Marine protection plan unveiled in the UK

BBC News 20 Dec 07;

Public consultation has begun on proposals to extend protection for marine life around Britain.

Seven areas, totalling 10,000sq km (4,000sq miles) of sea, have been earmarked as sites for the UK's first offshore Special Areas of Conservation.

They include habitats of important sea life, such as sandbanks, sand volcanoes and cold water coral reefs, found in the seas surrounding the UK.

Currently, only coastal and inshore areas are protected.

The government says areas rich in wildlife further out to sea face a different kind of threat.

Jonathan Shaw, the minister for marine, landscape and rural affairs, said: "The UK has one of the richest marine environments in the world.

"We want to bring conservation standards at sea up to the level of those that we have on land, to give greater protection to sea life.



"I want to see a network of marine protected areas around the UK by 2012, and these seven new proposed offshore areas would be a big part of that."

The sites will be presented to the European Commission in September 2008.

Included sites

The projected conservation areas include the Darwin Mounds, an exceptional cold water coral reef to the north-west of Scotland, and the Scanner and Braemar Pockmarks in the North Sea where methane seeps from the sea floor, sustaining communities of worms and other organisms.

Around 380 organisations will be contacted for their views on these proposals, but comments from any interested parties are welcome.

Charlotte Johnston, the Marine Site and Strategy Team Leader at the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) told BBC News: "We have attempted to include all stakeholders in this consultation, such as sea users, conservation organisations and offshore government departments."

Environmental groups have campaigned for a move like this for more than five years.

Dr Simon Walmsley, head of marine programmes at the conservation group WWF-UK, welcomed the news.

However, he said he was concerned over the time it had taken to make the announcement and urged the government to meet its 2012 deadline.

He also said he was anxious about how the sites had been selected and in particular why areas like Dogger Bank in the North Sea, an important spawning ground for fish and dolphins, had not been recommended for protection.

Ms Johnston said the area had not been included "as more time is required for the science to establish where the site boundary needs to lie".

Level of protection

Dr Walmsley also expressed concern over what level of protection the sites would have.

"Will any become highly protected marine reserves where no level of activity can happen and there is a no-take policy?" he asked.

Protected areas can bring benefits to the fishing industry by creating places where young fish can grow. The UK's only "no-take zone" around the Isle of Lundy has brought local shellfish populations back from their overfished state.

The JNCC decision, to determine if a marine industry activity will be permitted, depends on the features at the site, the level of protection required and the type of activity.

Ms Johnston said: "After an appropriate assessment, if it is likely the development will have significant adverse effects on the habitat then it will not be permitted, except on the grounds of overriding public interest."

Marine bill to 'protect UK seas'
BBC News 15 Mar 07;

The government has launched its long-awaited Marine Bill which aims to protect Britain's seas and marine life.

As well as creating protected areas, ministers plan to improve the regulation of inshore fisheries and ease planning for offshore industry.

Environment groups have generally given the move a guarded welcome.

The bill, a manifesto commitment at the 2005 general election, goes out for consultation with the aim of passing legislation next year.

"Protecting our seas is one of the biggest environmental challenges after climate change, and the two are closely linked," said Environment Secretary David Miliband.

"The proposals in the Marine Bill White Paper are a first for the UK, and would raise planning for the management and protection of our seas to a world-leading level."

'Vital tool'

The bill would create up to eight new Special Areas of Conservation, including features such as the Dogger Bank in the North Sea which are important spawning grounds for fish and dolphins.

Other projected conservation areas include the Darwin Mounds, an exceptional cold coral reef to the north-west of Scotland, and the Scanner and Braemar Pockmarks in the North Sea where methane seeps from the sea floor, sustaining communities of worms and other organisms.

Protected areas can bring benefits to the fishing industry by creating places where young fish can grow. The UK's only "no-take zone" around the Isle of Lundy has brought local shellfish populations back from their overfished state.

Meanwhile, companies wanting to exploit non-protected zones of the sea would find their progress eased.

Environmental groups began campaigning for a bill like this more than five years ago.

They were delighted when Labour included it in its manifesto for the last general election, but dismayed when it did not make the 2006 Queen's Speech.

"There is a lot in the Marine Bill White Paper that we are excited about," said WWF's campaign director Paul King.

"It is a vital tool for restoring our seas to good health, and it is now crucial that the government introduces legislation in the 2007 Queen's Speech if it is to meet its national and international targets on biodiversity and climate change."

Those targets include the commitment, made by every government signed up to the UN biodiversity convention, to halt the global loss of biodiversity by 2010.

