Conservation Officer Report- May 2013

charlieannear · May 5, 2013

Well last month was very busy in the UK/EU and this month slightly less so.

Some may say that this reflects the financial year and people demonstrating their successes at the end of budget... but there’s plenty going on around the rest of the planet to make up for it.

Some of this month’s hot topics:

Beach clean 2013

PIB- Second ‘spill’

CFP Reform- Risk of further dilution

Reallocation of Quotas- Big boats to small boats

MCZ’s- Slow, unambitious and unaffordable?

Forage fish- Protection for species that are lower down the food pyramid

Tuna- Direct action by ports in Africa

Chinese fishing vessels- Disproportional catches

CITES:

- Nothing to report

European Fisheries reform:

-No updates this month. Reform still to get through the last round(s) of debating before the changes voted for by MEP’s get passed.

DEFRA:

- Nothing to report

Maria Damanaki (EU Commissioner responsible for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries):

- At #EU level, gap between seafood consumption and production from wild #fisheries keeps growing #overfishing

- Illegal #fishing accounts for >15% of world catches & there is an inherent link w/ drug smuggling, human trafficking & organized crime #IUU

- We need to fill gap by adding #security angle to Intgr8d Maritime Policy & effective #maritime dimension to Common Security & Defence Policy

Angling Trust:

- Help keep environmental education on the National Curriculum http://bit.ly/152OXu4

PDSAA:

- Next meeting 23 May 2013.

B.A.S.S:

- http://www.ukbass.com/let-our-bass-breed-2/

Hugh’s Fishfight:

- MP’s call on the Government to be more ambitious with MCZ’s http://www.fishfight.net/blog/mps-call-on-the-government-to-be-more-ambitious-on-marine-conservation-zones/

Dorset Wildlife Trust:

- No Marine updates

MCS (Marine Conservation Society):

- Beachclean 2013. Total of 4,000 bags which is 30 tonnes of rubbish removed by volunteers from beaches around the UK over the course of 10 about days. This was 3 times more than last year http://www.dorsetforyou.com/greatdorsetbeachclean

- Something must be done about 1000s of seabirds washing up due to chemicals being dumped in sea. Pls sign petition: http://bit.ly/11g503R

- MCS part of @SeasAtRisk today calling on EU States to up ambition & aim to end marine litter problem in a generation. http://bit.ly/10KoOMs

- MEPs threaten to block Common Fisheries Policy reform. Agreement must be reached for an ambitious reform: http://bit.ly/15c1NHE #CFPreform

-Small scale vs. large scale fishing battle at high court again. Hoping for positive outcome http://bit.ly/13204RK #sustainablefishing

MRC (Marine Reserves Coalition):

- Scientists call for more large MarineReserves. 6X more fish in Chagos no-take MR than other Indian Ocean MPAs http://www.sail-world.com/Australia/Scientists-call-for-large-ocean-wilderness-parks/108582 …

- We welcome MPs Marine Science Report. Now Gov must show renewed commitment to #MCZs & marine protection http://www.marinereservescoalition.org/2013/04/12/mps-say-marine-conservation-zones-are-vital/ …

- MPs say Marine Conservation Zones are vital http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/science-and-technology-committee/news/marine-science-report/ … Government must stop floundering. #MCZs #MPA

- New Research: Marine Reserves can stoke local economies http://on.natgeo.com/11IvXxT via @NatGeoNewsWatch

FCF (Fisheries Conservation Foundation):

- Massive Marine Protected Area announced in the Southern Indian Ocean | http://bit.ly/12tgP86 . RT @DianeN56

- Some fish species may never bounce back, says study http://cbc.sh/SbfAMpJ

- Scientists review #ocean nutrient patterns, availability, and limitations w/ changing climate. http://bit.ly/16XM24n . via @therightblue

GOC (Global Ocean Commission):

- @GOceanC at Sustainable Ocean Summit listening to industry-interface between regulatory frameworks & industry critical but are often absent

- New Caledonia declares #shark sanctuary in national waters http://goo.gl/WbNw4

- Is the #ocean full of plastic? Not full up http://goo.gl/d9T3z - but enough in some parts to cause major problems

- Case made for large no-take marine reserves http://goo.gl/iIGk4 #ocean

NOAA (USA, but interesting to see what they are doing compared to us):

- #DidYouNOAA seagrass can be scarred? Good news is, #NOAA Restoration completed 1st DWH Seagrass Restoration Project: http://1.usa.gov/18kYauY .

