Accueil

WWF: Five species of sharks proposed for CITES listing

Taya Santives — 2013-05-17T11:18:37Z

Carlos Drews, head of WWF's delegation at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) issued the following statement today in response to decisions from world governments to offer better protection for five species of sharks:

"This is a landmark moment showing that the world's governments support sustainable fisheries and are concerned about the reckless over-exploitation of sharks for commercial use. Today's decision will go a long way in slowing down the frenzied overfishing of sharks that is pushing them to the brink of collapse to feed the luxury goods market."

"Regulating the trade of marine species like sharks, which are facing unprecedented commercial pressures, is key to saving them and ensuring our oceans contribute to food security by staying healthy and productive".

"It has been shown today that governments followed the best available science to make decisions on commercially exploited marine life. We encourage governments to stick by these decisions and not reopen the debate before the end of the week – or put this victory for sharks at risk."

All of the shark proposals under consideration could come up again before the CITES conference ends on Thursday.

Governments at CITES voted to accept all three species of sharks today proposed for listing on to CITES appendix II, which will regulate trade in shark fin and meat.

The species included:
Oceanic whitetip shark vote: Yes 92 (68.7%), No 42, Abs 8
Scalloped, great and smooth hammerhead shark vote: Yes 91 (70%), No 39, Abs 8
Porbeagle shark vote: Yes 93 (70.4%), No 39, Abs 8

Shark populations are decreasing at a rapid rate across the globe with losses of up to 86 per cent in some locations.

The market for shark products is first and foremost a luxury one with sharks fin selling for up to $135/kg in Hong Kong.

A listing of Appendix II will regulate trade internationally reducing the risk of extinction of these species.

This is not the first time that shark species have come up at CITES. Porbeagle missed out on being listed in 2010 by one vote on the last day when the proposal was re-opened.

wwf-logo.jpg

Taya Santives — 2013-03-08T05:16:37Z

WWF statement on ICJ whaling case

Taya Santives — 2013-08-27T10:02:11Z

Today public hearings closed at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the case between Australia and Japan over whaling by Japan in the Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica.

In May 2010, the Australian government initiated legal proceedings in the ICJ against the government of Japan alleging that so-called 'scientific' whaling by Japan is in breach of the country's international treaty obligations. Whaling for commercial purposes has been banned internationally since 1986 and the Southern Ocean was declared a whale sanctuary in 1994 affording it an additional layer of protection.

The Australian government has requested the ICJ to order the government of Japan to cease its 'scientific' whaling programme in the Southern Ocean, and to provide assurances and guarantees that it will not take part in any further 'scientific' whaling in this zone. New Zealand has intervened in support of Australia's case.

After extensive commercial whaling in the twentieth century brought most great whale species in the Southern Ocean close to extinction, the governments party to the International Whaling Commission (IWC) established the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, recognizing the critical importance of protecting whales in this special place.

Japan exploits a clause in the IWC treaty that allows for the killing of whales for "scientific purposes."

"Since the whaling treaty was signed there have been great scientific advances that allow data about whales to be obtained through non-lethal means. The International Court of Justice has heard abundant evidence on why hunting hundreds of whales in the Southern Ocean is not necessary for science," said Wendy Elliott, species programme manager at WWF.

"In this day and age there is no reason to kill whales for scientific research and WWF strongly hopes for a positive ruling by the court that will end whaling in the Southern Ocean."

WWF joins call for seafood traceability to fight illegal fishing

Taya Santives — 2013-05-17T11:18:38Z

Gland, Switzerland: In a groundbreaking statement issued at this week's World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, WWF has joined private and public sector leaders in calling for a new global seafood traceability system to give consumers, businesses, and governments full access to information about marine fishing practices.

The statement is the first multi-stakeholder call for such a system, and could herald an important role for the World Economic Forum in support of sustainable fisheries.

The statement, issued by the Forum's Global Agenda Council on Oceans, recognizes the urgent need for tracing fish products from "bait to plate" as a means for linking markets to sustainable fishing practices, and for ending the illegal fishing that continues to be a major driver of fisheries depletion.

The world is facing an unprecedented crisis of overfishing, with nearly 87 per cent of the world's commercial fisheries now fished to or over maximum levels, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.

Meanwhile, experts estimate that 20 per cent of worldwide fish catches come from illegal fishing practices. Solutions depend heavily on giving market actors and regulators reliable information to know which fish products are legal and sustainable and which are not. But currently, access to this information and the mechanisms needed to trace wild caught fish to their origins are the exception rather than the rule.

"Making commercial fishing sustainable is a critical global challenge," said Jim Leape, Director General, WWF. "The joint statement released in Davos points the way to one important part of the solution."

Creating a reliable system for seafood traceability will require harmonizing both regulatory and commercial practices across national boundaries and across subsectors of the seafood industry, ranging from small scale producers in developing countries to the major retail chains and brand owners in the European Union, US, and Japan.

