2002
Please note:
Support a pan-European survey of marine environmental groups! The University of Plymouth is conducting a study that aims to determine
success factors critical to the achievement of environmental objectives
and thereby highlight successful strategies which could provide a model
for future coordinated activities. It will identify environmental groups
active throughout Europe on marine issues. A questionnaire will provide
information on interests, effectiveness and modus operandi and look for
similarities and differences of approach. You can support the study by
filling in the questionnaire on http://www.rel.org/plymouth,
user name: Plymouth, password: Dolphin. Contacts of the research team:
tel.: +44 1752 232452, e-mail: jprichards@plymouth.ac.uk.
Earth Summit preparations on biodiversity and corporate responsibility Over 150 participants were convening in The Hague on 5 April for the
16th Session of the Global Biodiversity Forum to address key issues such
as biodiversity plans for business and the role of communication, education
and public awareness. The event happened immediately prior to the 6th
meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological
Diversity (COP 6) from 7 to 19 April. An important element was a high
level meeting organised by the European Centre for Nature Conservation
(ECNC) which concluded that a global task force on banking, business,
and biodiversity should be established to facilitate a better dialogue
between financial institutions and the biodiversity community and to promote
action oriented partnerships, aiming at the creation of more biodiversity
investment funds. Another important issue was the struggle against alien
invasive species. COP 6 is seen as an important step in the run up to
the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South-Africa,
from 26 August to 4 September, 2002. Unfortunately, world governments
made little progress during preparatory talks in News York beginning of
April. Known as PrepCom III, the meeting was supposed to negotiate the
draft text on an action plan for the World Summit. Environmental groups
accused the USA, Canada and oil exporting nations of trying to block meaningful
targets and time tables. However, progress was made at one of the side-events,
the official launch of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), which aims
at developing, promoting and disseminating a generally accepted framework
for voluntary sustainability reporting. Salmon breakout in Scotland threatens precious wild salmon populations 10,000 salmon escaped from a salmon farm in Orkney, Scotland recently.
The strongest and fastest tide of the year broke their cages. This breakout
could dilute wild salmon genes through mating and possibly spread diseases
such as sea lice and act as carriers for diseases. The Scottish Environment
Protection Agency (Sepa), however, said the damage was less serious than
it might have been because there are relatively few salmon in Orkney's
rivers.
Impact of wind mills on birds considerable, symposium concludes The impact of wind parks on migrating and breeding birds is not negligible
and needs to be further studied in detail. This is the conclusion of a
symposium "Windenergy and Birds", the German magazine "Natur und Landschaft"
reports on in its issue of April 2002. Consequently, planning instruments
need to be applied that exclude important bird habitats from wind energy
developments. Bird populations should to be recorded for at least one
year within a territory of a radius ten times the height of the wind mill.
Wind mills already established that are in conflict with nature conservation
should be moved. Concerning off-shore wind park projects, the symposium
concluded that much more research is needed before the impact on birds
can be sufficiently assessed. Study reveals: tuna farming in Mediterranean not sustainable A new WWF report reveals that "tuna farming" in the Mediterranean is
expanding the market for bluefin tuna, resulting in further increase in
fishing efforts and decrease in fish stocks. Tuna farming implies that
wild tuna are put in cages and fattened to improve the oil content of
the flesh in order to meet Japanese market standards. It is therefor not
true aquaculture but an added step to standard fishery of an already overexploited
fish species. WWF calls on the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean
(GFCM) and the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic
Tuna (ICCAT) as well as the European Union to regulate tuna farming and
to stop overfishing.
Deadline for submitting contributions to Coastal Guide News No 9: 1 May, 2002
COASTAL GUIDE NEWS is a biweekly newsletter published by the EUCC - The Coastal Union with financial support of Stichting DOEN, the foundation of the Dutch lottery "Postcode Loterij" and the Department of International Nature Affairs of the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries. For free subscriptions, comments or contributions to this newsletter, please contact news@coastalguide.org. Members of the Coastal Guide News editorial team: Erik Devilee,
Irene Lucius, Hanneke Mesters, Albert Salman, Virginie Terrier. Established in 1989, the EUCC - The Coastal Union is an association involving
the largest coastal network in Europe with 750 members and member organisations
in 40 countries. For more information please contact EUCC International
Secretariat, POBox 11232, NL-2301 EE Leiden, the Netherlands, tel.: +31-71-5122900,
internet: http://www.eucc.nl
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