CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

Level 1 ~ Marine Field Operations Certification

Tsitsikamma National Park, South Africa

Deadline for Applications: 15 March 2010

The Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) in partnership with the Coastal Resources Center at the University of Rhode Island USA and WWF-SA is pleased to announce the first offering of Level 1~Marine Field Operations Certification for Marine Protected Area Professionals to be held in Tsitsikamma National Park, South Africa from 7-13, May 2010. The language of assessment for this offering will be English and some Afrikaans.

The WIO-COMPAS programme assesses and certifies MPA professionals in the WIO region based on recognised standards of excellence. This is not a training course but rather a certification programme based on already proven performance on the job. Achieving certification signals that an individual has reached a standard level of performance and skills related to a specific set of competences. These competences are based on practical experience and application. After achieving certification and being given the title of MPA PRO, individuals agree to adhere to a set of professional standards of conduct or code of ethics. Therefore, this programme will admit only those who already meet a certain level of knowledge, skills, and performance standards within core competence areas.

For more details on the Application, please visit: http://www.wio-compas.org/files/L101_Call_Applications.pdf and download the application form from: http://www.wio-compas.org/files/L101_Application_Comps_Final.pdf

International Congress of Environmental Research

ICER-10

Energy, Environment and Development

Venue: University of Mauritius

Date: 16-18 September  2010

ICER-10 Website: http://www.icer10.jerad.org/

Paper submission: icer10.jerad@gmail.com

IMPORTANT DATES

The Seychelles Hook and Line Fishermen organisation have recently launched a Label Program. In partnership with the Seychelles Fishing Authority and the Seychelles Bureau of Standard, a code of conduct, which includes 8 standards criteria and 20 requirements for the fishermen, has been established. These standards are the foundation of the Seychelles Label Program. The standards include: selectivity, origin, quality & freshness, traceability, resource sustainability & respect of the environment. In terms of selectivity, the hook and line fishing technique, a traditional technique in the Seychelles, is internationally recognized to be one of the most selective technique to harvest wild fish. The quality objectives are achieved by setting and implementing high standards with respect to handling, processing, storage and labeling practices on board the fishing vessels. For example, depending on the type of campaign, only the fish caught within 4 or 2 days before the landing date are labelled. To guarantee the origin of the fish and strengthen the link with the consumer, line caught fish are marked with tags containing the reference code of the fishing boat on which the fish was captured. By entering this code on  the organisation web page, consumers will be able to retrieve information about the fishermen, the boat, the fishing ground and the fishing technique employed.
The hotels, restaurants and retailers supporting this scheme have additional commitments to sign on, including a commitment on prices & share of margins ‘to allow Seychellois fishermen to live with dignity and to support them in keeping the fishing industry sustainable’.
Three types of label schemes have been put in place by the organisation: one that covers 8 species of bottom tropical fish, one for 2 species of pelagic tropical fish and one for 3 tuna and tuna like species.

More than 120 people from more than 20 countries attended the First Seychelles Tuna Conference which was held in Seychelles from 5-6 February 2010 and focused on creating sustainable tuna fisheries in the Indian Ocean. Conference Panelists worked together to prepare a declaration summing up the main areas of consensus moving forward with sustainability efforts in the Indian Ocean. In this Conference declaration, the participants agree to jointly and collectively take a series of actions, including:
• Contribute to the conservation of the ecosystem and the sustainable use of tuna resources by supporting the timely adoption of effective conservation and management measures based on the best scientific advice;
• Support the full participation of the developing coastal countries of the region in the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), and promote engagement of these countries to meet their obligations under the IOTC;
• Support IOTC member states in developing long-term commitments to effective enforcement of, and compliance with, IOTC resolutions, including strengthening of the capacity of developing coastal states to effectively combat IUU fishing activities, which are still significant in the region;
• Encourage and support research to minimize bycatches in the tuna fisheries of the region, and reduce the potential negative effects of these fisheries on tuna resources and the pelagic ecosystem;

The Seychelles Minister of Environment, Natural Resources and Transport expressed a desire to use this declaration as a basis for his government’s position to be presented to the IOTC Annual meeting, coming up this March in Korea.

The ISSF (International Seafood Sustainability Foundation), which sponsored the Seychelles Conference, supports IOTC Scientific Committee’s recommendations and urges IOTC Members to adopt and enforce scientifically sound conservation management measures in an effort to reduce catches of yellowfin tuna, limiting it to 300 000mt, in order to allow the stock to recover.

