Oceanic Defense: November 2010

11.30.2010

One Down; How Many More to Go? Fiji Water to Leave Fiji

If you bottle the water outside of Fiji, is it still Fiji Water?

While we Westerners think of Fiji as an idyllic tropical destination with pristine beaches and turquoise waters, the real story of the remote South Pacific island is a much different reality. As TIME reported in September, the tiny island has been under military rule since a coup in 2006, its press is muzzled and it's economy has declined due in part to sanctions imposed by the European Union and its neighbors, Australia and New Zealand.

The latest twist in this saga involves the high-end water brand of the same name. Fiji Water announced Monday that it is shutting down operations in Fiji after the government proposed an “extraction tax” of 15 cents a liter (up from one-third of a cent). The proposed tax hike comes just one week after David Roth, Fiji Water director of external affairs, was deported for allegedly interfering in the domestic affairs and governance of Fiji.

In the company's statement, Fiji Water President John Cochran said they are hoping to work with the junta to resolve the tax dispute, which he called discriminatory as it only applies to their company (the only company in Fiji that bottles more than 3.5 million liters a month). “The country is increasingly unstable, and is becoming a very risky place in which to invest,” the statement said.

Fiji Water, which sells their square-shaped water bottles in more than 40 countries, said hundreds of Fijians would lose their jobs as a result of their decision to leave the country.

Source: http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/11/29/fiji-water-to-leave-fiji/

About Oceanic Defense
We are an international non-profit organization with members in over 60 countries, spanning 6 continents with 1 mission; healthy aquatic ecosystems free from human abuse and neglect. Oceanic Defense teaches people to protect our oceans by acting responsibly as consumers and by making smart decisions in our daily lives. Whether we are buying groceries, commuting to work, planning a vacation or advocating within our own communities; each action we take or decision we make either helps or hurts our oceans. We empower people to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem and work together to protect our blue planet.

Join us on Facebook:www.facebook.com/OceanicDefense
Visit our official website:www.oceanicdefense.org
Follow us on Twitter:www.twitter.com/OceanicDefense

11.29.2010

10 ways to reduce plastics in your home

It seems like hardly a day goes by without some new report about the health hazards of plastics. If it’s not plastic teethers, it’s baby bottles, or sports bottles or old Tupperware. Trying to tell the polycarbonates from the polyvinyl chlorides is enough to make your head spin.

For an informed yet practical approach to plastics safety, we consulted two experts who also happen to be parents:

Susan Nagel, a professor of obstetrics, gynecology and women’s health at the University of Missouri, who’s been researching plastics for more than 10 years. She’s also the mother of 6-year-old twins. She is slowly but methodically replacing all her plastic food storage containers with Pyrex.

Vincent Cobb, founder of the online store Reusable Bags, which features nonplastic — or at least safer plastic — food-storage products. Cobb has two children, ages 6 and 4. This Thanksgiving, he tossed out the plastic turkey baster. “It’s now a squirt toy for the kids.”

The first bit of advice from our two experts: Don’t panic.

“When people first found out about lead, they were like, ‘Oh my gosh! We have to strip the paint! We have to move out of the house!”‘ Cobb says. “That’s where people are now with plastics.”

Plastics aren’t as toxic as lead, and there’s a lot of research still to be done. But since there are alternatives, it makes sense to limit your exposure. How does that old saying go? Err on the side of caution.

Two problems: BPA and phthalates

The chemical that’s grabbing all the recent headlines is bisphenol A — BPA for short. It’s a synthetic estrogen — yep, like the hormone — and has been linked to heart disease, diabetes, and behavioral and reproductive problems. Scientists worry that developing fetuses and children younger than 6 are particularly vulnerable.

Canada is planning to ban BPA in children’s products. Consumer groups are calling for a ban in the U.S., and the Food and Drug Administration recently agreed to reconsider the issue.

BPA is found in hard plastic products like baby bottles and sports bottles and in the linings of metal cans for food, soft drinks and beer. It’s also in eyeglasses, bike helmets, CD cases and, well, just about everywhere.

“With BPA, we cannot completely figure out where it’s all coming from,” Nagel says. “If you add up people’s exposure from canned foods, dental sealants, drinking out of polycarbonate bottles, all those things we know about, you still can’t account for as high a level as we find in people.

“It’s in so many products. It’s been found in household air. It’s in dust, then you breathe it in. You can decrease your exposure, but you cannot eliminate it.”

The other buzzword lately is phthalates (the “ph” is silent), additives that make plastic more flexible. Phthalates have been linked to reproductive problems and have been falling out of favor for several years (remember the Great Teether Panic of 1999?). The U.S. began banning several phthalates in children’s products in February, but Nagel warns that phthalates will still lurk in older toys, as well as scented soaps, lotions and cosmetics.

The solution: Reduce your exposure

If you’d like to reduce your family’s exposure to plastics, here are 10 places to start:

