COASTAL ALERT

Philippines
President signs climate change law
Philippines ranks 10th among countries with most threatened species
Fisheries grow 2.45% in 2009
DA upbeat on continued growth of fisheries sector
Local tuna industry faces harder times
BFAR to help fishing operators meet
EU catch regulation
Stakeholders explore Coral Triangle's business opportunities
RP gets grant for the Coral Triangle Initiative
Fish consortium eyed for BIMP-EAGA use
Department of Agriculture mulls bigger fisheries budget
President names new environment chief
Climate change threatens RP’s food security
Fisheries could benefit from climate change
Phivolcs monitors sea level rise, ground subsidence due to climate change
Agriculture department cited for protecting Visayan seas Lost at sea, RP fishermen survive on raw fish, rainwater, prayers
Repatriation of 14 fishermen detained in Burma sought
Batangas residents, fishermen save wounded whale
Illegal fish pens demolished in Taal Lake, Batangas
Pampanga awards 5 outstanding fishpond operators
4 Taiwanese poachers settle P1.14-million fine
Thai firm to invest Php2.3B in a quafeed production
DENR conducts water bird census in Pangasinan
Government to go after Turtle Island sellers, buyers
Manila Bay may be closed to fishing in 2015
Environment secretary orders probe on death of whale shark in Manila Bay

World
FAO report predicts "an ocean of change" for fishers and fish farmers
Dwindling fish catch could leave a billion hungry
Groundbreaking treaty on illegal fishing approved
UN may curtail 400-year-old 'freedom of the seas'
FAO targets land tenure
Activists say fish deal hostage to WTO deadlock
Healthy oceans key to combating climate change, UN agencies stress
Sustainable development tops UN chief’s priorities for 2010
Insurance industry can propel transition to ‘green’ economy – UN-backed survey
UN agency sets out priority steps to realize green economy for 21^st century
UN report calls on policymakers to boost investment in ecosystems for higher profits
Sharks under threat as environmental change bites hard
New measures adopted for Atlantic bluefin tuna; other agreements address swordfish, sharks, bigeye and albacore
Bluefin tuna quota cut not enough: environmentalists
Southern bluefin tuna quota cuts could be “too little, too late”
Tuna ban 'justified' by science
UN-backed experts propose ban on trading in endangered bluefin tuna
Oceans acidifying rapidly due to carbon dioxide emissions – UN-backed study
Concerns raised over eco-labeling scheme
UN chief calls for alliance to protect world’s biodiversity
Atlantic bluefin tuna, several shark species, corals reviewed
Further debate needed on pros and cons of biofuels – UN report
ADB and WWF discuss major programs to protect the environment
Food security in the Pacific at risk due to climate change
Scientists call for ocean parks to protect the sea
New insights into marine ecosystems and fisheries production bared
UN casts Disney’s Tinker Bell to raise environmental awareness among children
Fashion, cosmetics industries engaged in battle for biodiversity
UN report calls for greater research on marine ecosystems beyond territorial waters
World’s faiths can propel search for solution to climate change – UN chief
NOAA proposal aims to spur cap-and-trade management of fisheries
Oceans could absorb much more CO2
Analysis of fisheries suggests marine ecosystems can recover
Deep blue sea experience great for thinking green
Clean algae biofuel project leads world in productivity
Marine reserves can be an effective tool for managing fisheries
Climate projections underestimate CO2 impact
New study finds catch shares improve consistency, not health, of fisheries
Coordinated conservation works
Jellyfish thrive as seas warm, threatening fishing industry worldwide
Professor studying job satisfaction of coastal fisherman in developing nations
Researchers explore use soybeans as alternative to fishmeal
Fish personality affected by temperature
Crab fabric reduces smells
EU: Fish production down 10%
EU ready to combat illegal fishing
EU adopts new rules on illegal fishing
EU forges alliance with NZ and US against illegal fishing
EU eyes cutting cod fishing by a quarter in 2010
Coral Triangle highlighted during Copenhagen climate change talks
Activists slam business focus at Coral Triangle Summit
Indian Ocean states set to declare war on illegal fishing
ASEAN environment ministers adopt measures against illegal desludging of sea vessels
Great Barrier Reef taken over by seaweeds?
Australian firm on track for a world first in aquaculture
Caribbean coral reefs wiped out by climate change
Peru government urged to kick-start tuna-quota bid process
Sri Lanka: Fighting over fish
Pakistan: Fisherfolk to launch struggle against deep sea trawlers
Democratic Republic of Congo: Fish war prompts thousands to flee
Taiwan: Fishermen protest re-opening of trawler operations
Vietnam seeks to expand system of marine reserves
Temporary closure of Western and Pacific Ocean tuna fishery urged
Thailand: Fishery exports set to rise 2.2%
Thai village disappearing as sea levels rise 20m a year
Indonesia: Ministry targets USD2.9 billion fisheries exports in 2010
Indonesia: Activists demand eco-friendly laws
Indonesia: Mangroves disappearing fast with global appetite for shrimp
Indonesia: Climate change worsening disasters, says UN
Indonesia: Illegal fishing fleets face stiffer sanctions
Tuna nets USD176,000 dollars in Tokyo New Year auction
US: Global FISH Alliance launched

Resources
Coral Triangle Atlas website
‘Climate One Stop Shop’ website
FAO fishery and aquaculture statistics 2007

Events
Fishery Dependent Information (FDI) 2010
Earth Hour 2010

Philippines

President signs climate change law
5 Oct 2009 – President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed last Friday the Climate Change Act of 2009, which calls for the formulation of a ‘National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP)’ and mandates local government units to be “the frontline agencies in the formulation, planning and implementation of climate change action plans in their respective areas” in accordance with the NCCAP and the provisions of the Local Government Code.

Environment secretary Lito Atienza described the new law as “perhaps the most important law of the land, second (only) to the 1991 Local Government Code.” He said the declaration of principles and codes of practice enshrined in RA 9729 set the tone and conduct of how all local government officials will be held accountable to their constituencies morally and politically, if not legally.

According to Atienza, the law has brought the matter of climate change to a personal and moral level given the fact that it recognizes the concept of “climate justice” in like manner that the Supreme Court’s continuing mandamus to rehabilitate the Manila Bay recognizes the concept of intergenerational responsibility as of paramount importance to the life of our nation as a people. Full story

Philippines ranks 10th among countries with most threatened species
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) said that the Philippines now ranks 10th among countries worldwide with the most number of threatened species.

The Philippines was found to have 641 species in either a critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable state. Ecuador has the highest number with 2,208 threatened species.

In South and Southeast Asia, the Philippines ranked 4th, after Malaysia with 1,141 species, Indonesia with 1,108 species and India with 659 species. Based on the IUCN definition, critically endangered species are those considered facing an “extremely high risk” of extinction. Species classified as vulnerable are considered to be facing a “high risk” of extinction in the wild.

The Philippine red list includes 60 species of fish, three species of mollusk, 199 species of other invertebrates, 67 species of birds, nine species of reptiles, 48 species of mammals and 261 species of plants.

Of the threatened animals in the country, 42 are critically endangered, 65 are endangered and 318 are vulnerable.  Of the threatened plants, 52 are critically endangered, 34 are endangered and 130 are vulnerable.

The report said that 135 of the 433 endemic species in the Philippines are threatened.

Habitat destruction by agriculture, logging and development, is cited as the main threat.

In the oceans, the report showed that worldwide, “a broad range of marine species are experiencing potentially irreversible loss due to overfishing, climate change, invasive species, coastal development and pollution.”

At least 17% of the 1,045 shark and ray species, 12.4% of groupers and six of the seven marine turtle species are under threat of extinction. In addition, 25% of the 845 species of reef building corals are threatened. Full story

Fisheries grow 2.45% in 2009
BACOLOD CITY, 21 Jan 2010 (The Visayan Daily Star) -- The fisheries subsector remained the Philippine agriculture’s lead gainer in 2009 with a 2.45% growth hike, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said in a press release yesterday.

DA Secretary Arthur Yap said the farm and fisheries sector grew by only 0.37% overall as gains posted in the first three quarters were not sustained due to heavy losses to typhoons during the October-December period.

Typhoons “Ondoy” and “Pepeng,” two of the year’s worst storms, battered Metro Manila and the food-producing areas of Northern and Central Luzon in September and October.

“The gains of the first three quarters were cut by huge production losses during the fourth quarter of 2009,” Yap said.

At current prices, the gross value of agricultural production reached Php1.2 trillion in 2009, representing a 2.18% increase from 2008. The fisheries sector accounted for 26.4% of the total agricultural output for the year. Commercial fisheries expanded 2.67%, aquaculture grew 2.89% and municipal fisheries, 1.14%. Full story

DA upbeat on continued growth of fisheries sector
MANILA, 8 Nov 2009 (MV Go/The Philippine Star) - The Department of Agriculture (DA) is bullish about the prospects of fisheries in 2010 as 37% of the companies investing in the fisheries sector have firmed up expansion plans despite the onslaught of typhoons “Ondoy” and “Pepeng” in Metro Manila and several food-producing areas of Luzon. 

The private sector investors include the Far East Agriculture Corp., which is a consortium of at least 10 agribusiness companies from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; the Brunei Investment Authority led by the Minister of Primary Industries of Brunei; CP Thailand, or Charoen Phokphand, Thailand’s pre-eminent food conglomerate; and Beidahuang, China’s biggest seeds manu-facturer which farms close to a million hectares of wheat in Northern China. Full story

Local tuna industry faces harder times
GENERAL SANTOS CITY, 27 Dec 2009 (N Baliao/The Philippine Star)  – The local tuna industry, in limbo over the last couple of months, is in for harder times following a ban imposed by the Western and Central Pacific Commission (WCPC) on all fishing operations in the high seas, or beyond the 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EZZ), beginning this January, a fishing federation leader said here yesterday.

The unilateral action taken by the WCPC, the world’s governing body on the protection and preservation of tuna and similar species, will further cut local production, trigger mass layoffs and plunge the industry deeper into financial straits, said Ronel Rivera, vice president of the RD Group of Companies here.

“It is lamentable that the ban comes on the heels of the scrapping of the bilateral fishing agreement between Indonesia and the Philippines last Aug. 29, which resulted in the arrest and incarceration of many of our fishermen in Indonesia,” Rivera said.

When the ban takes effect next year, Rivera said, daily tuna catch will drop by 30 percent, from 500 to 150 metric tons, which in turn will force fishing operators and canning factories to cut down on labor cost.

During its heyday, the local tuna industry provided jobs and direct livelihood to some 50,000 families here and outlying provinces and earned for the country over USD200 millionin annual revenue. These figures have dwindled considerably.

Rivera explained that the WCPC was not singling out the Philippines as the ban would apply to all countries in light of reports that in many parts of Asia, illegal and unregulated fishing companies go about their nefarious activities oblivious to the interest of the industry as a whole.

He said the Socksargen Federation of Fishing and Allied Industries would appeal the ban when the next WCPC protocol convenes early next year. – Full story

BFAR to help fishing operators meet EU catch regulation
Q3 2009 (BFAR) – The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) is drawing up a plan to help small fishing operations meet the requirements of a fish catch certification scheme to be implemented by the European Commission (EC) on 1 January 2010.

The plan includes seminars and an information campaign to orient operators about the certification scheme, which requires regulation of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

“Our strategy is to identify and focus our efforts on educating small fishing operators that supply raw fish to processors and exporters,” said bureau director Malcolm Sarmiento Jr..

BFAR records show that the Philippines has 5,000 motorized bancas used by small fishing operators.

The EU is using fish catch certification to trace marine fish products from source to market and ensure compliance with conservation and fishery management practices. Each certificate must reflect the exact location where the fish was caught and the volume of catch, which should be validated by designated authorities in the exporting country. The EC said it hoped the system would help curb IUU fishing worldwide.

Saying the certification scheme would increase their operational costs by at least 15%, the Tuna Canners Association of the Philippines has asked the government to formally request the EU to give the Philippines more time to comply with its requirements. Sarmiento said the government is prepared to join any effort by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to ask for more time to comply with the IUU fishing regulation. Korea and Thailand have already requested for a delay in the IUU fishing regulation, he noted. Full story

Stakeholders explore Coral Triangle's business opportunities
MANILA, 19 Jan 2010 (CJ Teves/PNA in balita.ph) — Various stakeholders are looking into environment-friendly business opportunities in the Coral Triangle (CT), the 5.4-million square kilometer expanse of biodiverse oceans in the Indo-Pacific area which Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and leaders of five other countries have agreed to protect.

The stakeholders are exploring ways to maximize benefits from the area's natural resources without destroying them in response to Arroyo’s appeal to businesses to pursue profitability with sustainability.

"I call on you to join the new breed of businesses that believe profit and environmental protection can co-exist," Arroyo urged delegates to the first CT Business Summit that opened Tuesday in Makati City. “It is imperative for us to work to protect this shared coastal resource.”

Summit organizers Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), the Philippines' Department of Agriculture (DA) and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) encouraged players in the tuna and tourism industries and other marine resource-based sectors to tap green investments for CT.

"We want funding agencies, conservationists and other stakeholders concerned to draw support from each other and share best practices to see how far we can go," Agriculture secretary Arthur Yap said.

WWF's CT Programme head Dr. Lida Pet-Soede pointed to continuing inflow of international funding for the area's protection and sustainable development. "Over US$ 400 million has been committed so far," she said at the press conference. Full story

RP gets grant for the Coral Triangle Initiative
Q3 2009 (BFAR) – The Philippines will get a part of the USD2.3-million technical assistance from Asian Development Bank (ADB) intended to assist coastal and marine ecosystems management by the six countries included in the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI).

“The project will promote regional cooperation on information exchange and decision making based on scientific and technical knowledge to ensure that the Coral Triangle will be managed in a coordinated and sustainable manner,” said Marilou Drilon, natural resources economist of ADB’s Southeast Asian Department. 

Often referred to as the Amazon of the Seas, the Coral Triangle contains vast marine resources critical to the economic growth and food security of an estimated 120 million people.  These resources are at immediate risk from a range of factors, including the impacts of climate change, overfishing and unsustainable fishing activities. Full story

Fish consortium eyed for BIMP-EAGA use
DAVAO CITY, Q3 2009 (BFAR) -Government leaders and representatives of private-sector groups in the member countries of the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) have agreed to form a fishing consortium in their respective seas, the Mindanao Economic Development Council (Medco) announced.

The agreement was reached by the Fisheries Working Group of the BIMP-EAGA and the BIMP-EAGA Business Council (BEBC) during the last senior officers’ and ministers’ meeting (SOMM) in Brunei.

Medco said the project emanated from an instruction issued by the four heads of states of BIMP-EAGA during the leaders’ summit in Singapore last year, adding that the working group and the BEBC “have agreed in principle on the proposed framework for the consortium.”

The areas of cooperation will include small pelagic fishes, to be coordinated by Brunei; tuna production to be coordinated by Indonesia; high-value aquaculture, to be coordinated by Malaysia; and seaweeds to be coordinated by the Philippines.

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) represented the Philippines in the working group discussions. Full story

Department of Agriculture mulls bigger fisheries budget
MANILA, 27 Dec 2009 (MV Go/The Philippine Star) - The Department of Agriculture (DA) plans to allocate a Php1 billion for the fisheries subsector, particularly aquaculture, in 2010.

The fisheries subsector in the past couple of years has been the major growth driver for the agriculture sector, taking up the slack from the crops subsector which is always affected by weather disturbances.

The subsector, which accounts for 26.63% of total agricultural production, posted a growth of 3.28% from January to September 2009. Production in aquaculture alone expanded 4.50% in the first three quarters of 2009, while that of commercial fisheries went up 3.75%. Municipal fisheries barely managed to post a 0.21percent output increment in 2009. 

The Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) is working with two DA agencies, the Bureau of Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and National Irrigation Administration (NIA), to implement the projects in the town of Dumarao in Capiz and the provinces of Misamis Occidental and Northern Samar. The projects also also involve the local government units of these areas and foreign funding agencies. Full story

President names new environment chief
BAGUIO CITY, 29 Dec 2009 (PNA in balita.ph> —- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has appointed Undersecretary Eliazar Quinto as acting secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Quinto replaces Secretary Lito Atienza who has resigned to pursue his mayoralty bid in the City of Manila.Full story

Climate change threatens RP’s food security
BAGUIO CITY, 12 Oct 2009 (DA See) – Concerned agriculture stakeholders here warned that climate change is now taking its toll on the country’s lucrative agriculture sector, causing huge damage to vegetables, rice, corn and other crops grown nationwide.

At present, the agriculture sector contributes at least 18 percent to the country’s gross national product and is primarily important in ensuring food security and self-sufficiency to the Filipino people as well as in providing employment and income to farmers, fishermen and their families.