On climate change, the renewables industry has been lobbying hard for streamlining of the planning process for offshore wind farms, and the Marine Bill promises to meet that need.

Protection urged for UK sea life
BBC News 16 Jan 07;

Conservation scientists have identified eight "biodiversity hotspots" around Britain's coast which they say ought to be priorities for protection.

The Marine Biological Association (MBA) and WWF want these areas to be given protected status under the government's proposed Marine Bill.

They include areas of importance for fish, mammals, birds and shellfish.

The government says it remains committed to introducing a Marine Bill within this term of Parliament.

Its absence from the Queen's Speech surprised and angered conservation groups. Publication of a white paper could come as early as March.

Special sites

Currently, the UK has 56 Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) which include marine habitat, with a further five under consideration.

Development is restricted in these areas; but WWF believes hotspots need a higher level of protection, as has recently been implemented around the Isle of Lundy, the UK's first "no-take zone" where fishing is banned.

"It's part of our international commitments (on biodiversity), and if the government doesn't now come forward with the bill we will be immensely upset," said WWF's marine policy officer Kate Reeves.

"These are particularly diverse areas, and we want them to be highly protected marine reserves," she told the BBC News website.

With such a range of habitats around the coast, scientists need a way of identifying which ones should be priorities for protection.

The Marine Biological Association and partners have used a complex set of criteria. Broadly speaking, an area is considered special if:

* it includes a high proportion of the global or regional population of a species
* it is home to organisms that do not move
* decline has been identified
* decline is likely
* it is manageable as a coherent unit

They assessed more than 120 sites around the UK, and detailed eight areas which they feel are especially deserving of protection.

These include Plymouth Reefs in the southwest of England, Rathlin Island in Northern Ireland and the Menai Strait in Wales.

All are notable for a huge richness of species. Unst in the Shetlands contains the only British representatives of species that thrive in the Arctic, including some sea urchins and sea cucumbers.

The estuary of the Blackwater in Essex is important for wading birds, yet threatened by human development; while the Dogger Bank in the North Sea is important for the harbour porpoise and as a spawning ground for herring.

The government acknowledged the need for marine protected areas in the consultation which it ran last year on the scheduled Marine Bill.

Protection can have benefits for people as well as nature. The Isle of Lundy no-take zone has led to a significant rise in the number of lobsters, which could provide a boost to the local fishing industry.

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Japan Seen Halting Humpback Whale Hunt - US Envoy

PlanetArk 20 Dec 07;

TOKYO - Japan has apparently agreed not to kill humpback whales during its current Antarctic hunt, the US ambassador to Tokyo said on Wednesday, a move that could help ease criticism of its controversial whaling programme.

Japan's whaling fleet set sail last month with plans to catch more than 1,000 whales, including 50 humpbacks, which are popular among whale-watchers for their distinctive silhouettes and acrobatic leaps, before returning to port early next year.

Humpbacks were hunted to near extinction until the International Whaling Commission ordered their protection in 1966 and the planned hunt had sparked a loud outcry from activists.

"I think we had an agreement ... between the United States and Japan that humpback whales would not be harvested, I think, until maybe the International Whaling Conference in June," US ambassador to Japan Thomas Schieffer told a small group of reporters.

Because of migration patterns, the delay would mean it would be "a while before they are at risk again", Schieffer added.

Australia announced on Wednesday that it would send a fisheries patrol ship to shadow Japan's whaling fleet near Antarctica and gather evidence for a possible international court challenge to halt the yearly hunt.

Separately, Greenpeace sent a ship on Wednesday to try to stop the Japanese fleet hunting whales.

Japan has long resisted pressure to stop what it calls scientific whaling, insisting that whaling is a cherished cultural tradition.

"Japan's whaling is being conducted in line with international treaties and for the purpose of scientific research. We would like to win the understanding of others," a Japanese foreign ministry spokesman said in Tokyo. (Reporting by Linda Sieg; Editing by Alex Richardson)

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Deforestation hits nutrient cycle

BBC News 19 Dec 07;

The benefits of cutting down tropical forests in order to convert the nutrient-rich soil into farmland are only short-lived, scientists suggest.

US researchers studied deforested land in Mexico and found that soil levels of phosphorus, a key nutrient for plants, fell by 44% after three growing cycles.

In the long-term, the land risked becoming so degraded that it would be uneconomic to farm, they added.

The findings appear in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Downward spiral

The researchers from the University of Virginia examined the disruption to the phosphorus (P) cycle in southern Yucatan, where a dry tropical forest had been felled to become farmland.