Food storage. As you can, replace plasticware with glass, porcelain or stainless steel. Until then, just be cautious in how you use plastic storage containers. Don’t put plastic in the microwave, ever. Heat can break down plastic so that it leaches chemicals into food. Try not to put plastic in the dishwasher — it’s too hot in there, as well — although you do have to clean the stuff. If you put it in the dishwasher, use the top rack, away from the heating element. Older plasticware tends to leach the most, so replace it first.
Other kitchenware. For plastic glasses and sippy cups, see No. 1. There are glass, metal or wooden alternatives to plastic mixing bowls, colanders, funnels, cutting boards, spatulas and spoons. Ditto for plates and silverware. Some blenders and food processors come with glass bowls. Instead of a vinyl tablecloth, use real cloth.
Plastic wrap and bags. There aren’t as many practical alternatives to this one. Try aluminum foil. For microwaving, you can cover foods with paper towels. “I can’t speak to the safety of freezing in freezer bags,” Nagel says, “but I do it because at some point you just don’t have a choice.”
Lunch stuff. Another tricky one, since you can’t send your kids to school with breakable food containers. Reusable Bags has started stocking some options, including snack-size stainless-steel containers and cloth snack bags. “We’ve been waiting for somebody to do this,” Cobb says. “We’ve been looking all over the place."
Water bottles. Yes, Virginia, it’s possible to live without a plastic water bottle. Nalgene, which pioneered the shatterproof sports bottle, is now making BPA-free polycarbonate bottles. “I’d still recommend something else,” Nagel says. “Use stainless steel or glass.”
Canned foods. Many of the metal cans used for food are lined with a resin that contains BPA. Instead of canned fruits and vegetables, buy fresh or frozen. Instead of canned beans, buy dried. Look for tomatoes in glass jars, or try canning your own.
Baby bottles and formula. Use glass baby bottles if possible. If not, several companies make BPA-free bottles. Also avoid liquid baby formula in metal cans, since the liquid can absorb high levels of BPA from the can lining. Powdered formula is a much better choice.
Plastic toys. Remember the uproar over the news that Thomas the Tank Engine was covered in lead paint? We need to bring the same level of awareness to plastic toys. Instead, look for natural products like wood. “One thing I found hard was that I liked to buy secondhand toys from garage sales and whatnot,” Nagel says. “I started focusing more on classic, natural-products toys.”
Cosmetics and baby products. Phthalates are often used in bath and beauty products as carriers for fragrances. Buy unscented soaps, shampoos, lotions and baby powder instead.
Stop buying junk. This is the most important change you can make, according to both of our experts. “This is really hard for Americans, me included, because we’re such consumers,” Nagel says. “If we can, we need to just slow that down and not buy so many products, especially those that are disposable.”

Source: http://thesouthern.com/lifestyles/leisure/article_2e25cb1c-0e21-11df-8b25-001cc4c002e0.html

11.27.2010

International Fisheries Meeting Moves to Protect Some Sharks

Oceanic white tip shark and diver (photo: Paul Spielvogel, SDM)

November 27, 2010
Half a dozen species of endangered sharks hunted on the high seas to satisfy a burgeoning Asian market for sharkfin soup are now protected in the Atlantic, a fisheries group decided on Saturday.

Scalloped, smooth and great hammerheads, along with oceanic white tip, cannot be targeted or kept if caught accidentally, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) announced. [The Washington Post summarized that this was, in part due to the fact that, "Populations of oceanic white tip shark have declined 99 percent in the Gulf of Mexico and the Mediterranean, while hammerheads' numbers have dropped 99 percent in the Mediterranean. ]

A proposal submitted by the European Union to extend the same level of protection to the porbeagle shark, critically endangered in the northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean, was shot down.
"Canada was adamant that they were not going to let its porbeagle fishery go," said Elizabeth Wilson, a marine scientists at Washington based advocacy group Oceana. The decisions on sharks follow 10 days of closed door haggling at the 48 member ICCAT, which has yet to announce quotas and other measures on bluefin tuna. [CBS News has since reported that "The commission agreed to cut the bluefin fishing quota in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean from 13,500 to 12,900 metric tons annually." This represents approximately a mere 4% decrease. Most conservationists and many scientists consider this insufficient to prevent continued, unsustainable declines in the species' populations.]

At least 1.3 million sharks were harvested from the Atlantic in 2008 by industrial scale fisheries unhampered by catch or size limits, according to a recent report. The actual figure, it said, is likely several fold higher due to under-reporting. To date, the only other shark species subject to a fishing ban in the Atlantic is the big eye thresher, a measure passed last year.

"These decisions increase the chances that these species will continue to swim in the Atlantic," said Matt Rand, a shark expert with the Pew Environment Group. "But there's a lot more work to be done. Fifty per cent of open water sharks in the world are threatened with extinction," he said, cited the classification of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) [Red List of Threatened and Endangered Species].

A push by the United States to establish quotas for another shark, the shortfin mako, fell short. "Half the countries at the meeting were opposed," said Wilson.While willing to ban the fishing of certain species that are already in sharp decline, these nations do not want to set a precedent of establishing catch limits for sharks with relatively healthy populations, she explained.

There are no multinational quotas on shark fishing anywhere in the world.

ICCAT did, however, call for data collection on the shortfin mako. It also voted a measure requiring commercial fishermen to remove hooks and netting from accidentally caught sea turtles before returning them to the sea, and to keep records.

WHAT CAN YOU DO? 1. Be an informed consumer about your seafood choices; know about the fishery itself and any associated by-catch and make sustainable purchases; choosing not to eat seafood is a viable and good option. 2. Buy products that are animal-product-free, as those are sure to be devoid of any shark. 3. Be an advocate for the oceans; share your concerns and knowledge with your friends, family, and community; JOIN THE AQUATIC ARMY!

Compiled and analyzed by,
Samantha Whitcraft
Conservation Biologist

Sources: The Washington Post, Sydney Morning Herald, FishBase,
CBS News Tech

About Oceanic Defense
We are an international non-profit organization with members in over 60 countries, spanning 6 continents with 1 mission; healthy aquatic ecosystems free from human abuse and neglect. Oceanic Defense teaches people to protect our oceans by acting responsibly as consumers and by making smart decisions in our daily lives. Whether we are buying groceries, commuting to work, planning a vacation or advocating within our own communities; each action we take or decision we make either helps or hurts our oceans. We empower people to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem and work together to protect our blue planet.

Join us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/OceanicDefense
Visit our official website: www.oceanicdefense.org
Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/OceanicDefense

11.26.2010

NOAA Enforces Right Whale Ship Strike Reduction Rule

Vessels charged for allegedly speeding where endangered whales calve, feed, migrate

NOAA today announced it is issuing notices of violations proposing civil administrative penalties against seven vessels for allegedly violating seasonal speed limits designed to protect one of the most endangered whales in the world. These civil administrative penalties are the first assessed since the Right Whale Ship Strike Reduction Rule was enacted on Dec. 9, 2008.

Because there are as few as 350 North Atlantic right whales still in existence, the whales are protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act of 1973 and the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. The Right Whale Ship Strike Reduction Rule restricts vessels of 65 feet or greater to speeds of 10 knots or less in seasonal management areas along the East Coast.

The NOVAs issued this week focus on vessels that allegedly traveled multiple times through the seasonal management areas for right whales at speeds well in excess of the 10 knots allowed under the regulations.

