About 80% of Southern Africa’s most lucrative fishery product, hake, is exported, mostly to Spain, providing about 20 000 jobs. But while fish fingers made mostly from low-grade southern African hake are sold in Spain for around R120 a kg, hake is bought by processors for about R20 a kg, according to fisheries research group Infosa.
Worldwide, processing and trade add up to 50% to the price of fish products, and questions are raised by Infosa about the case of South African hake: ‘Are retailers using their power to squeeze prices from producers? Do they have monopolistic powers to set the price as they like?
According to Infosa, most local hake was exported unprocessed until recently and ‘There is an urgent need to analyse each step of the value chain for southern African hake, from the water to the proverbial plate, to completely understand the processing and marketing dynamics at work.’ The fisheries secretariat of NEPAD agreed to a proposal from Infosa to do such a study, which should be completed by May 2010.
Sources
Press article, Cape Times, 3 August 2009
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=594&art_id=vn20090803032252948C573654

Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO is proud to introduce a new book “UNESCO-IOC. 2009. African Oceans and Coasts. Odido M. and Mazzilli S. (Eds). IOC Information Document, 1255, UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Technology in Africa, Kenya.”

 This publication can now be accessed from:
 http://unesdoc.unesco.org/ulis/cgi-bin/ulis.pl?database=ged&mode=e&sc1=1&sc2=1&by=3&look=ioc&req=2&no=185095

Applications are now being accepted for the 2010 Young Conservationist Award. Co-sponsored by the International Ranger Federation and IUCN’s World Commission on Protected Areas, in collaboration with Parks Victoria and the George Wright Society, the award aims to recognize and raise awareness of the outstanding contributions made to the management of protected areas, and leadership shown, by young conservationists. It also seeks to encourage young professionals and help them develop networks by inviting winners to attend one of the global conservation events and become a member of the Young Conservationists Global Community.

For the 2010 award, the winner will be have his/her travel, accommodation, and conference fees fully paid to attend the ‘Healthy Parks – Healthy People’ conference, April 2010, in Melbourne, Australia.

Nominations/applications are invited for/from: young people (under the age of 35) working in conservation and actively managing protected areas.

This includes all people working in protected areas, such as (but not limited to) rangers, interpreters, people working with local communities, policy makers, and scientists, and includes people working for government agencies, the private sector, non- government organizations, local communities, etc., who deal directly with protected area management and policy.

For more information on the Young Conservationist Award, including a link to the online application form, go to: http://www.georgewright.org/yca

The deadline for applications is December 1, 2009.

GOOS and OceanUnited invite you to help the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission celebrate its 50th Anniversary by participating in an Ocean Photo Exhibition.

The IOC will be celebrating its 50th anniversary during the IOC Assembly held in June 2010 at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. An exhibit is planned where some 40 photos will be enlarged to one square meter panels and displayed on the street side of the UNESCO fence. The theme for the photos will be Ocean Science and the Researchers who make it come alive. We would like your help to create this exhibit.

Oceanography may be the most visually compelling science.  Shipboard, below the seas, in the labs and with our computers, oceanographers have many opportunities to create images of our science and experiences. We invite you to submit your high quality images for the exhibit. Pictures will be captioned with your attribution and institutional credit.

Photos will be chosen based on artistic merit, oceanography relevance and showcasing the accomplishments of international cooperation in ocean science.

Please visit the IOC Photo Library for more information and to post your entries. Go to the IOC site (http://www.ioc-unesco.org) and click on the PhotoLibrary in left menu.

African researchers are missing out on publications and career advancement because they are failing to negotiate joint ownership of data generated by international research collaborations, a meeting has heard.

Elly Katabira, associate professor of medicine at Uganda’s Makerere University College of Health Sciences, said that African researchers are often indifferent to data ownership. He was speaking at the 5th Forum European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) forum in Tanzania held from 12–14 October.

Read the full article from: http://www.scidev.net/en/news/africans-losing-out-in-north-south-collaborations-.html

The Third Global Fisheries Enforcement Training Workshop (3rd GFETW), which will be hosted by the Government of Mozambique in collaboration with the International MCS Network, will be held in Maputo, Mozambique from 6-10 September 2010. Holding such an event in Africa will facilitate greater participation by many African countries but will also offer a clear focus on the needs of developing nations to elevate the fight against IUU fishing. Designed for Monitoring Control Surveillance (MCS) practitioners, the Workshop’s agenda will feature a diverse range of topics. The objective is to provide discussion-provoking presentations on cost effective MCS tools that all countries can benefit from, regardless of the extent of their IUU fishing activity or level of MCS capabilities.