"After three cultivation-fallow cycles, available soil P declines by 44%, and one-time P inputs from biomass burning decline by 76% from mature forest levels," they wrote.

The team added that the lack of a forest's canopy also resulted in hampering an area's ability to replenish phosphorus levels.

"The decline in new P from atmospheric deposition creates a long-term negative ecosystem balance."

The ongoing decline of the nutrient, which is a key component in the growth of organisms, triggered a "feedback" effect, they explained.

It could affect the growth of plants in the study area, and "may induce a shift to sparser vegetation", they warned.

As well as the area's ecosystem, the researchers added that local farmers were likely to be affected.

"Without financial support to encourage the use of fertilisers, farmers could increase the fallow period, clear new land, or abandon agriculture for off-farm employment," they wrote.

"[The farmers'] response will determine the regional balance between forest loss and forest regrowth."

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Japan to save world's tuna spawning ground by funding Coral Triangle conservation

BIMP-Eaga asks Japan to save world's tuna spawning ground
Sun Star Davao 20 Dec 07;

JAPAN, one of the world's biggest consumer of tuna, is expected to contribute millions of dollars in funding to save and preserve the Coral Triangle, which has been identified by marine scientists as the world's spawning ground for tuna.

Jesus Dureza, presidential adviser on the peace process, said the four countries comprising BIMP-Eaga -- Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines -- agreed during the recent minister's meeting in Singapore to save and preserve this critical marine area along Celebes Sea and Sulu Sea which is the world's richest source of tuna.

The preservation of this so-called Coral Triangle was initiated by presidential daughter Ma. Lourdes "Luli" Arroyo, who works closely with the World Wildlife Fund, (WWF) as an active advocate for marine preservation in this part of the world.

Arroyo said the world's tuna population has been diminishing over the years from over-fishing and time has come for the countries of BIMP-Eaga to join hands in saving the spawning grounds of tuna in the Coral Triangle.

Trade Asst Secretary Merly Cruz who also heads the Senior Ministers meeting urged the four countries to help each other in coming up with plans and programs to preserve the region's Coral Triangle.

The BIMP-Eaga is composed of the entire sultanate of Brunei Darussalam; Irian Jaya, Maluko and the provinces of Kalimantan and Sulawesi in Indonesia, the states of Sabah and Sarawak and the Federal territory of Labuan in Malaysia; and the islands of Mindanao and Palawan in the Philippines covering an area of 1.6 million square kilometers with a total population of 57.5 million people.

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Grow more food in cities, U.N. agency tells Asia

Reuters 19 Dec 07;

GENEVA (Reuters) - Asian nations, many at risk from climate change, must invest more in urban and indoor farming to help feed the hundreds of millions of people in their growing cities, the World Meteorological Organisation said on Wednesday.

Of the 10 countries most affected by extreme weather in 2006, seven were Asian -- Afghanistan, China, India, Indonesia, North Korea, the Philippines and Vietnam, said the WMO, the U.N. agency looking at weather, climate and water problems.

Asia needs secure food supplies for its rising population, and "indoor and urban agriculture is receiving special attention to make most efficient use of space using controlled environments," WMO Secretary-General Michel Jarraud said in a statement after a 3-day meeting in Hanoi on sustainable farming.

Weather problems affecting Asia range from drought in recent years in Afghanistan and other central and southwest Asian countries to floods this year in China and Bangladesh.

The WMO said it was necessary to improve seasonal prediction, early warning systems, and monitoring for regional droughts, to help farmers decide which crops to grow.

Forecasts could also help experts improve their ability to control the spread of pests and diseases.

The agency called on countries to provide the latest information on the impact of climate change on water resources, and assess whether modern or traditional methods of collecting rainwater were best for them.

(Reporting by Jonathan Lynn, editing by Tim Pearce)

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EU cuts cod fishing in Atlantic

Yacine Le Forestier Yahoo News 20 Dec 07;

EU fisheries ministers netted a deal in the early hours of Wednesday to reduce fishing quotas next year although environmentalists warned that the cuts did not go far enough to save stocks.

In marathon talks in Brussels, the ministers agreed to cut cod quotas by between nine and 18 percent in the North Atlantic, the European Union's Portuguese presidency said.

However, the cod cut is lower than the 25 percent the European Commission had been seeking initially and falls short of demands from environmentalists alarmed by dwindling stocks.

Greenpeace marine policy expert Saskia Richartz slammed the deal, which she said "continues a three-decade long trend of ministerial incompetence that is dragging Europe's seas towards a point of no return.

