Indonesia: Palm oil environmental issues stressed amid negative campaign fears

Moses Ompusunggu The Jakarta Post 22 Mar 18;

Joining the wave of what the industry has described as a “negative campaign” against palm oil, three documentaries on oil palm plantations have been released and two of them have garnered international recognition.

One documentary, Austrian filmmaker Werner Boote's The Green Lie, was screened at the 68th Berlin International Film Festival, the Berlinale, last month. Part of the film was shot in Muarojambi regency, Jambi, during the forest fires in 2015.

Another one, American-Indonesian Ashram Shahrivar's Sigek Cokelat (Chocolate Bar), was screened at the Colorado Environmental Film Festival in the US and at the London International World Cinema event.

The most recent is the work of renowned documentary filmmaker, Dandhy Laksono's Watchdoc, titled Asimetris. The film was launched this month and has circulated in the country. The three share one thing in common: they set out to explain the palm oil industry’s detrimental effect on the environment.

Their international and nationwide reception appears to be just in time as the world puts the sustainability of the palm oil industry under greater scrutiny. The industry helps in the production of everyday items in our life like soap, cooking oil, cosmetics and chocolate bars, but has long been linked to deforestation in rainforest countries, including Indonesia.

Ashram said he wanted Sigek Cokelat to be an “eye-opening” experience on what was really happening in West Kalimantan palm plantations, referring to the decades-long deforestation that has reduced the habitat of orangutans, while people enjoyed chocolate, the production of which uses palm oil.

The Green Lie address the same issue. "The fact is that [the palm oil industry] has taken over ancestral lands, damaged the environment and has even violated human rights," said Feri Irawan, an environmentalist in Jambi, who appears in The Green Lie, which was nominated for best documentary award in the Berlinale in February.

That kind of criticism has been strongly voiced also by international NGOs, leading to what palm oil producers -- notably Indonesia and Malaysia – have called discriminatory and protectionist policies, such as the European Parliament's approval in January of a bill that will limit the use of palm oil as transportation fuel starting from 2022 and Norway's ban in 2017 on the public procurement and use of palm oil-based biofuel.

The policies could hurt Indonesia's exports, the country's authorities and business players warn. As the world's largest palm oil producer, Indonesia exported 31 million tons of palm oil last year, or 75 percent of Indonesia’s total output, bringing US$22.9 billion in foreign exchange revenue.

"Palm oil is one of primary elements of Indonesia's national interest, notably because it is related to the prosperity of 17 million Indonesian citizens, including smallholder farmers, who directly and indirectly depend on the palm oil industry," the Indonesian Embassy in Brussels said in a statement after the European Parliament's move.

International communities have singled out Indonesian oil palm plantations in the chorus of criticism of environmental aspects of the biofuel industry, Indonesian Palm Oil Producers Association (Gapki) board member Fadhil Hasan said on Thursday.

Fadhil gave an instance of the European Union's stance on Argentina, the world's leading soy exporter and biggest provider of biodiesel made from its derivatives.

"For Argentina, it was the trade aspect that was highlighted. The environmental aspect was not highlighted," said Fadhil.

The EU set duties in November 2013 of 8.8 percent to 20.5 percent for Indonesian biodiesel producers and between 22 percent and 25.7 percent for Argentine biodiesel producers, in both cases to apply for five years.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) upheld Argentina's complaint on the bloc's decision in an appeal ruling in October 2016 and ruled in favor of Indonesia, which also challenged the decision, in January this year.

But there was no punitive action proposed by the European Parliament on Argentina like was announced for Indonesia, Fadhil said, referring to the calls for the banning of palm oil in biofuels in 2021, which was based on environmental concerns.

According to a rating created by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Argentina is among the top 10 countries that destroy their forests the most, and the FAO calculates the loss has amounted in more than 7.5 million hectares since 1990, environmental news organization Mongabay reported in 2016.

Greenpeace’s forest campaign in Argentina, Hernán Giardini, told Mongabay that “the advance of genetically modified soy production since the mid-1990s until now, and the intensive cattle raising in the north” are the main causes of forest loss in the country.

Gapki has stated on its website that when talking about global deforestation, the accusations against palm oil are “over the top”, especially if compared with deforestation resulting from soy plantations and cattle ranching.

Jon Afrizal contributed to this article from Jambi


Indonesia Unfair: Documentary Filmmaker Dandhy Laksono Strives for Impact
Dames Alexander Sinaga Jakarta Globe 22 Mar 18;

Jakarta. Production house WatchdoC released the ninth documentary film in its The Blue Indonesia Expedition project, titled "Asimetris,” on March 13.

The Bekasi-based company is owned and run by journalist-cum-film producer Dandhy Laksono, who said the film is an exposé of the palm oil industry in Indonesia and its impact on the environment.

In 2015, Sumatra and Kalimantan experienced devastating fires, with more than a million hectares of forest destroyed and dozens of people killed.

A prolonged dry season caused by an especially strong El Niño effect had been blamed for the fires, but Dandhy believes clearing lands for monoculture plantations – like palm oil plantation – using fire was the real cause.

"The impact of those fires is far more costly than what the palm oil itself brings back," said Dandhy, who is one of the producers in the new film.

He said the 68 minute-documentary, which was shot by 13 videographers, is trying to tell farmers they should not use their land for monoculture farming, including growing oil palm trees.

"The film also sends a message to governments, policymakers, the military and journalists to look at things from a broader perspective before making policies. They should consider more aspects than just economic growth, foreign exchange and so on. The environmental impact [of monoculture plantations] has cost the country more than it's getting back," Dandhy said.

Documentaries a Game Changer

Dandhy claimed documentary films have already changed the course of journalism in Indonesia.

"Most in the media are too busy covering high-level politics, big narratives about economic growth and infrastructure development and what the president likes to do in his spare time," the 42-year-old told the Jakarta Globe.

He said land conflicts, threats to indigenous societies, natural disasters and other humanitarian issues are often ignored by the nation's press.

Dandhy has produced more than a hundred documentaries and more than 500 TV features on social and environmental issues in Indonesia since 2009.

WatchdoC was founded by Dandhy and his friend Andhy Kurniawan, another ex-journalist.

Dandhy – who has also written two books, "Indonesia for Sale" and "Investigative Journalism" – said the WatchdoC team collects money from their own savings to produce the documentaries.