Challenges within fisheries MCS are often similar, even if the regions and fisheries are different or whether you are dealing with national waters or the high seas. These challenges may include issues involving artisanal vessels, domestic fleets and foreign flagged vessels. At the 3rd GFETW, both traditional and innovative MCS methods and approaches will be presented to tackle these challenges.

Planned workshop topics include:

• Port State Measures – An operational perspective and review

• Certification, verification and traceability

• IUU fishing and artisanal and small-scale fisheries

• Regional Fisheries Management Organisation compliance measures

• Using regional MCS as a cost effective solution to combat IUU Fishing

• Cost effective MCS measures/ technology

• Training and capacity building

• International measures to combat IUU fishing

• Regional breakout sessions

 Participation

The workshop is not open to the general public. Participants will have expertise in matters related to fisheries monitoring control and surveillance on a national, regional or global level and the workshop is targeted at operational

level personnel. Sponsored participants are selected on the basis of their professional background, geographical representation and funding status to ensure a global perspective.

Simultaneous interpretation will be provided in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese.

For further information about the Maputo workshop go to www.gfetw.org or www.imcsnet.org

Phone: 1-301-495-7115 | Fax: 1-301-427-2055| Email: mcs.network@imcsnet.org

Renowned whale shark scientist in the Western Indian Ocean region Miss Nimu Njonjo recently tied the knot with her long time companion and colleague Mr. Volker Bassen. Both Nimu and Volker are ardent marine biologists who have supported the protection and conservation of the Indian Ocean whale sharks in the south coast of Kenya for many years.

Whale shark sightings dwindle with increased disturbance in the Ocean but thanks to Nimu, Volker and the East African Whale Shark Trust for their enthusiasm in creating awareness worldwide through tagging these beautiful creatures, which has dramatic improved sightings in this part of the western Indian Ocean as well as increased interest from the tourist sector.

WIOMSA takes this opportunity to wish Nimu and Volker the very best in life.

Deadline for applications is October 30, 2009
In Mozambique and Swaziland, April 12–23, 2010
In Sweden June 7–11, 2010

This training programme provides a meeting place for professionals involved in water issues around the world, with the aim of building both personal and institutional bridges. The training programme further draws on regional and global experience from transboundary water resources management and discusses legal frameworks and novel techniques for enhancing the broad benefits of shared waters. The overall objective is that the participants identify the advantages of collaborative transboundary water management strategies and improve their ability to apply these strategies in their respective organisations.
Specific Objectives

• Improve the participants’ ability and skills for collaborative transboundary water management
• Influence the participants’ home organisation to effectively fulfil their mandate in terms of transboundary water management activities
• Support emerging and ongoing transboundary water-related management processes in which the participants are involved.

Download
Course brochure: http://www.siwi.org/documents/Training_Prog/TWM_brochure2010.pdf
Application form: http://www.siwi.org/documents/Training_Prog/TWM_Application2010.pdf
Please find more information and instructions on how to apply at http://www.siwi.org/trainingprogramme/howtoapply. 
 
For more information please contact:
Mr. Anton Earle, SIWI anton.earle@siwi.org
Mr. Björn Hansson, Ramboll, bjorn.hansson@ramboll.se
Ms. Sara Hyllman, Ramboll, sara.hyllman@ramboll.se
 
Costs
The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) will cover both the participation fee and accommodation costs. The international travel cost to and from Sweden is not covered by Sida. The participants shall find funding themselves and make arrangements for their return travel between their home country and Stockholm Arlanda airport. Sida pays for international travel costs in connection to the regional training (Phase 4) in Lao PDR and Ramboll Natura will arrange for the participants´ travel. Visa fees, domestic travels in their home country and local airport taxes are not covered by Sida. Personal expenses are not included.