Penalty assessments in these NOVAs range from $16,500 to $49,500, depending on the frequency of the violations. The ships' owners and operators have 30 days to respond to NOVAs by paying the assessed penalty, seeking to have it modified, or requesting a hearing before an administrative law judge.

These seasonal management areas went into effect Nov. 1 in areas from Rhode Island to Brunswick, Ga., and went into effect yesterday for areas from Brunswick, Ga., to St. Augustine, Fla. Designed to reduce the chances of right whales being injured or killed by ships, the speed restrictions are based on the migration pattern of right whales and are in effect through April 30 each year. Maps of these areas and a compliance guide are available at www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/shipstrike

NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement (OLE) focused on outreach during the rule’s first season, sending letters to alleged violators to educate them about the new federal regulation. The Notices of Violation and Assessment (NOVAs) issued by NOAA’s Office of General Counsel for Enforcement and Litigation yesterday involve alleged violations of the speed restrictions during the second season the regulations were in place, November 2009 through April 2010.  

“Right whales are a highly endangered and important species,” said special agent Stuart Cory, OLE's national program manager for protected resources. “It is important to remind those that use and share the same habitat as right whales that this rule was put into place to protect these mammals. Compliance with this rule is one way NOAA is striving to prevent right whales from extinction. The species' recovery is dependent upon the protection of each remaining whale.”

The mission of NOAA OLE is to ensure compliance with the laws and regulations enacted to conserve and protect our nation's marine resources. To report a suspected violation, contact the NOAA OLE national hotline at 1-800-853-1964.

NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/usnoaagov.

Source: http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2010/20101116_rightwhale.html

11.24.2010

New Large Squid Found in Southern Indian Ocean

ScienceDaily — A new species of squid has been discovered by scientists analyzing 7,000 samples gathered during last year's IUCN-led seamounts cruise in the southern Indian Ocean.

The new species, 70 centimeters long, is a large member of the chiroteuthid family -- squids from this group are long and slender with light-producing organs, which act as lures to attract prey. So far, more than 70 species of squid have been identified from the seamounts cruise, representing more than 20 percent of the global squid biodiversity.

"For ten days now 21 scientists armed with microscopes have been working through intimidating rows of jars containing fishes, squids, zooplankton and other interesting creatures," says Alex Rogers, of the Department of Zoology, University of Oxford. "Many specimens look similar to each other and we have to use elaborate morphological features such as muscle orientation and gut length to differentiate between them."

The recent discoveries are part of an IUCN-led Seamounts Project, which started a year ago when a team of the world's leading marine experts ventured into a six-week research expedition above seamounts in the high seas of the Indian Ocean. The aim of the cruise was to unveil the mysteries of seamounts in the southern Indian Ocean and to help improve conservation and management of marine resources in the area.

"The new discoveries will not only satiate the appetite of scientists working in the field, but will help improve conservation and management of Indian Ocean resources and future management of deep-sea ecosystems in the high seas globally," says Carl Gustaf Lundin, Head, IUCN Global Marine Programme.

To read the seamounts blog and see the photos, visit: http://seamounts2009.blogspot.com/

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101115152534.htm

Study into Great Barrier Reef viruses

A SCIENTIST will start the monumental task of sifting through thousands of viruses to determine whether they are friends or foes to the Great Barrier Reef.

While most viruses are considered to be harmful to plants and animals, Australian Institute of Marine Science researcher Madeline van Oppen will examine whether viruses can add any benefit to coral reefs.

It has been estimated 28,000 viruses can live in a single coral colony. However, much is unknown about the effects – if any – they actually have. Some viruses may even contribute to coral bleaching, a condition brought on by stress.

Dr van Oppen has received a prestigious Australian Research Council Future Fellowship, one of 28 awarded across the country, to assist her work.

Much of her field work on coral disease has been carried out on reefs in Far North Queensland.

She hoped her work could provide insights into how corals could respond to climate change.

"What I’ll firstly be doing is describing the diversity of viruses associated with coral disease and trying to figure out what range of roles they play in terms of coral health and disease, and also in the way they can adapt," Dr van Oppen said.

By working out how corals respond to potential stress from viruses, this could, in turn, help contribute to management strategies to strengthen reef health.

Another fellowship recipient was James Cook University researcher Dr Michelle Heupel, who will investigate the migration patterns of sharks and coral trout.

Source: http://www.cairns.com.au/article/2010/11/22/136471_local-news.html

11.22.2010

Oh! Canada! Study: Fishing Allowed In 99% of MPAs On Canada's Pacific Coast

Kim Wright, Marine Planning and Protected Areas Campaign Manager for Living Oceans Society. credit Living Oceans

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Fishing is allowed in all but one percent of Marine Protected Areas (MPA) on Canada's Pacific coast, according to a study conducted by Living Oceans Society and published in Marine Policy this month. This is in spite of the fact that over half of the MPAs are officially rated as "strictly protected" and are intended to prohibit all fishing.

"Marine Protected Areas should be safe havens where species can regenerate, but the great majority of our MPAs are really just paper parks that offer almost nothing in the way of ocean conservation or sustainable fisheries," says Kim Wright, Living Oceans Society's Marine Planning and Protected Areas Campaign Manager.

To build an effective network of MPAs, federal, provincial and municipal government agencies that designate MPAs need to ensure that the appropriate fishing closures are put in place by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). The Marine Policy article, Commercial Fisheries Closures in Marine Protected Areas on Canada's Pacific Coast: The Exception, not the Rule, reveals all levels of government are failing to coordinate their efforts and provide real protection for the ocean ecosystem.

Dr. Isabelle Coté, a Marine Protected Area specialist and professor at Simon Fraser University says that this study emphasizes the need to improve our network of MPAs if we want to reap the benefits. "Marine reserves, in which no fishing is permitted, increase the abundance and diversity of marine life within their boundaries," says Coté. "This study shows that the MPAs on Canada's Pacific coast are less likely to show the same positive effects."