However, the onslaught of destructive weather disturbances had greatly affected productivity in the agriculture sector thereby placing the country’s food security in doubt.

Based on a study conducted by the Bureau of Soils and Water Management of the Department of Agriculture (DA), from 1991-2007, almost 90 percent of losses and damage to the country’s rice production was due to flashfloods, typhoons and droughts.

In corn production, the same reasons also caused almost 98 percent in damage and losses during the same period.

In 1998, the El Niño phenomenon resulted in a negative 6.6 percent growth in the agriculture sector which forced legislators to pass the controversial Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA) which is not being given appropriate funding support.

At the same time, the study showed some human activities increase greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere which greatly contribute to global warming and eventually resulting in the rise of sea levels, extreme climate aberration, temperature rise and erratic rainfall patterns.

As the national government’s response to mitigate the effects of climate change in the agriculture sector and to attain food security and self sufficiency, DA has embarked on the continuous implementation of various programs to provide enough fertilizer, irrigation and infrastructure, extension and education, loans, dryers and other post-harvest facilities and seed and other genetic materials for the farmers and fishers. Full story

Fisheries could benefit from climate change
Q3 2009 (BFAR) – The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) is encouraging fishers to adapt to climate change to avoid becoming its victims.

BFAR Director Malcolm Sarmiento said fishers can shift from fish hunting to fish farming using available technologies, including sea cages and mariculture parks. He noted that the rise in sea levels resulting from climate change creates a wider area for the culture of certain marine species, including abalone, sea cucumber, sea urchin, and various shells and finfishes that adapt well to extreme shifts in weather patterns.

“We are teaching the most vulnerable sector – the marginal fisherman – how to adapt to changing weather conditions,” Sarmiento said. “We are also teaching them new trades because scientists say that climate change will mostly affect wildlife.”

About 700 hectares of ricelands in Bulacan and Pampanga have been converted to fishponds for brackish water tilapia because of saltwater intrusion.

BFAR is making available to small fishers cages-for-rent and fingerlings, while the aquaculture firm Tateh Aqua Feeds will supply them the initial feed requirements. The bureau also plans to import 500 pairs of cold-tolerant species and another 500 pairs of grass-eating tilapia, which Sarmiento said can help control the prices of feeds. Full story

Phivolcs monitors sea level rise, ground subsidence due to climate change
MANILA, 18 Oct 2009 (PNA in balita.ph> –Apart from flooding and landslides due to heavy rains, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Philvocs) said it also monitors sea level rise and ground subsidence that may also cause destruction.

Phivolcs director Dr. Renato Solidum Jr., speaking at the Balitaan sa Tinapayan news forum, said “Besides typhoons and heavy rains, we also come out with action plans for those in the coastal areas, like how we are going to evacuate them when sea level rise and ground subsidence start to manifest. We have short term, medium term and long term action plans,” said Solidum.

Ground subsidence if ignored, might also cause destruction to properties and even claim lives of people, Solidum said. “But we can definitely do something to minimize the impact or damage. Like in our coastal areas at the Manila Bay, Cavite and other areas, civil engineering intervention is one answer. If the structures of the buildings are good, then the buildings and structure will not collapse during the ground subsidence,” Solidum said. Full story

Agriculture department cited for protecting Visayan seas
ILOILO CITY, 16 Jan 2010 (PNA in balita.ph> – The Banate Bay Resource Management Council, Inc. (BBRMCI), overseer of Panay Island's largest fishing ground called Banate Bay, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have cited the Department of Agriculture (DA) for preserving and protecting the Visayan seas.

Also cited for their successful collaboration were the offices of the Municipal Agriculture Office of the municipalities of Anilao, Banate and Barotac Viejo.

Barotac Viejo Mayor Raul C. Tupas said the municipalities along the Banate Bay had been very active in protecting their fishing grounds from illegal and dynamite fishing.

Tupas also said that the municipal agriculture office had been instrumental in pursuing initiatives intended for the protection of marine biodiversity. Full story

Lost at sea, RP fishermen survive on raw fish, rainwater, prayers
MANILA, 17 Oct 2009 (abscbnnews.com) - Two Filipino fishermen who were lost in the ocean for 59 days are now under the custody of the Federated States of Micronesia, ANC’s Dateline Philippines reported Saturday.

Resty Dabon of Saig, Calumpang, General Santos City and Toto Feliciano of Malandag, Saranggani Province were rescued by the Japanese vessel Tokiwa Maru on October 13.

“The Philippine Embassy in Koror, Palau, reported to the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) that the two Filipino fishermen survived the 59-day ordeal at sea and are now in Micronesia,” said DFA spokesperson Ed Malaya.

Dabon and Feliciano said that they drifted at sea at encountering strong winds and rain while fishing on board a small boat last August 15.

They said they survived the ordeal by eating raw fish, drinking rain water, and praying hard. Full story

Repatriation of 14 fishermen detained in Burma sought
26 Nov 2009 – The Philippine government is seeking the release of 14 Filipino fishermen detained last week for alleged illegal fishing in Burmese waters.

The Philippine Embassy in Rangoon said Thursday its officers have been able to visit the fishermen while they are making arrangements to send them back home.

Burmese military authorities arrested 128 fishermen, including the 14 Filipinos, in several Taiwanese fishing boats on November 18.  News reports from the region say most of those arrested are Indonesians.

China's official news agency, Xinhua, says Beijing has urged Burma to protect the safety and legal rights of the Chinese mainland and Taiwanese fishermen, who are also detained. Full story

Batangas residents, fishermen save wounded whale
MANILA, 11 Dec 2009 (PNA in balita.ph) – Residents of a coastal village in Nasugbu, Batangas saved a wounded 29-foot whale early morning Thursday, the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) said on Friday.

WWF officials said in an email to the Philippines News Agency that the Bryde’s whale, estimated to be 5 years old, was found in a weakened condition by a fisherman on a beach in the Batangas Bay in Barangay Calayo, Nasugbu. It bore 16 wounds the size of a peso coin caused by a cookie cutter shark's bites.

A fisherman identified as German Reyes said he was jogging on the beach when he saw the whale. "I reported it in the barangay hall," he said.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) office in Calaca, Manila South Coast Development Corporation, Nasugbu Tourism, Philippine National Police (PNP) – Nasugbu and the local government led by village chairman Miguel Limeta organized the rescue effort.

The whale was injected with an antibiotic. At noon, aided by rescuers, it managed to go back to deeper waters. Full story

Illegal fish pens demolished in Taal Lake, Batangas
MANILA, 22 Dec 2009 (PNA in balita.ph) – The Task Force Taal Lake (TFTL) on Tuesday said 40 illegal fish cages were dismantled in a joint government-private effort to decongest the country’s third largest lake, Taal Lake, in Taal, Batangas. This developed even as a fisherfolk alliance expressed fear that the government clearing effort is designed to transform the lake’s surrounding communities into a major ecotourism site.

TFTL said the demolition this month came as the timeframe set by the local government to reduce the number of surrounding fish pens by 7,000 nears its end, which is early next year.

According to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Taal Lake has a carrying capacity of only 6,000 fish cages.

Fish cages are illegal if they have no operations permit from the Protected Areas Management Board (PAMB).

The original number of fish pens in the area totaled 13,000. Since August 2008, however, 5,000 cages have been successfully removed through “phased demolitions," according to a TFTL report.

Taal Lake, the country’s third largest lake at 24,356 hectares, is surrounded by 12 towns of the provinces of Batangas and Cavite.

It is home to the endemic species tawilis and duhol, and is the source of 40% of the total fish production in the Southern Tagalog subregion. Full story

Pampanga awards 5 outstanding fishpond operators
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga, 23 Dec 2009 (PNA in balita.ph>— The provincial government has cited five outstanding fishpond operators here in recognition of their efforts and significant contributions to the improvement and increased efficiency of the fishing industry and community service.

The awardees include Jake Joseph de los Santos of Lanang, Candaba; Pepito Guina of Sta. Cruz, Magalang; Arnel Santos of La Paz, Magalang; Marlon Coronel of Cabangcalan, Floridablanca; and Ric Serrano of Lambac, Guagua. They were chosen based on farm efficiency; technical skills in fishpond operation; additional innovation; concern for the community and environment, and farm diversity and integration. Full story

4 Taiwanese poachers settle P1.14-million fine
BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, 21 Dec 2009 (C Lagasca/The Philippine Star) – Four Taiwanese have been slapped a USD25,000 fine as compromise settlement in connection with poaching and illegal fishing charges filed against them by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR). 

The Tuguegarao City-based BFAR regional office said the four Taiwanese – Liou Rong Tsair, Guu Ming Jong, Huang Ping Ho and Lee Ren – have settled their fine, roughly amounting to Php1.14 million, leading to the dropping of the charges against them.

“The administrative fine is lower than the minimum as prescribed by law, “(but we just accepted it as) the foreigners do not have the capacity to pay a larger amount (after we) learned that (their) fine was secured through a loan in their home country,” BFAR said. Full story

Thai firm to invest Php2.3B in a quafeed production
28 Dec 2009 (I Isip/Malaya) - Thailand’s largest agribusiness company Charoen Pokphand Foods Public Co. Ltd. is investing Php2.36 billion for the production of aqua feeds in Capas, Tarlac.

The Board of Investments (BOI) has granted incentives to Charoen Pokphand Foods Philippines Corp. for its aqua feed mill plant located along the town’s national highway. Scheduled to open in January 2011, the facility can produce up to 114,000 metric tons per year of fish and shrimp feeds in various forms (pelletized, crumbled and extruded). It will employ 209 people. Full story

DENR conducts water bird census in Pangasinan
DAGUPAN CITY, 12 Jan 2010 (PNA in balita.ph) – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is conducting a water bird census as part of its effort to protect these wildlife.

Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Leduina Co said the bird census started January 9 and will end on January 25. Egrets and herons flock to Pangasinan particularly at this time of the year to escape the cold weather in China, Taiwan, Japan and Korea. These birds, called by residents as "dulakak" are seen in abundance in the coastal town of Binmaley, foraging on small fish in shallow fishponds.

Co was informed that the egrets, although they might have originated in cold countries, have become indigenous to the place and transfer from site to site in flock of probably thousands.

He said "dulakak" can also be found in significant numbers on the coastal waters of Alaminos City, Bani, Bolinao, Dasol, Anda, Bayambang, Natividad and San Manuel. Full story

Government to go after Turtle Island sellers, buyers
MANILA, 20 Dec 2009 (C Balana, A Papa/Philippine Daily Inquirer) —The government will run after both the claimant seller and buyer of one of the Turtle Islands because the island group is a national protected area and wildlife sanctuary owned by the state, according to Environment Secretary Lito Atienza.

No private individual can lay claim or subject to titling any of the six islands in the group which is a municipality of Tawi-Tawi province on the southwesternmost edge of the country, said Atienza who was interviewed by Vice President Noli de Castro on the latter’s “Para Sa Iyo, Bayan” TV program.

The mayor of the Turtle Islands, Omarkhan Aripin, claimed on Friday that one of the group’s six named islands, Great Bakungan, had been illegally sold for Php3 million to the family of Tawi-tawi Gov. Sadikul Sahali by the heirs of Rolando Tan, a claimant of the island.

Aripin has gone to the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to complain against the allegedly illegal transaction made by the Sahali family.

The Turtle Islands—consisting of Boan, Lihiman, Langaan, Great Bakungan, Taganak, and Baguan —together with three islands belonging to Malaysia constitute Southeast Asia’s largest remaining nesting site for the green sea turtle and one of only 10 nesting grounds in the world.

The island group was declared a protected area and turtle sanctuary by the government in 1996 to guarantee the continued existence of the Green sea turtles and their nesting site. A government marine turtle conservation project maintains a research station in the islands.

The environment department has denied reports that Great Bakungan is a titled property. Moreover, the department said it has not received any application for its titling. Full story. Related

Manila Bay may be closed to fishing in 2015
Q3 2009 (BFAR) -- The government is eyeing the closure of Manila Bay to fishing operations in 2015 and the promotion of alternative livelihood for fishers and their families.

The plan is detailed in a report submitted by Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to the Supreme Court, which earlier ordered concerned government agencies to submit progress reports on its compliance with of its December 2008 ruling on the cleanup of Manila Bay.

BFAR assistant director Benjamin Tabios Jr said the bay would be partially closed to fishing from 2012 to 2015, and may be totally closed in 2015 “should the need arise.”

Tabios said the closure is aimed at “reducing further the depletion of marine and aquatic resources in Manila Bay” for the purpose of rehabilitating the bay through sustainable development. In preparation for this long-term plan, the BFAR said it would start introducing alternative livelihood to the families that are dependent on fishing in the bay.

According to Tabios, BFAR would focus on combating illegal fishing operations in the bay in the next three years. The agency has decided to stop licensing new commercial fishing vessels in Navotas and Malabon as well as in Cavite, Bulacan and Bataan.

But the agency hinted that its jurisdiction to Manila Bay under section 65 of RA 8550 (Philippine Fisheries Code) is limited to the 25 square kilometers area beyond the 15-kilometer municipal waters under local government jurisdiction.  The bay covers about 1,935 sq. kilometers.

“BFAR will conduct patrol operations in municipal waters only when a municipality seeks assistance,” said Tabios. Full story

Environment secretary orders probe on death of whale shark in Manila Bay
28 Oct 2009 -- Environment and natural resources secretary Lito Atienza today ordered the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) to determine the cause of death of a whale shark that was found in Manila Bay at dawn on Wednesday.

Atienza also directed the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) to check on bay’s water quality.

According to reports, fishermen spotted the 20-ft. long whale shark at around 1:30 a.m. The whale shark was floating on its belly, its fins still flapping, the fishermen claimed. However, the whale shark died 10 minutes after it was brought to shore. Coast Guard personnel who arrived at the scene said they did not find injuries on the animal, except for a wound on the tail.

The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is considered as the largest fish in the world. Being migratory in nature, they travel across the oceans, usually close to the equator.

“This is a rare occurrence in the Manila Bay area and is definitely a cause for concern to the DENR,” Atienza said. “We cannot discount the possibility that this particular unnatural occurrence could be attributed to global warming and climate change. Other factors, however, like the underwater noise pollution and water pollution will have to be looked into.”

In February 2009, some 150 melon-headed whales strayed into the shallow waters of Bataan. Full story

World

FAO report predicts "an ocean of change" for fishers and fish farmers
ROME, 11 Dec 2009 (UN News) - Marine capture fisheries already facing multiple challenges due to overfishing, habitat loss and weak management are poorly positioned to cope with new problems stemming from climate change, a new study by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) suggests.

Small island developing states—which depend on fisheries and aquaculture for at least 50% of their animal protein intake—are in a particularly vulnerable position.

Inland fisheries—90% of which are found in Africa and Asia—are also at risk, FAO's study found, threatening the food supply and livelihoods of some of the world's poorest populations. Warming in Africa and central Asia is expected to be above the global mean, and predictions suggest that by 2100 significant negative impacts will be felt across 25% of Africa's inland aquatic ecosystems.

And fish farming stands to be affected as well. Nearly 65% of aquaculture is inland and concentrated mostly in the tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, often in the delta areas of major rivers at the mid- to upper levels of tidal ranges. Sea level rise over the next decades will increase upstream salinity, affecting fish farms.

The study, Climate change implications for fisheries and aquaculture, which includes contributions from experts from around the world, including from the Worldfish Center, Globec, NACA, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the University of East Anglia, is one of the most comprehensive surveys to date of existing scientific knowledge on the impacts of climate change on fisheries and aquaculture.

Covering some 500 scientific papers, the picture FAO's review paints is one of an already-vulnerable sector facing widespread and often profound changes.

According to the FAO study, certain general impacts on marine and aquatic systems as a result of large-scale changes related to temperature, winds and acidification can be predicted "with a high degree of confidence."

At "rapid time scales" of a few years increasing temperatures will have impacts on the physiology of fish due to limited oxygen transport to tissues at higher temperatures. This will result in changes in distributions of both freshwater and marine species, with most marine species ranges being driven toward the poles, expanding the range of warmer-water species and contracting that of colder-water species.

Since most aquatic animals are cold-blooded, their metabolic rates are strongly affected by environmental conditions, especially temperature. Changes in temperature can have significant influences on the reproductive cycles of fish, including the speed at which they reach sexual maturity, the timing of spawning and the size of the eggs they lay.

So in addition to changing where fish are found, there is "high confidence" that climate change will cause changes in abundance as well as in "recruitment," the life cycle processes through which young fish enter the fertile and exploitable adult population as they reach maturity.

Populations at the poleward extents of their ranges will likely increase in abundance with warmer temperatures, whereas populations in more equatorial parts of their range will decline.