Eligible Countries in the Western Indian Ocean region are:

Kenya; Mozambique; South Africa and Tanzania

Eighteen countries (Australia, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Seychelles, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Timor Leste) around the Indian Ocean Rim will participate in an ocean-wide tsunami exercise on 14 October to coincide with World Disaster Reduction Day. The exercise will for the first time test and evaluate the effectiveness of the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (IOTWS), established in response to the Indian Ocean Tsunami on December 26, 2004. It will identify weaknesses and areas for improvement. It aims to increase preparedness and improve coordination throughout the region.

“Exercise Indian Ocean Wave 09” will provide an opportunity for Indian Ocean countries to test their operational lines of communications, review their tsunami warning and emergency response standard operating procedures, and promote emergency preparedness.

For more information go to: http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=46562&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

Background:

More than 200,000 people fled their homes and at least 91 people were reported killed after typhoon Ketsana struck the coast of central Viet Nam on Wednesday. Severe flooding, flashfloods and landslides have hampered rescue operations and threatened the lives of many more. The ancient town of Hoi An, a World Heritage site in Quang Nam Province along with parts of Danang, the major city in central Viet Nam; and Hue, another World Heritage site have been flooded. The powerful typhoon that first hit the Philippines and Viet Nam cost another 11 lives in Cambodia where hundreds lost their homes yesterday. IUCN’s work in the area is focused on ensuring sustainable management of natural resources which helps reduce vulnerability to natural hazards. The Union draws on its experience in disaster risk reduction and post-disaster response.

Key Issues:

Manage nature better: An international effort is needed to help Viet Nam to better protect the two World Heritage sites in Viet Nam affected by the disaster and their inhabitants. Much can be done to conserve and restore the coastal and freshwater wetlands that were once much more extensive in central Viet Nam than they are today. “Wetlands are a natural reservoir for flood waters that will otherwise run unchecked into urban areas. Deforestation in the upper watershed, or catchment areas, is another factor contributing to the severe flooding that we are seeing more and more frequently,” says Dr. Don Macintosh, Coordinator, Mangroves for the Future (MFF).

IUCN advocates a “reef to ridge” approach by which all the attributes of natural ecosystems, from the seas, rivers and wetlands, to the mountains and hill forests above, are protected. “This approach, coupled with other disaster risk reduction measures, including reliable early warning systems and effective plans and resources to cope with disasters, should now be fundamental elements of government policy in all the disaster-prone countries of Asia, “he adds.

Be better prepared for disasters- invest in nature. Typhoon Xangsane hit Viet Nam, the Philippines and Thailand exactly three years ago causing the death of at least 280 people mainly in Viet Nam and the Philippines. “Typhoon Xansane caused severe flooding and wind damage to houses in Hoi An, some 10,000 tourists had to be evacuated, and many fishermen were lost at sea. History has repeated itself, so we really must learn the lessons this time, “ says Don Macintosh, who was working in Viet Nam during this previous typhoon.

“The risks to human life, the costs in terms of property and infrastructure damage, and the huge losses sustained by the tourism industry call for better disaster preparedness and disaster risk reduction strategies. This applies not only to Viet Nam, but to the many other countries in Southeast Asia with vulnerable coastlines, because typhoons and tropical storms are becoming more frequent and severe, “says Jake Brunner, IUCN Programme Coordinator for Viet Nam.

“Investment in nature can be a cost- effective way to decrease people’s vulnerability to damages caused by powerful storms, flashfloods and landslides,” he adds.

Incorporate environmental safeguards into traditional disaster risk reduction. “Many disaster related actions remain response-oriented and rely on technical fixes. Without the integration of environmental safeguards ahead of time, disaster risk reduction will never be as effective as it can be. Strengthening our natural systems can minimize disaster impact and enhance community and national resilience.” says Ali Raza Rizvi, IUCN Head of Ecosystem and Livelihoods Group and Disaster Risk Reduction focal person for IUCN Asia.

Spokespersons:

• Don Macintosh, Coordinator, Mangroves for the Future

• Jake Brunner, IUCN Programme Coordinator for Viet Nam

• Ali Raza Rizvi, Regional Group Head, Ecosystems & Livelihoods Group, Colombo, IUCN Asia

Media contacts:

Mangroves for the Future: Minna Epps, t: +662 662 4029 ext 142 m: +66 8 7082 3331 e: minna@iucnt.org

IUCN Viet Nam : Julia Plevin, Communications t: + 84 (4) 726 1561 e: julia@iucn.org.vn