Living Oceans Society is calling on the federal and provincial governments to address this issue coast wide, starting with the region known as the Pacific North Coast Integrated Management Area (PNCIMA) which extends from Vancouver Island north to the Alaska Border. The federal government, First Nations governments and stakeholders are currently working together to develop a marine plan for this region. According to Living Oceans Society, this is the perfect opportunity for all parties to work together to upgrade and improve the existing network of MPAs.

This will also help Canada live up to its international commitment, through the Convention on Biological Diversity, to build a network of MPAs by 2012 that encompasses 10 percent of every habitat type globally.

"As the nation with the longest coastline in the world, it is shocking so few MPAs exist and that fishing is allowed in almost all of them, including those classified as strictly protected," says Wright.

Source: http://www.underwatertimes.com/news.php?article_id=17509610384

What YOU can do:
Contact Fisheries and Oceans Pacific offices and encourage them to enforce MPAs. Respectfully ask that these areas be protected according to the committements the Canadian government set forth through the Convention on Biological Diversity:

http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Contact-eng.htm

11.19.2010

Caribbean reef repair likely 'beyond our lifetimes'

A coral bleaching event in 2005 that killed or stressed many Caribbean reefs was the worst on record, said experts who also warned that bleaching this last summer is likely to have proven even worse in some areas.

"As this paper went to press in 2010, major bleaching was again striking reefs in the Caribbean, in some places worse than in 2005," the researchers wrote in their study, published this week in the peer-reviewed online journal PLoS ONE.

"Major bleaching events have returned to the Caribbean every five years or less, and with growing intensity," they added, tying the events to warming ocean temperatures. "With no real sign of recovery after bleaching in Caribbean reefs, these repeated events are likely to have caused reef decline that will extend beyond our lifetimes."

Bleaching happens when corals are stressed and then expel the algae living inside — turning what were colorful reefs into tracts of white. If prolonged, that bleaching can kill coral directly or by allowing diseases to take over.

In the study, experts from 22 countries reported that more than 80 percent of surveyed corals bleached in 2005, and more than 40 percent of the total surveyed died.

That damage made it "the most severe bleaching event ever recorded in the basin," according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which helped fund the study.
"This severe, widespread bleaching ... suggests a troubled future for tropical marine ecosystems under a warming climate," the experts wrote.

The researchers noted that other testing had found that the Caribbean's reefs had been stable for at least 200,000 years — until the 1980s when bleaching started to happen more often.
Bleaching has also hit reefs in other parts of the world where waters have warmed, in particularly off Indonesia and Australia.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40239545/ns/us_news-environment/

11.18.2010

Fines levied for bombarding reef

A state agency directed a contractor to drop concrete onto coral

The state Division of Aquatic Resources and a private company were fined $400,000 yesterday for dropping concrete blocks on a coral reef off Maui.

The Board of Land and Natural Resources decided the division should pay most of the fine — about $266,666 — for its role in the damage. The contractor, American Marine Corp., faces a $133,333 fine.

Land Board Chairwoman Laura Thielen said the division, which is part of the Department of Land and Natural Resources, failed to adequately assess the drop area before allowing American Marine to sink Z-shaped concrete blocks for an artificial reef habitat on Dec. 2.

Before the drop, state divers cleared a circle 100 yards wide for the artificial reef but did not find a coral reef outside the zone only 25 yards away, she said.

In addition, American Marine's barge drifted as much as 300 to 400 feet from the drop zone buoy during the project, and division staff had to ask the contractor at least twice to reposition the barge, according to a report by DLNR.

The 1,452 concrete blocks were supposed to land on barren ocean floor, but 125 of them landed on a natural reef.

The Division of Aquatic Resources will begin a study to repair the reef and determine whether to leave the blocks because they are not causing further damage or remove them to help the reef heal faster, Thielen said. The division will report back to the board in about 60 days.
Thielen said the division could pay its fine by spending future funding or grants on reducing damage to coral reefs.

In a report submitted to the board, the department suggested a fine of about $824,373, but after three hours of discussion, the board settled on the lesser $400,000.

Thielen said she stopped the artificial reef program after the accident and notified a federal agency that the state must update its environmental impact statements before continuing to build artificial reefs.

Source: http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/hawaiinews/20101113_fines_levied_for_bombarding_reef.html

11.12.2010

Economic Hit in a Mexican Town - a community's sharks killed

Local newspaper article reveals the town's anger (photo: Eli Martinez)

November 12, 2010
by Samantha Whitcraft

There is a lovely town in Mexico's Yucatan called Playa del Carmen; to some people it's one of a series of fun beach spots and a great place to kick back with a beer and watch another Caribbean sunset, but to others it is the place to dive with bull sharks. Every year, around this time, beautiful bull sharks -- up to 20-25 at a time, perhaps remnant of a once bigger aggregation -- show up just off the coast. And because their appearance there is predictable, they became a strong eco-tourism draw. People who love sharks, and their numbers are growing, will pay handsomely to see these amazing animals. And for the past several years, local businesses awaited the arrival of "the bulls of Playa del Carmen" along with the economic boost it brought them and the entire town.

Divers and photographers experiencing "the bulls of Playa del Carmen"

Four days ago, however, nine of "the bulls of Playa del Carmen", likely some of the same sharks that local dive operators, famous photographers, and even tourists had come to know and love, were killed by a local fisherman from a neighboring town. His name is Humberto Andusi from Puerto Morelos, Mexico, and by all accounts, he knew exactly what he was doing; like all experienced fishermen he knows when and where the fish are. Additionally, the location and value of the sharks to the dive industry there was no secret. Humberto sought out and killed these sharks, seven of which where reproductive females. And if the loss of reproductive females were not enough of a blow to the current and future population in the area, Eli Martinez, editor of Shark Diver Magazine reports from his contacts in Playa del Carmen that, in fact, approximately 50 pups were pulled from the dead animals. The sex ratio of that entire generation that was wiped out is unknown -- how many future breeding females where also killed? Those pups represented the future success of the only known bull shark aggregation along Mexico's Yucatan peninsula.