For fish farming, temperature increases in temperate zones could exceed the optimal range for many of the organisms that are being cultured today.

Cod in the North Atlantic, for decades a troubled fishery, will likely be hard hit. Temperature-related fluctuations in plankton populations there are already impacting the survival rates of young cod. Cod stocks in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank are at the species' southern-most limit and are particularly vulnerable. Models project that cod survival in the Gulf of Maine will decline. Similarly, simulations suggest that in the Northeast Atlantic increasing temperatures will lead to declines in North Sea cod populations.

Species adapted to cool and narrow temperature conditions, such as Atlantic salmon, "may be extirpated from their present habitats because of the combined impacts of warming, changing habitats, introduced competitors and predators and increased parasitism," the report found.

Antarctic krill have already declined between 38-75% per decade since 1976 probably as a result of the reduction in winter sea ice around the western Antarctic Peninsula. This has significant implications for the Southern Ocean food web, where krill are the primary food for penguins, seals, and whales.

Coral reefs have long been identified as being at particular risk from climate change impacts related to increasing temperatures, acidity, storm intensity and sea levels. They provide habitat for one-quarter of all marine species and are important sources of protein and income for many developing countries.

Some 520 million depend on fisheries and aquaculture as a source of protein and income. For 400 million of the poorest of these, fish provides half or more of their animal protein and dietary minerals.

Many fishing and coastal communities already subsist in precarious and vulnerable conditions because of poverty and rural underdevelopment, with their wellbeing often undermined by overexploitation of fishery resources and degraded ecosystems.

One crucial issue, the report notes, relates to how well such communities will be able to adapt to change. For example, while many African coastal fisheries are not likely to face huge impacts, the region's "adaptive capacity" to respond to climate change is low, rendering communities there highly vulnerable even to minor changes in climate and temperature.

"Urgent adaptation measures are required in response to opportunities and threats to food and livelihood provision due to climatic variations," FAO's report concluded. Source

Dwindling fish catch could leave a billion hungry
UXBRIDGE, Canada, 9 Oct 2009 (IPS/S Leahy) - Fish catches are expected to decline dramatically in the world's tropical regions because of climate change, but may increase in the north, said a new study published Thursday.

This mega-shift in ocean productivity from south to north over the next three to four decades will leave those most reliant on fish for both food and income high and dry.

"The shift is already happening, we've been measuring it for the last 20 years," said Daniel Pauly, a renowned fisheries expert at the University of British Columbia (UBC).

"Major shifts in fish populations will create a host of changes in ocean ecosystems likely resulting in species loss and problems for the people who now catch them," Pauly told IPS.

In the first major study to examine the effects of climate change on ocean fisheries, a team of researchers from UBC and Princeton University discovered that catch potential will fall 40% in the tropics and may increase 30 to 70% in high latitude regions, affecting ocean food supply throughout the world by 2055.

The study, published in the journal Global Change Biology, examined the impacts of rising ocean temperatures, changes in salinity and currents resulting from a warming climate.

"Many tropical island residents rely heavily on the oceans for their daily meals. These new findings suggest there’s a good chance this important food source will be greatly diminished due to climate change," said lead author William Cheung, a researcher at the University of East Anglia in Britain who conducted the study while at UBC.

Countries facing the biggest loss in catch potential include Indonesia, the United States (excluding Alaska and Hawaii), Chile and China.

Pauly told IPS that the recently documented rises in ocean acidity and anoxia levels in many parts of the ocean were not part of this study but will be part of future reports. Nor were the observed changes in plankton production.

"This estimate is conservative," he explained. "We will likely project significant additional reductions in fish catch."

Many oceanographers predict severe loss of coral reefs in coming decades due to rising acidity from emissions of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Corals support about 25-33% of the oceans' living creatures. Some one billion people depend directly and indirectly on reefs for their livelihoods.

"If the poor people in this region cannot eat what they grow or catch or what their neighbour grows or catches, they don't eat," Pauly said. Full story

Groundbreaking treaty on illegal fishing approved
ROME, 25 Nov 2009 -- A new treaty that aims to close fishing ports to ships involved in illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing has been approved by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) governing Conference. Once it enters into force, it will be the first ever legally binding international treaty focused specifically on this problem. It will also be  the only one to enlist so-called "non-flag states" in the fight against IUU fishing, alongside flag states that are primarily responsible for the conduct of vessels flying their flags on the high seas.

The Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing is set to enter into force once 25 countries have ratified it.

The first eleven FAO members—Angola, Brazil, Chile, the European Community, Indonesia, Iceland, Norway, Samoa, Sierra Leone, the United States and Uruguay—signed the treaty immediately following its approval by the Conference.

By signing the treaty, governments commit themselves to prevent, deter and eventually eliminate IUU fishing including by taking steps to guard their ports against vessels engaged in IUU fishing, thereby preventing fish from such vessels from entering international markets.

"This is the most significant international treaty dealing with fisheries since the 1995 UN Fish Stocks Agreement," said Ichiro Nomura, Assistant Director-General of FAO's Fisheries Department.

"It's a milestone achievement—no longer will we solely rely on the ability of fishing nations to monitor behavior by vessels flying their flags on the open waters of the oceans—now countries are committing to taking steps to identify, report and deny entry to offenders at ports where fishing fleets are received. That's a key back-door that will be slammed shut with the new international treaty," he added.

By frustrating responsible management, IUU fishing damages the productivity of fisheries and could lead to their collapse. That's a serious problem for the people who depend on these resources for food and income. Operating without proper authorization, catching protected species, using outlawed types of gear or disregarding catch quotas are among the most common IUU fishing activities.

While there are ways to combat IUU fishing at sea, they are often expensive and for developing countries, they can be difficult to implement, given the large ocean spaces that need to be monitored and the costs of the required technology.

As a result, port state measures are widely viewed as one of the best and most efficient ways to fight IUU fishing.

Key measures that port states signing the treaty will commit to include:

• Foreign fishing vessels wishing to dock will be required to request permission from designated ports ahead of time, transmitting information on their activities and the fish they have on board. This will give authorities an opportunity to spot any red flags in advance.

• Port States will conduct regular inspections of ships according to a common set of standards. Reviews of ship papers, surveys of fishing gear, examining catches and checking a ship's records can often reveal if it has engaged in IUU fishing.

• They also must ensure that ports are adequately equipped and inspectors properly trained.

• When a vessel is denied access, port states must communicate that information publicly and national authorities of the country whose flag the vessel is flying must take follow-up action.

These measures apply to foreign fishing vessels not flying the flag of port states, however countries can apply them to their own fishing fleets as well. Parties to the agreement are obliged to undertake regular monitoring of compliance, with a major review scheduled to occur four years after the Agreement first takes effect. Full story

UN may curtail 400-year-old 'freedom of the seas'
Frank Pope, Ocean Correspondent

10 Dec 2009 (F Pope) -- The 400-year-old freedom of the high seas would be lost under United Nations plans to limit environmental damage.

Military forces of several nations are in discussions with conservationists over pooling surveillance resources to enforce the changes.

The “freedom of the seas” has given mariners legal rights to roam the high seas — a boundary that usually occurs 200 nautical miles from shore — at will. Specialists gathered at a London conference are saying that fishermen have been pushing the concept too far.

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea came into force in 1983 and enshrined the 17th-century concept of the freedom of the seas. But while being on the high seas puts ships outside the jurisdiction of any one country, the small print of the law dictates that nations ensure that no undue damage is caused.

The UN General Assembly voted last week to impose strict regulations on high seas bottom-trawling vessels. Next February a UN working group will meet to discuss establishing Marine Protected Areas on the high seas to create boundaries within which fishing activities are restricted.

National defense agencies are being brought to the table to help to enforce the rules and discussions have taken place between conservationists and the Pentagon over possible synergies in preventing overfishing, piracy and terrorism. A European Green Paper is under consideration that aims to link the maritime surveillance capabilities of member nations, including both military and fishing interests. Full story

FAO targets land tenure
ROME, 27 Oct 2009 (FAO Media Centre) -- The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has begun widespread consultations over the first-ever international guidelines on governance of tenure to land and other natural resources such as water supplies, fisheries and forests.

The consultations and negotiations, responding to requests from the international community and from governments, will take more than a year to complete, the agency said in a news dispatch from its headquarters in Rome, Italy, Tuesday. They will involve governments, the private sector, poor farmers, indigenous groups, local authorities, academia and independent experts and will be led by a secretariat based at FAO headquarters.

“Secure access to land is seen as a key condition to improving food security of some of the world’s poorest people,” said Paul Munro-Faure, the Chief of the Land Tenure and Management Unit at FAO. “FAO is taking the lead in this exercise because secure land access is the best safety-net for the poor, and because good governance of land is a necessary condition for secure land access and land tenure rights.”

Although most FAO member nations have rules to protect farmers and forest dwellers, as well as domestic and foreign investors, from being thrown off their land or having their land seized arbitrarily, laws are often ignored or badly enforced.

“Competition for land and other natural resources is increasing due to population and economic growth, foreign direct investment for large-scale food production, demands for biofuels and urban and industrial expansion,” said Alexander Mü ller, Assistant Director General of FAO's Natural Resources Department.

“A shrinking natural resource base increases competition as land is abandoned because of degradation, climate change and violent conflicts,” he noted, adding, “Without responsible governance, growing demands for land threatens to foster social exclusion as the rich and powerful are able to acquire land and other natural resources at the expense of the poor and vulnerable.”

The work done by FAO and many other international partners has shown that there is a growing and widespread interest in an international instrument to improve governance of tenure of land and other natural resources.The voluntary guidelines are intended to provide practical guidance to states, civil society and the private sector on responsible governance of tenure. Full story

Activists say fish deal hostage to WTO deadlock|
GENEVA, Oct 29 (J Lynn, E Kirschbaum/Reuters) - Proposals to rescue collapsing fish stocks by restricting fisheries subsidies are under threat because of the lack of progress in global trade talks, environmental campaigners said on Thursday.

The talks on fisheries subsidies are part of the World Trade Organization's (WTO) Doha round to reform global commerce rules, which is showing few signs of movement despite an intensive work program agreed by negotiators for the final months of 2009.

"We're very concerned," said Michael Hirshfield, chief scientist at Oceana, a U.S.-based group that campaigns to protect the world's oceans. "We're in a sense hostage to the broader negotiation," he told Reuters while in Geneva to lobby trade negotiators whose talks this week have been focused on fisheries subsidies.

Oceana says that 63% of fish stocks worldwide require rebuilding, while more than 1 billion people depend on fish as a key source of protein.

A 2006 study by the University of British Colombia found that global fisheries subsidies amount to USD30-34 billion a year. Of that total, about USD20 billion increases the capacity of fleets to fish longer, harder and further away.

The WTO fisheries negotiations aim to restrict such subsidies. But countries with large industrial fishing fleets -- such as China, Japan and South Korea -- are reluctant to cut their supports. Many developing nations with subsistence fishermen such as India and African states are also wary. Full story

Healthy oceans key to combating climate change, UN agencies stress
14 Oct 2009 (UN News) – Healthy oceans play a key role in combating climate change, a group of United Nations agencies said today, calling on governments to consider a ‘Blue Carbon’ fund able to invest in the maintenance and rehabilitation of key marine ecosystems.

In a new report released today, the agencies estimate that carbon emissions – equal to half the annual emissions of the global transport sector – are being captured and stored by marine ecosystems such as mangroves, salt marshes and seagrasses.

They add that a combination of reducing deforestation on land as well as restoring the coverage and health of these marine ecosystems could deliver up to 25% of the emissions reductions needed to avoid ‘dangerous’ climate change. If more action is not taken to sustain these vital ecosystems, most may be lost within two decades.

“We already know that marine ecosystems are multi-trillion dollar assets linked to sectors such as tourism, coastal defense, fisheries and water purification services – now it is emerging that they are natural allies against climate change,” said Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

“Indeed this report estimates that halting losses and catalyzing the recovery of marine ecosystems might contribute to offsetting up to seven per cent of current fossil fuel emissions and at a fraction of the costs of technologies to capture and store carbon at power stations,” he added.

At the same time, the report warns that far from maintaining and enhancing these natural carbon sinks, humanity is damaging and degrading them at an accelerating rate. It estimates that up to seven per cent of these ‘blue carbon sinks’ are being lost annually, or seven times the rate of loss of 50 years ago. Full stor

Sustainable development tops UN chief’s priorities for 2010
11 Jan 2010 – United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon outlined seven priorities for 2010, beginning with the urgent need for a renewed focus on sustainable development, including advancing efforts to achieve the globally agreed targets aimed at ending poverty, disease and hunger.

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – as the targets are known – are among the seven “strategic opportunities” to be realized not over decades but within the next twelve months, Ban told the 192-member General Assembly.

“Taken together, they can make the world safer, fairer and more prosperous today and in the future,” he stated. “I ask that we join together to make 2010 a year of sustainable development – to meet the MDGs, address climate change, promote global health and take the necessary steps for lasting and robust economic recovery.”

Ban highlighted the special MDG summit he will be convening in September in conjunction with the Assembly’s annual General Debate. Prior to that, in March, he will present his own assessment to the membership on the gaps and needs on this issue.

Negotiating a binding agreement on climate change, as well as to deliver on commitments made to date, was the second priority emphasized by the Secretary-General. Last month, countries ‘sealed the deal’ on a political accord which seeks to jump-start immediate action on climate change and guide negotiations on long-term action.

It also includes an agreement to working towards curbing global temperature rise to below 2 degrees Celsius, efforts to reduce or limit emissions, and pledges to mobilize USD100 billion a year for developing countries to combat climate change. Ban said he intends to launch a high-level panel on climate change and sustainable development, which will deliver its own recommendations on the way ahead. Full story

Insurance industry can propel transition to ‘green’ economy – UN-backed survey
NEW YORK, 22 Oct 2009 -- Top executives from global insurance companies believe their industry can play a crucial role in speeding up the transition to a ‘green’ economy, according to a new survey backed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

The industry can also support sustainable development, and to ensure its long-term growth, it must integrate environmental, social and governance factors into insurance underwriting guidelines, the survey indicated.

“The insurance industry has long been in the vanguard of understanding and managing risk, and has served as an important early-warning system for society by amplifying risk signals,” said UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner.

It has helped to protect society, shape markets and bolsters economic development through its actions in loss prevention and mitigation, he said.

“And the message is loud and clear: insurers are communicating strong risk signals stemming from a wide range of environmental, social and governance issues, from climate change, biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation and water scarcity, to poverty, emerging man-made health risks, ageing populations, child labour and corruption,” the official added. Full story

UN agency sets out priority steps to realize green economy for 21^st century
NEW YORK, 31 Dec 2009 (UN News) -- The United Nations environmental agency has identified three priority areas in the race to mitigate climate change based on harnessing the benefits of ecosystems, from coral reefs to forests, coupled with non-fossil fuel technology that exploits solar, geo-thermal and wind energy.

“It is now widely recognized that healthy ecosystems from coral reefs and wetlands to mangroves and fertile soils are a key to successfully adapting to climate change,” the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) said in a news release on what it called a rapidly evolving strategy “in response to the needs of Member States and the growing number of requests on how best to realize a low carbon, resource efficient Green Economy for the 21st century.”

Calling the management and maintenance of such systems “a buffer and an insurance policy against extreme weather events and a rapidly changing climate,” UNEP stressed that ecosystems and the services they provide represent serious, multi-trillion dollar economic assets.

It cites a recent UNEP report compiled with scientists that estimates that carbon emissions equal to half the annual emissions of the global transport sector are being captured and stored by marine ecosystems such as mangroves, salt marshes and sea grasses alone.

Based on this, UNEP is helping Member States in demonstration projects such as assisting Iraq in rehabilitating the marshlands of Mesopotamia, supporting Kenya in restoring the Mau forest complex and aiding Mali in reviving Lake Faguibine. Plans are also under way for ecosystem rehabilitation in Haiti. Full story

UN report calls on policymakers to boost investment in ecosystems for higher profits
NEW YORK, 13 Nov 2009 -- Governments that invest in natural resources and ecosystems are likely to yield stronger economic growth and higher rates of return, according to a new United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report released today.

“The economic invisibility of ecosystems and biodiversity is increased by our dominant economic model, which is consumption-led, production-driven, and GDP-measured,” Pavan Sukhdev, who led the study.

“This model is in need of significant reform,” stressed Sukhdev. “The multiple crises we are experiencing – fuel, food, finance, and the economy – serve as reminders of the need for change.”

Underscoring government’s role in providing incentives to shift away economies from short-term opportunism, he said that the right policies “can help us move toward a resource-efficient economy.”