"The stakes are high for the global seafood industry, as well as for the hundreds of millions of people around the world who depend on fish for protein and on fishing for their livelihoods," said Leape.

The WEF Global Agenda Council on Oceans brings together an interdisciplinary group of experts and leaders in the fields of oceans conservation, policy and commerce from around the world. WWF, which is represented on the Council, helped craft the Davos joint statement, and has launched a Transparent Seas Project focused on seafood traceability and the fight against illegal fishing.

WWF calls on US Government to protect and restore pristine Philippine coral reef following navy ship grounding

Taya Santives — 2013-05-17T11:18:37Z

Washington, DC -- On January 17, a US Navy minesweeping vessel became grounded on Tubbataha Reefs Natural Marine Park – a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the best protected Marine Protected Areas in the world.

Tubbataha plays host to about 600 species of fish, 360 species of corals, 14 species of sharks, 12 species of dolphins and whales plus nesting populations of seabirds and marine turtles. It is a food factory for the Sulu Sea -- continuously seeding the rich waters of Palawan and the West Visayan isles with fish and invertebrate spawn. For these reasons, Tubbataha is a priority conservation area of WWF and is one of the Coral Triangle region's most important marine areas.

While no oil has yet been spilled, that threat remains and large areas of pristine coral reefs have been destroyed while monsoon winds have aggravated efforts to dislodge the ship. The wood-hulled vessel remains stuck and is taking on water, posing immense hazards to the area's fragile undersea ecosystems.

WWF calls on the US Navy to coordinate closely with the Philippine government's Tubbataha Management Office on the extrication of the ship. The extent of damage to the reef must also be determined. Furthermore, the swift, safe and proper removal of the vessel should cause no further damage to the Park.

Following the removal of the vessel, the US Navy, in partnership other US government agencies, should work with Philippine authorities to undertake a rapid damage assessment, as well as an economic valuation and then help restore the damaged parts of the reef.

Throughout its 25-year conservation history, Tubbataha has been resilient to many challenges: invasive species outbreaks, illegal fishing and seaweed farming operations, marine pollution, plus the widespread coral bleaching due to the 1998 El Niño phenomenon. This resilience gives us hope that with the proper response to this incident, Tubbataha – the crown jewel of Philippine seas – will ride out the challenge it is facing today.

For the long term, we ask the US Government to re-commit its efforts to protect this crown jewel of the Coral Triangle, which the US government has supported for many years with financial and technical assistance.

For more information contact:

Lee Poston, WWF US, +1 (202) 495-4536, lee.poston@wwfus.org

Gregg Yan, WWF Philippines, +63 2 822 2568, gyan@wwf.org.ph

WWF

Taya Santives — 2013-03-01T10:55:37Z

World's top dolphin scientists urge NZ government to act now or Maui's will be extinct in 20 years

Taya Santives — 2013-08-27T10:02:11Z

Auckland: Some of the world's leading whale, dolphin and porpoise scientists have expressed their 'extreme concern' about the survival of New Zealand's Maui's dolphin, urging the government to take immediate action to ensure 'full protection of Maui's in all areas throughout their habitat'.

The Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) acknowledged in its 2013 report, released this weekend, that Maui's will decline to just 10 adult breeding females in six years and become functionally extinct in less than 20 years—unless their full range is protected from gillnetting and trawling. This followed a similar call from the IWC in 2012.

Global conservation organization WWF presented a paper to the IWC Scientific Committee 65th meeting in Jeju, Korea in June that highlighted the lack of progress from New Zealand to save the last estimated 55 Maui's dolphins.

WWF-New Zealand's Executive Director, Chris Howe, said: "One year after the IWC urged immediate action to protect our critically endangered dolphins, it is unacceptable that Maui's are still at risk of dying needlessly while we wait for adequate protection.

"The government needs to step up now to do everything in its power to save Maui's dolphins. We call on Conservation Minister Nick Smith and Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy to announce permanent measures that remove fishing gear which kills dolphins from their waters, and help affected fishermen adopt dolphin-friendly methods. Anything less will not give the species a fighting chance at survival."

The government announced interim protection measures in June 2012, but dangerous fishing activity is still allowed to continue in parts of Maui's habitat, including off the Taranaki coast and inside harbours.

Eight months ago a public consultation on the Threat Management Plan for Maui's dolphin closed, yet the government has yet to make a decision on protecting them.

Scientists' estimate that over 95% of unnatural Maui's deaths are caused by entanglement and drowning in gillnet or trawl fishing. An expert panel convened by the government in 2012 estimated that around 5 Maui's are killed each year in fishing nets, a rate 75.5 times what the population can withstand.