The biological loss in terms of population recovery, locally, could be significant in that the estimated average number in the aggregation, based on Shark Diver Magazine's trip reports since 2009 is a maximum of 22 animals. The loss of seven females is especially problematic because bull sharks, like most large sharks, have a slow reproductive rate -- specifically, they mature at 10-15 years old and have 1-13 pups at a time. Given these back-of-the-envelope numbers and assuming a low migration rate of 'new' sharks into the area, the bull shark aggregation at Playa del Carmen may not fully recover for a decade or more. Time will tell and responsible dive operators who care about these animals and their livelihood will, hopefully, keep a close count and a watchful eye on the aggregation over the coming years.

There is a a very real human impact too. Martinez, who leads a yearly trip to dive with the sharks at Playa de Carmen, stated that "...9 bull sharks, which was the working population of sharks the dive shops were working with...and all these females were returning which means these were the same females that came to these waters each and every year. Sad, makes me so damn sad." Since the sharks were caught and killed, the local dive operators haven't seen any of the remaining animals in the area. If the sharks don't come back, Martinez estimates a significant economic hit to the town. A rough, low-ball calculation of the numbers looks like this: there are about 10 dive shops in the area of Playa del Carmen that advertise and bring in divers with the draw of their bull sharks; on average, combining all the shops, there are as many as 30 divers per day paying about $120 each for the experience...now multiple that by a 150-day season. Playa del Carmen's dive industry alone stands to lose in the area of $540,000 this year. That number does not include the loss of revenue to supporting industries like local restaurants, bars, and hotels that cater to the divers that come for the sharks.

By comparison, Señor Andusi probably made between $100 to $200 per shark grossing himself between $900 to $1800 for a single days' work. He likely sold the animals, whole, to a 'runner' who transported the sharks to Cancun or Mérida and doubled his money selling them to an exporter, who in turn will make his profit on the international 'market' with the most valuable parts of the sharks -- the fins, oil, and cartilage. Surprisingly, as in many countries, this series of events is completely legal in Mexico.


The "bulls of Playa del Carmen"? (photo: http://www.photosfan.com/sharks/)

Today, shortly after the local newspaper article came out about what had happened and who had killed Playa del Carmen's bull sharks, Señor Andusi walked into one of the leading dive shops in town, Phantom Divers, and apologized to the owner. Apparently, community pressure exerted via the local press had an initial impact. Hopefully, the same community pressure will be applied to the Mexican government's fisheries agency, National Commission of Aquaculture and Fishing (CONAPESCA) to more fully and effectively protect Mexico's valuable sharks.

WHAT CAN YOU DO? 1. Support responsible, sustainable shark eco-tourism to keep our sharks worth more alive than dead at the local level; 2. Be an informed consumer and never buy anything with shark product in it including pills, foods, clothing and cosmetics; 3. Be a vocal and active advocate for stronger shark conservation laws in your community or where you vacation; and 4. Sign and share the petition to protect the marine ecosystem of the Riviera Maya and Playa del Carmen, Mexico, addressed to the Comision Nacional de Areas Naturales Protegidas y Municipio de Solidaridad. Thank you.

About Oceanic Defense
We are an international non-profit organization with members in over 60 countries, spanning 6 continents with 1 mission; healthy aquatic ecosystems free from human abuse and neglect. Oceanic Defense teaches people to protect our oceans by acting responsibly as consumers and by making smart decisions in our daily lives. Whether we are buying groceries, commuting to work, planning a vacation or advocating within our own communities; each action we take or decision we make either helps or hurts our oceans. We empower people to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem and work together to protect our blue planet.

Join us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/OceanicDefense
Visit our official website: www.oceanicdefense.org
Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/OceanicDefense

11.11.2010

South Florida water managers weigh costly consequences of sea level rise

For millions of South Floridians, life on a peninsula means melting icecaps in Greenland aren't just something for polar bears to worry about.

South Florida's coastal flood-control structures, counted on to protect low-lying communities from getting swamped, already are at risk from sea level rise due to climate change, according to scientists for the South Florida Water Management District.

In the coming months, the district's governing board will be asked to endorse more scientific studies and potentially costly flood-control construction projects aimed at preparing for the rising sea levels expected to come.

A district proposal outlined Tuesday calls for the agency over the next five years to buy more land for flood control, design improvements for 50-year-old drainage structures and start building pumps that could keep discharging stormwater out to the ocean even as sea levels continue to rise.

While politicians and world leaders debate the causes of climate change and how to respond, district scientists are adopting a "no-regrets strategy" to get ready, even if the worst-case scenarios don't come to pass.

"This is an issue of global importance that will have regional impacts," said Jayantha Obeysekera, who is leading the district's response to climate change and sea level rise. He briefed the district board Tuesday. "All aspects of water management would be impacted."

An increase in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere are trapping more of the sun's heat, leading to climate change — blamed for higher temperatures that are projected to increase the rate of sea level rise.

Manmade pollution produces more of those heat-trapping greenhouse gases.

Sea ice, glaciers and snow cover around the world all are shrinking as temperatures rise, Obeysekera said.

The district is anticipating sea levels to climb 5 to 20 inches during the next 50 years.

High water levels at times already are creating problems for some of the floodgates, spillways and drainage canals that protect South Florida from flooding.

South Florida now has periods of extreme high tides, when water levels rise higher than the point where stormwater from coastal drainage canals normally gets dumped into the sea.

When that happens, floodgates stay closed, increasing the flood risk if those drainage canals overflow. That would worsen if sea levels rise.

Overwhelmed coastal drainage canals would have a "domino effect" on the rest of South Florida's drainage system, according to Carol Wehle, water district executive director.

If there's insufficient room for water in drainage canals, then there's not enough room for water coming in from community drainage systems. Those community systems help keep inland neighborhoods dry.

"The capacity … of the system is going to be negatively impacted by sea level rise," Wehle said.

The district has so far identified 28 flood-control structures along the southeast coast and six along the west coast most at risk to rising sea levels.

The first three are the S27, S28 and S29 facilities in northern Miami-Dade County.

New pumps are proposed to push stormwater into the ocean while keeping floodgates closed to hold back the elevated seas.

Cost remains a hurdle to getting that done. The current proposal would begin work by 2015. Each one cost "tens of millions of dollars," Obeysekera said.