In 2015, Dandhy partnered with journalist Suparta "Ucok" Arz in The Blue Indonesia Expedition Team, traveling around Indonesia on a motorcycle and making documentaries on environmental and social issues for a full year.

Their adventure caught the attention of the media and went viral on social media.

In 2016, WatchdoC released a documentary called "Jakarta Unfair" about forced evictions carried out by the Jakarta administration in the name of infrastructure development.

Urban activists criticized the evictions, ordered by Jakarta's then governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama's, saying it discriminates against the urban poor.

2016 was an intense year in the capital, as the gubernatorial election turned into one of the most divisive in history. The documentary Jakarta Unfair created controversies, with some saying it was anti-Ahok or anti-Jokowi propaganda and a screening of it was canceled.

"We're not aligned to anyone politically. We did not start from political alliances. We've been here long before Jokowi," Dandhy said, referring to Indonesian President Joko Widodo by his nickname.

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Indonesia: Walhi Reveals 82 Percent of Land Controlled by Corporations

Tempo 23 Mar 18;

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Environmental group Wahana Lingkungan Hidup (Walhi) revealed that 82 percent of Indonesia’s land spaces are controlled by big corporations.

“The current domination by corporations is 82 percent, which is acquired by concessions and permits in the sector of forestry, plantations, and mining,” said Walhi Executive Director Yaya Nur Hidayati on Thursday, March 22.

According to Walhi’s records, the land spaces acquired by corporations in the sector of forestry amounts to 31.7 million hectares and 11.1 million hectares of land space for business use. Meanwhile, 32.7 million hectares are controlled by mining corporations and 83.5 million hectares used for mining in the oil and gas industry.

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The Philippine seas and climate change: Unlocking Blue Carbon Solutions for a cooler planet

VAL BUGNOT GMA Network 22 Mar 18;

It was 2014 when I first set foot in an island community called Nasingin in Bohol province. Nestled just below Banacon island, Nasingin is home to at least 2,400 people. The whole community stretches 1.7km long and I was able to walk around in less than 15 minutes. The ground, made from dirt and coral, disappears twice a day when the high tide comes in.

I visited Nasingin on a research mission to get the locals’ notions on climate change. Constantly battered by fierce typhoons, sea surges, and strong winds, the community knows that nature’s course has changed drastically in the last few years.

Artemio Vergara, chief of the peoples’ organization, eagerly showed me around. It didn’t take long for me to realize that the community lives in poverty—freshwater supply is scarce, livelihood options are limited to fishing, and household heads usually go to neighboring towns in search for jobs and better opportunities.

But despite these conditions, Nasingin has something that they consider a treasure: the 300-ha mangrove forest cover that frames their island, protecting it from harsh winds and the unfriendly sea.

According to Mr. Vergara, the mangrove forest is a result of collective community action.

“I was twelve years old when we started planting mangroves. Local chieftains here consider this as a priority and as years passed by, we were able to grow this mangrove forest,” he narrated.

Touring the forest cover aboard a motorize banca, the community members proudly show the massive mangrove trees that expands well beyond the island’s horizon. These forests have always been there for them, the community members shared.

Nasingin often faces destructive typhoons along with sea surges and strong winds. When disaster strikes, nobody could go fishing. Economic activities are disrupted and most families are forced to go hungry. During these trying times, they turn to their mangroves.

“It has always protected us. The mangroves act as a barrier between us and strong waves. That’s why we’re still here. When we couldn’t go out to fish, we usually find shellfish in the mangroves and that’s enough to help us survive,” Maria Luz Sagarino, a community member and a mother of four shared.

The 300-ha mangrove that cradles the community does not only provide valuable protection against the forces of nature, it is also a lifeline for residents of Nasingin. The forest cover served as a breeding ground and nursery for various species of fish, shellfish, and marine animals—most of which can be viable sources of livelihood and sustenance.

And with climate change increasing the likelihood of extreme weather disturbances, Nasingin’s mangrove forest will prove to be a valuable resource not only to the community but to its neighboring towns as well.

Nasingin is just one of the communities in the Philippines that greatly benefits from its mangrove ecosystem. Across the country, these marine reserves present viable blue carbon solutions to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change.

The Philippines as a Frontrunner for Blue Carbon Solutions

The Philippines, as an archipelagic country, hosts a significant portion of the world’s mangrove stocks. According to this report by PEMSEA, the East Asian region alone accounts for four million ha of mangroves—roughly 30 percent of the global total. The country has the third largest mangrove ecosystem at 0.26Mha, after Indonesia’s 2.71Mha and Malaysia’s 0.56MHa.

These mangrove cover are extremely important in addressing climate change. In a research conducted by the Nature Conservancy and IHCantabria for the WAVES program of World Bank, it was found out that mangroves helped reduced flooding for 613,000 people annually, 23 percent of whom are living below the poverty line. Mangroves are also responsible for saving as much as US $1 billion in residential and industrial property damages. If mangrove forest cover can be reverted back to their 1950s level, added benefits will be felt by 267,000 people, 61,000 of which are living in extreme poverty condition.

On top of these, mangroves are efficient in sequestering CO2 from the atmosphere. The PEMSEA report underscored that East Asia’s mangrove stocks hold 8.8 billion tons of CO2 and collectively, these mangrove ecosystems sequester 22.4 MMt CO2 from the atmosphere.

In terms of adaptation, mangroves protect coastlines and its communities by absorbing wave energy, providing protection from storm surge, and preventing coastal soil erosion. In some cases, mangroves can also double as seawalls, protecting communities from sea level rise.

Mangroves are part of coastal blue carbon ecosystems—an umbrella term used to describe mangroves, tidal marshes, and seagrass meadows that can sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store these for hundreds of years. These ecosystems, aside from sequestering carbon, provide rich breeding grounds for fish stocks, contribute to the filtration of sediment, and ensure the protection of coral reefs from erosion and flooding.

It is essential to unlock blue carbon solutions to help cool down the planet. Experts agree that for humanity to survive, global temperature levels should not increase by more than 2°C. As such, a 1.5-degree increase in global temperature still brings in catastrophic events: more frequent extreme weather disturbances, sea level rise, stronger and longer spells of drought and El Niño, and the extinction of flora and fauna. Mangrove ecosystems, with its proven capacity for carbon sequestration, can be leveraged in a way that strongly supports a country’s achievement of its NDC towards meeting this global goal.