Howe said: "The world is watching and waiting for New Zealand to take action to save these small and critically endangered dolphins. Both the survival of Maui's and our international reputation is on the line."

world bank logo.jpg

Taya Santives — 2013-03-08T05:16:47Z

Which B.C. party is better at fiscal management? UBC prof provides independent assessment

Taya Santives — 2013-05-17T11:18:39Z

A new study from UBC’s Sauder School of Business seeks to provide an independent assessment of the economic track records of British Columbia’s top political parties vying for the May 14th election. The study finds that no one party is significantly better at fiscal management than another. On average since 1991, according to the study, B.C. fiscal performance, compared to that of other provinces, has been modestly better under the NDP.

However, the report notes there are significant differences in performance among the different NDP premiers. Also, real median income in B.C. compared with other provinces rose significantly more under the BC Liberals.

The study by associate professor Tsur Somerville compares B.C.’s economic and fiscal performance under the NDP and Liberals against the performance of other provinces.

The report finds that the NDP government under Mike Harcourt controlled debt and expenditures better than the governments led by Glen Clark, Dan Miller, and Ujjal Dosanjh, and both BC Liberal premiers. The Liberals under Gordon Campbell and Christy Clark also outperformed the Clark, Miller and Dosanjh governments, according to his assessment.

When averaged over time, B.C.’s ratio of net debt to GDP and the ratio of government program expenses to GDP were lower under the NDP, when compared to other provinces’ economies since 1991.

“Looking at the last two decades there are periods of both good and bad fiscal management by both parties,” says Somerville.

Other key findings include:

Total employment growth under the NDP and Liberals was fairly similar.
Job growth under the NDP was driven by growth in public sector employment.
Job growth under the Liberals resulted from greater private sector employment growth.
The Liberals benefited from a more favourable macro-economic environment than the NDP, with dramatically higher commodity price growth and lower interest rates.

What’s really needed to raise children: More time, higher incomes

Taya Santives — 2013-08-27T10:02:23Z

What’s really needed to raise children: More time, higher incomes

Paul Kershaw, an expert on family policy and generational equity, writes that today’s parents raising young kids are more squeezed for time, income and services than the previous generation.

wetlands-logo.jpg

Taya Santives — 2013-03-08T05:16:51Z

wageningen-logo.jpg

Taya Santives — 2013-03-08T05:16:46Z

Wageningen UR

Taya Santives — 2013-02-27T07:49:16Z

Website: http://www.wi.wur.nl/UK/

About the partner:

Wageningen International offers easy access to all international products and services of Wageningen UR, covering education, research, capacity development and consultancy services.

Vroum vroum – Test of metal for student engineered hovercrafts

Taya Santives — 2013-05-17T11:18:40Z

Event: Mechanical engineering student teams put their hovercraft projects to the test in fast-paced competition

Date/ Time: Wed. April 17, 2013 — 11 am – 3:30 pm

Location: Robson Square Plaza, 800 Robson St, Vancouver, BC V6Z 3B7

A head-to-head hovercraft design competition is taking place between 20 teams of second-year UBC Mechanical Engineering students. The teams have spent the past two weeks designing, building, and testing their own hovercraft vehicles.

The briefcase-sized vehicles are remotely controlled and are designed to be fast, nimble, and able to transport cargo. Following a display of the different designs, the teams will take part in five rounds of fast-paced competition testing speed, carrying capacity, and manoeuvrability.

The vehicles will be on display from 11 am – 12 pm, and then compete until about 3:30 pm.

“This project challenges teams to work together in limited time to develop innovative solutions to real-world problems,” says course coordinator, Peter Ostafichuk.

The event is open to the public.

Media, please contact Wendy McHardy at 604.827.4762, wendy.mchardy@ubc.ca

Victory as European Parliament votes for sustainable fisheries!

Taya Santives — 2013-05-17T11:18:38Z

Strasbourg, France: After a committee vote in December that was praised by WWF as a milestone vote for sustainable fisheries, today all members of the European Parliament voted 502 to 137 in favour again of the draft report by Ulrike Rodust (S&D, DE) on the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) Basic Regulation, the cornerstone of the CFP reform package.

All of the five WWF key asks for the CFP reform were voted through.

"Today something truly exceptional has happened – the European Parliament voted for a strong fisheries reform to let our oceans recover and ensure the sustainability of fisheries in the EU. This is a triumph especially in these times of crisis and despite strong opposition from certain politicians with unsustainable industry interests", Roberto Ferrigno, Common Fisheries Policy Project Coordinator, WWF European Policy Office.

"Everyone wants a strong reform: citizens, industry and fishermen. Members of the European Parliament listened to their constituents and used their newly acquired powers to act and make a difference. Now it's clear after this vote that it is a political priority to shape up EU fisheries and provide long-term stability to fishing communities, fishermen and businesses and the marine environment they depend on".

"The oceans, fish and those who fish sustainably have won one half of the battle today. Next it is up to fisheries ministers to vote their position on this basic regulation. It will be a tough battle but we hope national governments will listen to the strong message issued by the Parliament, and will sweep away vested interests to ensure a long term sustainable future for our oceans and Europe's fisheries economy".