"The fisheries ministers simply cannot be trusted and more than ever Europe's environment ministers need to be included in future negotiations," she added.

The deal also reduces the number of days fisherman can cast their nets at sea by 10 percent but this only covers cod caught in the Atlantic and so excludes the North Sea.

An agreement on an 11 percent increase in cod quotas in the North Sea had already been reached as part of a separate deal with Norway.

Although cod has become considerably rarer in European waters for some years, prompting plans for its protection, recent studies suggest that stocks have begun to recover in some zones.

The cod-loving countries of Britain, France, Ireland, Belgium and Denmark -- the biggest cod fishing nation in the EU -- had seized on evidence of a recovery in hope of minimising the quota cuts.

Some environmentalists argue that fisheries should be closed entirely. Greenpeace protestors on Monday sealed off the entrances to the meeting, erecting a brick wall sprayed with slogans in front of the main entrance.

World Wildlife Fund fisheries expert Carol Phua criticized the ministers' failure to make obligatory measures aimed at protecting young fish.

"2008 will be earmarked as the year when cod had a chance to recover but was jeopardised due to lack of will to put in place clear measures to reduce cod by-catch," she said, referring to the capture of smaller, immature fish.

With European fish stocks under growing pressure, the annual negotiations between fisheries ministers to divvy up the quotas have become a tradition in Brussels, frequently with the haggling dragging on late into the night.

The ministers also agreed to deep cuts in quotas for fish such as blue whiting, herring and plaice.

They decided to keep a ban on anchovy fishing in the Bay of Biscay, which has often been a source of conflict between Spain and France, while waiting for scientists to say whether it should be reopened in July.

Some of Europe's big fishing nations, such as France and Spain, voiced satisfaction with the deal, which in some cases led to quota increases.

"Spain's satisfied," said Spanish Fisheries Minister Elena Espinosa. "Above all the Spanish fleet is satisfied because it can start 2008 keeping its quotas steady and even increasing some."

French Agriculture Minister Michel Barnier stressed that the deal, which won unanimous backing, was a "balanced compromise".

"We are not badly treated compared to some other countries," said one French diplomat.

However, French fishermen were not of the same opinion.

"It's been a bad meeting for France. We haven't been hit this hard for five years," said Pierre-George Dachicourt, president of France's National Fisheries Committee.

EU cod fishing quotas up after stocks improve
Charles Clover, Telegraph 19 Dec 07;

Fishermen will be allowed to catch more cod in the North Sea next year and for the first time will be able to boost their livelihoods by avoiding dumping dead fish over the side, EU ministers have announced.

The annual negotiation on next year's catch quotas ended at dawn with an agreement which partially offsets further cutbacks in fishing effort by drawing the trawlermen themselves into the long-term revival of dwindling stocks of cod.

The deal also delivers the first significant rewards after years of belt-tightening by fishermen - an 11 per cent increase in permitted North Sea cod catches in 2008 to reflect a scientifically-acknowledged upturn in cod numbers but with less time to catch them in.

Elsewhere - off the West of Scotland and in the Irish Sea - fishermen must absorb yet more cod fishing reductions of up to 25 per cent.

And they face reduced "fishing effort" - the number of days at sea - as part of the deal.

Britain and the European Commission insisted that the plan was consistent with scientific advice, despite conservationists' insistence that the increase in quota for the North Sea was far more than the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea recommended for a cod recovery.

The newest element to the deal was the British proposal to allow fishing vessels to "earn" around 12 more days at sea by adopting voluntary measures such as "real time closures" where juvenile fish congregate and separator trawls which allow the catching of haddock but allow cod to escape.

Jonathan Shaw, the fisheries minister said that the deal was a fair one for Britain and made a start at tackling the "immoral" dumping of dead fish back in the sea.

"Today's agreement acknowledges efforts by our fishermen to find new ways to safeguard stocks and to prevent large amounts of the fish they catch having to be thrown back dead into the sea.

"Everyone worked together for a fair deal that has benefits for fishermen throughout the UK."

As well as an 11 per cent rise in the North Sea cod quota, the deal offers a 50 per cent increase in Rockall haddock catches, a five per cent increase in Irish Sea haddock quota and an eight per cent increase in North Sea megrim.

Richard Lochhead, Scottish Fisheries Minister, hailed the deal as a new approach to fisheries conservation.

He said it included a "historic" agreement giving Scotland flexibility to decide how to allocate days at sea - with more for vessels that practised conservation.

He said: "Scotland has blazed a trail for the whole of Europe by adopting sustainable fishing practices."