The UN-backed study noted that some countries have begun to make the link and are glimpsing benefits in terms of jobs, livelihoods and economic returns that outstrip those wedded to last century’s economic models. Investment in the protection of Guatemala’s Maya Biosphere Reserve, for example, generates an annual income of almost $50 million a year and created some 7,000 jobs boosting local family earnings.

Part of the Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) project, the report also called for more sophisticated cost-benefit analysis before policy decisions are made, citing a study on the conversion of mangroves into shrimp farms in southern Thailand.

Subsidized commercial shrimp farms can generate returns of around USD1,220 per hectare by clearing mangrove forests, but the losses to local communities linked with wood and non-wood forest products, fisheries and coastal protection services came to over USD12,000 a hectare. The profit to the commercial operators also failed to take into account the costs of rehabilitating the abandoned sites after five years of exploitation which was estimated at over USD9,000 a hectare. Full story

Sharks under threat as environmental change bites hard
17 Nov 2009 -- Their size and fearsome appearance have made them the stuff of nightmares, but new research just published suggests that sharks may not be as tough as they appear.

Using information from two global datasets collected by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and FishBase, the Australian team behind the study has compiled the most comprehensive database yet of information about sharks, rays and chimaeras (a deep-water fish which also has cartilage instead of bones) and the factors that put them at risk of becoming threatened.

Fishing, coastal development and habitat degradation, climate change and pollution have all been identified in the study as the major risk factors for global extinction. The research team also looked at characteristics that might predispose the three groups to becoming threatened, such as their large size, and whether they were fished or considered dangerous to humans.

"We concluded that the largest, most range-restricted and heavily harvested species could easily become threatened," said lead researcher on the project, Dr Iain Field. "Globally, poor management of coastal and high-seas fisheries is one of the greatest threats to shark, ray and chimera populations. Habitat loss and degradation will further erode certain populations to the point where extinction risk rises appreciably, and there are likely to be threat synergies with climate change."

"Chondrichthyans tend to be larger than other fish and large body size generally correlates with slower growth and lower reproductive capacity," Field said. "They tend to grow slowly and have only a few young and yet all this rapid change is happening around them. It's the rapid pace of environmental change and harvesting with the greatest potential to restrict population growth. Those that are coastal dwellers are also likely to have increasing interactions with humans as human populations expand out along the coastline. More people will increase the demand for food and likely lead to further degradation of habitat and marine communities resulting from widespread pollution and human coastal development."

Field said a decline in chondrichthyan populations would have major consequences for the marine ecosystem. "These are large predators that have top-down control of other marine species - their survival and abundance is vital to the health of the entire system. So far there have been no extinctions of sharks, rays and chimaeras, but now is the time to act so that we may conserve and manage these species as a legacy for future generations." Full story

New measures adopted for Atlantic bluefin tuna; other agreements address swordfish, sharks, bigeye and albacore
20 Nov 2009 (FishNews) -- The 2009 meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) concluded on November 15 with new agreements on bluefin tuna and a number of other species.

The United States entered this meeting seeking the strongest possible agreement for the conservation of the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefin tuna. Dr. Rebecca Lent, director of the Office of International Affairs at NOAA's Fisheries Service and the head of the US delegation at ICCAT said, "Negotiations were extremely challenging this year at ICCAT. The United States sought a package of measures for eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefin tuna that would halt overfishing and provide for rebuilding by 2023 with a high probability of success. The science indicates that a total quota level of 8,000 metric tons or lower would have achieved that. While I am pleased with the commitments for significantly lower quotas next year, I am disappointed that parties did not take immediate measures to significantly reduce the quota for the 2010 season."

In addition to the agreement on bluefin, ICCAT adopted a rebuilding program for northern albacore tuna and reduced catch levels for bigeye tuna. ICCAT parties also agreed to prohibit retention of bigeye thresher sharks, which are considered highly vulnerable by scientists.

The quota for North Atlantic swordfish was lowered to 13,700 metric tons to comply with scientific advice. Full story

Bluefin tuna quota cut not enough: environmentalists
SAO PAULO, Brazil, 15 Nov 2009 (AFP) — Environmentalists on Sunday warned bluefin tuna was on its way to extinction after an international meeting of fishery ministry officials trimmed catch quotas but upheld continued hauls of the fish, prized in sushi dishes.

"After meeting for 10 days, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) refused to end fishing for Atlantic bluefin tuna," the Pew Environment Group, a US organization that sat on in the meeting in Recife, Brazil, said in a statement.

"Instead, ICCAT set the catch limit for bluefin, considered the most valuable fish in the sea, at 13,500 tons," it said.

That is down from the 19,950-ton quota originally decided for 2010 in an EU accord with ICCAT in Brussels in April this year.

Ecological outfits warned that bluefin tuna faced disappearance because of overfishing in the Mediterranean and Atlantic, mainly for lucrative markets in Asia, especially Japan.

Yearly quotas set up by ICCAT are systematically exceeded by industrial fleets. That and illegal fishing have caused the population to decline by more than 85% in the eastern Atlantic and by more than 90% in the western Atlantic. Full story

Southern bluefin tuna quota cuts could be “too little, too late”
26 Oct 2009 -- At A meeting last week in South Korea of the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT) delegates agreed to average quota cuts of 20% while the Australian quota was cut by 30%.

However the wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC warned a 20 % cut in Southern Bluefin Tuna catches could still be too little, too late for the species which is on the brink of collapse.

Speaking at the conclusion of the CCSBT meeting in Jeju Island, South Korea, TRAFFIC’s Global Marine Programme Leader Glenn Sant said that even under a best case scenario, the Southern Bluefin Tuna populations would not recover for many years.

“The members agree it is a crisis with the breeding stock being somewhere between 3 and 8% of its original level,” said Sant. “A 20% cut is a step towards resolving the terribly low level of Southern Bluefin tuna tock, with the scientific assessment of the scenario saying there could be recovery, but only after many years.”

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF)<worldwildlife.org>and TRAFFIC had asked for a temporary closure of the fishery, while Australia had requested a 50% cut in catches.

The cut in Australian quota will be particularly painful for the tuna ranching industry based around Port Lincoln in South Australia and comes just before the start of the tuna fishing season. Full story

Tuna ban 'justified' by science
29 Oct 2009 (R Black/BBC News) -- Banning trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna is justified by the extent of their decline, an analysis by scientists advising fisheries regulators suggests.

The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas' (ICCAT) advisers said stocks are probably less than 15% of their original size.

The analysis has delighted conservation groups, which have warned that overfishing risks the species' survival.

The analysis was triggered by Monaco's recent proposal to ban international trade in the Atlantic bluefin under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) - a proposal that has gathered support from several other European countries.

"What's needed to save the stocks is a suspension of fishing activity and a suspension of international commercial trade," said Sergi Tudela, head of fisheries with the environmental group WWF for the Mediterranean region. We must stop mercilessly exploiting this fragile natural resource until stocks show clear signs of rebound and until sustainable management and control measures are firmly put in place."

The body charged with regulating catches of the southern bluefin, a closely related species, has just approved 20% quota cuts across the board. Full story

UN-backed experts propose ban on trading in endangered bluefin tuna
NEW YORK, 14 Dec 2009 (UN News) -- Trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna would be banned and trade in certain types of shark controlled if the recommendations of a United Nations-backed group of independent experts are accepted by the parties to an international treaty on endangered species.

The proposals by the advisory panel of experts convened by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) will be submitted to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) at its 15th Conference in Doha, Qatar, in March.

Following a six-day review, a majority of the 22 experts from 15 countries agreed that the available evidence supported the proposed listing of Atlantic bluefin tuna under CITES Appendix I, which calls for an outright ban on trade, although they failed to reach a consensus.

There was a consensus, however, that available evidence supported including Atlantic bluefin tuna on Appendix II, which entails controlled trading. The experts also determined that sufficient evidence existed to warrant placing the oceanic whitetip shark, Porbeagle, and Scalloped hammerhead shark on Appendix II. Full story

Oceans acidifying rapidly due to carbon dioxide emissions – UN-backed study
NEW YORK, 14 Dec 2009 (UN News) -- The levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere would be much higher if oceans did not absorb the amount they do, but this has lead to their rising acidity levels, according to a new United Nations-backed study issued today.

Approximately one quarter of the emissions resulting from human activities – including deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels – are taken in by oceans.

Without absorption by oceans, atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide would be far higher, amplifying the effects of climate change worldwide. But as a result, the chemical balance of oceans has changed dramatically, with scientists predicting acidification will occur at a rate 100 times faster than any change in acidity experienced in the marine environment over the past 20 million years. The rapid pace has left little time for evolutionary adaptation within biological systems.

“Substantial damage to ocean ecosystems can only be avoided by urgent and rapid reductions in global emissions of carbon dioxide,” said Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.

Some 70% of cold water corals, which serve as a feeding ground for commercial fish species, will be exposed to corrosive waters by 2100, the study found. Full story

Concerns raised over eco-labeling scheme
9 Nov 2009 (F Pope/ ) -- An eco-labeling scheme intended to encourage people to eat fish from sustainable sources is being criticized by conservationists.

The collaboration between the conservation group World Wildlife Fund and Unilever, until recently one of the world’s biggest seafood retailers, now gives its stamp of approval to USD1.5 billion of business every year. There is concern, however, that the scheme’s blue label, which is put on packaging, is being awarded to fisheries whose stocks are not properly managed or where the ecosystem is being damaged.

The scheme was established ten years ago by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), based in London. There are 58 certified fisheries, with a further 114 in the process of being assessed. It is intended to benefit fishermen by ensuring long-term sustainability of their livelihood and boosting the price of their catch.

The source of the New Zealand hoki — a bug-eyed, deep-water fish once used for McDonald’s Filet O’Fish — was one of the first fisheries to be certified in 2001. Stocks promptly crashed and quotas were slashed from 250,000 tons to just 90,000 tons by 2007. While the hoki industry cites the reduced quotas as a sign of pre-emptive good management, conservationists say that they are a sign of underlying problems with the science of how stocks are judged sustainable. Full story

UN chief calls for alliance to protect world’s biodiversity
NEW YORK, 20 Nov 2009 -- As a year-long campaign to safeguard the world’s biological diversity gets underway, United Nations Secretary-General Ban-ki Moon called on countries and people all over the planet to engage in a global alliance to protect life on Earth.

The General Assembly proclaimed 2010 the International Year of Biodiversity to raise awareness of the unprecedented loss of species – at a rate that some experts estimate to be 1,000 times the natural progression – as a result of human activities.

“A wide variety of environmental goods and services that we take for granted are under threat, with profound and damaging consequences for ecosystems, economies and livelihoods,” Ban stated in a message issued yesterday, when initial celebrations – under the slogan “Biodiversity is life, biodiversity is our life” – began.

“In this International Year, we must counter the perception that people are disconnected from our natural environment,” he added. “We must increase understanding of the implications of losing biodiversity. In 2010, I call on every country and each citizen of our planet to engage in a global alliance to protect life on Earth.”

The Secretary-General also called for generating a greater sense of urgency and establishing clear and concrete targets, stating that the failure to protect biodiversity should be a “wake-up call.”

In September 2010, the Assembly will hold a special high-level meeting to give the international community an opportunity to demonstrate much-needed leadership on the issue. That will be followed in October by the Biodiversity Summit to be held in Nagoya, Japan, which will adopt a new strategic plan for implementing the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. Full story

Atlantic bluefin tuna, several shark species, corals reviewed
ROME, 14 Dec 2009 (FAO) -- An advisory panel of independent experts convened by United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has issued recommendations regarding six proposals to limit international trade in a number of commercially exploited aquatic animals under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

The proposals, submitted by various CITES parties, request the Convention to control international trade in certain shark and coral species and to ban international trade in Atlantic bluefin tuna. They will be considered for listing at the 15th Conference of CITES parties (Doha, Qatar, 13-25 March 2010).

The advisory panel consisted of 22 international fishery experts from 15 different countries. It was convened to evaluate the proposals according to criteria established by CITES and to give independent and impartial recommendations based on the experts' knowledge and on the scientific evidence presented in each proposal. This follows a formal process through which FAO channels advice from external fishery scientists to CITES. The CITES Conference of Parties will take the final decision regarding listing of proposed species. Full story

Further debate needed on pros and cons of biofuels – UN report
NEW YORK, 16 Oct 2009 (UN News) -- A new United Nations report calls for a more sophisticated approach to developing biofuels as an energy option to ensure that it benefits society, the economy and the environment as a whole.

According to the report, the first by the UN Environment Programme’s (UNEP) International Panel for Sustainable Resource Management, some biofuels, such as ethanol from sugar cane, can have positive impacts on greenhouse gas emissions.

Ethanol can lead to emissions reductions of more than 70% when substituted for petrol, as is being done currently in Brazil. However, the way in which biofuels are produced matters in determining whether they are leading to more or less greenhouse gas emissions, added the report.

“Biofuels are neither a panacea nor a pariah but like all technologies they represent both opportunities and challenges,” said Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director. “Therefore, a more sophisticated debate is urgently needed, which is what this first report by the Panel is intended to provide. Full story

ADB and WWF discuss major programs to protect the environment
MANILA, 19 Oct 2009 - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) are seeking to strengthen their partnership toward the sustainable management of natural resources in the Asia and Pacific region.

WWF International Director General James Leape visited ADB Headquarters in Manila today to discuss existing programs, as well as explore new collaborations on issues of climate change, natural resource management and use, biodiversity conservation, and water.

During his visit, Leape also talked about the challenges of sustainable development and WWF's response through various partnerships with governments, private sector and other partners.

In 2001, ADB and WWF signed a Memorandum of Agreement to work on the sustainable management of natural resources in the region through joint projects and programs, information sharing and knowledge management, capacity building and the development of sustainable development policies and strategies.

ADB and WWF are currently partnering to support the development and implementation of a number of regional cooperation programs, including the Coral Triangle Initiative, a regional effort by Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste to preserve and manage the region's coastal and marine resources; the Greater Mekong Subregion Core Environment Program, which aims to integrate environmental considerations into economic sectors and cross-border development; and the Heart of Borneo Initiative, which aims to create a network of protected areas and sustainably managed forests in the biologically-diverse areas bordering Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

Under its long-term strategic framework, Strategy 2020, ADB will expand its promotion of, and investment in, sound environmental management. Last year, ADB approved a record 26 environmentally sustainable projects, totaling USD2.6 billion of financing. Full story

Food security in the Pacific at risk due to climate change
ROME, 26 Nov 2009 -- Climate change is projected to impact heavily on agriculture, forestry and fisheries in the Pacific islands, leading to increased food insecurity and malnutrition, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) warned today. The agency urged governments and donors to immediately start implementing robust and action-oriented climate change adaptation plans for all Pacific islands.  

Climate change is expected to act as a "threat multiplier" in a region that is already under severe ecological and economic stress, according to the FAO policy brief Climate Change and Food Security in the Pacific.

Pacific islands will have to face sea levels rise, ocean warming and acidification, changing rainfall patterns, changing sunshine hours and cloud cover, altered ocean and atmospheric circulation patterns and an increased frequency of extreme weather events such as tropical cyclones and droughts.

Many of these impacts could lead to cumulative and adverse effects on agricultural and fishery yields and food security. Land and marine ecosystem degradation, heat stress, soil erosion, salinization and nutrient depletion, the spread of plant pests and diseases, more frequent forest fires, droughts and flooding pose an acute and serious risk to food production.

"Farmers should not be left alone when it comes to climate change," said FAO Assistant Director-General Alexander Müller. "Countries and their development partners need to ensure that farmers receive the best available information on the choice of crop varieties as well as soil and water management options to adapt to climate change," he added.

Those Pacific islands with monoculture crop production will need to assess their food security potential closely, as diversified agricultural systems will fare better under all climate change scenarios. "Integrated systems of crops, trees and possibly livestock offer opportunities for sustainable intensification of food production while creating a more resilient ecosystem," Müller said.

Climate change also seriously threatens the sustainability of the fishing industry and has the potential to undermine food security in a region strongly reliant on fish as a source of protein and income derived from renting the sea to foreign fleets. Subsistence and commercial fishing, particularly of tuna species, are mainstays of many Pacific island economies. Changes in the distribution and abundance of tuna have serious implications for the long-term viability of industrial fisheries and canneries in the western Pacific. Subsistence and commercial fishing will have to diversify production, fish industry infrastructure and distribution patterns in order to adapt to abrupt environmental and industry change. Full story

Scientists call for ocean parks to protect the sea
19 Oct 2009 -- An international team of scientists has called for the creation of marine protected areas (MPAs) in the open oceans to protect the world’s sea life from growing damage and loss caused by overexploitation, pollution and other human impacts.

