Information & Meetings
	Conferences & Events
	Vacancies
	WWF launched virtual demonstration against overfishing

Organisations
	New hyperlinks

Environment
	European Topic Centre: first results of coastal indicator work
	More victims of the seal virus

Policy
	Fisheries Council discussed new fishing and aquaculture policies
	Council expects Member States to ratify Bunkers Convention soon

Events recently announded

Vacancies at the Essex Estuaries Initiative

The Essex Estuaries Initiative (http://www.essexestuaries.org.uk) is a Partnership which has been established to support integrated coastal zone management for the mid-Essex coast. It is searching for a Partnership Co-ordinator who will have an MSC in a relevant environmental subject and at least 3 years’ work experience. He/she will be responsible for managing a number of coastal partnerships, and for project managing work on EU funded projects, including travel abroad. One year fixed term contract, likely to be extended to three years. The Initiative is also searching for a Partnership Officer (Fisheries) for approx 20 hrs p/w with an environmental MSC, and relevant work experience, responsible for the development of existing initiatives, such as 'Essex for Seafood', and for developing other Fisheries Partnerships. 18 months fixed term contract.
For details about either post contact Alex Midlen on 01206 282480, or 07968 534663. For an application form and further details send an e-mail to personnel@colchester.gov.uk. Closing date for completed applications: Thursday, 10 October 2002.

WWF launched virtual demonstration against overfishing

On September 24, WWF launched the first ever Virtual Demonstration as part of its campaign to stop overfishing by the European Union's fisheries fleet. On the petition website, supporters of the fisheries reform can send their personal message to the European politicians, by either writing a small text, posting a photograph, or even sending audio or video clips. These messages will be part of a special event presented on TV and computer screens in front of the European Council in Brussels on 16 December 2002 - a Virtual Demonstration that will bring tens of thousands of people 'virtually' to the Fisheries Ministers' meeting. Petition website at http://www.panda.org/stopoverfishing/petition

New hyperlinks

The Seapower Portal - Marine Renewable Energy Association
http://www.marine-renewables.com
To help establish the marine renewables industry by promoting collaboration to develop a range of technologies to harness energy from the sea, and develop performance and testing standards for wave and tidal stream generating devices.

European Topic Centre: first results of coastal indicator work

The European Topic Centre on Terrestrial Environment (ETC-TE) has presented the first results of its work on coastal indicators at Littoral 2002, the joint conference of EUCC - The Coastal Union and EUROCOAST from 23 to 26 September. The ETC-TE has defined five sets of indicators for “Protection of the Coast”: COAST1-Sustainability of the Coastal Environment, COAST2-Water and Waste Management in Coastal Zones, COAST3-Impact of Land Use on Coastal Biodiversity, and COAST5-Risks to the Coastal Zone. The “Land use changes” indicator from COAST1 has been tested with the following result: over the past decades, the percentage of artificial surface has increased considerably along the European coastlines, in particular those of the North Sea, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. The indicator work also allows a more detailed analysis of the type and place of artificialisation. The ETC-TE is presently working on a new database of population development in coastal zones. Once done, comparisons of trends in land use changes and population (including those of tourists) will be possible.
For more information, contact Francoise.Breton@uab.es

More victims of the seal virus

The number of dead common seals as of 1 October increased to 8,210 for the Wadden Sea, 6,900 for the Kattegat/Skagerrak and 1,800 in the United Kindom. Experts of the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture expect that up to 50% of the population in the Dutch part of the Wadden Sea (over 5000 in 2001) may be killed. Earlier this week the Dutch Scientific Platform Seals Wadden Sea published a report on seals and seal rehablilitation in the Wadden Sea, in which it concludes that rehabilitation measures (like in the large seal recovery centre in Pieterburen) are not necessary for the survival of the seal population. Especially the re-introduction of treated seals into the Wadden Sea poses great risks to the natural seal population. The Dutch Minister of Agriculture Mr. C. Veerman has adopted the viewpoint of the Scientific Platform. Report (in Dutch) at http://www.minlnv.nl/, Status Reports at http://www.waddensea-secretariat.org

Fisheries Council discussed new fishing and aquaculture policies

The Council held a policy debate on the Commission proposals for the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy focussing on three areas: 1) On conservation and sustainability of fisheries resources, there was a general consensus on the need to adopt multi-annual management plans on a stock-by-stock basis, giving priority to setting up recovery plans for stocks which are outside safe biological limits or at risk of collapse. 2) On fleet and structural policy, it was noted that the main focus of fleet policy would be limits on fishing effort rather than fishing capacity. 3) On control and enforcement, the Council took note that the Commission would present shortly a Communication on an Action Plan and a Joint Inspection Structure to promote further strengthening of co-operation and co-ordination. The Commission also presented to the Council its proposal for a strategy to develop and strengthen European aquaculture with the following objectives:

• to create between 8,000 to 10,000 jobs in aquaculture between 2003 and 2008, mainly in fisheries-dependent areas;
• to increase the EU aquaculture production growth rate to 4 % per year;
• to assure the availability to consumers of quality aquaculture products which are healthy and safe, while promoting high animal health and welfare standards;
• to reduce the negative environmental impact of aquaculture;
• to increase the knowledge base of the industry.

Further info: Reform of the Common Fisheries Policy: http://europa.eu.int/comm/fisheries/reform/index_en.htm
A Strategy for the sustainable development of European Aquaculture: http://www.europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/com/cnc/2002/com2002_0511en01.pdf.
Full press release at: http://europa.eu.int/comm/fisheries/news_corner/press/inf02_31_en.htm

Council expects Member States to ratify Bunkers Convention soon

On 19 September, the Council took the Decision “authorising the Member States, in the interest of the Community, to sign, ratify or accede to the International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage, 2001 (the Bunkers Convention)”. The Bunkers Convention was adopted on 23 March 2001 with the aim of ensuring adequate, prompt and effective compensation of persons who suffer damage caused by oil spills. The Council expects the Member States to ratify the Convention within the next years. The Decision as well as the Convention text are published on http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/dat/2002/l_256/l_25620020925en00070016.pdf

Deadline for submitting contributions to Coastal Guide News No 20: 16 October, 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, Marijke Kooijman, Irene Lucius, Piet Lansbergen, Hanneke Mesters, Albert Salman.
 

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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