Helen McLachlan, senior marine policy officer at WWF said: "This is the fishing industry's big chance to show they can deliver on their claims of being able to fish more selectively and sustainably.

"If successful the 2008 measures will give the much needed break that cod needs and help the stock replenish. However if the fishermen fail to implement cod avoidance plans, we will have wasted the only chance at recovery since 1997. The stakes are high - let's hope they can deliver."

Dr Euan Dunn, head of marine policy at the RSPB said: "It is a scandal that the Fisheries Council consistently fails to make tried-and-tested gear selectivity measures - that would assist young cod to escape from nets - mandatory across all Community fleets.

"We still need to make basic conservation measures compulsory for all to deliver a really fair deal for fish stocks and dependent fishing communities."

Willie Mackenzie of Greenpeace said: "The EU's own scientists have said that North Sea cod stocks are in such trouble that the quota must be reduced. And yet, by ignoring the scientists and announcing an increase in this quota, these bungling bureaucrats are displaying breathtaking stupidity.

"Today's announcement is disastrous for the fishing industry. The cod quota could literally lead to fishermen fishing themselves out of a job, because these catch levels could see an end to North Sea cod.

"It's clear that these quota decisions have to be taken out of the hands of fisheries ministers if there is to be any chance of real recovery for Europe's decimated fish stocks."

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Indian authorities say probing mysterious fish deaths

Yahoo News 20 Dec 07;

Pollution authorities in the northeastern Indian state of Assam began Wednesday investigating the mysterious deaths of thousands of fish in the Brahmaputra River, officials said.

More than 1,500 dead fish have been found floating in the river, lifeline of India's northeast this week, fuelling fears that toxic chemicals are being used by fishermen.

Groups of fishermen sometimes use explosives and toxic chemicals to net fish in large quantities, authorities said.

"We have already collected water samples and some dead fish for a thorough investigation and tests," said a state pollution board official, asking not to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the press.

The state forensic science laboratory is examining the fish.

"This is something unnatural and we can be sure only after proper tests," D. J. Hazarika, a scientist at the laboratory said.

Locals in the area said they believed water pollution in the Brahmaputra, not poisoning, was behind the fish deaths.

Authorities have cautioned people against eating the dead fish.

The 2,906-kilometre (1,816-mile) river -- one of the longest in Asia -- traverses Tibet, India and Bangladesh before emptying into the Bay of Bengal.

Dead fish surface on Indian river
Subir Bhaumik, BBC News 19 Dec 07;

Thousands of dead fish have been washed ashore in a river in the north-eastern Indian state of Assam river since early this week.

They were discovered on the banks of the Brahmaputra river in the state capital, Guwahati.

An equal number of sick fish were found in the same place, officials said. They blamed rising pollution levels.

An investigation has been ordered by the Assam government, said C.K.Bhuiyan, senior district official in Guwahati.

'Zero pollution'

Earlier in the year, the Assam Pollution Control Board (APCB) told all the oil refineries in the state to achieve "zero pollution" levels by 31 December, otherwise they would be threatened with closure.

The Guwahati refinery was found to be the worst polluting refinery and was perhaps the only one in Assam not to have yet complied, pollution control board officials said.

"The marine life in the Brahmaputra river has been seriously affected by the pollution caused by these refineries, particularly the Guwahati refinery," said Jawaharlal Dutta, APCB chairman.

He alleged that pollution from these refineries was several hundred times above the permissible limits.

But district officials who are monitoring the development were not ruling out other possible causes.

"It could be a case of poisoning caused by water pollution or may be an outcome of some kind of explosion inside the water to catch fish in large numbers from the river. We are not ruling out either possibility at this moment," Mr Bhuiyan said.

Killing of fish by using explosives and chemical fertilisers or other poisonous substances is not uncommon in Assam, especially during the winter.

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Floods kill 29 in Malaysia, palm oil industry hit

Channel NewsAsia 19 Dec 07;

KUALA LUMPUR - The death toll in Malaysia's floods has risen to 29 with more than 34,000 people evacuated, reports said Wednesday, as forecasters tipped more bad weather in the coming days.

In north-eastern Kelantan state which borders southern Thailand, 14 people were killed while some 8,352 people were forced to flee their homes, the Star newspaper said.

The bursting of a dam in Thailand's Narathiwat province has worsened the situation, it said, and displaced people are being housed and fed in schools and community centres.

The death toll of 29 was up by five from Tuesday.

