The Online Magazine for Sustainable
Seas
December, 2003, Vol.6 No. 12
December, 2003, Vol.6 No. 12
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The Online Magazine for Sustainable
Seas
December, 2003, Vol.6 No. 12 |
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Coastal Alert |
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Philippines World Resources Philippines Coastal communities must have tenurial security
– DENR secretary She noted that while a tenurial instrument is in place for communities in upland protected areas and nature reserves, a similar system does not exist for coastal residents. We must make communities our partners in resource management,' she said during the end-of-project conference of the Coastal Resource Management Project (CRMP) in Cebu recently. 'But to be able to do that, we have to allow them to benefit. Otherwise, why would they help us?' The secretary said she hoped that the Fisheries Improvement for Sustainable Harvest (FISH), a new project funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), could provide the necessary assistance in developing the tenurial instrument for coastal areas. She urged the league of Municipalities in the Philippines (LMP) and other leagues to push for the issuance of an executive order establishing security of tenure for coastal communities. L. Pinili-Alino, CRMP Commercial fishing license not for municipal watersA commercial fishing license does not authorize commercial fishers to fish within municipal waters, said Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Director Malcolm Sarmiento Jr. He stressed local government units have jurisdiction over the 15-kilometer municipal waters, not BFAR. Sarmiento reacted to complaints by municipal fisherfolk against commercial fishing vessels that intrude into municipal waters. –From E.Baquero, Sun.Star Cebu 11.30.03 Philippines participates in 2003 East Asia Congress The Congress, organized by the Regional Programme on Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA), assessed the progress and issues on the application of integrated approaches to the management of coastal and ocean related ecosystems and natural resources. It also discussed regional collaboration and partnership for the sustainable management of national and regional environment and natural resources. The Philippines hosts the PEMSEA headquarters at the DENR Compound in Quezon City. DENR taps youth to help address environmental concerns DENR Secretary Elisea G. Gozun said work is underway for the launching of Project ECO-CORPS or "Environment Conservation through Citizens' Organized Participation and Support." The DENR chief said the recruitment for environmental protection officers 'would be done the ROTC (Reserved Officers Training Corps) way' as Project ECO-CORPS will be offered as an alternative for college students under the National Service Training Program (NSTP). The NSTP was established by virtue of RA 9163, consisting of three components, namely: ROTC, Civic Welfare Training Service (CWTS) and the Literacy Training Service (LTS). Under this set-up, students are given the option to pursue activities falling under any of these three components for two semesters. The DENR is now working with the Philippine Association of Tertiary Level Education Institutions in Environmental Protection and Management (PATLEPAM) to develop a syllabus on environment and natural resources to be used as a complement to the existing CWTS curriculum. The syllabus will have topics on pollution control and prevention, solid waste management, chemical and hazardous waste control and management, forest and biodiversity conservation, among others. The project will be pilot-tested in five universities in Metro Manila and in one tertiary educational institution in each of the country's remaining 15 regions in summer 2004. Talks are underway with the University of Santo Tomas, Rizal Technological University, Philippine School of Business Administration, New Era University and AMA University for the pilot-testing of the syllabus, Gozun said. CWTS graduates will become members of the National Reserve Corps, who can be tapped by the government for civil welfare activities while students who will complete the Project ECO-CORPS syllabus will become members of the pool of extension workers for environmental protection and enhancement, said Gozun. Seaweed industry gears up for national seaweed
products development program The program aims to expand the country’s seaweed production area by 25% from 59,600 hectares this year to 74,000 hectares next year, benefiting an additional 35,000 seaweed farmers and their families. This is expected to increase by 31% the current raw dried seaweed supply of 126,700 tons. Carrageenan production is consequently projected to grow by as much as 39%. The industry is projecting a shortfall of 25,000 tons in seaweed supply, as the world market for carrageenan is predicted to post an upsurge in demand in 2004. In 2003, seaweed processors noted a shortfall of at least 30,000 tons, pushing farmgate prices of raw seaweed upward to Php33.98 per kilo from Php29.06 in 2002. Through the program, seaweed farmers can avail of loans in “material form” from government financial institutions such as the Land Bank of the Philippines and Quedan Corporation. EM Dago-oc, The Freeman, 12.15.03 Occidental Mindoro: Blast fishers, transport problems