Another threat from rising sea levels is more saltwater seeping in underground and contaminating drinking water supplies. South Florida has coastal well fields that through the years have had to shut down or reduce pumping due to saltwater intrusion.

Water utilities in Lake Worth, Hallandale Beach and Lantana have been among the most at risk of saltwater intrusion.

If that continues, it means increased costs to find new drinking water supplies or to switch to more costly water treatment processes — both of which would mean higher water bills for South Florida residents.

In addition, the Everglades can expect to suffer from an influx of saltwater.

Sea level rise is expected to affect the southern end of the Everglades by increasing coastal erosion, reducing mangrove forests, pushing migrating wading birds northward, increasing peat collapse and raising salinity levels in freshwater marshes that could result in fish kills and loss of wildlife habitat.

The state and federal government are in the midst of investing billions of dollars in Everglades restoration. Some contend that those restoration projects should be reconsidered due to the expected damage from sea level rise.

Others counter that restoring more of the stormwater flows that once naturally reached the Everglades will counterbalance the effects of climate change.

"It's critical to act fast enough," said Jane Graham of Audubon of Florida. "Fight water with water."

Computer modeling is being used to try to chart which areas are most at risk of flooding from sea level rise.

During the coming year, the district plans to further identify water-management projects affected by sea level rise; complete reports on trends in sea-level rise and climate change; and finish an analysis of the saltwater-intrusion monitoring system.

The sea level rise is not really in dispute, said district board member Jerry Montgomery, pointing to melting glaciers and ice sheets from Greenland to Antarctica. The question, Montgomery said, is the rate of rise and how much it will affect South Florida.

"It is clearly melting and it is clearly melting at a faster rate," Montgomery said.

Andy Reid can be reached at abreid@SunSentinel.com or 561-228-5504.

Source: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/palm-beach/fl-sea-level-rise-south-florida-20101109,0,5651053,full.story

11.08.2010

Japanese Activists' Voices Grow Louder - Part II

Miwa Hayakawa leads WWAWD-2010 rally, Miami (photo credit Alina Soto)

"It's the Japanese people who have to do this, not outside Westerners. They have to take ownership of this issue.
I have to be replaced by young Japanese people or housewives."
~ Ric O'Barry, SaveJapanDolphins.org

by Samantha Whitcraft
November 9, 2010 - Miami, FL.

Back in September, just as the Taiji Dolphin Hunt season was starting up, again, we brought you the story of how Japanese people were starting to make their voices heard, by petition, at least. With our friends at Choices for Tomorrow ("Cruelty Free Living and Animal Advocacy"), a grass-roots organization reaching out to Japanese communities and individuals, we translated and compiled some of the strong words and feelings expressed by Japanese people boldly supporting the Futo Petition requesting that the Ito City Mayor and the local fishing cooperative stop their town from recommencing a dolphin hunt there. One Japanese petitioner commented, for example:

"While making excuses using the words of tradition and culture, you sell off the wild dolphins to aquariums. You never give a thought about how short the dolphins’ life would be in aquariums with stress. It is as if slave traders. In Japan where food that could be fed to 30 millions people are dumped everyday, killing dolphins is not something to be allowed. Please stop the slaughter. I am shameful as a Japanese."

Then in October, we shared a Japan Times story about a growing local movement and petition to stop the building of an aquarium in a park in Kyoto, Japan that would house captive marine mammals, likely sourced from Taiji and other coastal dolphin hunts. The article stated, "...an anti-aquarium network of local, environmental groups continues to meet, demonstrate and fight the city in the courts."

And now, we find ourselves inspired and led by a Japanese anti-whaling activist in Miami, Florida. As a warm up, Miwa Hayawaka first spoke publicly at the Japan Dolphin Day Rally, with Ric O'Barry and Pete Bethune, at the Japanese Consulate, Miami on October 14th. We spotted her in the crowd and asked her if she spoke Japanese and she shyly replied 'yes'. When we asked her to speak she politely declined and was taken aback by the request, so instead, we asked her to translate a message to the Japanese Government representatives several floors above us. As Pete thanked the current Japanese administration for their 'hospitality' during his recent enforced 'visit' and advised them of his potential return should the dolphin slaughter continue, Miwa's expert translation and great sense of humor got the crowd energized. Next thing we knew, Miwa and Pete, together, were leading the crowd of 175+ in a raucous chant of "SHAME" in Japanese!

Bethune, Whitcraft, and Hayakawa at Japan Dolphin Day-2010, Miami.

On November 5th, Miwa joined us again, this time at the Worldwide Anti-Whaling Day (WWAWD) Rally at the Japanese Consulate, Miami. This time, there was no doubt she had found her voice and would speak out strongly to save whales and against illegal whaling. She led us in several Japanese language chants and then shared a powerful story from her youth. The assembled crowd was quiet as she shared her memories of her childhood, her father, and the part of her culture she now stood in defiance of. In her own words, here is Miwa's story of the conversation she had with her father about whaling and her activism:

I remember that my grandmother always cooked whale meat dish for my family. It was one of my father's favorite dishes. I, of course, ate it. It was long long time ago...when I was a child. Eating whale meat was normal for Japanese family. It's like eating beef in this country.

My father was a archaeologist which means he was always protecting and respecting Japanese history, cultures, and tradition. He likes to teach and talk about history of Japan. One day I asked him why we eat whale meat (and, at this time, I was already protesting for whaling), and he told me that our source of food came from ocean, because Japan is an island. Beef, pork, and chicken were very rare to eat in his life. Whale was really popular, because we could used everything of whale, even bones. He explained, we always respected and appreciated whales. We ate whale as a fish. After he finished taught me about history of whaling, he said he hasn't eaten it so much but wanted to...

And then I told him about what I was doing -- protesting and supporting the anti-whaling movement. He was surprised and didn't say anything and was quiet for awhile... and then...he said to me..."so you are against your own tradition". He was upset at that time.

