investigate the reported fish kill. I.R. Sino-Cruz in Cebu Daily News, 09.20.01 World New atlas maps the world's fast disappearing coral
reefs The findings give new urgency to the need to protect and conserve these important, valuable and seductively beautiful habitats, which are under increasing threat from activities such as dynamite fishing, pollution, and climate change. For the first time ever we have a comprehensive assessment of where coral reefs are and what state they are in around the world. The World Atlas of Coral Reefs, prepared by the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) provides a new global estimate for coral reefs world-wide: 284 300 sq km, an area just half the size of France. For the first time, it also provides reef area estimates for individual countries and includes detailed maps and statistics for all the world's coral reef nations. "Our new Atlas clearly shows that coral reefs are under assault," says Klaus Toepfer, UNEP Executive Director. "They are rapidly being degraded by human activities. They are over-fished, bombed and poisoned. They are smothered by sediment, and choked by algae growing on nutrient rich sewage and fertilizer run-off. They are damaged by irresponsible tourism and are being severely stressed by the warming of the world's oceans. Each of these pressures is bad enough in itself, but together, the cocktail is proving lethal." The Atlas shows that Indonesia, followed by Australia and the Philippines are the largest reef nations, while France comes in fourth, with 14,280 sq km of reefs located in its overseas territories. With more coral than the United States, the United Kingdom is the 12th largest reef nation and has over 5,500 sq km of coral reefs (2% of the world total), all located in its overseas territories. These area estimates are based on the most detailed map of coral reefs ever produced. Previous estimates were based on very simple maps or models, and incorporated deeper reef areas, which although still important are less diverse and less productive. "Many coral reefs are under the ownership of the world's wealthiest nations. Between them, Australia, France, the UK and the USA account for over one quarter of the world's coral reefs - a critical resource in powerful hands," said Mark Spalding, lead author for the Atlas. "Previous estimates of coral reef area, which didn't have the benefit of our detailed maps, have been double or in some cases ten times over what we have now found to be the case," said Spalding. "Furthermore, we also found that coral reefs are degrading fast in almost every country of the world. The Atlas provides a critical baseline and a focus for action to reverse these trends." The Atlas builds on earlier scientific work that found some 58 per cent of the world's coral reefs were threatened by human activities. It includes new information on the impacts of global warming and coral bleaching, including the El Niño event in 1998 that caused the loss of 90% of the corals in some parts of the Indian Ocean, representing 5% of the world's reef area. Much of this damage passed almost unnoticed by the world's policy-makers. Marine scientists point out that had such levels of damage occur in terrestrial environments they would have caused a major public outcry. The Atlas will go a long way towards attracting the weight of opinion needed to protect reefs as a resource for the future. It also provides new data on the spread of coral dis%ases that affect 106 types of coral in 54 countries. It shows that entire coral reefs have been decimated by disease in the Caribbean. For the first time, it also maps the 660 marine protected areas worldwide that incorporate coral reefs but which are, however, poorly managed. The Atlas also looks at the economic arguments for better reef management and the potential income from 15 million scuba divers worldwide, and describes a new database listing 2500 dive centres in 91 countries. The most important global initiative to respond to the challenges documented in the Atlas is the International Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN), in which UNEP and the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre have joined with other partners to reverse the decline in coral reefs. After two years of preparation, the action phase of ICRAN was recently launched with a major grant from the United Nations Foundation (see http://www.icran.org). UNEP has established a Coral Reef Unit to take the lead in the UN system on this issue and has agreed to support the ICRAN Co-ordinating Unit (see http://www.unep.ch/coral.html). It is also working actively to promote responsible tourism in coral areas, and other sensitive environments, via its Tour Operators Initiative (see http://www.uneptie.org/pc/tourism/) and is one of the United Nations coordinators for the 2002 International Year of Ecotourism. "The growth of mass-tourism, combined with the boom in popularity of scuba diving, has brought the plight of coral reefs to public attention across the planet," says Toepfer. "Let us all now commit ourselves to the strenuous efforts needed to respond to the crisis of declining coral reefs documented in this Atlas, and to ensure that this unique ecosystem continues to feed, protect and dazzle us and our descendants for generations to come.” Diverse groups release consensus statement on climate