and power shortage plague tuna fishers Before illegal fishers invaded the Mindoro Strait, a trader could export four to five tons of giant tuna a day. Today, the trader typically ships only one or two tuna to Manila every week. Traders also complain that they are often denied access to ships, because the shipping lines give cargo priority to rice, a much less perishable commodity compared to tuna. Frequent power outages add to the traders’ woes. During the town’s worst power outages, local ice plants are unable to produce enough ice to meet the traders’ requirements, forcing the traders to sell their tuna cheap in the local market, or to bury them. M. Magsino, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 12.04.03 Misamis Oriental: Giant clam seeding project takes
off The giant clam seeding project is implemented jointly by the municipal government of Jasaan and the Society of Environmental Advocates of Mindanao. It is supported by various other groups and companies, including Transpecial Hauling, Magic Divers, Pilipinas Kao, Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary, Xavier University and BAX Global. About 500 giant clams have been seeded in the sanctuary, with a survival rate of 75%. The Philippine Star, 12.22.03 Cebu: German tropical fish exporter detained Thomas Michael Heeger, who used to be a researcher at the University of San Carlos in Cebu City, established Marine Fauna, a company engaged in the export of live tropical fish. His arrest stemmed from a complaint filed by Marilyn Lim and Cristeta Laron of Aqua-Ex, which also exports live tropical fish. Lim and Laron alleged Heeger has been working in the Philippines without a working visa. Heeger denied the charges, saying while he did worked as a consultant for Aqua-Ex, he did not receive any wages and was therefore technically not working. He claimed Marine Fauna, which he set up in September, is fully covered by appropriate documents. F.J.J. Dungog in Cebu Daily News, 12.15.03 Lapu-Lapu City: Police seize corals The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said they are closely watching Punta Engano, where residents are reportedly selling seashells to exporters who operate in the area. In November, about 1.2 tons of corals worth Php30,000 were confiscated
in Punta Engano by members of the Philippine Navy. JP
Solano in The
Freeman, 12.17.03 In Bolinao, fishers said their daily catch has increased from a quarter of a kilogram four years ago to three kilograms this year. Coral cover in their fish sanctuary, which was set up in 1999, is said to be increasing at a rate of 5% every year. Y. Sotelo-Fuertes in Philippine Daily Inquirer, 12.08.03 Fish vendors to Bantay Dagat: Go after blast fishers,
not sellers In a letter-complaint to Bantay Dagat Commission program director Elpidio dela Victoria, the vendors said authorities should run after illegal fishers instead. They said they only sell the fish sold to them by fishers and they are not aware if the marine products are legally caught or not. Dela Victoria said the Bantay Dagat is obliged to enforce Section 88 of the Fisheries Code which bans the sale and display of illegally caught fish.— G. Cabotaje, Sun.Star Cebu, 12.07.03 Cebu: Six towns get CRM certificationSix Municipal Governments in southern Cebu acquired certification for adopting coastal resource management (CRM) in their towns. A multi-agency regional committee headed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) granted “Level 1” CRM certification to Sibonga, Moalboal, Dumanjug, Samboan, Dalaguete and Alcoy. Level 1 certification is given to municipalities that submit themselves to the certification process after meeting a minimum set of benchmarks for beginning CRM. Davao Oriental: Alarm raised over overfishing The fishermen said the activities of large fishing vessels threaten to deplete the province’s fish supply, particularly tuna, and are already adversely affecting the local fishers’ catch. F. Zuasola, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 12.18.03 Sorsogon: Donsol gets eco-tourism awardLEGAZPI CITY – The Department of Tourism (DOT) awarded Donsol town in Sorsogon the “best eco-tourism product” for successfully developing and promoting a whale shark interaction program that has spawned a thriving tourism market. Donsol Mayor Jerome Alcantara said the presence of whale sharks has provided jobs to 250 families that are now engaged in selling souvenir items to tourists. – M.Jaucian, Phil. Daily Inquirer 12.10.03 Palawan: Drive vs cyanide fishers stepped upTO increase awareness on the damage caused by cyanide fishing, the Industriya sa Dagat Association of Fish Exporters (Isda-Exporters) and its partners gave cash prizes and certificates of recognition to those who have apprehended illegal fishers in the towns of El Nido, Taytay, Quezon and Bataraza in Palawan. Isda-Exporters president Benzon Cheng said the support of groups like the Palawan NGO Network Inc. and the Marine Aquarium Council -- as well as the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development-- has resulted in the effective monitoring of the illegal activity and the initial success of the campaign. Fish exporters launched “Cyanide Watch” in September and established hotlines to accept reports on cyanide fishing activities from concerned individuals. Philippine Daily Inquirer, 12.15.03 World FAO calls for intensified action to combat illegal