The next day, he started talk about how much he liked to eat whale meat BUT he said "Whatever you do, you are believing in what you are doing, so I respect what you are doing. I will try to stop eating whale meat." I was shocked at what he had said. And he added that "Anyway, your grandma past away, so nobody can cook it for me". I very much appreciated what he said. As an archaeologist, it was difficult for my father to think that his daughter was against our own tradition. And yet, I know he hasn't eaten whale meat since then. Thank you very much for my father!"

These are the small victories and changes that ARE happening in Japan and in Japanese communities around the world. There is a quiet but strong growing movement of thoughtful and brave individuals who are the future of Japanese activism. Some of us have been privileged to meet, learn from, and stand side-by-side with some of them. Above all else they give us hope.

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Scripps plays role in national research of sea trash

Researchers at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla will count plastic particles that were collected during an October voyage by scientists studying the impact of debris on marine creatures and humans.

Those on the expedition - sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - found the plastic and other items in the "great Pacific garbage patch." The Texas-sized mass of floating objects in north Pacific Ocean has attracted interest from researchers worldwide, including some in Indonesia who joined the NOAA voyage.

Scientists from Scripps, based at the University of California San Diego, have done their own research on the vortex of plastic and have talked about plans to search for plastic in the South Pacific Ocean. The northern gyre has included everything from detergent bottles to toothbrushes, though most of the items are microscopic.

Besides plastic, scientists on the October trip collected samples of plankton, small organisms that may have consumed plastic bits. The effort was intended to fill gaps in data from parts of the Pacific Ocean, such as the stretch between Guam and Hawaii.
"We need samples in these areas to better describe the diversity and distribution of plankton, so we may detect changes and better understand the plankton communities," said Michael Ford, a chief NOAA scientist.

After Scripps tallies the plastic pieces, NOAA scientists in Seattle will test them for chemicals such as the pesticide DDT and BPA, a substance used to make plastics. Both are considered harmful to living organisms.

This month, another group of researchers will embark on a separate journey that also will involve plastic pollution in the ocean.

Experts from the Santa Monica-based 5 Gyres Institute will sail from Rio de Janeiro to Cape Town, South Africa, to show "you can't cross an ocean today without finding plastic pollution," said Anna Cummins, an institute co-founder.

Members of that team also hope to study whether the plastic poses harm to marine life.

Source: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/nov/03/scripps-analyzing-plankton-samples-pacific-garbage/

11.06.2010

Unjust sentence for Japanese anti-whaling activists

Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki, known as the Tokyo Two, exposed widespread corruption in Japan's whaling program – in return, they have been handed a one year suspended prison sentence. However, despite the harsh punishment the two anti-whaling activists stood in court as heroes today, having successfully put whaling on trial, both in court, and in Japan's national media.

Responding to the verdict Junichi said, "While the court acknowledged that there were questionable practices in the whaling industry, it did not recognize the right to expose these, as is guaranteed under international law. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, on which our defense was based, supersedes domestic criminal law, but the judgment did not properly take this into account."

"This sentence is totally disproportionate and completely undeserved," added Toru. "We set out to reveal the truth about the government's whaling program, but instead have been punished, while those behind the misuse of public money walk free."

Greenpeace is appealing this totally unjust, politically motivated sentence. Junichi and Toru have taken great personal risks to investigate and expose embezzlement at the heart of Japan's tax-funded whaling industry. They intercepted one of numerous boxes of whale meat embezzled from the whaling program as evidence. These boxes were taken for private use by the crew of the Nisshin Maru in violation of the whaling program's regulations, and this amounts to a misuse of public funds.

However, instead of investigating and arresting those behind the whale meat embezzlement scandal, Junichi and Toru were detained arbitrarily, forced to live under onerous bail conditions and put on trial. After more than two-years of political prosecution the court has convicted them of "theft" and "trespass", while the criminals behind the whale meat embezzlement walk free.

You can read key facts heard in the trial here.

This conviction is a slap in the face for those that expose inconvenient truths and the misuse of public funds. It's bad news for the entire political culture in Japan, not least the role of non-governmental organizations in society; there is little doubt that the ruling signifies a major step backwards for the country’s aim of gaining international reliability. More broadly this conviction is part of a disturbing trend of authorities meeting peaceful and civil dissent with harsh and disproportionately severe punishments. Sentences such as the one that has been given to Junichi and Toru today create a chilling effect in society. They narrow the democratic space and discourage people from speaking out, with impacts for all of us.

Greenpeace activists are always prepared to take responsibility for their actions, and standing up in court for what we believe in is often a result of taking appropriate, peaceful action. However, it is unacceptable for the authorities to ignore human rights and freedom of expression.

Japan has already drawn criticism from the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention for its treatment of Junichi and Toru, and as Professor Dirk Voorhoof, an international law expert and defence witness in the case, said: "This conviction is very likely to earn Japan more criticism for its failure to respect its obligations under international human rights law."

Junichi and Toru are not alone in facing this verdict. Vigils are being held at Japanese embassies around the world and hundreds of thousands of people have already signed our petition calling for justice. In addition, the Toyo Two's case has already been taken up by Amnesty International, by Nobel Laureates including Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and by celebrities like Bryan Adams and Benicio Del Torro.

Over the course of the Tokyo Two trial a lot has also happened to shift public perceptions in Japan. Industry whistleblowers have continued to speak with Japanese media about corruption and wrongdoing in the whaling industry, interest in the story keeps growing, and in the last fortnight alone articles in major newspapers such as Tokyo Shimbun and Kyodo have closely examined the issue. The headlines include "the trial of whale meat theft exposes horrifying realities" and "Scientific Whaling is diverting to illegal channels after all". Japanese journalists are also not just increasingly interested in what's going on in the tax-funded whaling programme, but in what the Tokyo Two trial has to say on the question of freedom of expression and non-governmental organizations' rights in their country.

"Activists are not criminals, and to treat them as such has a chilling effect in society, undermining the quality of democracy," said Greenpeace International Executive Director Dr. Kumi Naidoo, who travelled to Japan to hear the verdict. "The freedom to peacefully expose wrongdoing is not only a crucial part of any democracy, it is a right that must be defended. Greenpeace will continue to make this case a global priority until this unjust conviction is overturned."