injustice, environmental racism In April 2001, 25 civil rights, academic, religious, grassroots, and policy organizations gathered to share testimonies of struggle, and strategies for reducing the human impact on climate change and for achieving environmental and economic justice. This month, these diverse groups unveiled a statement of solidarity about the problem of global climate change. This statement recognizes the disproportionate impacts on low-income, people of color, and indigenous peoples, and workers. In a call to action, the group demands that governments and corporations include the concerns of these affected communities and enact strong and fair policies to address climate change. Among the inequities of climate change:
Although President Bush cites concern that curbing carbon dioxide emissions would “harm our economy and hurt our American workers,” over 2,500 economists, including eight Nobel Laureates declared that policies to slow climate change could be enacted without harming either the United States economy or living standards. Redefining Progress Climate change calls for innovative approaches
to conservation Species and habitats under protection today may be influenced by a changing climate tomorrow. The study said it will be necessary to encourage the development of integrated and connected systems of protected areas to allow movement as conditions change. It also pointed out that "we may need to develop more innovative approaches to mitigate the impacts in certain areas. As sea levels inundate coastal lowlands, the concept of managed retreat may be an option in many areas, maintaining areas of coastal marshes at far lower costs than maintaining hard sea defences." Coral bleaching and the possible extinction of the Golden Toad are two negative examples for the impacts of climate change. But not every impact is negative: the Caribou for example might benefit from a warming climate. Due to the complex web of interactions between species, it is difficult to predict the beneficiaries and the victims of climate change. Although there are international policies to reduce greenhouse gases in the long-term, it is not enough since many impacts will occur in a much shorter time. Coastal Guide News, 09.07.01 Earth is becoming a greener greenhouse "When we looked at temperature and satellite vegetation data, we saw that year to year changes in growth and duration of the growing season of northern vegetation are tightly linked to year to year changes in temperature," said Liming Zhou, one of the authors of the study. The area of vegetation has not extended, but the existing vegetation has increased in density. The authors also looked at the differences in vegetation growth between North America and Eurasia, because the patterns and magnitudes of warming are different on the two continents. The greenness data from satellites were strongly correlated to temperature data from thousands of meteorological stations on both continents. The Eurasian greening was especially persistent over a broad contiguous swath of land from central Europe through Siberia to far-east Russia, where most of the vegetation is forests and woodlands. North America, in comparison, shows a fragmented pattern of change notable only in the forests of the east and grasslands of the upper Midwest. Dramatic changes in the timing of both the appearance and fall of leaves are recorded in these two decades of satellite data. The authors report a growing season that is now almost 18 days longer, on average, in Eurasia, with spring arriving a week early and autumn delayed by 10 days. In North America, the growing season appears to be as much as 12 days longer. The authors suggested that these results are indicative of a greener greenhouse. "This is an important finding because of possible implications to the global carbon cycle," they said. Carbon dioxide is a main greenhouse gas and is thought to play a major role in rising global temperatures. Further, they said, under the Kyoto protocol, most of the developed countries in the north can use certain vegetation carbon sinks to meet their greenhouse gas emissions reduction commitments. If the northern forests are greening, they may already be absorbing carbon. Myneni said, "As to how much and for how long, that needs more research." For more information, http://www.cybele.bu.edu <link to http://www.cybele.bu.edu >or http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/topstory/20010904greenhouse.html UN commission assesses pressures and policy responses