The open oceans make up 99% of the total region inhabited by life on Earth, yet are currently among our least-protected ecosystems, the researchers say in an opinion article in the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution (TREE). They argue that pelagic ecosystems – the high seas – are in as urgent need of protection as the coastal areas where MPAs have already been declared, or areas that fall within national maritime boundaries.

“Pelagic ecosystems now face a multitude of threats including overfishing, pollution, climate change, eutrophication, mining and species introductions,” the researchers warn. These threats can act together to cause far greater damage to marine food chains, fish stocks and ecosystems.

“Mobile pelagic species also suffer from the cumulative impact of sub-lethal stressors. Chronic exposure to chemical and acoustic pollution from shipping, military activities or oil and gas exploration and exploitation can lead to immuno-suppression and reproductive failure in marine mammals ,” they add.

The high seas provide almost 80 per cent of humanity’s fish supplies, carry out half the photosynthesis (conversion of solar energy to sustain life) that takes place on the planet and, through their ability to absorb CO2, are a dominant influence over the speed and extent of climate change.

“It is clear from declines in many species that there is inadequate protection for pelagic biodiversity and ecosystems,” the researchers from Australia, South Africa and Poland say.

“Fewer protected areas exist in the open ocean than in any other major ecosystem on Earth,” explains Professor Bob Pressey of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, a co-author of the article. “Although there is growing support for the idea of marine protected areas in the open oceans, critics have argued they would be difficult and costly to enforce and manage in the ever-changing ocean environment. However my colleagues and I consider that recent advances in conservation science, oceanography and fisheries science can provide the necessary evidence, tools and information to operate these ‘ocean parks’ for the conservation of marine species that live in the high seas.”

“But, to be frank, we won’t know how difficult it is until we try,” he adds. Full story

New insights into marine ecosystems and fisheries production bared
19 Oct 2009 (ScienceDaily) —US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Norwegian researchers recently completed a comparative analysis of marine ecosystems in the North Atlantic and North Pacific to see what factors support fisheries production, leading to new insights that could improve fishery management plans and the ecosystems.

Known as MENU, for Marine Ecosystems of Norway and the US, the collaborative project involved scientists at the NOAA Fisheries Service’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center and Alaska Fisheries Science Center and colleagues at the Institute of Marine Research in Norway. Results of their analyses, funded by the Norwegian Research Council, were recently published in a special issue of the journal Progress in Oceanography.

“We used some innovative statistical methods and approaches, applying these over different space and time scales to compare multiple ecosystems,” said Jason Link of the Northeast Fisheries Science Center lab in Woods Hole, Mass., who served as a guest editor of the issue and is a co-author of several of the 17 research articles.

"Other comparative ecosystem studies have been conducted, but most have involved applying a single statistical model to multiple systems or multiple models to one ecosystem. MENU is the first attempt to provide a comprehensive, coordinated and integrated view of a wide range of marine ecosystems.”

Researchers involved in MENU and in other comparative analyses found underlying patterns in the ecosystems that would not have been apparent had only one ecosystem been studied. For example, MENU results revealed that deeper eastern ocean boundary systems, like those off Alaska or in the eastern North Atlantic off Europe, are more strongly influenced by bottom-up mechanisms, known as forcing. These would include broad scale oceanographic systems like the Pacific Decadal Oscillation and the El Nino Southern Oscillation.

Shallower western boundary systems, mainly on continental shelves, like Georges Bank and other areas off the east coast of the U.S. and Canada, are more strongly influenced by top-down processes, such as fisheries exploitation. "Both top-down and bottom-up processes occur in all of these ecosystems, but being able to determine their relative importance is difficult," Link said.

The researchers compared marine ecosystems in the northern hemisphere and mostly in high latitudes, ranging from the eastern Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska in the North Pacific to Georges Bank and the Gulf of Maine, North Sea and the Adriatic Sea off Italy. Other ecosystems studied included the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Scotian Shelf, Newfoundland Shelf, Southern New England, Gulf of Finland, and the Baltic Sea. All of these ecosystems support commercially important fisheries.

Fisheries landings in the ecosystems studied appear to have shifted from groundfish to invertebrates, such as squid, shrimp and scallops. In many, the fish community has changed from one dominated by demersal or bottom-dwelling species to one dominated by pelagic or upper water column species. The researchers note that it is unclear if their findings are true of all marine ecosystems, or just those studied. One of the many questions raised by the comparative analyses is whether similar species in different ecosystems react to environmental conditions in similar ways, or whether the local ecosystems override global factors.

Fisheries production varies widely among ecosystems, and is affected by changing natural and human-induced factors such as climate, pollution and fishing effort. With so many factors involved, Link said scientists need to understand the relative importance of each factor in each ecosystem, something that is difficult to achieve but important for an ecosystem approach to fisheries management and conservation. Full story

UN casts Disney’s Tinker Bell to raise environmental awareness among children
NEW YORK, 25 Oct 2009 -- The United Nations named the Disney animated character Tinker Bell an "Honorary Ambassador of Green" to help promote environmental awareness among children.

The announcement came just prior to a screening at UN Headquarters in New York of the world premiere of the Walt Disney animated film, "Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure."

"We're delighted Tinker Bell has agreed to be our Honorary Ambassador of Green," said Kiyo Akasaka, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information. "This beloved animated character can help us inspire kids and their parents to nurture nature and do what they can to take care of the environment."

Protecting the environment is an underlying theme of the Tinker Bell movies, according to the UN Department of Public Information (DPI), which adds that the Walt Disney Company uses its storytelling to inspire a love of nature and spirit of conservation in its audience. Full story

Fashion, cosmetics industries engaged in battle for biodiversity
NEW YORK, 22 Jan 2010 (UN News) -- The United Nations has mobilized the fashion and cosmetics industries in an “eco-fashion” battle to curb the unprecedented loss of the world’s biodiversity, from over-harvesting wild species for their skins or natural fibers to pollution caused by manufacturing processes.

More than 500 prominent figures from government, international organizations and the above industries have been meeting in Geneva over the past two days at the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) ‘Best Use of Nature’ forum to promote ethical action by producers and consumers against the rapid loss of the world’s species as part of the International Year of Biodiversity.

Michel Mane, President of Mane USA, a leading supplier of natural ingredients for perfumes, told participants that biodiversity is a source of creativity and new products for his industry, which is worth billions of dollars annually, and it is vital for supply chains to be transparent so that natural ingredients are responsibly harvested and valuable plants are not exhausted.

Techniques are now being established for the growth of perfume ingredients in developing countries that use both cutting-edge, environmentally benign agricultural practices and provide local employment, he said.

“Changing the way consumers and markets value biodiversity offers an opportunity to maximize the positive and minimize the negative impact on communities, economies and the environment,” UNCTAD said in advance of the conference, citing the case of the Tibetan antelope, which has declined from over 1 million in number in 1900 to 75,000 today because poachers sell the skins for the production of luxury shawls.

It cited as an example of successful sustainable management the export of caiman skins and products by Bolivian communities – over USD1.4 million in sales to Italy, up 282% over 2003, and USD500,000 to the United States, up 364% – under plans ensuring that harvesting does not exceed reproduction rates.

Turning to harmful production practices, it noted that washing wool, separating flax fibres from stalks, tanning leather, bleaching, dying, printing, and finishing consume large amounts of water and energy, use toxic chemicals and produce effluents that can pollute air, water and soil. Tanning is particularly polluting, having one of the highest toxic intensities per unit of output.

By contrast, “eco-fashion” firms adopt approaches that take into account the preservation of the environment. For example, organically grown cotton does not involve the use of pesticides and other chemicals that can cause species damage. Worldwide, cotton now accounts for 11% of pesticides and 25% of all insecticides used each year.

The General Assembly proclaimed 2010 the International Year of Biodiversity in a bid to halt the unprecedented extinction of species due to human activity – at a pace some experts estimate to be 1,000 times more rapid than the natural rate typical of the Earth's long-term history – and multiple events are scheduled throughout the 12 months to produce blueprints for action. Full story

UN report calls for greater research on marine ecosystems beyond territorial waters
NEW YORK, 3 Nov 2009 -- Greater scientific research is essential to better understand the potential impact of activities on marine biodiversity beyond the coastal areas that fall under national jurisdiction as the more remote areas are just as vulnerable, says a new United Nations report.

While most human activities and pressures on marine biodiversity continue to be in coastal areas, more attention is being paid to the vulnerability of species and ecosystems outside these areas, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon writes.

According to the UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, pressures from different types of human activities, such as destructive fishing practices, pollution and human-induced climate change, have resulted in the degradation of marine habitats, the over-exploitation of biological resources and increasing loss of biodiversity.

Marine biodiversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction – which are resources shared by all States – is even more vulnerable to such pressures. Because no single State or individual has any property rights over those resources, notes the Division, access to them is open to everyone with the consequence that there is limited incentive for their conservation or sustainable use.

“It is vital to continue and strengthen efforts aimed at the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction,” Ban states in his report.

He points out that while various efforts have been initiated at the global level to address this issue, knowledge about marine biodiversity, particularly beyond areas of national jurisdiction, remains scarce.

“While there is an increasing demand for scientific knowledge, it has been reported that marine biodiversity is the subject of many fewer research and protection efforts than those carried out for the terrestrial environment. As a result, there is limited understanding of ocean ecosystems beyond areas of national jurisdiction, in particular deep-sea ecosystems, and about the vulnerability, resilience and functioning of the associated marine biodiversity,” he states, adding that sustained marine scientific research activities are therefore essential.

The report also underlines the importance of marine biodiversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction for healthy, functioning marine ecosystems, economic prosperity, global food security and sustainable livelihoods.

Among the factors putting these areas at risk are limited, albeit expanding, knowledge of the richness and resilience of biodiversity in some areas of the oceans; the absence of regular monitoring programs; and limited capacity to implement and enforce relevant instruments.

The report calls for “timely policy guidance” by the General Assembly to ensure the application of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and other relevant instruments with respect to the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction. Full story

World’s faiths can propel search for solution to climate change – UN chief
NEW YORK, 3 Nov 2009 -- The world’s religions have a crucial role to play in the global fight against climate change, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today, characterizing the battle with global warming as a “moral” issue.

With the climate change conference in Copenhagen – where nations are expected to wrap up talks on an ambitious new agreement – just over one month away, “it is a pivotal moment for our world,” Ban said at a gathering of secular and religious leaders at Windsor Castle in London.

‘Green’ growth can enhance efforts to tackle global poverty and improve food, water and energy security, he stressed.

“We can lay a foundation for peace and security for generations to come,” the Secretary-General said at the event, hosted by Prince Philip. “We can define a more sustainable relationship with our planet.”

Because the issue of climate change is inter-generational and moral, “this is why the voices, the deeds and the teachings of the world’s faith groups are so vitally important,” he emphasized.

The potential impact of faith communities, he said, is “enormous” because they have the ability to set an example for the lifestyles of billions of people and reach millions of young people through education.

“You can – and do – inspire people to change,” the Secretary-General said. “Your practical commitments can encourage political leaders to act more courageously in protecting people and the planet.” Full story

NOAA proposal aims to spur cap-and-trade management of fisheries
10 Dec 2009 (A Winter, DF Maron/Greenwire) -- The Obama administration has proposed a national fisheries policy today promotes the use of new cap-and-trade management schemes for federal fisheries.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's proposal encourages regional fishery managers to use "catch shares" in a bid to end overfishing and restore depleted stocks. The plan calls for establishing a support system and laying out federal guidance to expedite efforts by fishery management councils that want to switch to the new management systems.

"Catch shares may not be the best management option for every fishery or sector," the proposal says. "NOAA will not require the use of catch shares in any particular fishery or sector, but it will promote and encourage the careful consideration of catch shares as a means to achieve the conservation, social and economic goals of sustainable fishery management."

Catch-share management regimes are a relatively new approach to managing fish stocks by imposing a strict overall catch limit and dividing that total catch among buyers. In the past year, the journals Science and Nature have published studies that found catch shares can increase the abundance of fish and cut in half the collapse rate for fisheries.

Catch shares -- used by a minority in US fisheries management -- differ from traditional fishery management by giving commercial fishers ownership in the system. Much like the proposed cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gas emissions, the programs allow regulated entities to buy and sell shares. Often, shares are initially allocated based on fishing operations' past catches. Full story. Full draft policy

Oceans could absorb much more CO2
1 Sep 2009 (M Reilly/Discovery News) -- Earth's oceans are vast reservoirs of carbon dioxide (CO2) with the potential to control the pace of global warming.

It all hinges on the fate of marine "snow" -- a constant sprinkle of carbon-rich bits that flutter down from the sea surface to the cold depths below. And according to a new study, the flurries could suck much more of the greenhouse gas out of the atmosphere than previously thought.

Each year, phytoplankton floating in the seas' big blue expanse drink in 10 billion tons of carbon from the air (humans emit about 8 billion tons). Their shells and excretions rain down from the surface, providing a feast for creatures that recycle up to 90 percent of the carbon back into the water as CO2. Only a light dusting lands on the ocean floor.

But small changes in this carbon system have big implications for climate.

Today, most of the recycling happens in the first 210 meters (689 feet) below the ocean surface. According to a new study published in the journal Nature Geoscience, if that depth sank by just 24 meters, it could remove up to 27 parts per million more of CO2 from the atmosphere.

This is because the deeper the snow falls into the ocean without being eaten, the more carbon-rich snow reaches the ocean floor. Once it is eaten, it becomes dissolved CO2, and it's just a matter of a short time (months to years instead of tens of thousands of years for the snow) before it makes its way back into the atmosphere.

"People are going to be scratching their heads and saying, 'Wow, that's really sensitive,'" Ken Buesseler of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Massachusetts, who was not involved in the study said. "That's not very big -- natural variability of that depth is several hundred meters."

By comparison, scientists estimate the ocean helped usher in the most recent ice age tens of thousands of years ago when it drained between 30 and 77 parts per million of CO2 from the air.

That won't happen any time soon. Humans have added well over 100 parts per million of CO2 as well as other greenhouse gases to the atmosphere in the last two centuries, and many scientists predict that ocean warming will raise the depth at which most carbon cycles back into the water. If that happens, the seas will hasten global warming as they spew CO2 back out into the air. Full story

Analysis of fisheries suggests marine ecosystems can recover
5 Nov 2009 -- A recent study provides evidence that efforts to rebuild depleted fish stocks are worthwhile, finding signs of recovery in five major marine ecosystems. Diverse management tools can successfully balance conservation with commercial fishing, allowing fish stocks to recover in overexploited areas, say the authors.

The international team of researchers evaluated the condition of marine fisheries and the effects of fishing in 10 of the world's largest marine communities. They examined the range of fishing rates that could provide high yields while maintaining most species from both a commercial and conservation perspective. In addition, they investigated management programs which were successful in rebuilding marine ecosystems.

The research demonstrated fishing levels had been substantially reduced in five of the 10 ecosystems studied: Iceland, Newfoundland-Labrador, the Northeast US Shelf, the Southeast Australian Self, and the California Current ecosystem. Clear signs of rebuilding were seen in several of these.

The study examined less than a quarter of the global ecosystems used for fisheries, all of which were intensively managed. Of these areas, 63% need to be rebuilt. 14% of assessed stocks had collapsed by 2007, although results varied regionally. For example, few assessed fish stocks had collapsed in the eastern Bering Sea, whereas 60% had collapsed in eastern Canada.

However, progress was highlighted in Kenya: successful management strategies involving cooperation with local communities together with restrictions on damaging fishing gear and the introduction of protected areas has increased fish stocks, the size of fish caught and improved incomes from fishing.

A trade-off between allowable catches under fisheries and conservation of vulnerable or collapsed fish stocks is possible under well-designed management systems. Collapsed stocks can be rebuilt if traditional methods such as catch quotas and community management are combined with strategically placed fishing closures (depending on local conditions), gear restrictions, widespread ocean zoning to separate areas managed for fisheries and for species and habitat conservation.

Rebuilding may take decades and will involve short-term costs, especially reduced yields and the loss of jobs. A global view is needed as those who depend on fisheries in poorer regions may have no alternative food sources and incomes. In addition, developed countries should not shift fishing pressures to less developed areas of the world: strong governance is required to enforce compliance with rebuilding efforts. Local differences between fisheries, ecosystems and governance need to be considered when developing management strategies.

Ideally countries should take action before overexploitation becomes evident. The study found that only Alaska and New Zealand had the foresight to act before that stage was reached. Full story

Deep blue sea experience great for thinking green
10 Nov 2009 (UQ) -- If you want people to care about the environment, give them a close call with a whale, turtle or dolphin. That is what researchers have found at The University of Queensland.

A research team from UQ's School of Tourism, under the leadership of Professor Roy Ballantyne, has been studying the changes people have made in their day to day lives after coming into contact with a marine animal.