fishing Worldwide, IUU fishing appears to be increasing as a number of fishers seek to avoid the stricter rules being established in many places in response to shrinking catches and declining fish stocks, noted FAO in its report to the Conference. "The situation is particularly grave and forbidding given that some 75% of world fisheries are already being fully exploited, overexploited, or depleted," the UN specialized agency said. The term IUU fishing is commonly used to describe a wide range of unscrupulous fishing activities. Some IUU fishers operate in areas where fishing is not permitted. Some employ banned technologies, outlawed net types, or flaunt fishing regulations in other ways. Others under-report how big their catches are – or don't report them at all. In some cases, in fact, catches of commercially-valuable fish species may be surpassing permitted levels by over 300 percent due to IUU fishing, according to reports made to FAO. The growing number of countries operating open vessel registries also contributes to the problem, since in some cases this makes it easier for IUU fishers to operate under so-called "flags of convenience", FAO also reported. The term is commonly used to refer to countries that allow vessels from around the globe to operate under their flags while not adequately ensuring that they respect national and international rules governing fishing. "In a world where states exercised effective control over fishing vessels flying their flags, the incidence of IUU fishing would be greatly reduced," FAO said. The problem is compounded by the fact that many countries simply do not have the capacity to closely monitor for IUU fishing. In June 2001, some 110 nations endorsed an FAO-brokered International Plan of Action (IPOA) on IUU fishing, which among other things calls on States to develop and implement their own plans as soon as possible. Around forty-one countries world-wide are expected to have national plans in place by June 2004, FAO said. But for many countries, particularly in the developing world, meeting the challenges of implementing the IPOA-IUU and elaborating national action plans is very difficult, owing to limited technical, institutional and financial resources. FAO added that this situation has prompted numerous bilateral and multilateral assistance programs aimed at helping countries build their capacity to deal with IUU fishing. "Through time, these initiatives will assist in closing weaker 'links' in the IUU fishing chain that IUU fisheries seek to exploit," the Organization said. FAO itself is intensifying efforts to provide a wide range of support to countries to help them develop and implement their national action plans, particularly under the umbrella of the multilateral FishCode initiative, FAO's Programme of Global Partnerships for Implementation of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. A major meeting will be convened by FAO in Rome in June 2004 to evaluate implementation of the IPOA-IUU and identify ways to speed up that process. Small island developing states increasingly vulnerable
– UN "The situation of Small Island Developing States continues to be one of exposure and growing vulnerability due to new challenges and emerging economic, social and ecological issues," the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says in the report. "In a rapidly changing world, new challenges are emerging which need a harmonized approach to help SIDS adapt to the trade environment and seek opportunities to diversify their agricultural systems," FAO adds. Many SIDS are increasingly dependent on food imports and the rates of nutrition-related health problems are on the rise. Climate change, including a rising sea level and vulnerability to natural disasters such as hurricanes are of particular concern, according to the report. In addition, it is estimated that as a result of global warming sea levels will increase by half a meter by 2100, thus severely threatening islands and low-lying coastal states. Global warming is also likely to lead to an increase in maximum tropical cyclone wind speeds and lower central pressures, leading to more damaging storm surges, the report says. SIDS have been facing a series of problems such as narrow resource base, vulnerability to natural hazards, high external debt, difficulties in conforming to sanitary and phyto-sanitary regulations, over-exploitation of forest and marine resources, high population growth and mobility, relative poverty, limited variety of dietary intakes, scarcity