The Philippines, as one of the countries that ratified the Paris Agreement in 2016, has identified the potential of blue carbon solutions in climate change adaptation and mitigation. In fact, the country is one of the five countries that explicitly used this term in its Nationally Intended Contribution (NDC).

In its NDC, the Philippines agreed to “about 70 percent of emission reductions by 2030 relative the business-as-usual (BAU) scenario.” To achieve this, the country highlighted the role that marine ecosystems play, citing blue carbon potentials.

The Threat to Blue Carbon Solutions

Despite their valuable contribution to climate change mitigation, coastal ecosystems around the world are threatened by anthropogenic activities, with over 800,000 hectares destroyed per year. When these ecosystems are destroyed, they release enormous amounts of CO2 in the atmosphere, further contributing to the rise of Earth’s temperature.

According to this policy brief by Nature Conservancy, if half of the annual loss in coastal ecosystems are addressed, it will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 0.23 GT per year—an amount equivalent to the 2013 emissions of Spain. Further, if wetlands are to be restored to their 1990 cover, potential carbon sequestration can amount to 160Mt CO2 per year—enough to offset 77.4 million tonnes of coal burned. In terms of protecting communities against climate-related disasters, the paper posits that 100 meters of mangroves are enough to reduce wave height by as much as 66 percent.

Local Communities, Blue Carbon Solutions towards a Cooler Planet

The 2020 deadline for limiting global temperature increase to 1.5°C is fast approaching and there is a need to act now. The Philippines is strategically endowed with massive assets towards blue carbon solutions.

Measures should be in place to ensure that local communities take the center stage in managing and protecting their resources. In the case of Nasingin, the community is awarded a certificate of stewardship from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and granting them the authority to plant, manage, and protect their mangrove forest. The agency and the community also entered into a Community-Based Forestry Management (CBFM) contract to ensure that the community will always have the agency and power over their resources.

Aside from safeguarding the rights of local communities, it is also imperative to establish an incentive mechanism for those who are heavily dependent on mangrove ecosystems. In Banacon Island, a larger neighboring island of Nasingin, experts estimated that the 40-year mangrove plantation can store as much as 370.7 tons of carbon per hectare. This capacity can pave the way for incentive programs to further stimulate the community’s buy in and provide an economic benefit for their resource management efforts.

Communities should always be in the spotlight in scaling up blue carbon solutions. Technical assistance through capacity building and livelihood programs should be made available to them. As such, the government, together with the academe, should identify and value indigenous approaches to blue carbon solutions and develop these for replication.

Collaboration amongst local government play a key part in scaling up blue carbon solutions as well. A good example for this is the enforcement of the Verde Island Passage Marine Protected Area Network; a 1.14-million hectare marine ecosystem formed by the waters of Romblon, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, and Batangas. The network aims to strengthen enforcement of marine protection laws to ensure the protection of the “center of the center of marine biodiversity.”

Lying in the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Philippines is constantly battered by nature’s forces. Climate change continues to threaten the country’s vulnerability and proves to be a multiplier in the social pressures that it is currently experiencing. However, the Philippines has a lot of solutions under its belt—blue carbon solutions being one of these. Addressing climate change lies on ensuring the wellbeing of our people and making sure that they have the capacity to survive and thrive in these trying times. — LA, GMA News

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'Great Pacific garbage patch' sprawling with far more debris than thought

The patch of detritus is more than twice the size of France and is up to 16 times larger than previously estimated
Oliver Milman The Guardian 22 Mar 18;

An enormous area of rubbish floating in the Pacific Ocean is teeming with far more debris than previously thought, heightening alarm that the world’s oceans are being increasingly choked by trillions of pieces of plastic.

The sprawling patch of detritus – spanning 1.6m sq km, (617,763 sq miles) more than twice the size of France – contains at least 79,000 tons of plastic, new research published in Nature has found. This mass of waste is up to 16 times larger than previous estimates and provides a sobering challenge to a team that will start an ambitious attempt to clean up the vast swath of the Pacific this summer.

The analysis, conducted by boat and air surveys taken over two years, found that pollution in the so-called Great Pacific garbage patch is almost exclusively plastic and is “increasing exponentially”. Microplastics, measuring less than 0.5cm (0.2in), make up the bulk of the estimated 1.8tn pieces floating in the garbage patch, which is kept in rough formation by a swirling ocean gyre.

While tiny fragments of plastic are the most numerous, nearly half of the weight of rubbish is composed of discarded fishing nets. Other items spotted in the stew of plastic include bottles, plates, buoys, ropes and even a toilet seat.

“I’ve been doing this research for a while, but it was depressing to see,” said Laurent Lebreton, an oceanographer and lead author of the study. Lebreton works for the Ocean Cleanup, a Dutch-based non-profit that is aiming to tackle the garbage patch.

“There were things you just wondered how they made it into the ocean. There’s clearly an increasing influx of plastic into the garbage patch.

“We need a coordinated international effort to rethink and redesign the way we use plastics. The numbers speak for themselves. Things are getting worse and we need to act now.”

Plastic has proven a usefully durable and versatile product but has become a major environmental blight, tainting drinking water and rivers. Around 8m tons of plastic ends up in the oceans every year, where it washes up on beaches or drifts out to sea where the pieces very slowly break down over hundreds of years.

Larger pieces of plastic pollution can entangle and kill marine creatures, while tiny fragments are eaten by small fish and find their way up the food chain. Plastic often attracts toxic pollutants that are then ingested and spread by marine life. It’s estimated there will be more waste plastic in the sea than fish by the year 2050.

Much of the plastic waste accumulates in five circular ocean currents – known as gyres – found around the globe. The Ocean Cleanup has pledged a “moonshot” effort to clean up half of the Great Pacific garbage patch within five years and mop up the other rubbish-strewn gyres by 2040.

The organization is developing a system of large floating barriers with underwater screens that capture and concentrate plastics into one area ready to be scooped out of the ocean. A prototype, to be launched from San Francisco this summer with the aim of spawning a clutch of devices each of which can collect five tons of waste a month, will, if successful, be followed by dozens of other boom-like systems measuring up to 2km (1.2 miles) long.

The project comes with caveats, however – its system will not catch the proliferation of microplastics measuring under 10 millimeters (0.39in) and the whole operation will require further funding from next year. Any successful clean-up may also be overwhelmed by a global surge in plastic production – a recent UK government report warned the amount of plastic in the ocean could treble within the next decade.