- Great news—@NFWFnews Fisheries Innovation Fund awarded $1.6 mil to innovative fisheries projects in 2013: http://bit.ly/10fjRHT #fishfund

- Sea surface temps during 2012 were highest recorded in 150 years on the Northeast US Shelf. More @ http://1.usa.gov/ZphZAV via @NOAANERfish

- How are #NOAA scientists & rec fishermen improving catch & release techniques for thresher #sharks? http://bit.ly/11wklx6 #EarthDayNOAA

Pew Charitable Trusts:

- Major #tuna company to pay $2mil for illegal fishing off Liberia after African states stand strong. http://ow.ly/kwuWU #IUU

- Pacific #bluefin #tuna need protection now. http://ow.ly/ks8nH Depleted species at an all-time low.

- New study shows that the grey reef shark may change its diving patterns with the lunar cycle. http://ow.ly/ks8gd (via @HuffPostScience)

- Less 1% of the world’s oceans are fully protected. By comparison, more than 20 times as much land area is protected: http://ow.ly/knFAC

- MT @interpol_ec: Tuna Vessel Denied Port Landing Because of Evidence of Illegal #Fishing http://shar.es/JEgLa via @pewenvironment @S_I_F

- Details emerge on major illegal #tuna fishing enforcement in Indian Ocean #IUU http://ow.ly/keBPn

- African partnership making progress to stop illegal fishing. http://ow.ly/jHuWX Vessel denied port access by Seychelles. #IUU

- New fact sheet shows why rebuilding fish stocks could produce $66 billion in value per year. http://ow.ly/kbw88

- Pew tells #Gulf fish managers that better data can help prevent #overfishing of important species. http://ow.ly/kcuen

- Sea change in #fisheries management: @PacificCouncil approves ecosystem plan, with priority to protect #foragefish. http://ow.ly/k1685

- .@PacificCouncil: Almost 90% of #sardines landed on West Coast exported, typically as bait for Asian longline tuna fleet #foragefish (2/2)

- Chinese fishing vessels catch about $11.5 billion worth of fish a year outside the waters of China #IUU http://ow.ly/jNg7t

- Fishing vessels from #China catch over $7 billion in fish a year from West Africa http://ow.ly/jNfWs

- Chinese foreign fish catch estimated to be 12,500% more than #China reported to @FAOnews . http://ow.ly/jMzdK

- Chinese fishing vessels catch an estimated 4.6 million tons of foreign catch a year. Find out where: http://ow.ly/jJVLI

- VIDEO: Importance of little fish http://ow.ly/jMyoF @PacificCouncil poised to improve protection of #forage fish through #ecosystem plan

BBC News:

- MP’s criticize slow progress on MCZ’s http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22083915

- Government admits to being slow on MCZ’s due to cost http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21967189

- Environmental change triggers rapid evolution http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22039872

- UK Nature reserves attract new species (this could happen in MCZ's) http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/22064252

- Ice land Volcano ash triggers plankton bloom http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22045941

- Bid for new reef off Portland http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-22111854-

- Pilot whale put down after stranding http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-22154155

Channel 4 News:

- Why big fishing fleets are going to court to stop the government giving away some of their fish quota to smaller boats http://www.channel4.com/news/fishermen-in-court-over-battle-for-fairer-quotas

Navitus Bay:

-http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/10346344.Navitus_Bay_wind_farm__not_the_time_for_nimbyism__say_Friends_of_the_Earth/

-http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/10360385.Navitus_Bay_wind_farm_a____threat_to_status_of_Jurassic_Coast___/

- Rampion South Coast Wind Farm reduced http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-22076372

The Guardian:

- Initiative to improve sustainable fish labelling unveiled http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/apr/26/consumer-labelling-sustainable-fish

- Scientists attack government climbdown on marine protection http://m.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/apr/22/marine-scientists-government-marine-protection

Poole and Purbeck Portal:

- http://www.pooleandpurbeckportal.co.uk/

Second PIB incident:

- http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-22104261

- http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-22143053