In Pahang, 11 people died as rescue officials found two bodies floating in the Endau Rompin river. Both men were reported missing after going fishing. At least 22,549 people have been evacuated to relief centres in the state, the Star said.

In southern Johor state neighbouring Singapore, four deaths were reported and 814 were being housed in relief centres.

Meteorological officials expect more rain to pound the north eastern states during the monsoon, a climatic phenomenon that occurs between November and February every year.

Relief authorities are bracing for the high tide phenomenon Friday which is expected to worsen the flood situation in the coastal areas of central Pahang state.

As well as human casualties, the floods have hurt palm oil production, damaged property and cut access to many highways.

"Total production for the year will be lower," said R. Chandran, the former head of the Malaysian Palm Oil Association, citing estimated output for 2007 at 15.7 million tonnes compared to 15.9 million tonnes a year earlier.

- AFP /ls

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Ngee Ann Polytechnic adopts Clementi Woods Park

Channel NewsAsia 19 Dec 07;

SINGAPORE : Ngee Ann Polytechnic has adopted Clementi Woods Park, treating it as a learning park for its students.

Using GPS-enabled PDAs, Horticulture and Landscape Management students can access pop-up information on plants in various parts of the park.

They can also get practical tips on horticultural maintenance such as pruning and planting on their PDAs.

The park is located about 10 mins drive from the Ngee Ann Polytechnic.

The polytechnic plans to buy 70 PDAs for a six-month pilot run starting in January.

Eight teams of students have also showcased their projects on how to revamp the park.

"We are very pleased we can offer an outdoor classroom like this for students at Ngee Ann... They have come up with so many wonderful ideas on how some of these issues can be solved and we ourselves at NParks are looking at how we can adopt some of these ideas for our daily operations," said Ng Lang, CEO, National Parks Board. - CNA /ls

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Australian fishers to stop clowning with Nemo's habitat

Padraic Murphy, The Australian 20 Dec 07

NORTH Queensland commercial aquarium fishers are still able to find Nemo, but now they'll have to leave him alone.

Under a groundbreaking voluntary agreement between commercial operators and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, the sought-after clown fish and anemones will no longer be caught at reefs off Keppel Island, near Rockhampton.

Lyle Squire, a commercial fisher and industry representative whose family has run aquariums in Cairns and fished the reef since the 1960s, said the moratorium was a precautionary measure to allow habitats, affected by coral bleaching, the best chance to recover.

The agreement was reached after several outbreaks of coral bleaching on reefs near Keppel Island reduced the numbers of sea anemones in which the fish lived and threatened the valuable tourist industry.

"We recognise the importance of these fish to the tourism industry," Mr Squire said.

"People come from all over the world to snorkel the Keppels, so we are happy to exercise our stewardship and stop taking clown fish from those reefs."

Although most clown fish sold in aquariums were bred in captivity, their popularity, particularly overseas, meant Queensland's 30 or so commercial aquarium fishers still caught them in the wild.

"There is a real worry that, because of climate change, they will become less common on the reef and that will be a tragedy, not just for us, but for all users of the reef," Mr Squire said.

The agreement to protect wild clown fish has been welcomed by the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries.

"This strategy is an important step towards effective co-management of this small but economically valuable fishery," department spokeswoman Brigid Kerrigan said.

"We will continue to work with the industry to achieve the best outcomes for sustainability and economic productivity."

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority said voluntary agreements between government and commercial operators would help protect the reef from climate change, which some experts say could destroy the reef in decades.

"(This agreement) forms part of a wider strategy to adapt to the effects of climate change," the authority's Bruce Wallner said.

"Such an initiative is probably a world first in addressing this growing problem."

Under the agreement, commercial aquarium fishers will collect data about fish populations and provide the information to state authorities.

Finding Nemo may be hit by climate change
Nick Squires, Telegraph 20 Dec 07;

Finding Nemo may have been a box office hit but encountering the real life counterparts of the film's hero is becoming increasingly hard in the turquoise waters of Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

Clownfish, immortalised by the hit Pixar movie, live amongst the waving tentacles of sea anemones in tropical waters off the coast of Queensland.

But the anemones have been severely affected by coral reef bleaching, a phenomenon linked to climate change.

In an attempt to give the sea anemones and their piscine inhabitants a chance to recover, 30 commercial aquarium collectors in Queensland agreed today to a moratorium on collecting the species.

"There is a real worry that, because of climate change, they will become less common on the reef and that will be a tragedy, not just for us, but for all users of the reef," said commercial diver Lyle Squire, whose family has fished for 40 years.