The team found up to 7% of people made changes to their environmental behavior after visiting places such as the Mon Repos turtle rookery near Bundaberg, Seaworld or UnderWater World.

They also made the changes after going on a whale watching trip at Hervey Bay or on the Gold Coast.

Senior Research Fellow, Dr Jan Packer, said people became more conscious of disposing of plastic bags, not flushing waste down drains and recycling.

They were still acting on this awareness four months after their visits, Packer said. Those visiting Mon Repos and going whale watching were the most likely to still be thinking green after four months, she said.

"At the sites where the animals are non-captive there was a more powerful response. People felt a sense of privilege being in the animal's own environment,'" she said. "With whale watching, in particular, there was a bonding between the mammals and humans. People reported things like whales looking at them, being curious and approaching them. That had an emotional impact." Full story

Clean algae biofuel project leads world in productivity
4 Nov 2009 (University of Adelaide) -- Australian scientists are achieving the world's best production rates of oil from algae grown in open saline ponds, taking them a step closer to creating commercial quantities of clean biofuel for the future.

A joint USD3.3 million project led by Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia, and involving the University of Adelaide in South Australia, now leads world algae biofuel research after more than 12 months of consistent results at both universities.

"It was previously believed impossible to grow large quantities of algae for biofuel in open ponds consistently and without contamination, but we've proven it can be done," says Project Leader Professor Michael Borowitzka from Murdoch University.

Borowitzka says that due to the project's success, construction of a multi-million dollar pilot plant to test the whole process on a larger scale will now begin in Karratha in the North-West in January and is expected to be operational by July. "We have achieved production rates of 50 tonnes per hectare per year, over half of which is converted to oil. These high production rates are expected to increase at the new pilot plant due to the even better climatic conditions in Karratha."

Borowitzka says the cost of producing biofuel from algae has already dropped from USD12 a kilo to below USD4 in the past year, but the aim is to get it down to less than USD1 a kilo. Full story

Marine reserves can be an effective tool for managing fisheries
ScienceDaily (Dec. 7, 2009) — Studies conducted in California and elsewhere provide support for the use of marine reserves as a tool for managing fisheries and protecting marine habitats, according to biologists at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

A recent study in the Gulf of California, for example, confirmed the validity of a key concept behind marine reserves -- the idea that offspring produced in a protected area can replenish the stocks of harvested species outside the reserve.

"It seems really obvious, but it had never been tested," said Peter Raimondi, professor and chair of ecology and evolutionary biology at UCSC and coauthor of a paper describing the findings in the journal PLoS One. "We created a model to predict the dispersal of larvae outside the reserves, and the results were completely consistent with our predictions," he said.

Raimondi is involved in a collaborative project (called PANGAS) in which researchers are working with Mexican fishing communities to study and manage fisheries in the northern Gulf of California. Local fishermen in the area of Puerto Peñasco set up a network of marine reserves as part of a community-based effort to manage their resources. Ecological and social studies conducted before, during, and after the establishment of those reserves enabled the researchers to track the results.

Raimondi emphasized that resource managers have a wide range of tools at their disposal and must take into account both biological and social factors in choosing the best approach. Many species, such as tuna and squid, move around too much to be protected by setting aside certain areas. For species that tend to stay put, marine protected areas can range from no-take reserves to various levels of limited harvesting, and sometimes involve restrictions on who can harvest fish in an area rather than how much can be taken. Full story

Climate projections underestimate CO2 impact

7 Dec 2009 (USGS) -- The climate may be 30–50% more sensitive to atmospheric carbon dioxide in the long term than previously thought, according to a study published in Nature Geoscience yesterday.

Projections over the next hundreds of years of climate conditions, including global temperatures, may need to be adjusted to reflect this higher sensitivity.

“Climate change is affecting water supplies for cities and farms; leading to more severe droughts, hurricanes, and floods; contributing to more intense forest fires; and putting coastal communities at risk,” said Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. “This study and the ongoing work of our USGS (United States Geological Survey) scientists will help us continue to build more precise long-term projections and to prepare for the impacts of climate change on our world.”

A team of scientists, led by the University of Bristol and including the USGS, studied global temperatures 3.3 to 3 million years ago, finding that the averages were significantly higher than expected from the atmospheric carbon dioxide levels at the time. These underestimates occurred because the long-term sensitivity of the Earth system was not accurately taken into account. In these earlier periods, Earth had more time to adjust to some of the slower impacts of climate change. For example, as the climate warms and ice sheets melt, Earth will absorb more sunlight and continue to warm in the future since less ice is present to reflect the sun.

The USGS provided the reconstruction of environmental conditions during this timeframe, known as the mid-Pliocene warm period. These data allowed the authors to test the Earth system’s sensitivity to atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Global average temperatures during the mid-Pliocene were about 3°C (5.5°F) greater than today and within the range projected for the 21st century by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Therefore it may be one of the closest analogs in helping to understand Earth’s current and future conditions. Full story.

Related

New study finds catch shares improve consistency, not health, of fisheries
WASHINGTON, 21 Dec 2009 (PRNewswire-USNewswire) -- Catch share programs result in more consistent and predictable fisheries but do not necessarily improve ecological conditions, according to a new study published online this week by the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Employed by nations around the world, catch shares -- a management system that divides up and allocates percentages, or shares, of the total allowable catch to individual fishermen or fishing groups -- have generated controversy as to whether they lead to better environmental stewardship than other fisheries management options. The study, funded by the Lenfest Ocean Program, concludes that these programs help to eliminate erratic swings in fishing rates, catch landings and fish population sizes, among other factors, but may not necessarily lead to larger fish populations. This research is the most in-depth and comprehensive study of the ecological impacts of catch share programs in North America.

"Many proponents of catch share programs presume that they improve the health of fisheries, but our research indicates a much different expectation: They work very well to avoid erratic swings. They generally do not lead to more fish to catch," said author Dr. Tim Essington of the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. "Catch shares are one potential method for improving fisheries management, but we shouldn't expect these programs to be a panacea."

Participants in a catch share program may fish for their shares of the fishery at their discretion until their quotas are filled. This management method is often contrasted with a "race-for-fish" management option, where fishermen compete with others in the fishery during a set time frame.

The increase in predictability found to accompany catch share programs may result from greater incentives for fishermen to comply with rules and regulations. The study's findings also suggest that catch share fisheries may have lower rates of discarded fish. Full story

Coordinated conservation works
5 Jan 2010 (EurekAlert!) -- Coordination of conservation efforts across national boundaries could achieve significantly higher results and at less cost than conservation actions planned within individual states, researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and in Australia have found.

Dr. Salit Kark of the Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Science and Dr. Noam Levin of the Department of Geography at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, together with Dr Hedley Grantham and Professor Hugh Possingham from the University of Queensland in Australia, wanted to determine how much more efficient it might be if countries within the Mediterranean basin collaborated their conservation decisions and efforts.

"We wanted to investigate the costs and benefits of international collaboration on biodiversity conservation. We chose the terrestrial Mediterranean basin due to its complexity. On the one hand it is an important global biodiversity hotspot with many endemic and rare species. On the other hand, it holds over 25 countries with 250 million people, and large threats are posed to its unique biodiversity. Currently, conservation efforts are largely uncoordinated across the whole region," said Kark, head of the Hebrew University Biodiversity Research Group.

The study -- featured on the cover of a recent edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences -- found that there could be a USD67-billion savings in costs if conservation efforts of endemic vertebrates were coordinated across all highly threatened Mediterranean ecosystem, compared with an uncoordinated plan. The amount saved is estimated as 45% of the total cost.

A coordinated plan with just the European Union (EU) countries would also lead to substantial savings compared with no coordination across the Mediterranean Basin's countries. Full story

Jellyfish thrive as seas warm, threatening fishing industry worldwide
KOKONOGI, Japan, 27 Nov 2009 (M Carey/AP) -- A blood-orange blob the size of a small refrigerator emerged from the dark waters, its venomous tentacles trapped in a fishing net. Within minutes, hundreds more were being hauled up, a pulsating mass crowding out the catch of mackerel and sea bass. The fishermen leaned into the nets, grunting and grumbling as they tossed the translucent jellyfish back into the bay, giants weighing up to 450 pounds, marine invaders that are putting the men’s livelihoods at risk.

The venom of the Nomura, the world’s largest jellyfish, a creature up to 6 feet in diameter, can ruin a whole day’s catch by tainting or killing fish stung when ensnared with them in the maze of nets here in Wakasa Bay in northwest Japan. “Some fishermen have just stopped fishing,’’ said Taiichiro Hamano, 67. “When you pull in the nets and see jellyfish, you get depressed.’’

This year’s jellyfish swarm is one of the worst he has seen, Hamano said. Once considered a rarity, occurring every 40 years, they are now an almost annual occurrence along several thousand miles of Japanese coast and far beyond Japan.

Scientists believe that climate change, the warming of oceans, has allowed some of the almost 2,000 jellyfish species to expand their ranges, appear earlier in the year, and increase overall numbers.

The gelatinous seaborne creatures are blamed for decimating fishing industries in the Bering and Black seas; forcing the shutdown of seaside power and desalination plants in Japan, the Middle East, and Africa; and terrorizing beachgoers worldwide, the US National Science Foundation says. Full story

Professor studying job satisfaction of coastal fisherman in developing nations
12/01/09 (B Cohen) -- Successful fishermen are adrenaline seekers who look for thrills to find satisfaction, according to Richard Pollnac, chair of the University of Rhode Island's Department of Marine Affairs.

Pollnac recently spoke on National Public Radio about job satisfaction among fishermen in coastal communities, a topic he has been studying in at least 10 different developing countries since the 1970s.

"We looked at the occupational psychology literature and the social psychology literature to see what happened concerning job satisfaction," Pollnac said.

Pollnac and an anthropologist from the University of Amsterdam studied 21 aspects of job satisfaction and conducted various interviews with fishermen to determine what they did or did not like about their jobs.

"When I'm interviewing people, I'm trying to do an assessment of the fishery coastal resources in some of the most isolated, most beautiful beaches in the world," Pollnac said.

Pollnac said that he is most fascinated with the adventures associated with the livelihood of fishermen and the effect they have on their happiness at work.

"There are risks involved in fishing," Pollnac said. "Fishing is one of the most dangerous occupations in terms of number of lives lost. However, if you go out and you talk to a fisherman about what they would do if they could no longer fish, they're usually at a loss to say what. Whenever they do go into [another profession], they're usually unhappy because the thrill of the job is no longer there."

Pollnac said that fishermen have a personality geared toward adventure and excitement that is associated with not knowing the outcome of a day's catch.

"[It has to do with] the thrill of the chase, the idea that you don't know what you're going to catch," Pollnac said.

He has also studied other aspects related to job satisfaction such as the safety of the job and social relationships within the family and community.

Pollnac was inspired to go into this field of work while doing field research for his PhD in Lake Victoria, East Africa. His interest was piqued when he noticed the behavioral differences between the local fishermen and the local farmers of the area. Farmers seemed more laid back, he said, whereas the fishermen seemed more stressed. Using memory experiments to explain the psychological differences between farmers and fishermen, Pollnac gained a better understanding of the way people remember things. He found that due to a high-protein diet, people in fishing communities had an overall better memory than those in farming communities.

"It was the Omega-3 oils in the fish that enhanced brain development," Pollnac said. "These oils are important in the early development of the brain."

One of the projects he is currently working on is a non-economic social impact model, a study that looks at numerous aspects of a person's mental contentment. In conjunction with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fisheries agency, a professor from the University of Washington and a professor from the University of Oregon, Pollnac is looking at impacts on the well-being of fishermen in relation to fishery-management measures.

"Non-economic social impact goes beyond money," Pollnac said. "It’s things like wellbeing, whether or not a person feels they're well off. Of course you have to have a certain amount of money to satisfy your basic needs, but beyond that you then start to have these other needs. Job satisfaction is a big part of that." Source:

Researchers explore use soybeans as alternative to fishmeal
PIKETON, Ohio, 21 Dec 2009 — A new project that links Ohio’s No. 1 fish species with a key field crop could lead to greater sustainability of the state’s aquaculture industry while developing new, local agricultural markets.

Ohio State University researchers with OSU South Centers at Piketon are exploring the feasibility of using soybeans as an alternative to fishmeal, and plan to test the new fishfood product on yellow perch. If successful, soy-based fishmeal and soybean oil would be an answer to declining fishmeal production, said Han-Ping Wang, director of the Ohio Aquaculture Research and Development Integration Program, and the university’s principal investigator.

“The aquaculture industry demands 25% of the global fishmeal supply and 36% of the global fish oil supply, but fishmeal production is decreasing because of the decline of ocean fish used to make the product,” said Wang. “As a result, we see a great potential for us to use soybeans as a replacement due to its high protein content.”

Wang said that currently 54 out of 358 cultured fish species are fed diets containing soybean meal or soy products, and with around 1,000 more fish under evaluation as new aquaculture species, opportunities abound for researching and evaluating soybeans as a viable fish feed. Full story

Fish personality affected by temperature
4 Dec 2009 (D Gaffney/UNSW) -- Coral reef fish can undergo a personality change in warmer water, according to an intriguing new study suggesting that climate change may make some species more aggressive.

Experiments with two species of young damselfish on Australia's Great Barrier Reef have shown for the first time that some reef fish are either consistently timid, or consistently bold, and that these individual differences are even more marked as water temperatures rise. A slight lift of just one or two degrees may have only a small effect on some fish but the behavior of others can be transformed - leading them to become up to 30 times more active and aggressive.

"The idea that fish have personalities may seem surprising at first, but we now know that personality is common in animal populations, and that this phenomenon may have far-reaching implications for understanding how animals respond to ecological and environmental challenges," says Dr Peter Biro, of the UNSW School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, who led the study with colleagues Christa Beckmann and Judy A. Stamps. It is published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

"Our results also suggest that temperature variations are much more significant than we thought in the way they affect the behaviours of individual animals. This needs to be taken into account for scientific studies of other cold-blooded animals, or ectotherms, such as reptiles and amphibians. For instance, individual variations in activity and boldness can affect food acquisition, encounter rates with predators and even the likelihood of an individual being captured by sampling or harvesting gear. We observed that most of the individuals in our experiments were very responsive to changes in temperature, dramatically increasing their levels of activity, boldness and aggressiveness as a function of increases of only a few degrees of temperature. Fish would experience such temperature fluctuations during the course of a normal day." Full story

Crab fabric reduces smells
19 Jan 2010 -- RMIT University researchers are using a natural biopolymer found in crustaceans to create odor-repellent fabrics for use in the automotive industry.

The researchers are studying how specialized fabrics could provide smart solutions for car interiors, resisting odors and staying cleaner for longer. Dr Rajiv Padhye, Discipline Head, Higher Education in the School of Fashion and Textiles, said the researchers were working on various concepts for a number of automotive companies.

“These include automotive fabrics that have anti-odor and antimicrobial properties, and anti-stain fabrics,” Padhye said.

Chitosan a natural biopolymer sourced from the structural element in the exoskeleton of crustaceans such as crabs and shrimps, was selected because of its filmforming ability and antimicrobial attributes. The study found combining chitosan with the fragrance oil produced a durable fragrance finish in the fabric and gave it excellent antimicrobial properties. Full story

EU: Fish production down 10%
1 Dec 2009 --  EU fisheries production fell 10% in the period 2004 to 2007, according to recently published statistics from Eurostat.

The report states that 77% of the aquaculture production was in marine areas, 55% from the Atlantic and 22% from the Mediterranean.

Molluscs accounted for 52% of the total EU aquaculture production in 2007, with 677,318 tons, and fish making up the other 42% with 629,867. The production of crustaceans was 213 tons, and seaweed was 60 tons.

During 2007, the European industry obtained 6.4 million tons of live fish, 11.5% less than in 2004. Of the total, 1.3 million tons were attributed to aquaculture. Full story

EU ready to combat illegal fishing
28 Oct 2009 (di-ve.com) -- The European Commission has adopted rules to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU), which come into force in January 2010. The move comes following the favorable opinion expressed in September by the Committee for Fisheries and Aquaculture.

The IUU Regulation will control all landings and transhipments of third-country fishing vessels in Community ports and all trade of marine fishery products to and from the Union.

"Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing is currently one of the most serious threats to the sustainable exploitation of marine resources. It jeopardizes the marine environment, the sustainability of fish stocks and marine biodiversity. Illegal fishing practices are simply intolerable, and we need to eradicate them inside and outside the EU market. As from 2010, the new controls will help those fishermen that play by the rules and will ensure a better control and enforcement of management and conservation rules," said Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg.