We're standing with Junichi and Toru all the way and will make sure as many people as possible hear their story – and the positive impact their brave action is having.

11.03.2010

Vacuum Cleaners Made Of Recycled Sea Garbage Unveiled

STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- Electrolux has unveiled five vacuum cleaners made from plastic waste collected from the world's oceans. The launch of the unique vacuums marks the next chapter and continuation of the "Vac from the Sea" initiative that aims to raise awareness around ocean plastic waste and inspire consumers and industry to more recycling.

"I would like to thank everyone that has brought attention to the issue and express my deepest gratitude to our partners, for providing us with knowledge and working with us in gathering plastic from the world's oceans," said Hans Stråberg, CEO and president, Electrolux.

"Our intention is to bring awareness to the situation and the need for better plastic karma. So far, over 60 million people have been reached and we are continuing the initiative following the great response," added Cecilia Nord, vice-president of floor care sustainability and environmental Affairs, Electrolux.

Each of the vacuum cleaner demos represents the ocean from which the plastic originates. The vacuums embody the plastic paradox: oceans are full of plastic waste, yet on land there is a shortage of recycled plastic for producing sustainable vacs. Today, Electrolux offers Green Range vacuum cleaners with up to 70% post consumer recycled plastic. The ambition is to reach 100%.
Electrolux is looking into auctioning off one vacuum, with the revenues going back into research. At the moment, the quality and the logistics needed for cleaning and sorting ocean plastic makes it difficult to use in mass production.

" Right now, only post consumer plastic on land meets our commercial safety and quality standards. However, as part of our commitment to researching new materials, we should explore how the ocean plastic might be used in the future, and one such step is to make a single concept vac that we can auction out," says Cecilia Nord.

More information on the 'Vacuum of the Sea" can be found at www.electrolux.com/vacfromthesea

The Vacs from the Sea
All the models have been built using the same core structure (chassis, engine, and bag compartment) as the UltraOne Green-model. All are fully functional.

Vac from the Sea – Pacific Edition

Collection site: Hawaii, USA Method: Beach cleanup Partner: B.E.A.C.H.
The Pacific Edition concept vacuum cleaner is made up of the drifting plastic grain that fills our oceans. The plastic has been bleached by the sun and corroded by salt water. This plastic grain is dangerous because it can easily be swallowed by fish and continues through the whole food chain to both animals and humans.

Red/dark objects often attract birds, fish and other sea animals since they believe the plastic is food. The plastic that is left in the sea and that washes up on beaches is usually blue, green or white. Some of the found objects were covered with barnacles and annelid worms. Other objects had traces of bite marks from sharks.

The plastic gravel has been poured onto fiberglass moulds and covers the entire hood and the hub caps. By studying how small these plastic particles are one understands how hard it is to remove the plastic once it is in the oceans. It is a wake-up call and a reminder of one of the most important environmental issues today.

Vac from the Sea – North Sea Edition

Collection site: Skagerrak, Sweden Method: Coastal cleanup Partner: Sotenäs Municipality
The plastic that was collected on the Bohuslän beaches in western Sweden consists largely of various rinse aid and detergent bottles, cans, plastic buckets, and all kinds of plastic packaging. The plastic has not been bleached in the same way as in the great oceans. It is still loud and strong in color. A lot of the found plastic was also drenched in spill oil.

The plastic was washed clean and cut in pieces. The bright colored pieces were then punched into circular tokens. The tokens were then applied onto a fiberglass weave, molded after the shape of the vacuum cleaner.

Vac from the Sea – Mediterranean Edition

Collection site: St Cyr-sur-Mer, France Method: Beach cleanup Partner: Surfrider Foundation
Most of the plastic collection from St Cyr-sur-Mer is composed of plastic objects thrown or washed out to sea from the great beaches. PET-bottles, food containers, beverage cans and beach toys are some such objects. Tourism litters the Mediterranean Sea with tons of plastic on a daily basis. Most of it remains in the sea forever because of slow plastic degradation.

The plastics were cut into heart shaped pieces and then attached to a thin shell of industrially recycled plastic. In order to form the plastic close to the vacuum cleaner the designers used hot air.

Vac from the Sea – Indian Ocean Edition

Collection site: Phi Phi Islands, Thailand Method: Coral reef diving Partner: Blue View Divers
The plastic from Thailand is collected from beaches, corals and the underwater seabed. It consists largely of fishing gear such as nets and plastic ropes. The divers had to cut the nets and plastic bags loose from the staghorn coral reef. There were also large chunks of styrofoam drifting in the waters and large amounts of household garbage, plastic bags, buckets, drink bottles and detergent containers.

The collected plastics were split in a shredder into thin strips. The white and colored plastic strips were then mounted in a pattern that covers the entire top and the hub caps on the vacuum cleaner.

Vac from the Sea – Baltic Edition

Collection site: Sandhamn, Sweden. Gdansk, Poland. Ragaciems, Klapkalnciems, Latvia Method: Coastal cleanups with locals. Partners: Islanders, Sandhamn, Sweden. The Hel Marine Station, Poland. Pedas, Latvia.

For the Baltic Sea Edition concept vacuum cleaner, plastic was collected from three different sites in Poland, Sweden and Latvia. In Sweden, special Vac from the Sea-envelopes were distributed to people in the small harbor of Sandhamn in the Stockholm archipelago. The envelopes were filled with litter and sent to Electrolux.

In Poland, the collection was organized in cooperation with the Hel Marine Station, a field station part of the Institute of Oceanography at the University of Gdańsk. Beach cleaning is part of its educational program and a group of school children from a Słupsk elementary school helped to collect plastic on the Hel peninsula beaches.

In Latvia, there was an organized beach cleanup at Ragaciems, Klapkalnciems, about 40 kilometers west of Riga, with NGO Pedas.

The plastic litter from the three countries covers the vacuum cleaner. Different objects range from ice cream packaging to plastic bottles to flipflops to numerous bottle caps and beach toys. The found objects were mounted on a hood made of industrially recycled plastic and then heated up with hot air – to follow the sleek contour of the Ultra One machine.

Source: http://www.underwatertimes.com/news.php?article_id=02108713465