The voluntary agreement was struck after several outbreaks of coral bleaching near the Keppel Islands reduced the number of sea anemones and clownfish.

"What the collectors have done is put their hand up to voluntarily put a moratorium on the collection of those clownfish, and the anemones they inhabit in that region, in the hope that they will recover naturally," said Mr Squire.

Most clownfish sold in aquariums are bred in captivity but their popularity, particularly since the release of Finding Nemo, means that some are still caught in the wild.

"(This agreement) forms part of a wider strategy to adapt to the effects of climate change," said Bruce Wallner of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.

"Such an initiative is probably a world first in addressing this growing problem."

More than 20m fish are caught globally each year for the aquarium trade, according to the United Nations.

Clownfish head the list of the most traded tropical fish, together with the blue-green damselfish.

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Survey shows more Cook Inlet belugas

Mary Pemberton, Associated Press Yahoo News 18 Dec 07;

The number of beluga whales swimming in Cook Inlet appears to be increasing, but biologist say it's too soon to know whether the winsome white whales are finally making a comeback.

Fisheries biologists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration were quick to caution Tuesday that the increased estimate does not in itself prove that the genetically distinct whales are finally recovering after numbers fell by more than half — a drop blamed largely on overharvesting by Alaska Native subsistence hunters.

"While we are encouraged by this higher estimate, further surveys will be required to determine if this is a reliable upward population trend," said Doug DeMaster, director of the Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Seattle.

Over the years, the numbers gathered in the annual survey have shown a lot of variability, said Rod Hobbs, leader of the beluga whale research project at NOAA's National Marine Mammal Lab, also in Seattle.

Hobbs said the long view shows that this year's estimate of 375 beluga whales is about what it was in 1999.

"They are not that much different," Hobbs said. "We certainly need more survey work before we can be satisfied that they are actually increasing."

The white whales that swim the silty waters near Alaska's largest city are at the center of a debate over whether they should be listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act. The National Marine Fisheries Service determined this year that if nothing changes Cook Inlet belugas are in danger of becoming extinct in the next 100 years.

In 2000, the agency refused to list the whales. A new listing decision is expected in April. The agency is wading through over 100,000 public comments on the issue.

Gov. Sarah Palin already has come out against listing the whales because of the potential for long-term damage to the local economy. Listing also could impact some major projects proposed for Cook Inlet, including the building of a large coal mine across Cook Inlet from Anchorage and the building of a bridge across the Knik Arm.

In June, NOAA biologists flew five surveys of waters in the upper Cook Inlet where the whales tend to be most often and recorded video of the belugas in groups. The biologists came up with the new estimate of 375 whales — up from 302 whales last year — by examining the video and from counts made by researchers.

Researchers used two video cameras for the count. One is set up to zoom in on the center of the pods to capture images of young whales that are dark gray for the first few months after birth and hard to see in the silty water. That information is later used to account for the fraction of young whales likely missed in the overall count.

"The observers were counting more whales and there were more whales to see, either because they are spending more time on the surface or maybe there are more whales," Hobbs said.

An estimated 1,300 belugas swam the waters off Anchorage as recently as the 1980s. Numbers fell by nearly half between 1994 and 1999 when the average yearly subsistence harvest was 77 whales.

Alaska Native hunters, working with the federal government, agreed to cut back dramatically on the harvest to give the whales a chance to recover. Only five belugas have been killed for subsistence in Cook Inlet in the past eight years. No whales were taken this year.

Biologists initially believed that cutting back on the harvest would do the trick. But numbers for much of this decade have remained stagnant.

This year's increased estimate is the largest since 2001 when 386 whales were counted.

While good news, the higher estimate is no reason not to list Cook Inlet belugas, said Brendan Cummings, ocean programs director for the Center for Biological Diversity, which is leading the fight to get the ESA listing.

"The opponents may say this is a reason not to list the beluga ... but the threats to the species have only grown over time with increased industrialization of the inlet and the impacts of climate change," he said.

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Australia sends patrols to shadow Japan whalers

Rob Taylor, Reuters 19 Dec 07;

CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australia will send a fisheries patrol ship to shadow Japan's whaling fleet near Antarctica and gather evidence for a possible international court challenge to halt the yearly slaughter, the government said on Wednesday.

The icebreaker Oceanic Viking, used for customs and fisheries policing, would leave for the Southern Ocean in days to follow the Japanese fleet, Foreign Minister Stephen Smith and Environment Minister Peter Garrett told journalists.

But to avoid a high-seas incident and ease concern in Tokyo, heavy machine guns on the ship and sidearms used by boarding crews would be locked in storage below decks, they said.