Sources: http://www.iss-foundation.org/Features/ISSF/News/Details.aspx?itemid=59&navid=264

An article on “Governance of Marine Protected Areas in East Africa: A Comparative Study of Mozambique, South Africa and Tanzania” has recently been published in Ocean Development & International Law. The abstract of the article is:

Marine protected areas (MPAs), including MPA networks, have become an indispensable tool for marine conservation. This article undertakes a comparative discussion of the domestic governance frameworks of Mozambique, South Africa, and Tanzania in view of the efforts of these three states to scale up their MPA cooperation in the East African Marine Ecoregion (EAME) to include MPA networks, including transboundary MPAs. Although on many issues there appears to be regional solidarity and convergence on principles, including participatory processes and decision making to guide MPA making, there are significant differences on lead roles, institutional structures, access to public information, and conflict management, among others, which would need to be factored in MPA cooperation. Other important factors for regional MPA cooperation include policy directions on shared concerns such as conservation and development values with emphasis on equitable resource use and poverty alleviation.

Full citation: Chircop, A., Francis, J.; Van Der Elst, R.,  Pacule, H.,  Guerreiro, J.,  Grilo, C., and Carneiro, G. 2010. Governance of Marine Protected Areas in East Africa: A Comparative Study of Mozambique, South Africa, and Tanzania, Ocean Development & International Law, 1521-0642, Volume 41, Issue 1, 2010, 1 – 33

It is never all work and no play during the MASMA Programme Committee meetings as Gilbert David shows below

Omar A. Amir successfully defended his PhD thesis recently. His PhD thesis is titled: “Biology, ecology and anthropogenic threats of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins in east Africa”, and its abstract is attached below:

This thesis examines the biology, ecology and anthropogenic threats of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) off Zanzibar, Tanzania, based on research conducted and samples collected between 2000 and 2008. Distribution and occurrence are described based on incidental catches (bycatch) in gillnet fisheries. Biology and ecology are examined by ageing and studying the reproductive biology and stomach contents of collected specimens. The composition of organohalogen compounds is determined in blubber samples, and assessment and mitigation of bycatch are conducted using observers onboard fishing vessels. Fisheries bycatch data showed that Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins occur year round in all areas around Zanzibar. Sexual maturity was attained between 7 and 8 years and body length 190-200 cm in females and at 16 years and body length 213 cm in males. The gestation period was estimated to be 12.3 months, with calving occurring throughout the year, peaking November-March and with an interval of 2.7 years. The estimated pregnancy rate was between 0.10 and 0.58 depending on methods used. Stomach contents revealed a relatively large number of prey species, but that only a few small- and medium-sized neritic fish and cephalopods contribute substantially to the diet. Estimates of total annual bycatch were >9% which is not considered sustainable. An experiment showed that pingers can be a short term mitigation measure to reduce bycatch of dolphins in both drift- and bottom set gillnets. Methoxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers (Meo-BDEs) were found at higher concentrations than anthropogenic organic pesticides (OCPs), with only traces of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) detected. This study reveals the magnitude and apparent susceptibility of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins off Zanzibar to anthropogenic threats, especially fisheries bycatch, and it is clear that immediate conservation and management measures are needed to reduce bycatch.

Website: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:su:diva-34472

WIOMSA congratulates Dr Amir and wishes him the best of luck in his research activities.

Please view a award-winning video clip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWkLAYSwOQ8) taken on 14 February 2010 by John Bythell, when the MASMA Programme Committee visited the Sokhulu Fisheries Programme in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.

The UNESCO Fellowships Programme provides opportunities for innovative training and high-level studies through the granting of short-term postgraduate fellowships for the benefit of UNESCO’s Member States and Associate Members.

The Director-General Irina Bokova is encouraging Member States to recommend a preferred candidate as well as one alternate by 30 April 2010. Follow this link to read more about the criteria for applications and details on the submission process: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001864/186478e.pdf

A policy brief, published by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), outlines six challenges to delivering the ‘climate finance’ promised to developing countries at last year’s UN climate talks in Copenhagen.

The Copenhagen Accord — an international agreement among 25 countries attending the talks — includes a promise of funds to help developing countries adapt to climate change. Starting at US$10 billion a year from 2010–2012, the funds will rise to US$100 billion a year by 2020.

Read the full article from: http://www.scidev.net/en/policy-briefs/six-hurdles-to-delivering-climate-finance.html