It is estimated that IUU fishing accounts for almost 20% of all marine catches in the world, with a value of approximately 10 billion Euros every year. This makes IUU fishing the second largest producer of fishery products in the world.

Despite having one of the largest fishing fleet in the world, the EU is also the single largest importer of fishery products. It is estimated that the EU imports approximately 500,000 tons of fisheries products every year, worth 14 billion Euros of which 45,000 tons could originate from illegal fishing.

The IUU Regulation and its implementing rules have the ambitious goal to combat illegal fishing by making sure that none of its products end up on the Community market.

To do so, the Regulation sets up a catch certification scheme ensuring the full traceability of all marine fishery products traded from and into the Community. Full story

EU adopts new rules on illegal fishing
2 Nov 2009 -- The European Commission (EC) adopted a regulation establishing the implementing rules to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. This norm had been approved in 2008 by the European Union (EU) ministers. Beginning 2010, the new regulation will control all landings and transshipments of third-countries in Community ports and set up a catch certification scheme to ensure that all marine fishery products are obtained legally.

In addition, it introduces a Community alert system to detect the “most suspect” cases of illegal practices, the vessels involved and any non-cooperating third-party nations in this scope. It also includes a system of sanctions for fishers or operators who commit serious infringements.

According to European Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg, these new norms “will help those fishermen that play by the rules and will ensure a better control and enforcement of management and conservation rules.”

The new norm complements the regulation passed by the EU fisheries ministers some days ago to reinforce controls of fishers and ship owners. Full story

EU forges alliance with NZ and US against illegal fishing
11 Nov 2009 – The European Commission has signed two administrative cooperation agreements with New Zealand and the United States which the Commission claim marks a new step in efforts to prevent, deter and eliminate Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

The Commission said today they have been committed in the fight against IUU fishing for over a decade, but the EU had intensified its actions by adopting the IUU Regulation in September 2008.

The Regulation forms part of the EU fisheries control policy and will come into force on January 1.

The new agreements between the parties recognize that the control systems in place in the two countries equal the level of control laid down in the European Regulation.The agreements, the Commission adds, will also enhance the co-operation in the fight against IUU fishing between the respective authorities. Full story

EU eyes cutting cod fishing by a quarter in 2010
BRUSSELS, 16 Oct 2009 (P Harrison/Reuters) - Europe's overexploited cod fisheries are still at risk and catches must be cut by a quarter next year in all zones except the North Sea where measures have yet to be decided, the European Union executive said on Friday.

Northern cod populations have fallen from 250,000 ton in the 1970s to around 50,000 tons today following decades of overfishing and quota-busting.

"In the case of cod in the North Sea, eastern channel and Skagerrak...things took a turn for the worse in 2008, when a greater proportion of the stock was caught than in any year since 1999," the European Commission said in a statement.

No decision can be made on North Sea cod until the end of talks with Norway, which jointly manages the fishery.

If the plan is approved by European fisheries ministers in December, fishermen in west Scotland would also face a 54 percent cut to their haddock quota and a 25 percent cut to the amount of whiting they can land.

But west Scotland fishermen, who often object to intervention from Brussels, would be able to catch 12 percent more herring. Full story

Coral Triangle highlighted during Copenhagen climate change talks
(USCTI) -- More than 150 participants from 39 countries attended The Oceans Day, held on December 14 in conjunction with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) discussions in Copenhagen, to highlight the direct link between climate change and the health of the oceans.

Representatives from the Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI), Dr. Fadel Muhammad, the Indonesia Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, and Mr. Gordon Darcy Lilo, Solomon Islands Minister of Environment, Conservation and Meteorology, participated on a panel to stress the important role oceans play in global climate change.

“Oceans play a critical role in our lives, and impacts brought about by climate variability and change has become one of the greatest threats to the survival of the Coral Triangle,” Lilo said.

The ministers also presented a joint communiqué on oceans and climate change signed by the six Coral Triangle countries. The communiqué underlined the concern over sea level rise and ocean acidification and called for the inclusion of a marine component within the negotiation. Source

Activists slam business focus at Coral Triangle Summit
1 Nov 2009 (A Ekawati) -- The member countries of the Coral Triangle Initiative will hold their next summit in Manila, the Philippines, on January 18-21. The summit plans, however, have drawn protests from non-governmental organizations, which claim the CTI is too business-orientated, and not focused on protecting coral reefs and coastal dwellers from the impacts of global warming.

The member nations of the CTI are Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and East Timor.

According to the website of the Worldwide Fund for Nature, the will focus on business opportunities for key sectors operating in the Coral Triangle region and how to provide financial support and investment for “green” and “sustainable” businesses.

“By inviting sectors that rely on a healthy marine environment in the Coral Triangle, as well as the tourism, communications and investment sectors, this business summit will contribute to the pursuit of sustainable business development and investment,” Manuel Gerochi, the undersecretary at the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources, was quoted as saying on the WWF Web site.

However, Riza Damanik, secretary general of the Fisheries Justice Coalition (Kiara), expressed his disappointment at the focus of the summit, saying it was just another way of continuing the commercialization of the oceans.

The commercialization process, he continued, threatened the interests of traditional fishermen and communities, and would do nothing to help them respond to climate change.

“Local people will no longer have independence in managing their own areas,” he said, despite the fact that they had proven themselves capable of doing so in a sustainable manner.

Full story

Indian Ocean states set to declare war on illegal fishing
MOMBASA, Kenya, 20 Oct 2009 (G Kihara/Allafrica.com) -- Scientists from 28 countries that border the Indian Ocean are meeting in Mombasa to work out ways of protecting tropical tuna fish whose stocks have been heavily depleted by illegal fishing.

"The main objective of this meeting is to understand better the country status of the tuna species. Technical consultations will advise fisheries administrators of the IOTC (Indian Ocean Tuna Commission) countries as to the actions needed to ensure sustainable exploitation of these species," Fisheries Development minister Paul Otuoma, said.

Commercial harvesting of this highly demanded species has shifted to the Indian Ocean, perhaps the only remaining source with viable stocks, IOTC executive director Alejandro Anganuzzi said.

IOTC is an intergovernmental organization that manages the fishing of tuna, including species such as skipjack, yellowfin and bigeye, across the Indian Ocean and adjacent seas.

The commission has 28 member countries, including Indonesia, India, Malaysia and Australia.

"We shall collect the information, analyze it... and come up with measures to protect the stock," Anganuzzi said, adding that tuna fish was a highly migratory species and any measure to control its harvest should be done jointly with member countries.

The tuna's plight is shared by many marine species being hunted by large, modern fishing fleets that use satellite tracking and sophisticated fishing gear. There are 23 tuna species worldwide which are "fully fished" -- meaning catches should not be increased -- according to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). Four more are "over-exploited" or "depleted," a FAO report said.

Effective controlling of illegal fishing in Indian Ocean waters is very costly, Otuoma noted, adding, “The use of port-state measures as a deterrent and elimination of illegal fishing should be encouraged.”

A new treaty aimed at closing fishing ports to illegal fishing vessels was agreed upon by 91 countries this year. The aim is to block illegally fished stocks from entering international markets -- removing the incentive for fishermen to become involved in the activity.

Full story

ASEAN environment ministers adopt measures against illegal desludging of sea vessels
3 Nov 2009 (DENR) -- Regulatory guidelines to enhance the surveillance of sea tankers that are desludging waste at sea were approved during the 11th ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Ministers Meeting on the Environment in Singapore.

Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Lito Atienza, who attended the meeting, welcomed the move of the ASEAN as it will ensure proper waste disposal at sea. “The guidelines call for a coordinated effort among the 10 ASEAN member countries to track the movement of ship tankers, control their desludging activities, and ensure the proper disposal of sludge at approved facilities to prevent water pollution by sea-going vessels,” Atienza said.

The guidelines provide for mandatory registration, inspection, and certification of ship tankers, desludging contractors, and disposal facilities. Violators faced detention and prosecution. Desludging is the process of removing sediments from a tank.

The environment chief is expected to direct the Environmental Management Bureau to coordinate with the coast guard and maritime authorities to ensure coordinated actions. Full story

Great Barrier Reef taken over by seaweeds?
6 Jan 2010 (ARC COE for Coral Reef Studies) -- A new scientific study has found that seaweeds may have claimed large areas of the coastal shelf of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Part of a global effort to record and understand changes in coral reefs worldwide, the study has found that more than 40% of inshore reefs on the GBR are dominated by seaweeds (macroalgae) – but that the mid-shelf and outer reefs are virtually free of weed.

“The Great Barrier Reef is widely regarded as the world’s most intact large reef system – and that’s the way we aim to keep it,” says Professor Dave Bellwood of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and James Cook University. “As part of that goal, it is important to study what makes up the reef, in order to monitor any changes that may occur and understand what is causing them.”

Worldwide, many scientists consider that a shift from coral-dominated reefs to weed-dominated reefs signals a decline in the health of coral ecosystems – and is exceptionally difficult to reverse. Much therefore depends on keeping coral-dominated reefs in as weed-free a condition as possible, Bellwood suggests.

“We carried out two major censuses in the northern and central regions, sampling reefs close to the shore, in the mid GBR lagoon, and on the outer GBR, in which we swam more than 500 10-meter transects, taking careful note of the reef composition. We got quite a shock when we saw how much of the inner reefs were dominated by weed,” Bellwood – who has dived the GBR for several decades – said.

Seaweed cover was greatest on inner-shelf reefs – around 43% were dominated by weeds – and decreased markedly to around 4% on mid-shelf and outer-shelf reefs in both regions of the GBR.

“Forty-three per cent is a surprisingly big number – but it is their natural state or not? There is a lack of historical data to tell us for sure. It needs close scrutiny to find out,” said Bellwood.

He called on Australians who may have been photographing inshore reefs since the 1950s to provide whatever pictorial evidence they may have of weed and coral cover, provided the photos are clearly dated and the location they were taken is known. This may help scientists establish whether the seaweed is on the increase or not.

“We really need to know whether or not these reefs are changing, and how fast. If anyone has records going back to the 1950s, that would be brilliant,” said Bellwood. Full story

Australian firm on track for a world first in aquaculture
19 Jan 2010 (I Drake/ausfoodnews.com.au ) – Clean Seas Tuna has announced further progress in their bid to become the first company to successfully close the lifecycle of Southern Bluefin Tuna in captivity. The news comes three months after Southern Bluefin Tuna quotas were cut by 23% in Australia.

“Clean Seas Tuna Ltd is pleased to advise its Southern Bluefin Tuna broodstock commenced spawning late last week and larval rearing has commenced,” Managing Director Clifford Ashby said in a statement to the ASX. “It is anticipated that resultant fingerlings will be transferred to sea cages at Arno Bay for commercialization growout trials in March.” Full story

Caribbean coral reefs wiped out by climate change
9 Nov 2009 (D Guitierrez/NaturalNews) -- Global warming is devastating coral reefs in the Caribbean, according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of East Anglia, England and Simon Fraser University in Canada, and published in the journal Biology Letters.

The researchers compared the results of 500 different surveys of 200 different Caribbean reefs, conducted between 1969 and 2008. They found that more complex reefs, including Staghorn Corals and Table Corals larger than one meter, had drastically declined, whereas a flat, rubble-strewn reef type has grown up to dominate the region in their place.

The flatter reefs now account for 75% of Caribbean coral reefs by area, up from a mere 20% in the 1970s.

This drastic transition was begun by disease, which killed off 90% of Staghorn and Elkhorn Corals in the 1970s, researchers said. The biggest change has come in the past decade, however, driven primarily by ocean warming. Rising sea temperatures cause the tiny organisms that build the reefs to abandon their colonies, killing them. Other sources of reef damage are over-fishing and coastal development.

"For many organisms, the complex structure of reefs provides refuge from predators," lead researcher Lorenzo Alvarez-Filip said. "This drastic loss of architectural complexity is clearly driving substantial declines in biodiversity, which will in turn affect coastal fishing communities. The loss of structure also vastly reduces the Caribbean's natural coastal defenses, significantly increasing the risk of coastal erosion and flooding."

While tall reefs cause storm surges to break upon them and lose power, flatter reefs provide significantly less protection to coastal communities. Full story

Peru government urged to kick-start tuna-quota bid process
13 Oct 2009 (A Murias/fis.com) -- The National Fisheries Society (SNP) has called on the Ministry of Production (Produce) to re-launch the bid process for tuna fishing quotas, which has been pending for several months.

“We are hoping that the Ministry reports on this matter; it should already have launched the awarding process, which must be accelerated,” SNP General Manager Richard Inurritegui said.

The idea is to have the quota system take better advantage of tuna in the internal market by extending fishing licenses to domestic vessels within the exclusive economic zone (EEZ), he said.

The tuna bid for a total of 2,195 cubic meters was planned for the end of 2008, but was suspended because of a case filed by a group of fishing vessel owners. Full story

Sri Lanka: Fighting over fish
COLOMBO, 16 Oct 2009 (IRIN) - The seas off Batticaloa in Sri Lanka’s former war-torn east are home to one of the most fertile spawning grounds off Sri Lanka, and fishermen rarely had to travel far for a good catch.

But of late, traditional fishermen who use boats powered by outboard motors or canoes to fish have complained of meager harvests.

"I went out on five consecutive days, and only yesterday did I return with some fish, but only 6kg," said Tamil Chelvam, who operates a boat from Tirivendu beach, just south of Batticaloa.

Locals blame a recent influx of large fishing trawlers into their waters for their dwindling catches. Before the encroachment, a good catch would earn fishermen up to USD174, and a normal catch, about USD85.

But now, after paying helpers and offsetting other expenses, including fuel, the small catches do not leave them with much, they say.

"They have big boats, big nets and they stay out at sea for days," S. Paskaran, who has been a fisherman for more than two decades, told IRIN. "The problem for us is that they catch in shallow waters and deep sea, but we can only go a certain distance."

Sri Lanka's eastern waters were not exploited until 2008, despite being rich fishing grounds. The country's bloody civil war was based on demands by the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for an independent state in the north and east. During the war, the LTTE established its base in the northeast, making the waters off that part of the island out of bounds.

The 26-year conflict ended in May 2009, when government forces defeated the LTTE. However, the rebels were forced out of the east much earlier, in mid-2007, and the waters gradually opened for fishing. Larger boats have been arriving in increasing numbers since the end of the war, say locals.

With Sri Lanka's economy expected to grow by as much as 6 percent next year, officials say they hope to see more development in Batticaloa, and Valaichchenai, a fisheries harbour about 30km north of the town.

"More development like ice factories and harbour facilities means larger boats will come in as time goes on," Domingo George, the assistant district director for fishing for the Batticaloa District, told IRIN.

The Fisheries Department issues permits to boats from outside Batticaloa and George said there were 27 such boats operating out of Valaichchenai. Most now in operation off the harbor were about 9.75m long, George said, adding that larger boats were a boost to the local economy, which had been sapped by years of conflict.

"When the development of the harbor is complete, we will see boats as large as 45ft [13.7m] coming in," he said.

He said larger boats had been barred from shallow water fishing, but most of them employed people from the local community as deck hands and for other work.

The chief minister of the country's Eastern Province, Sivanesathurai Chanthrakanthan, said there had been no public complaints so far of over-fishing by multi-day trawlers. But the problem has the potential to affect hundreds of traditional fishermen living along the coast, and Chanthrakanthan said the government would keep an eye on the situation. Full story

Pakistan: Fisherfolk to launch struggle against deep sea trawlers
KARACHI, Pakistan, 20 Oct 2009 (J. Khaskheli/The News International) -- Fisherfolk from Sindh and Balochistan in Pakistan have decided to initiate a joint struggle against the government-licensed deep sea trawlers that use destructive nets to catch fish, and have sought to apprise the government of the adverse ecological impact of the practices of these trawlers.

This was decided in a meeting between representatives of the Sindh, Balochistan Maheegir Network and Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) on Monday. A 50-member delegation from the Balochistan coastal area, led by Strengthening Participatory Organisation (SPO) Regional Manager Ellahi Bakhsh Baloch, had traveled to Karachi to describe the problems faced by fisherfolk of Gwadar, Jewani, Gadani, Dam, Sonmiani, Pasni, Ormara and other areas.

The Baloch coastal communities claimed that their only source of livelihood, fishing, is under threat because of the unfair policies of the government, and the ill-treatment meted out by the marine agencies. The delegation said that while Balochistan contributes more seafood produce than the rest of the country, and the government earns handsome profits by exporting these fish, but Baloch fisherfolk have been deprived of their basic rights.

The delegation said despite the fact that the Balochistan government had banned the use of destructive nets in their coastal area, trawlers continue to function in their waters and their activities are fast depleting fish stocks in Baloch waters.