of skilled manpower and weak institutional capacities. Distress flares fired for deep-sea species This is the main finding of a report released today by WWF, and TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network. According to the report, Managing risk and uncertainty in deep-sea fisheries: lessons from orange roughy, the depletion of fisheries closer to shore and a rising demand for seafood have led to a rapid expansion of deep-sea fisheries. As much as 40 per cent of the world's trawling grounds are now in waters deeper than 200 metres. The report reveals, for example, that orange roughy (also known as deep-sea perch) fisheries have been 'boom and bust', with stocks fished to commercial extinction in as little as four years. It further stresses that this expanded activity also damages sensitive marine areas, such as seamounts, where many species new to science could face extinction before even being identified. WWF and TRAFFIC are calling for urgent and strong measures, including fishing bans, to be adopted and enforced at the United Nations level in order to protect these areas. Experts say science needs to be communicated differently
The general conclusion was that scientists need to communicate differently, but certainly not less. GreenFacts Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Brussels that summarizes authoritative scientific documents on environment and health matters, organized the conference. The full conference proceedings, texts and photos are available on-line at the GreenFacts web site Global warmth up, ozone hole at record, Arctic
ice down for 2003 -- UN Global surface temperature for 2003 is expected to be 0.45 degree Celsius above the 1961-90 annual average, according to records maintained by WMO members, making the year the third warmest, just behind 2002 with 0.48 degree Celsius. The warmest year was 1998 with 0.55 degree Celsius. Calculated separately for both hemispheres, the 2003 temperatures for the Northern Hemisphere (0.57 degree Celsius) and for the Southern Hemisphere (0.33 degree Celsius) are both likely to the third warmest since instrumental records began in 1861, the Geneva-based agency said in preliminary findings pending an updated report to be published in March. It noted that the rate of change since 1976 was roughly three times that for the past 100 years as a whole, and analyses of proxy data for the Northern Hemisphere indicate that late twentieth century warmth was unprecedented for at least the past millennium. Measurements for Antarctica showed that the ozone hole reached 28 million square km in September, matching the all-time record of September 2000 and in marked contrast to last year when the hole split in two and was the smallest in more than a decade. Ozone shields the world from cancer-causing ultraviolet radiation. Arctic sea ice, meanwhile, dropped to 5.4 million square km in September, nearly as low as the record 5.3 million square km of 2002. The low sea ice of recent years is consistent with new analyses of satellite data showing significant warming of the Arctic region in the 1990s compared to the 1980s, WMO said. The agency catalogued the year's weather in various parts of the world, ranging from European heat waves that saw the warmest temperatures on record in several countries to record warmth in Australia that produced wildfires, continued drought in much of southern Africa, and above normal rainfall in most of the Sahelian region of western Africa. Tropical oceans becoming saltierTROPICAL ocean waters have become dramatically saltier over the past 40 years, while oceans closer to the Earth’s poles have become fresher, according to scientists. Earth’s warming surface may be intensifying evaporation over oceans in low latitudes – raising salinity concentrations there — and transporting more fresh water vapor through the atmosphere toward the poles. The scientists believe that the changes in the salinity of the oceans are the effects of global warming. The study – conducted by Woods
Hole Oceanographic Institution Physical Oceanography Department
research specialist Ruth Curry, Bob Dickson of the Centre for Environment,
Fisheries and Aquaculture Science in the UK, and Igor Yashayaev of the
Bedford Institute of Oceanography in Nova Scotia, Canada — is published
in the journal Nature. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory tells consumers to eat no more than 12 ounces of fish per week to avoid dangerous levels of mercury. It also points out that some fish, particularly canned albacore tuna, contain dangerous levels of mercury. The advisory, however, fails to tell consumers which fish are the most contaminated and should be avoided. Describing the FDA advisory as a Russian roulette, NRDC director Linda Greer, Ph.D., said the agency’s data “clearly show that there are certain fish that are too highly contaminated with mercury to be eaten, and there are others, including shrimp, salmon and sardines, that are not a problem. Humans pose greatest threat to nesting sea turtlesMABIBI, South Africa – Each year between October and February, hundreds of