“There is a big mine of microplastics there coming from larger stuff that’s crumbling down, so we need to get in there quickly to clean it up,” said Joost Dubois, a spokesman for the Ocean Cleanup.

“But we also need to prevent plastic getting into the ocean in the first place. If we don’t manage the influx of plastics we will be the garbagemen of the ocean forever, which isn’t our ambition.”

The problem of plastic pollution is gaining traction in diplomatic circles, with nearly 200 countries signing on to a UN resolution last year that aims to stem the flood of plastic into the oceans. However, the agreement has no timetable and is not legally binding.

Dr Clare Steele, a California-based marine ecologist who was not involved in the research, said the study provided “great progress” in understanding the composition of the Great Pacific garbage patch.

But she regretted that while removing larger items, such as ghost fishing nets, would help wildlife, the clean-up would not deal with the colossal amount of microplastic.

“Those plankton-sized pieces of plastic are pretty difficult to clean up,” she said. “The only way is to address the source and that will require a radical shift on how we use materials, particularly single-use plastic such as cutlery, straws and bottles that are so durable.

“We need to reduce waste and come up with new, biodegradable alternatives to plastic. But one of the easiest steps is changing the way we use and discard the more ephemeral plastic products.”

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State of Climate in 2017 – Extreme weather and high impacts

World Meteorological Organization ReliefWeb 22 Mar 18;

The very active North Atlantic hurricane season, major monsoon floods in the Indian subcontinent, and continuing severe drought in parts of east Africa contributed to 2017 being the most expensive year on record for severe weather and climate events.

The high impact of extreme weather on economic development, food security, health and migration was highlighted in the WMO Statement on the State of the Global Climate in 2017. Compiled by the World Meteorological Organization with input from national meteorological services and United Nations partners, the report provides detailed information to support the international agenda on disaster risk reduction, sustainable development and climate change.

The Statement, now in its 25th year, was published for World Meteorological Day on 23 March. It confirmed that 2017 was one of the three warmest years on record and the warmest not influenced by an El Niño event. It also examined other long-term indicators of climate change such as increasing carbon dioxide concentrations, sea level rise, shrinking sea ice, ocean heat and ocean acidification.

Global mean temperatures in 2017 were about 1.1 °C above pre-industrial temperatures. The five-year average 2013–2017 global temperature is the highest five-year average on record. The world’s nine warmest years have all occurred since 2005, and the five warmest since 2010.

“The start of 2018 has continued where 2017 left off – with extreme weather claiming lives and destroying livelihoods. The Arctic experienced unusually high temperatures, whilst densely populated areas in the northern hemisphere were gripped by bitter cold and damaging winter storms. Australia and Argentina suffered extreme heatwaves, whilst drought continued in Kenya and Somalia, and the South African city of Cape Town struggled with acute water shortages,” said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas.

“Since the inaugural Statement on the State of the Global Climate, in 1993, scientific understanding of our complex climate system has progressed rapidly. This includes our ability to document the occurrence of extreme weather and climate events, the degree to which they can be attributed to human influences, and the correlation of climate change with epidemics and vector-borne diseases,” said Mr Taalas.

“In the past quarter of a century, atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide have risen from 360 parts per million to more than 400 ppm. They will remain above that level for generations to come, committing our planet to a warmer future, with more weather, climate and water extremes,” said Mr Taalas.

Direct measurements of atmospheric CO2 over the past 800 000 years showed natural variations between 180 and 280 ppm. “This demonstrates that today’s CO2 concentration of 400 ppm exceeds the natural variability seen over hundreds of thousands of years, “ said the Statement.

Socio-economic impacts

2017 was a particularly severe year for disasters with high economic impacts. Munich Re assessed total disaster losses from weather and climate-related events in 2017 at US$ 320 billion, the largest annual total on record (after adjustment for inflation).

Fuelled by warm sea surface temperatures, the North Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest ever for the United States and eradicated decades of developments gains in small islands in the Caribbean such as Dominica. The National Centers for Environmental Information estimated total U.S. losses from Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria at US$ 265 billion. The World Bank estimates Dominica’s total damages and losses from the hurricane at US$ 1.3 billion or 224% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Climate impacts hit vulnerable nations especially hard, as evidenced in a recent study by the International Monetary Fund, which warned that a 1 °C increase in temperature would cut significantly economic growth rates in many low-income countries.

The overall risk of heat-related illness or death has climbed steadily since 1980, with around 30% of the world’s population now living in climatic conditions that deliver potentially deadly temperatures at least 20 days a year, according to information from the World Health Organization quoted in the Statement. It also included a section on the relationship between climate and the Zika epidemic in the Americas in 2014–2016.

In 2016, weather-related disasters displaced 23.5 million people. Consistent with previous years, the majority of these internal displacements were associated with floods or storms and occurred in the Asia-Pacific region.

Massive internal displacement in the context of drought and food insecurity continues across Somalia. From November 2016 to December 2017, 892 000 drought-related displacements were recorded by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). In the Horn of Africa, the failure of the 2016 rainy season was followed by a harsh January–February 2017 dry season, and a poor March-to-May rainy season. In Somalia, as of June 2017, more than half of the cropland was affected by drought, and herds had reduced by 40–60% since December 2016 due to increased mortality and distress sales, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization and World Food Programme.

Floods affected the agricultural sector, especially in Asian countries. Heavy rains in May 2017 triggered severe flooding and landslides in south-western areas of Sri Lanka. The negative impact of floods on crop production further aggravated the food security conditions in the country already stricken by drought, according to FAO and WFP.

The oceans

Global sea surface temperatures in 2017 were somewhat below the levels of 2015 and 2016, but still ranked as the third warmest on record. Ocean heat content, a measure of the heat in the oceans through their upper layers down to 2 000 meters, reached new record highs in 2017.

The Statement said that the magnitude of almost all of individual components of sea level rise has increased in recent years, in particular melting of the polar ice sheets, mostly in Greenland and to a lesser extent Antarctica.

For the second successive year, above-average sea surface temperatures off the east coast of Australia resulted in significant coral bleaching in the Great Barrier Reef.

The Climate Statement contained a special section on ocean acidification from the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO. Over the past 10 years, various studies have confirmed that ocean acidification is directly influencing the health or coral reefs, the success, quality and taste of aquaculture raised fish and seafood, and the survival and calcification of several key organisms. These alterations have cascading effects within the food web, which are expected to result in increasing impacts on coastal economies.