for coastal areas The policy response from UNECE countries receives a mixed rating. "States have accepted the need to widen the focus of activities from these sectoral approaches to the much broader context of integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) and sustainable development," the report says, but also states that ICZM is rarely being implemented. The report can be downloaded from http://www.unece.org/env/rio+10/welcome.html (click on "regional assessment report"). Coastal Guide News, 09.07.01 US govt gives states $16 million for endangered
species conservation The grants will benefit threatened and endangered species in every region of the country, helping local partnerships acquire and protect crucial habitat and supporting the development of Habitat Conservation Plans that allow private landowners to use and develop their land while conserving listed species. Species that will be benefited include as marbled murrelets and bull trout in the Pacific Northwest, the aplomado falcon in the Southwest, the Karner blue butterfly in the Midwest, the Florida scrub jay in the Southeast, Atlantic salmon in the Northeast, and the Preble's meadow jumping mouse in the Rocky Mountains. In many cases, projects funded by the grants will also protect green space that is vital to many communities, while benefiting game species and other wildlife that share threatened and endangered species habitat. The grant awards were the first under the Recovery Land Acquisition and the Habitat Conservation Planning Assistance Grant programs. Congress funded these new grants to respond to the growing interest shown by States and landowners in managing their lands in ways that benefit species and their habitats. Non-Federal project partners contributed an average of 25 percent of their projects' total costs. Grant funding will be used to acquire and protect important prairie, coastal, mountainous desert, cave and riparian habitat, land that represents critical portions of species' last remaining habitat. Some of these acquisitions support many endangered species, as well as important habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife. US Fish and Wildlife Service New sea floor hot springs discovered in Vanuatu The hot springs host abundant life forms living on recently erupted black volcanic lava flows and yellow-brown deposits rich in iron and possibly other metals, such as copper, zinc, gold and silver. Pink anemones, spaghetti-like tube worms, mussels and galatheid crabs are just some of the myriad inhabitants of this strange undersea world. The discovery is a result of an extensive three-week search in Vanuatu waters aboard the Australian Research Vessel Franklin by scientists from CSIRO, the Department of Geology, Mines and Water in Vanuatu, the Australian National University, the University of Tasmania and Lisbon University. It will enable scientists to understand how metal deposits are formed on the sea floor and apply this knowledge for the search for new deposits on land. CSIRO veteran seafloor explorer Ray Binns said the discovery " is different from others we have made and may represent the earliest stage of a mineral forming environment." Species at risk legislation must protect habitat,
says environment group ASF’s Vice President of Research and Environment Fred Whoriskey said, “It is imperative that Canada’s Species-at-Risk Legislation recognizes that a critical part of protecting threatened or endangered species is protecting their habitat. Habitat protection must extend to areas of both federal and provincial jurisdictions. An important part of protecting species at risk and their habitat is the provision of financial resources for conducting scientific research to determine the causes of the decline of species and what science-based measures should be implemented to better manage and protect them.” One example of a species that is severely threatened and needs the immediate protection of species-at-risk legislation is the wild Atlantic salmon. In some regions of Canada, wild Atlantic salmon runs are still self-sustaining, but these relatively healthy populations of wild Atlantic salmon will suffer the same fate as the at-risk populations in, for example, the Bay of Fundy without federal investment in research, habitat restoration, protection and community watershed management. The wild Atlantic salmon is an indicator of the environmental health of the waterways of Atlantic Canada and is an economic generator through the recreational fishing industry, which depends on pristine aquatic habitat and a clean environment. In studies conducted in the early 1990s, the recreational fishery in Atlantic Canada had an annual value of $300 million and supported 6,000 jobs. Declines in species such as the wild Atlantic salmon have affected that value. ASF said that if the fish and their habitat are properly protected and managed, the economic benefits can be recovered. US company to test hydro turbine designed