PFF spokesperson told the meeting that it is the responsibility of the government to stop these destructive trawlers. He said that government officials had given a free hand to foreign investors, who in turn hire trawlers, purchase huge boats and use giant nets. He agreed with the notion that the use of destructive nets is fast wiping out fishing grounds. Full story

Democratic Republic of Congo: Fish war prompts thousands to flee
KINSHASA, Congo, 5 Nov 2009 (IRIN) -- At least 16,000 civilians have fled deadly clashes in western Democratic Republic of Congo and are now languishing, many without food or shelter, in neighboring Republic of Congo, according to the United Nations and local officials.

"These villagers fled interethnic fighting [in Dungu, Equateur Province] which has already claimed 47 lives and caused many injuries," said Francesca Fontanini, a spokeswoman for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

Equateur's police chief, Col Joly Limengo, told IRIN that clashes had broken out last week between members of the Lobala and Boba communities over access to fishing ponds.

Those who fled are having problems with nutrition, medical supplies and shelter, according to Fontanini, citing the findings of an inter-agency mission made up of officials from UNHCR, other UN agencies, the Interior Ministry and local NGOs.

"Villagers are still crossing [the Ubangi river] to Republic of Congo. By yesterday [4 November], more than 16,000 had done so. Most did not take any provisions at all, or only very few. They are housed in municipal buildings or in the open. There is either no health centre, or insufficient medical supplies where they are," she said.

Officials in Equateur Province said they had initiated dialogue between the warring inhabitants of the villages of Iyele and Muzala. Government spokesman Lambert Mende said there was more to the unrest than an old dispute about fish.

"It's an insurrection. A certain Edo Bokoto, who has been suspended from his post of sector chief, has mobilized about 10 men from his community who wanted to take control of these fish ponds which belong to people from these villages. They started to attack people from outside their community," he said, adding that seven policemen who intervened in the fighting had been killed.

Equateur is the home province of erstwhile rebel leader and former vice-president Jean-Pierre Bemba, now awaiting trial for alleged war crimes at the International Criminal Court. Full story

Taiwan: Fishermen protest re-opening of trawler operations
TAIPEI, Taiwan, 27 Nov 2009 -- The Control Yuan will launch an investigation into the permission of the Council of Agriculture (COA) to allow coastal operations by fishing boats with long and deep tow nets following an appeal by protesting fishermen.

Fishermen from southern Tainan County came to Taipei yesterday to stage a protest at the Control Yuan, the nation's highest watchdog agency supervising the operations of government agencies and public servants. They charged that the re-opening of the giant fishing trawler operations by the Fisheries Agency under the COA has undercut their catch by 50 percent in recent months and is threatening their livelihood.

Tainan County Magistrate Su Huan-chih said the agency has ignored the fishermen's earlier petition and that they are protesting the resumption of trawler operations that tend to round up all marine animals of all sizes in their paths. He urged the central government to take quick action to suspend the operations of such boats with hauling nets in the fishing areas of three to 12 nautical miles from the coastline of Tainan County. Full story

Vietnam seeks to expand system of marine reserves
1 Dec 2009 -- Vietnam is trying to develop its marine reserves from now until 2020 to protect its ecological systems and marine creatures with a high economic and scientific value, boost the marine-based economy and improve the living standards of coastal communities.

A conference on this topic was held in the central coastal city of Nha Trang on November 30 with the participation of 25 delegates from 15 nature reserves. It was organized by the Department of Capture Fisheries and Resources Protection and a Danish-funded project that focuses on creating sustainable livelihood inside and around marine reserves.

Pham Trong Yen, from the Department of Capture Fisheries and Resources Protection, put forward the master plan for Vietnam’s sea reserves over the 2010-20 period. It includes strict protection of 30% of each reserve by 2015. Full story

Temporary closure of Western and Pacific Ocean tuna fishery urged
8 Dec 2009 -- The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) is pressing for a full temporary closure of the purse seine tuna fishery in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) ahead of a key fisheries meeting in Papeete, Tahiti.

“The conservation measures in place right now are not going to get the job done,” ISSF President Susan Jackson said. “A temporary closure of all waters, including archipelagic waters, to purse seine fishing gives stocks a much better shot at a sustainable future.”

ISSF is calling on the Commission to modify CMM 2008-01 to include a complete temporary closure to achieve an average of a 43% reduction in fishing effort on bigeye as recommended by the WCPFC Scientific Committee. While yellowfin in the WCPO is not overfished, the region where 90% of the catch is harvested may not be able to support growth. ISSF backs the Scientific Committee’s recommendation that there be no increase in catch in that area. Full story

Thailand: Fishery exports set to rise 2.2%
23 Dec 2009 -- Thailand's exports of fishery products are expected to generate about USD3.55 billion revenue in 2010, up about 2.2% year-on-year thanks to global recovery.

Exports of processed and fresh shrimp should contribute as much as USD2.3 billion, or about 65% of the total, said the Thai Frozen Food Association (TFFA). The association sees a promising outlook despite hurdles next year such as falling marine stocks and new European Union regulations, said president Panisuan Jamnarnwej.

From 2010, the EU will ban fishery products suspected of originated from illegal, unregulated or unreported (IUU) fishing. Imports will need documents from competent authorities - in Thailand's case, the Fisheries Department - to certify that products are non-IUU.

"Generally, the Thai fishery is a small-scale business and it is quite hard for fishermen to prepare paper documents as required by the EU," he said.

But the issue is likely to have little impact on shrimp, as nearly 90% of Thailand's total production of 520,000 tonnes in 2009 comes from about 32,000 farms, according to the Fisheries Department. Full story

Thai village disappearing as sea levels rise 20m a year
7 Dec 2009 (K Samutchine/AFP) – Around 60 families have already been forced away from the once idyllic fishing community of Khun Samutchine, as the sea that local people rely on for their livelihood advances inland by more than 20m a year.

"I live on somebody else's land, I can't escape the village because I'm too poor,'' Noo Wisuksin, 71, said as she pointed to the spot in the water where her home used to be decades ago.

She is one of 25 million people under threat in Thailand's vast Chao Phraya river delta, which is sinking because of river damming and the clearing of mangrove forests, as climate change pushes up sea levels.

In the past 30 years the sea in Khun Samutchine has swallowed more than one kilometer of land and Noo has moved her house back eight times since to escape the rising tides.

Nearby sits the almost-deserted Khun Samut temple, marooned at sea and accessible only by a concrete walkway. A line of electricity pylons pokes out of the water, stretching out to nowhere.

Upstream damming along the river basins that feed the Gulf of Thailand have prevented sediment from building up, upsetting the balance with the erosive force of the sea. The clearing of slow-growing mangrove forests to set up shrimp and salt farms has hastened the destruction.

Further up the coast, the village of Kok Karm is managing to turn the tide, for now, using cheap traditional materials. Resident Vorapol Dounglomchan came up with a scheme using bamboo poles to create barriers that trap sediment from the seawater and stop silt being washed away.

"The benefit of the bamboo is that we're putting a natural material into nature,'' Narin Boonruam, secretary of the provincial fishermen's association, said. But the bamboo will be of little use if sea levels rise much further.

One recent study published in the scientific journal Nature put the delta in the highest category of risk. "If we don't put in any protection against coastal erosion, more than half of Bangkok province will disappear,'' Panadda Tedsiri, organiser of the Thai Community Foundation, said. Full story

Indonesia: Ministry targets USD2.9 billion fisheries exports in 2010
JAKARTA -- 8 Jan 2010 (The Jakarta Post) -- As demand from traditional export markets is expected to take an upward turn, the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry expects to increase the total export value of fishery products to USD2.9 billion in 2010, up from last year’s USD2.3 billion.

The ministry’s director general of Fisheries Product Processing and Marketing, Martani Huseini, said Thursday the output of the fisheries industry will reach 10.76 million tons this year, up by 700,000 from last year with improvements in both global and domestic demand.

The ministry’s director of foreign marketing Saut P. Hutagalung said the fisheries industry would also benefit from market expansion to non-traditional export market destinations such as to countries in the Middle East and Central Asia.

“We target to increase the export value of fishery products to the two to around $150 million in 2010 from $60 million last year,” he said. Full story

Indonesia: Activists demand eco-friendly laws
JAKARTA, 12 Oct 2009 (I Wardany/The Jakarta Post) -- A group of environmental activists urged the newly installed legislators Saturday to amend laws that are considered environmentally unfriendly.

"I hope the lawmakers can support reviews on various laws that cause environmental damage, such as laws on mining, fisheries and forestry," executive director of the Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi), Berry Nahdian Forqan, told a discussion Saturday. "The government's paradigm so far seems to consider natural resources as a mere commodity that can be used to get short-term benefits economically without thinking of its sustainability and management."

He said that paradigm had caused Indonesia's natural resources to be fully exploited, therefore he expected the new lawmakers to take the initiative to draft environmentally friendly laws. "It is the legislators that will determine the direction of environmental management policies in the future," he said. Full story

Indonesia: Mangroves disappearing fast with global appetite for shrimp
BANDARLAMPUNG, Indonesia, 16 Oct 2009 (O Saroso HN/The Jakarta Post) -- A large area of mangrove forests in Lampung, which acts as a buffer for coastal residents from tidal waves, has been depleted rapidly over the past year, especially in South Lampung, East Lampung and Tanggamus regencies, where only 25% of the original forests remain.

Of the 160,000 hectares of mangrove wetlands that previously covered these regencies, only 20,000 ha remain. A large portion of these has been turned into traditional shrimp farms, many of which are owned privately.

The shrimp farm operators, who generally come from Jakarta, Tangerang and as far away as Central Java, now own land titles, having bought the land from coastal residents.

A number of regency administrations and Lampung provincial administration had initiated a mangrove replanting programs, Hendrawan said. "The central government has even provided funds from the state budget worth billions of rupiah for the purpose, but most of the mangrove seedlings have died because of a lack of maintenance and supervision, such as in Sragi and Ketapang districts in South Lampung.”

Lampung Walhi data shows that of Lampung's mangrove forests converted into large-scale commercial shrimp farms, most were in South Lampung and East Lampung regencies.

Lampung is recognized as a windu shrimp exporter. Each year the province exports between 60,000 and 70,000 tons of shrimp to the United States, Canada, Australia and a number of European and Asian countries. Full story

Indonesia: Climate change worsening disasters, says UN
JAKARTA, 16 Oct 2009 (IRIN) -- Climate change is contributing to more frequent and deadlier natural disasters, and governments need to speed up measures to mitigate their impact, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, John Holmes, warns.

Holmes, in Indonesia for a two-day visit after a deadly 30 September earthquake off West Sumatra, warned there would be more intense typhoons, flooding, droughts and forest fires because of climate change.

"Look at the trend. How many [disasters] there are and how bad they are, not only here but also in Central America, and it's perfectly clear what's happening and that's what scientists said would happen," Holmes, also the UN's Emergency Relief Coordinator, told IRIN in an interview on 15 October.

"To me, that means there's a link between climate change and more frequent disasters," he said.

Given this, governments should be better prepared, and take measures to reduce the impact, he said.

"That means people not living in areas that are flood-[prone]; it means making sure buildings are not in areas that are flood-[prone]," said Holmes.

The Asian region has been hit by several disasters in recent weeks, including devastating floods in the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Nepal, affecting millions.

About 99 percent of those killed by natural disasters were in the Asia Pacific region, said Holmes. Full story

Indonesia: Illegal fishing fleets face stiffer sanctions
19 Jan 2009 (AP Simamora/The Jakarta Post) -- Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Fadel Muhammad has pledged to take sterner measures against foreign-flagged vessels without fishing permits.

Fadel accused a number of foreign-flagged vessels currently operating in Indonesian seas of having no valid fishing permits or falsifying the names on the documents.

“We will check their documents and report directly to the National Police,” Fadel was quoted as saying by news portal tempointeraktif.com on a working visit to Bali on Saturday.

He said his office had received reports of foreign vessels operating without proper documents including in Bali and East Java.

“Their activities disturb traditional fishermen. We need to take action so small-scale local fishermen can continue with their livelihoods,” he said. Full story

Tuna nets USD176,000 dollars in Tokyo New Year auction
TOKYO, 4 Jan 2010 (AFP) — A huge bluefin tuna was sold for USD176,000 in the first auction of the year at a Tokyo fish market on Tuesday, amid growing pressure on Japan to help save the threatened fish.

The 232.6kg (512-pound) bluefin tuna -- caught off Japan's northern region of Aomori -- fetched a winning bid of 16.28 million yen (USD176,000), said an official at the Tsukiji fish market.

It was the second highest such bid yet, after a record 20.02 million yen paid for a bluefin tuna in 2001, the official said.

The fish was bought by a pair of Japanese and Hong Kong sushi restaurant owners who had also made a joint top bid for a bluefin tuna in the first auction of 2009 at Tsukiji, the world's largest fish market. Full story

US: Global FISH Alliance launched
Wednesday, December 09, 2009, 02:40 (GMT + 9)

9 Dec 2009 (N Real/fis.com) -- The US Agency for International Development (USAID) and alliance partners AED and Darden Restaurants announced the launch of the Global FISH Alliance (G-Fish). The new program promotes sustainable fisheries and responsible aquaculture practices.

Darden is the owner of Red Lobster and Olive Garden.

The alliance endorses sustainable fisheries and ecologically friendly aquaculture to enhance the livelihoods, biodiversity and food security of billions of people throughout the world. The spiny lobster in Central America, where the lobster fishery is a major source of income for coastal communities, is the initial target fishery. Full story

Resources 

Coral Triangle Atlas website
The website is an online Geographic Information System (GIS) database that can provide governments, non-governmental organizations and researchers access to spatial data on the Coral Triangle region at a local and regional scale. The CT Atlas regularly collects and consolidates spatial data on marine habitats, biodiversity, physical oceanography, socio-economy and other relevant indicators that will facilitate the management of Marine Protected Areas (MPA) and MPA networks across the Coral Triangle region. The CT Atlas project is a joint effort of the NGOs under the CTSP, in collaboration with IUCN and Worldfish’s ReefBase.

‘Climate One Stop Shop’ website
Climate One-Stop was developed by a group of US and international organizations, including NASA, USAID, the National Science Foundation, the Institute for the Application of Geospatial Technology, the University of Alabama-Huntsville, and CATHALAC2 in Panama, to serve as a "one-stop shop" for the low-down on Earth with a particular emphasis on international development applications.

One-Stop builds on NASA's SERVIR3 program, which has facilities in Central America and East Africa. SERVIR uses satellite imagery and other data to quickly map places where a flood, fire, hurricane, or earthquake has left destruction in its wake and help decision-makers find where aid is needed in a hurry. The SERVIR team also monitors and delivers information to help national leaders make informed decisions and policies for adapting to climate change and environmental threats. In Central America alone, since its debut there in March 2005, SERVIR has addressed over 11 environmental threats and 25 natural disasters.

The One-Stop will help users find SERVIR's many datasets and models. For example, the website includes downscaled models showing average temperature and precipitation and projected climate information for Central America. Full story

FAO fishery and aquaculture statistics 2007
The FAO Yearbook of Fishery and Aquaculture Statistics is a compilation of data on capture production, aquaculture production and commodities. The complete yearbook package for each of these categories - all the key information and statistical tables - is contained on one CD-ROM. An accompanying booklet includes general notes, concepts and classifications, and summary tables as well as a pull-out map of FAO major fishing areas. This issue also includes statistics on apparent fish consumption derived from FAO food balance sheets and notes on the major trends and issues to the individual statistical sets.

Events 

Fishery Dependent Information (FDI) 2010
This international conference for managers, scientists and the fishing sector on the collection and interpretation of traditional and non-traditional information in the context of the ecosystem approach will be held in Galway, Ireland on August 23-26, 2010.

In many regions, the quantity and quality of fisheries dependant data may be insufficient to support information requirements for stock assessment, advice for management or policy-making. Information on wider ecosystem interactions associated with fishing operations is generally imprecise and may be insufficient to properly characterize the ecosystem effects of fishing. Recent technological advances such as VMS, video monitoring and electronic logbooks have provided opportunities for addressing some of these shortcomings. Innovative approaches have also been developed for incorporating artisanal and fishers’ information and socioeconomic data into the advisory process to supplement traditional fishery-dependent data sources. The conference will bring together scientists, managers, policy makers and fishers from developed and developing countries to consider the range of approaches for the collection and interpretation of fishery dependent data, includng the design and implementation of sampling and monitoring programs, and how these data are used in the assessment and management process for marine communities and ecosystems that are impacted by fishing activities. More info

Earth Hour 2010
Earth Hour 2010 will take place Saturday, March 27, at 8:30 pm. Last year, nearly one billion people around the world participated in what is considered the single largest mass action in human history. For ideas on how to participate in this year’s event, go to the Earth Hour