Cryosphere

Sea ice extent was well below the 1981–2010 average throughout 2017 in both the Arctic and Antarctic. The winter maximum of Arctic sea ice was the lowest winter maximum in the satellite record. The summer minimum was the 8th lowest on record, but a slow freeze-up saw sea ice extent once again near record lows for December.

Antarctic sea ice extent was at or near record low levels throughout the year

The Greenland ice sheet mass balance change from September to December 2017 was close to average. Despite the gain in overall ice mass this year, it is only a small departure from the trend over the past two decades, with the Greenland ice sheet having lost approximately 3 600 billion tons of ice mass since 2002.

Northern Hemisphere snow cover extent was near or slightly above the 1981–2010 average for most of the year.

Notes for Editors

Information used in this report is sourced from a large number of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs) and associated institutions, as well as Regional Climate Centres, the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP), the Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) and Global Cryosphere Watch. Information has also been supplied by a number of other United Nations agencies, including the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP), the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO).

WMO uses datasets (based on monthly climatological data from observing sites) from the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, and the United Kingdom’s Met Office Hadley Centre and the University of East Anglia’s Climatic Research Unit in the United Kingdom.

It also uses reanalysis datasets from the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts and its Copernicus Climate Change Service, and the Japan Meteorological Agency. This method combines millions of meteorological and marine observations, including from satellites, with models to produce a complete reanalysis of the atmosphere. The combination of observations with models makes it possible to estimate temperatures at any time and in any place across the globe, even in data-sparse areas such as the polar regions.

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Malaysia: Chinese sand-dredger capsizes off Muar

1 dead, 14 believed alive in sunken hull
AFP New Straits Times 21 Mar 18;

KUALA LUMPUR: One crew member was killed and 14 others, most of them Chinese, were missing Wednesday after a sand-dredging vessel capsized off Muar, Johor with some believed trapped alive inside the sunken hull.

The coastguard said authorities in the southern state were alerted at 8:50am that the vessel, the JBB Rong Chang 8, had sank.

Two boats were sent to the scene and found one Chinese citizen dead and three others alive, the coastguard said.

A search is continuing for the 14 sailors – 12 Chinese, one Indonesian and one Malaysian – still missing, said a coastguard statement.

Sanifah Yusof, a senior coastguard official, told AFP that divers searching for the missing crew believed some could still be alive inside the overturned boat.

"We believe there are some crew trapped in the ship. The divers knocked on the body of the ship and got a response," he told AFP.

It was not clear what caused the accident. The weather in the area was fine.

Dredging sand from coastal areas is a booming and lucrative business. The sand is shipped to wealthy, land-scarce areas such as Singapore for reclamation and construction work.

Last year two foreign vessels manned by Chinese crew were seized off Malaysia's west coast for allegedly conducting illegal sand-dredging. – AFP


One dead after sand mining vessel capsizes off Johor
Channel NewsAsia 21 Mar 18;

JOHOR BAHRU: A sand mining vessel capsized off Parit Jawa near Muar on Wednesday (Mar 21), resulting in one crew member drowning and 14 missing, Maritime Malaysia said in a statement.

Three Chinese crew members were rescued safely after authorities received reports that the JBB Rong Chang 8 had overturned at 8.50am, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency said in a statement.

Those rescued were Wu Liangfu, Liang Rongbin and Jiang Chulin. A 50-year-old crew member, Liang Caiman, drowned in the incident.

Search and rescue operations were ongoing, with two patrol boats deployed, the agency said.

The Chinese-owned, Dominican-registered dredger was carrying one Malaysian, an Indonesian and 16 Chinese crew members.

Six crew were rescued after the vessel, JBB Rong Chang 8, capsized at 8.5 nautical miles offshore, Batu Pahat Base maritime director Muhammad Zulkarnain Abdullah had said earlier.

Lieutenant commander Muhammad said Maritime Malaysia sent two patrol boats to the location after it was alerted to the incident at 8.50am and that a search-and-rescue operation was ongoing.

Mr Zulkarnain advised people to exercise caution when conducting activities at sea and to contact the Batu Pahat Base Maritime Operations Centre or emergency services if they need help.

Source: Bernama/zl

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Malaysia: No solution in sight for human-elephant conflicts in Telupid

NORASIKIN DAINEH New Straits Times 21 Mar 18;

KOTA KINABALU: Authorities are finding it hard to find a concrete solution to escalating human-elephant conflicts in Telupid since early this year.

State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said discussions are still on going between all stateholders and experts but so permanent solutions appears to be in sight, for now.

"I must admit that this is one of the toughest issues we are handling. We hope to figure something out soon," he said when asked about a meeting between the ministry, State Wildlife department and experts recently on the matter.

"The cooperation and talks with those with elephant expertise are ongoing and it is a complicated matter,” Masidi said when met at a school related sporting event at Kota Kinabalu Sports Complex in Likas here.

NSTP highlighted the problem in Telupid, where elephants have been appearing near the town area and villages several times the last two months.

Things became serious when a herd damaged a fence and entered the disrict police station twice and wandered into Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Telupid last month.

A Wildlife department staff was also injured when he fell into a ravine while trying to escape from elephants nearby the school.

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Indonesia Considered Successful in Managing Peatlands, It Becomes Example for Other Countries

NetralNews 22 Mar 18;

JAKARTA, NNC - The management of peatlands in Indonesia is considered successful so that it becomes an example for other countries in the world.

Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya brought this peatland diplomacy to a global level, especially at the Global Peatland Initiative's Working Group Meeting in Brazaville, the capital of the Republic of Congo.

For the success of Indonesia, Siti Nurbaya in the meeting was not only present as a regular participant, but also as a keynote speaker in ministerial dialogue at the international meeting.

Siti Nurbaya proudly said that Indonesia, as the founder of the Asia-Africa movement, is ready to share experiences and help other countries to advance peat management through South-South and Triangular cooperation. Indonesia is ready to roll out its plan to establish the International Research Center of Tropical Peat in Indonesia.

She believed in the next few years, the world will recognize Indonesia's peatlands as world archive. As a country with 15 million hectares of peatland, Indonesia certainly has the privilege of various peat ecosystems; ranging from coastal peat that is mostly found on the islands of Sumatra, Kalimantan and Papua; peatlands in the Mahakam delta of East Kalimantan, Kapuas in West Kalimantan; to peatland in the highlands as in Papua. Similarly, peat swamps in Kalimantan bear a resemblance to the peat in the Congo.