to pass fish Government officials and industry representatives looked on as two buckets of shiners, or two-inch bait fish made the journey through an 85-feet closed-loop piping system, past a 1/3-scale pilot turbine and up into a 24,000 gallon tank. Altogether, eight different species of fish will be tested. While today's turbines typically pass between 85 to 95 percent of fish, the Advanced Hydropower Turbine Systems (AHTS) program seeks to boost that range to 98 to 100 percent fish survival. Operators often lose power, as they are required to spill water through gates or bypass reaches rather than through turbines. Near-perfect fish survival would help achieve both fishery and power generation goals. The AHTS program follows a two-track approach: first, to fashion a whole new turbine design based on the needs of fish, and second, to modify existing turbines for improved fish passage. Now in its sixth year, the program has received $16.6 million of federal funds, a fraction of the total renewable energy budget. The new turbine cost $7 million of combined government and industry funds. Hydropower makes up approximately 10 percent of the United States’ electricity, and about 80 percent of total renewable electricity generation. National Hydropower Association Greenpeace condemns patent GMO Fish The patent was granted under the highly controversial European Union (EU) directive on "Biotechnological Inventions", which was implemented by the EPO in June 1999. Seabright (Genesis) has licensed the use of the growth hormone genetic modification technology to its related company, A/F Proteins, which has introduced the “transgene” antifreeze protein into the Atlantic salmon. As a result, a salmon can grow eight times bigger than the standard salmon. A/F Proteins also claims to have 15 million GMO fish eggs ready for sale to fish farms around the world after it is granted the authorities’ approval. Greenpeace opposes all kinds of patents on living beings. Greenpeace campaigner Christoph Then said, “Several leading marine biologists and fishery organizations have expressed strong concerns that, once released into the environment, genetically modified fish could become invasive species and cause irreversible damage to wild fish stocks and to the wider marine ecosystem.” Coastal Guide News, 09.21.01 Australians called to national action on
the environment With environmental problems now costing the nation an estimated $65 billion, there is a need for national co-operation and some uniquely Australian solutions, Dr Graham Harris, Chief of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Land & Water told the National Press Club in Canberra this month. "These types of costs and degradation require a response by governments and agencies – and by society at large. We will need to improve the way we do business – business as usual is not an option," Harris said. "For long-term sustainability, Australia needs new science, new ways of operating and new incentive schemes. Australia may need to radically rethink the way it uses land and water.” Harris noted that changes Australians made on land have begun showing up in the country’s major rivers and estuaries, resulting in water quality declines and landscape failures. He said the practice of storing large amounts of water for security of urban supply, then running it once through the city and disposing of the wastewater at sea must be stopped. “Even though the impact of offshore sewage outfalls is not large, we are wasting water and causing environmental problems both on land and in the sea,” he observed, adding, "In the Australian climate, urban run off and storm water is a bigger problem than sewage. Its often everyone's problem and nobody's responsibility – and the water is valuable. Water re-use, as practised elsewhere, will eventually become the norm." Harris called for a new sociology and a new economics, which place a proper value on the landscape and the services it provides in the form of clean air, water and the control of pollution. “We need rural and urban water systems that deliver quality as well as quantity. We need landscape and land use patterns that sustain. We need integrated, multi-disciplinary solutions that are practical and profitable. We need to leverage new forms of incentives. There is a global niche in goods and services ready and waiting for a country able to deliver on this agenda,” he said. World's first-ever floating mini power station