loggerhead turtles and their cousins, the gigantic leatherbacks, come to South Africa’s northeast shores to build primitive nests in the sand and deposit their eggs. A single female may lay 100 eggs at a time and make the trip five times in a season. But scientists estimate that only one in 1,000 of the hatchlings that will emerge in about two months will survive to maturity. A turtle’s life is fraught with danger — from crabs that prey on the hatchlings to many kinds of fish. But people are their greatest threat. Jeff Gaisford of KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife noted that there is a large amount of hunting of sea turtles by humans, who further contribute to the turtles’ decline by destroying critical turtle habitats. -- Reuters, 12.12.03 Whales reveal man's damaging impact on oceansPORT LOUIS, Mauritius — Odyssey, a scientific research vessel circumnavigating the globe, has been tracking sperm whales to determine the state of the world's seas. Although the mission is not over, early indications are ominous. Pollutants, the debris of man's life on land, have poisoned the waters that dominate the planet. Working for the U.S.-based Ocean Alliance, a whale conservation and research body, the Odyssey set out in March 2000 to quantify that toxicity, using tissue samples from sperm whales to indicate how polluted the waters really are. Scientists found DDT and other toxins like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the tissue samples of sperm whales. Genevieve Johnson, Ocean Alliance's education director, said the toxins could prevent whale fetuses from developing properly, result in high levels of sexual abnormality, cancers, birth defects or sterility. There could also be repercussions for humans who feed high on the oceanic food chain. For more information on the mission, visit www.pbs.org/odyssey. Reuters, 12.09.03 `Free Willy’ whale dies Keiko spent most of his life in captivity, mostly in theme parks and starring in movies. He settled in western Norway after his release in Iceland last year. The orca was captured as a young calf off Iceland in 1979. Agence France Press, 12.14.03 Crew of Norwegian cruiser rapped for dumping waste
oil into sea Knut Sorboe, Peter Solemdal and Aage Lokkebraten, all of Norway, were employees of Norwegian Cruise Line Ltd. at the time of the crime. Norwegian Cruise Line pleaded guilty in April 2000 to keeping a false log book and admitted the company lied to the Coast Guard for three years about unlawful discharges from passengers during weekly Caribbean voyages. The company paid a US $1.5 million fine. Associated Press at ENN, 12.19.03 Cousteau bags first “Ocean Hero” AwardLOS ANGELES, California – Jean-Michel Cousteau, founder of Ocean Futures Society, has received the first “Ocean Hero” Award from Oceana for “defending the world ocean” and “inspiring people around the globe.” The Oceana “Ocean Hero” Award will be presented annually to an individual who has displayed a profound dedication and effort in defending the oceans. Cousteau, an impassioned spokesman and diplomat for the environment, received the “Environmental Hero” Award in 1998 from the vice president of the US. He was inducted in the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame in the Cayman Islands last year. – Sequel LLC, 12.04.03 Plan adopted to improve Great Barrier Reef water
quality Prime Minister John Howard and Queensland Premier Peter Beattie have signed the Great Barrier Reef Water Quality Protection Plan, which will now be implemented to arrest and reverse the decline in the quality of water entering the reef lagoon, within 10 years. The Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area contains the largest system of coral reefs in the world. The Reef is recognised nationally and internationally for its outstanding natural values and rich biodiversity, which support a range of industries that make a significant contribution to the local, state and national economies. The Australian and Queensland Governments will work with the community to implement the Reef Water Quality Protection Plan. Beattie said the Queensland Government was investing an estimated $57.6 million in reef-related projects in 2003-04. He said the plan identifies catchments and reefs at risk from runoff, and promotes best practice land management and incentives to protect and restore significant wetlands. A copy of the Reef Water Quality Protection Plan may be found at: www.ea.gov.au/coasts or www.thepremier.qld.gov.au/reefwater. New vehicle will enable US scientists to study
oceans’ deepest parts Researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) are developing a battery-powered underwater robot to enable scientists to explore the ocean’s most remote regions, up to 11,000 meters (36,000 feet) deep. The US $5-million hybrid remotely operated vehicle (HROV) will be able to operate in two modes: as an autonomous or free swimming vehicle for wide area surveys, and as a tethered or cabled vehicle for close-up sampling and other tasks. Resources Earthprint Library
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