Minister Siti succeeded in bringing Indonesia's diplomacy for peat management to global level. Diplomatically, Minister Siti explained that the Indonesian Government learned very expensive lessons for the great peat land fires in 2015.

The government responds through policies to control very tightly and thoroughly to minimize the recurrence of this incident. The result is fantastic, within two years from 2015 to 2017 Indonesia managed to reduce the fire spots as much as 93.6 percent.

This result proves the seriousness of President Joko Widodo in making the prevention of forest and peatland fires as national priority. The President succeeded in making the policies he took into effective action on the ground.

"Strong cooperation between various parties, especially the involvement of the private sector becomes the key," said Siti Nurbaya, in a press release on Wednesday (3/21/2018).

Global Peatland Initiatives (GPI) is a global initiative by several countries, international bodies and experts committed to keeping peatlands worldwide sustainable. Peatlands as the largest organic carbon reserves in the world should be maintained so as not to burn.

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Indonesia: Sumatran tiger "Bonita" returns to forest

Genta Tenri Mawangi Antara 22 Mar 18;

Pekanbaru, Riau (ANTARA News) - A female Sumatran Tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) called "Bonita" has returned to her home in the forest, after roaming at the oil palm plantation and fatally attacking two locals in Indragiri Hilir, Riau.

"During a patrol, our officers have reported that the Sumatran Tiger Bonita has returned to the wild," Mulyo Hutomo, head of the Bonita rescue team, informed Antara in Pekanbaru on Wednesday.

He stated that the critically endangered Sumatran tiger was roaming in the 22-kilometers-square-green belt area, which is situated in the borderline of the forest and an oil palm plantation, owned by the Malaysian-based company, PT Tabung Haji Indo Plantation (THIP).

For two months, the protected Sumatran tiger inhabited some zones in the plantation, including the Eboni 62, Eboni 63, and Eboni 64.

Hutomo stated that he will assure that the Sumatran tiger will remain in the wild and not return to the plantation or the residential area.

Hence, he will maintain coordination with the joint forces of the Indonesian Military, Indonesian National Police, the Natural Resources Conservation Office (BBKSDA), and the local government to regularly conduct patrols for rescuing the lost wild animal.

"Although Bonita has returned home, we are still conducting patrols for seeking and rescuing any wild animals that may be lost," he noted.

An immediate rescue is needed when a wild animal leaves his habitat for a prolonged period.

"We have noticed some changes in Bonita`s behavior," he stressed.

Following the incident, some 30 officers of the joint forces are still patrolling the forest to assure the safety of Bonita and the people.

These officers are divided into three groups, comprising of seven personnel and one sniper.

For two times, during the day and the night, the patrol officers will follow the tiger`s trail in the forest.

Bonita had received wide coverage from local and international news after attacking two villagers at the plantation. Her first victim reportedly was a 33-year-old-woman named Jumiati.

Meanwhile, the tiger`s second victim was a 34-year-old-man named Yusri Efendi.

Both victims are the residents of Indragiri Hilir District, Riau Province.

Reported by Anggi Romadhoni
(Uu. KR-GNT/INE)
EDITED BY INE/H-YH
(UU.KR-GNT/A/KR-BSR/A/H-YH)
Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja


Sumatran tiger captured after 100 days of hunting
Rizal Harahap The Jakarta Post 22 Apr 18;

After being hunted for more than 100 days, a Sumatran tiger, called Bonita by animal conservationists, was captured alive on Friday in Indragiri Hilir regency in Riau.

Bonita had been haunting human neighborhoods, scaring residents for months. The latest tiger-human conflict in Sumatra saw a tiger brutally killed, as angry residents in North Sumatra speared the animal to death and later hung it from a ceiling.

Read also: Tiger brutally killed in North Sumatra, hung from ceiling

Following the incident, activists have been campaigning for Bonita’s life, pleading with residents and Riau authorities to capture the big cat alive.

Bonita, estimated to be four years old, had been shot twice with tranquilizer, Riau Natural Resources Conservation Agency head Suharyono said in the provincial capital of Pekanbaru on Saturday.

Read also: Why blaming superstition for tiger's death is wrong

A joint team had been on patrol in the wee hours of Friday, amid heavy rain, in a plantation area run by PT Tabung Haji Indo Plantation in Tanjung Simpang village, Pelangiran district. Earlier, they had found Bonita’s traces and followed them. “Her favorite track is hard soil,” Suharyono said.

Bonita was different from other tigers, Suharyono said. Besides preferring a beaten path instead of the bushes, Bonita also showed a calm demeanor when she found herself in a cage. Other tigers would usually fight for their freedom, he said. (evi)


Rescued Sumatran tiger is improving, says conservation group
Rizal Harahap The Jakarta Post 25 Apr 18;

A Sumatran tiger named Bonita that was recently caught in Indragiri Hilir regency, Riau, after a 100-day hunt is now under the watchful eye of the Arsari Djojohadikusumo Foundation’s (YAD) medical team.

Bonita was weak and refused to eat when she first arrived at the Dharmasraya Sumatran Tiger Rehabilitation Center (PRHSD) in West Sumatra on Saturday, according to YAD executive director Catrini Pratihari Kubontubuh

“On Sunday, a team of veterinarians took samples of her blood and treated her for two hours. The team found several diseases, such as a tumor located under the skin around her stomach. The team performed surgery to remove the tumor; it’s not [malignant],” Catrini told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

She added that Bonita’s condition had been improving in the last two days.

“We gave her a chicken and she was able to catch it by herself, just like in her natural habitat. She previously refused to eat, maybe because she was too tired. It took 20 hours to bring her to the rehabilitation center from where she was caught. Throughout the trip, she had to be kept conscious,” Catrini said, adding that it was prohibited to use anesthesia on animals that were being transported.

She rejected rumors claiming that Bonita suffered from obesity.

“She weighs around 82 kilograms; that’s normal for a 4-year-old tiger.”

Claims were also made that Bonita might be pregnant, which the veterinarian team has been unable to confirm.

“We’ll need to check that using an ultrasound,” Catrini said. (ebf)

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Indonesia: Minister asks Freeport to help overcome plastic waste

Andi Abdussalam Antara 22 Mar 18;

Timika, Papua (ANTARA News) - Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti has asked PT Freeport Indonesia to help overcome the plastic waste in the area of Mimika District, Papua Province.