planned The £2.7million wave-power machine, which relies on the power of the ocean, is expected to be launched next summer from a new marine energy testing center. Once operational this innovative new technology will supply enough electricity to power 1400 homes. Wavegen, the Inverness-based company behind the machine, has already developed a grid-connected shoreline wave energy generator. The firm now plans to use the power of the Atlantic Ocean to generate more power with a prototype of its offshore machine. The government hopes to see 10% of the United Kingdom’s electricity generated from renewable sources by 2010. Coastal Guide News, 09.21.01 Baltic Sea states set deadline for phasing-out
single-hull tankers In the wake of the Erika disaster of December 1999, the International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s 158 member States had already agreed to their own timetable at a week-long meeting in London in April, which HELCOM had ratified. HELCOM rejected IMO's provisions for states to extend their own national deadlines. Although IMO's new phase-out timetable set 2015 as the principal cut-off date for all single-hull tankers, Brazil backed by several developing nations won a degree of leeway in phase-out deadlines. The HELCOM Copenhagen Declaration adopted at the Copenhagen September 10 meeting stipulates that "the Baltic Sea states will refrain from making uses of any exemption and relaxation provisions," which means that single hull oil tankers will be phased out between 2003 and 2005, depending on the age and type of the vessel. Thus the single-hulled tanker fleet will be replaced by a new generation of double-hulled tankers that offer greater protection against oil spillage. HELCOM's ban can only be enforced on ships flying the flags of the nine Baltic states and cannot be extended to foreign ships calling in the member's ports. The European Union, which represents the most important oil importer in the negotiations, announced that it would comply with the earliest possible deadline of 2015. Coastal Guide News, 09.21.01 Wadden Sea Regions embrace integrated coastal management
for tourism development The IRWC approved a great number of statements but it disagreed on three sensitive issues. The Danish counties blocked a positive position towards an application for UNESCO World Heritage sites, even though this would have no new restrictions for human use; the Danes have bad memories from earlier conservation designations. Consultations in the Netherlands and Germany will continue. The new IMO-instrument of Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA) was presented as a way to protect the Wadden Sea against shipping disasters and oil pollution. However, the German and Danish regions opposed an application procedure until "questions and consequences for the harbors economy [in the Area] are answered and assessed properly". In turn, the Dutch provinces blocked a proposal suggesting that windmills with "substantial negative impacts on the landscape or negative influence on nature, should be reduced as much as possible in number and on a long-term plan be removed." They insisted on an explicit exception for an area where they consider to establish a 300 MW windpower farm (109 mills) on the dyke and in the Wadden Sea. The Danes and the Germans refused to accept this exception. Coastal Guide News, 09.21.01 New database on wild fish health unveiled The National Wild Fish Health Survey is the first effort to develop a readily accessible, reliable and scientifically sound database that documents the national distribution of specific pathogens (organisms capable of causing disease) in free-ranging fish. The project was prompted in 1996, in part, when whirling disease began killing trout in Montana and Colorado. Whirling disease has also been found in trout populations in 20 other states. Biologists have expressed concern about earlier theories that more fish pathogens might be infecting fish populations previously believed immune to certain diseases, but the Survey does not show that to be happening. Said Cathleen Short, Assistant Director for Fisheries and Habitat Conservation, "This Survey tells us about potential threats to the well-being of America's fish populations and helps managers see that this resource remains vital and abundant." Short said that much of the present understanding of fish pathogens and the diseases they cause has been gained by observing captive fish populations in either hatcheries or laboratories, and that "surprisingly little is known about the prevalence of pathogens among wild, free-ranging fish." She noted the Survey indicates that the overwhelming majority of fish tested from the wild are healthy, "and that's terrific news for the nation." The Survey is conducted through a partnership of natural resource management organizations, including other Federal, Native American, State and private agencies and groups. It is available to fisheries managers and the public on the Internet site, at http://wildfishsurvey.fws.gov. Fish pathogens comprise a large and diverse group of organisms ranging
from microscopic bacteria and viruses to large parasitic worms.