Separately, Greenpeace sent a ship on Wednesday to try and stop the Japanese fleet hunting whales.

Japan's whaling fleet plans to hunt 935 minke whales, 50 fin whales and, for the first time in 40 years, 50 humpback whales for research over the Antarctic summer.

Humpbacks were hunted to near extinction until the International Whaling Commission ordered their protection in 1966.

Patrols by a low-flying A319 Airbus jet used by Australian Antarctic scientists would also follow and photograph the Japanese fleet, Foreign Minister Smith said.

"We are dealing here with the slaughter of whales, not scientific research. That's our starting point and our end point," Smith, whose centre-left Labor government won elections last month, partly on a promise of tougher anti-whaling action.

Japan has long resisted pressure to stop scientific whaling, insisting whaling is a cherished cultural tradition. Its fleet has killed 7,000 Antarctic minkes over the last 20 years.

"Japan's whaling is being conducted in line with international treaties and for the purpose of scientific research. We would like to win the understanding of others," a Japanese Foreign Ministry spokesman said in Tokyo.

Smith said photographic and video evidence gathered by the ship and aircraft would be used before any international legal tribunals to "make the point that what we are seeing is not scientific research, but the slaughter of whales."

"If you read Australian lips, you'll say that slaughtering whales is not scientific. It's cruel, it's barbaric and it's unnecessary," Garrett added.

DIPLOMATIC PROTEST

An Australian special envoy would formally convey opposition to the hunt to Tokyo and a separate diplomatic protest by anti-whaling nations was being prepared, Smith said.

The government was also getting legal advice for a case against Japan in international courts including the International Court of Justice in The Hague and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.

"All options are on the table, including utilizing the whaling convention, utilizing the endangered species convention," he said, pointing to the 1973 CITES treaty, drawn up to protect threatened species.

Australian international law specialist Don Rothwell warned earlier this year that armed patrols would breach the 1959 Antarctic Treaty, which deemed Antarctica to be a demilitarized zone, and possibly spark an international incident.

Smith said he did not expect a diplomatic backlash from Tokyo, a major trading partner and security ally, but to ease concerns the patrol ship's crew would keep the weapons below deck during the surveillance, expected to last up to 20 days.

Greenpeace, whose protest vessel left New Zealand on Wednesday to chase the Japanese fleet, said Australia was taking strong action which would encourage other nations to join the campaign against whaling.

"We're going to try to stop it. We'll put our inflatables between the whales and the harpoon," Greenpeace Australia Chief Executive Steve Shallhorn told Reuters.

Australia warns deaths possible if Japan whalers, protesters clash
Yahoo News 19 Dec 07;

Australia urged Wednesday Japanese whalers and environmental activists heading for a showdown in the Southern Ocean to show restraint, warning deaths could occur if anything went wrong.

Announcing that Australia would deploy an unarmed customs ship and a surveillance aircraft to monitor the Japanese hunt, Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said whaling and protest ships needed to exercise caution.

"We are dealing here with an area of water that is thousands of miles away from mainland Australia, if there is an adverse incident on those seas, the capacity for rescue is very low," Smith told reporters.

"The capacity for adverse injury or fatality is very high."

Greenpeace and the militant environmental group Sea Shepherd have each sent a ship to Antarctic waters to try to disrupt Japan's plan to kill more than 1,000 whales, including humpbacks.

Greenpeace has vowed to stage a non-violent campaign but the Sea Shepherd's Paul Watson has threatened in the past to ram his ship, recently renamed the "Steve Irwin", into Japanese whalers.

Smith said the Australian customs vessel "Oceanic Viking" would set off for the killing grounds in the next few days from the Western Australian port of Fremantle.

He said the ship and an A319 jet operated by the Australian Antarctic Division would monitor the whaling fleet's activities to collect evidence for a possible legal challenge to the cull in international courts.

The 105-metre (346-foot) "Oceanic Viking", which has a reinforced hull to cut through ice, is normally fitted with two deck-mounted 0.50 calibre machine guns.

But Smith said the machine guns, as well as the firearms normally carried by the customs boarding crew operating from the vessel, would all be removed and stored below decks while it was monitoring the Japanese whalers.

"It will be surveillance, not enforcement, or intervention," Smith said, adding that customs officials would not attempt to board the whaling ships.

Smith said Australia would lead a formal diplomatic protest to Tokyo over the whaling, which Japan says is carried out for scientific reasons, even though it admits most of the whale meat ends up on dinner plates.

(Editing by Sanjeev Miglani

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