"We have a problem with plastic. I read in a book that (plastic) basket for crab cultivation can be used for about four years. Well, after four years, what can we do with it after it becomes waste," Pudjiastuti stated, while launching PT Freeport Indonesia`s corporate social responsibility (CSR) program in Timika, on Tuesday.

According to the minister, Indonesia has become the second largest contributor of plastic waste in the world after China. Therefore, after being used for crab cultivation in the community economic development program, the plastic basket should not be discarded into the sea.

"We are now throwing almost 160 million tons of plastic waste into the sea. One day, the Indonesian sea will contain more plastic than fish. This is my concern, because after traveling around Merauke, I see many canals filled with used mineral water bottles. I am sure it is the same around the villages in Mimika," she remarked.

"Maybe, in addition to this program, PT. Freeport, together with other relevant parties, can also support the environmental hygiene program; of course, plastic waste is not a matter of society," the minister added.

According to Pudjiastuti, in addition to reducing the beauty of the city, plastic waste has caused the emergence of puddles everywhere.

The plastic waste issue can become a time bomb for the Indonesian people if they do not immediately handle the waste in the gullies and waters which are filled with plastic.

"A campaign to reduce the use of plastics is also very important. Therefore, the waste from this crab farming program must not be thrown into the sea; otherwise, it becomes garbage again," she explained.


(A014/INE)
EDITED BY INE/H-YH
(T.A014/A/KR-BSR/A/H-YH)
Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja


Plastic waste can be a time bomb
Andi Abdussalam Antara 22 Mar 18;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Plastic and Styrofoam products have made life so simple and easy for mankind. Plastic bags, plastic dishes, and plastic packages are among items that can make life trouble-free.

By using plastic wares, housewives and other residents can skip washing dishes. After use, plastic items can just easily be disposed of, especially into the sea, without causing trouble to maintain them. But not many are aware that it could have far-reaching repercussions. It is a time bomb.

After all, Indonesia is rated the second biggest plastic contributor to the sea after China. "We have thrown almost 160 million tons of plastic waste into the sea. One day, the Indonesian sea will contain more plastic than fish," Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti stated in Mimika on Tuesday, while launching the corporate social responsibility (CSR) program of the United State-based copper and gold mining firm, PT Freeport Indonesia.

According to the minister, the plastic waste issue can become a time bomb for the Indonesian people if the waste disposed in the gullies and waters are not immediately handled.

Several studies have also indicated that if no significant changes are brought about, the ratio of plastic to fish in the oceans is expected to reach three to one by 2025, and the oceans will contain more plastic than fish by 2050.

"We have a problem with plastic. I read in a book that (plastic) basket for crab cultivation can be used for about four years. Well, after four years what can we do with it after it becomes a waste," Pudjiastuti questioned, referring to the crab cultivation program in Timika.

Therefore, after being used for crab cultivation in the community economic development program, the plastic basket should not be discarded into the sea. The minister asked PT Freeport Indonesia to help overcome the plastic waste in the area of Mimika District, Papua Province.

"This is my concern, because after traveling around Merauke, I see many canals filled with used mineral water bottles. I am sure areas around the villages in Mimika will also face the same problem," she stressed.

"Maybe, in addition to this program, PT. Freeport, together with other relevant parties, can also support the environmental hygiene program; of course, plastic waste is not a matter of society," the minister added.

According to Pudjiastuti, in addition to ruining the beauty of the city, plastic waste has caused the emergence of puddles everywhere. "A campaign to reduce the use of plastics is also very important. The waste from this crab farming program must not be thrown into the sea, as it becomes garbage again," she revealed.

The same concern over plastic and Styrofoam wastes has also been expressed by the Indonesian Biodiversity Foundation (KEHATI), as the garbage generated from human activity, in the form of plastic and cork, has increasingly threatened human life and the environment.

In Jakarta, for instance, plastic wastes and Styrofoam have threatened microplastic particles, according to KEHATI Executive Director MS Sembiring.

"It is bad. Garbage that is not transported to the place of dumping and partly flowed into the sea includes mostly Styrofoam and other types of plastics," Sembiring stated in a press release received in Jakarta on Tuesday (March 20).

In addition to threatening human health, microplastic particles, which are mainly derived from plastic wastes and plastic food packaging, are also very dangerous for the survival of flora and fauna.

Quoting Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) data, Sembiring noted that Jakarta`s garbage production was increasing every year. In 2016, waste production reached 7,099.08 cubic meters, an increase from the previous year, which was at 7.046.39 cubic meters.

Out of all the garbage produced, only 84.7 percent could be transported. The rest is wasted in nature, including dumping into the sea.

"Therefore, the Jakarta Provincial Government must have a special strategy to address this problem to save Jakarta from microplastic wastes," he explained.

KEHATI hoped that the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government could utilize the momentum of two international days to intensively curb plastic waste. The two important international days which are celebrated in 2018, namely Earth Day (April 22) and World Environment Day (June 5), shared the same theme of plastic pollution.

In the meantime, Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan has warned local residents against throwing trash, particularly plastic waste, into the sea and rivers. "We ask all households and residents to throw trash in its respective places. Do no throw trash anywhere. And do not throw trash, particularly plastic ones, into the rivers," he stressed, while inspecting a pile of trash in the Muara Angke Ecomarine Mangrove Forest in Jakarta, on Monday (March 19).

"Most of the trash here is non-organic. The volume of plastic trash is extraordinary. "In the past few days, more than 50 tons of trash has been collected. Because of (difficult) terrain, the trash cannot be carried by heavy duty equipment, but by ships," he revealed.

In an effort to overcome plastic waste, the government is formulating a presidential regulation on the management of plastic waste at sea. This is a form of the government?s commitment to reduce plastic waste in its maritime areas, according to Aryo Hanggono, expert staff for Marine Ecology and Marine Resources of the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries minister.

"The government will reduce plastic waste by up to 70 percent by 2025," he remarked.

He noted that currently, a draft of the presidential regulation on the management of plastic waste at sea was being formulated to ensure coordination between the central and local governments.

(A014/INE)
(T.A014/A/KR-BSR/A/H-YH)
Editor: Heru Purwanto

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India's turtle warriors embrace mission to save threatened species

Abhaya SRIVASTAVA AFP Yahoo News 21 Mar 18;

Daluakani (India) (AFP) - Since he was a boy, Soumyaranjan Biswal has kept a night vigil at the beach near his coastal Indian village where tens of thousands of tiny olive ridley turtles gather to lay their eggs.