The severity of disease caused by fish pathogens also varies widely
and depends on a number of important factors. Some pathogens cause
only mild effects, if any, on individual fish while others may cause
catastrophic die-offs of whole populations. Disease results from
the unstable interaction of three main variables: the fish host, the
fish pathogen and the water the fish live in. Fish are continually
exposed to pathogens but generally become diseased when stressed by
contaminants, poor water quality or other similar factors. A few
pathogens may cause disease in healthy fish regardless of Understanding the distribution of fish pathogens throughout the United States will help strengthen the biological basis of laws and regulations that govern the sale and transport of aquatic species as well as aquaculture products. That information can help protect such industries from costly diseases and indirectly safeguard thousands of American jobs. "Killer Algae" invades Southern California The San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board recommends the following methods to clean and dispose of home saltwater aquariums:
Caulerpa taxifolia is a saltwater algae native to the Caribbean. Often it is used as decoration in home aquariums, but when released into the ocean or a lagoon the effects are devastating. The same seaweed has blanketed 30,000 acres of the Mediterranean floor. When introduced to a non-native area, it displaces native algae and has an extremely negative impact on the coastal ecosystem -- invertebrates, fish, marine mammals, and sea birds are adversely affected. It has been referred to as "laying astro-turf on the ocean floor". In June 2000, the algae invaded Agua Hedionda Lagoon in Carlsbad, Calif., and cost almost a million dollars to eradicate. It is believed that the algae reached the lagoon after someone dumped their home aquarium into the ocean. Although its importation into the United States has been banned for several years, until now it was still legal to sell, trade, and possess the algae within each state. San Diego was the first area infested with the destructive seaweed (it has since invaded Huntington Beach, Calif. as well). A California State Assembly bill (AB 1334) is currently pending that would ban sale, trade, and possession of the seaweed statewide. Volunteer divers are now being sought to help search for Caulerpa taxifolia – which is a bottom-growing, bright green plant with fern-like fronds. For more information about volunteering, visit Project Pacific’s website at www.projectpacific.org. Ecology lab aids Turtle Survival Alliance Russell Mittermeier of Conservation International, one of the member groups, said, "We are on the brink of losing a group of animals that has managed to survive the upheavals of the last 200 million years, including the great extinction episode that eliminated the dinosaurs." Kurt Buhlmann, also of Conservation International, maintains a part time office at SREL from which he directs his conservation efforts. As the Conservation International member charged with designing collaborative conservation strategies for imperiled turtles worldwide, Buhlmann hopes to implement action by building “Assurance Colonies” (see sidebar) for turtles. He also hopes to influence meaningful policies, promote field research and establish protected areas in the natural ranges of these turtles. Norwegian Sea proposed as storage site for carbon
dioxide Researchers Drs. Helge Drange and Guttorm Alendal and Prof. Ola M. Johannessen at the Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Center in Bergen published their study in the July 1, 2001 issue of Geophysical Research Letters, published by the American Geophysical Union. They note that the oceans already absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, but the process of mixing the gas at deep levels can take up to 1,000 years. Purposeful storage could, they say, be viewed as an acceleration of a natural process. This option would be successful only if certain environmental and economic considerations can be satisfied, they note. The Norwegian Sea is a deep basin off Norway's northwestern coast, beyond Haltenbanken, a region on the continental shelf where oil and gas fields produce carbon dioxide as a by-product. The modeling study assumes the annual carbon dioxide emissions from various size gas power plants over a ten year period. Drange and his colleagues considered the effect of releasing carbon dioxide, collected at the source, at various depths from 350 to 950 meters [1,150-3,120 feet]. They concluded that if the initial size of the carbon dioxide particles is four millimeters [0.2 inches] or less, the plume would rise no more than 100 meters [330 feet] from the point it enters the ocean. Once the injected carbon dioxide has dissolved in the seawater, it tends to sink lower and eventually transport to the Atlantic Ocean through passages between Iceland and Scotland. Its acidity, higher than that of the ambient seawater, could affect deep sea organisms, which are used to a relatively constant chemical environment. This is an area the researchers say needs further study. They say the level of acidity can be reduced by not pumping all of the carbon dioxide to one point, but using rather an array of ports located 5-10 meters [16-33 feet] apart in the cross-stream of the prevailing current. The model predicts how much carbon dioxide would rapidly reach the surface and enter the atmosphere, based on the depth at which it was originally released. The researchers say that 600 meters [2,000 feet] is the minimal safe depth, and 800 meters [2,600 feet] still safer. At the depth of 950 meters [3,100 feet], virtually no "outgassing" occurs, and the carbon dioxide-enriched water stays well below the level at which it might mix with upper ocean water. Following normal flows from the Norwegian Sea, this water will enter the northern Atlantic Ocean as bottom water and remain isolated from the atmosphere for centuries. The study was funded by Saga Petroleum AS, the Norwegian Research Council, the Nordic Council of Ministers, and the EC Environmental and Climate Programme. American Geophysical Union Black marlin dogged by satellite tag The tag washed up at Brunswick Heads in northern New South Wales and was posted back to Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Marine Research at Hobart for analysis. The tag was attached to the fish for a month, before becoming automatically detached. The tag showed that the 80-kilogram marlin swam southeasterly with the East Australian Current, and rarely dived deeper than 120 meters. Pop-up tags transmit details of diving patterns, water temperatures and daily locations to satellites, after they have become detached from the fish. The volume of data they transmit is limited by battery power. A full record of the fish's movements can only be recovered in the rare event that a tag is returned. The black marlin was one of five tagged by John Gunn of CSIRO Marine Research and Julian Pepperell of Pepperell Research in a pilot project supported by the Game Fishing Association of Australia Research and Development Foundation. "This was the first time we used the $8000 pop-up satellite tags on black marlin in Australia," Gunn said. "All five tags used in the project clearly show that black marlin swim away from the Coral Sea following the spring-early summer spawning." Two short-term tags popped up after four and five days, 120 nautical miles south-east of Cairns, showing that the fish were swimming at an average speed of 1.25 knots. The two other 'long-term' tags surfaced after one month off Lihou Reef, 300 nautical miles east of Cairns, and after two months east of Gladstone, 650 nautical miles south-east of Cairns. Black marlin are the ultimate prize for gamefish anglers in Australian waters, but strike rates in the $40 million Cairns fishery have been declining in recent years. "Black marlin congregate and spawn off the Great Barrier Reef north-east of Cairns each spring, then depart suddenly in December," Pepperell observed. "Uncovering their daily behaviour patterns and long-term movements off the Great Barrier Reef will give us a better idea of their detailed movement patterns and behaviour." UNEP 11th international painting contest
set "Through the International Painting Contest for Children, we are eager to see the visions, aspirations and creativity of children" said Klaus Toepfer, UNEP's Executive Director. "I also know that children are doing a lot more. They are involved in many successful school and community environmental efforts, which adults can take pride in and learn from". Prizes will be awarded for the best 300 entries, which will be used for the compilation of a calendar, posters, publications and exhibitions worldwide. All entries will be stored by the National Museums of Ethnology, Japan. Last year there were more than 12,500 entries from 56 countries. From the winning entries selected, several will be used in the preparation of a Calendar for Children for the Year 2001. The Foundation for Global Peace and the Environment of Japan was founded in 1993 to work on wide-ranging global issues related to the environment, peace and sport. Since its inception, the Foundation has been a key partner of UNEP's Children, Youth/ Sport and Environment Unit and has worked with UNEP to organize global environmental events and activities. The sponsors of this year's contest, all from Japan, are Honda Motors, Ricoh Unitechno, Sun Star Stationary, Central Hobby, the Sato Toy Culture Foundation, Fujitsu, Takara, Showa Note, and Yakult, among others. The contest is also being supported by the National Museums of Ethnology, Japan. To obtain further details about the contest, contact Ms Tomoko Yano, Secretary General, Foundation for Global Peace and Environment, 401 Hawamita Tsunazaka Bldg, 2-7-7, Mita, Minato-Ku, Tokyo 108, Japan. Tel: 81 3 5442 3161, Fax: 81 3 5442 3431, Email: fgpe@chikyu-e.com <mailto:> FAO launches biotechnology web site Biotechnology is a collection of diverse tools that are increasingly being used in agriculture, forestry, fisheries and nutrition. In line with its mandate, FAO can provide its member countries with policy advice on biotechnology issues related to food and agriculture, assistance on specific technologies and legal and technical advice on regulatory issues. FAO also plays an active part in exchange and dissemination of information relating to biotechnology and its potential impacts. The biotechnology web site, accessible from the FAO home page, is a resource for policy makers, NGOs and others interested in the subject. It is available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French and Spanish. |
|
 |
|