Fishing communities in Odisha protect this threatened species from harm as they return year after year to nest, a unique ritual for both turtles and their custodians that stretches back decades.

Olive ridley turtles navigate thousands of miles of open ocean to reach the eastern state, where they come ashore in numbers not seen anywhere else in the world.

It is familiar territory for the females, who hatched on these same sands many years ago.

"We have seen them coming to these beaches right from our childhood," Biswal told AFP on a moonlit night, as tiny white ocean crabs wriggled across his feet.

"The turtles are just like our friends now."

The turtles arrive under the cover of darkness, trudging ashore to dig shallow pits with their flippers where they deposit dozens of eggs.

Their work done, they return to the ocean.

But their eggs are vulnerable to predators like dogs and vultures during the 50-odd day incubation period beneath the sand, and high tides can wash away an entire nest.

- Unpaid job -

Fishermen along this stretch of east Indian coastline have been intervening to give the unborn turtles a shot at life.

Biswal, equipped with a flashlight and a bamboo pole, identifies nests at risk and carefully digs up the spongy eggs.

They are relocated to freshly dug hatcheries a safe distance away, ringed with fencing and marked with a flag -- an arduous process that can be repeated hundreds of times in a single nesting season.

Keeping a watchful eye over the brood is no easy task. The job is unpaid, usually following a long day at work. There is the added danger of scorpion bites and nipping crabs in the sand.

But Biswal knows safe passage for the turtle hatchlings to the sea is crucial for their survival.

"Their journey back to the sea is very important. The females come back to this same beach to lay eggs, helped by the alignment of moon and stars," he said.

There was a time when two million turtles would emerge from the sea at Odisha for the mass nesting phenomenon known as "arribada", or arrival.

But their numbers have sharply declined, with environmental pressures, coastal development and overfishing meaning many do not survive the journey to their ancestral nesting ground.

Hundreds can wash ashore dead every year.

In 2014 and 2016, for reasons still unknown, no turtles arrived at all, spooking villagers who consider their fate intertwined with their ocean visitors.

"For us, turtles are an incarnation of (Hindu God) Vishnu. If they die or don't come we feel we have missed out on their blessing," said one volunteer, Bichitranal Biswal.

- Turtle love -

However, the union between fishermen and turtles has not always been peaceful.

In 1997, the coastal regions off Odisha were declared a marine wildlife sanctuary and fishing was barred in shallow waters for more than half the year -- slashing incomes in one of India's poorest regions.

"For seven months a year the fishermen are left jobless," said Sumanth Bindumadhav, wildlife campaign manager with Humane Society International, an NGO.

"It's natural for them to feel that it's because of the turtles."

Bindumadhav said it had been a "Herculean task" motivating fishermen to protect the turtles during lean times when other work was scarce.

One approach is to remind them that the turtles eat jellyfish, which prey on the sealife the villagers eat and sell.

Ultimately, conservation efforts have succeeded in Odisha in large part due to the special relationship between turtles and locals.

"People here feel a personal connection with the turtles and have developed a sense of ownership. This has helped in our conservation effort," Bindumadhav said.

The state government provides 25 kilos (55 pounds) of subsidised rice every month to families affected by fishing laws under the World Bank-funded Integrated Coastal Zone Management Programme.

But the villagers say they would rather learn new skills than depend on handouts.

Bijaya Kumar Kavi is director of the local Action for Protection of Wild Animals, which has been helping women set up self-help groups where each member contributes 60 rupees (90 cents) a month.

"We teach them how each olive ridley lays around 100 eggs, but of more than 10 million eggs laid in an arribada, only around 0.2 percent survive," he said.

"We also tell them how to handle eggs. If done the wrong way the embryo will drown in its own yolk.

"When the fishermen learn about these fascinating characteristics, their attitude changes and they become turtle-friendly."

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Ocean plastic could treble in decade

Roger Harrabin BBC 21 Mar 18;

The amount of plastic in the ocean is set to treble in a decade unless litter is curbed, a major report has warned.

Plastics is just one issue facing the world's seas, along with rising sea levels, warming oceans, and pollution, it says.

But the Foresight Future of the Sea Report for the UK government said there are also opportunities to cash in on the "ocean economy".

They say this is predicted to double to $3 trillion (£2 trillion) by 2030.

The report says much more knowledge is needed about the ocean. The authors say the world needs a Mission to "Planet Ocean" to mirror the excitement of voyaging to the moon and Mars.

The Foresight reports are written by experts to brief ministers on medium and long-term issues of significance. This one has been signed off by ministers from four different departments as the authors emphasise the need for a joined-up oceans policy.

One of the authors, Prof Edward Hill from the UK National Oceanography Centre told BBC News: "The ocean is critical to our economic future. Nine billion people will be looking to the ocean for more food. Yet we know so little of what's down there.

"We invest a lot of money and enthusiasm for missions to space - but there's nothing living out there. The sea bed is teeming with life. We really need a mission to planet ocean - it's the last frontier."

Another of the authors, the chief scientist for the UK government's environment department Ian Boyd, agreed: "The ocean is out of sight, out of mind," he said.

He told BBC News: "There's a continuous process of exploring for new things to exploit in the oceans, and that's happening faster than we scientists can keep up with. My suspicion is legislation is also struggling to keep up - and obviously there are risks in that."

He said offshore wind farms, oil industries and mining firms were spreading into unexplored areas. "Scientists need to get in there faster than the commercial people or at least at the same time - to put proper regulation in place to govern those industries."

The report highlights many concerns, including the current worry about ocean plastic litter, which it forecasts will treble between 2015 and 2025.

But it stresses that the ocean is being assailed from many different types of pollution - including run-off pesticides and fertilisers from farms, industrial toxins like PCBs, and pharmaceuticals.

The authors say if governments can identify ways of protecting biodiversity in the seas, there are riches to be harvested - including nodules of metals and possibly even cures for cancer.

They predict that the biggest industrial growth in the seas will come from offshore wind, followed by marine aquaculture and fish processing. The report also projects an increase in industrial capture of wild fish.

This latter suggestion alarmed Rachel Jones, a marine expert from London Zoo, ZSL. She told BBC News: "Given that 90% of global fisheries are either at or in excess of sustainable catch levels, I can't really see how they are going to expand capture fisheries."

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