WWF - News on marine environment issues

Atlantic bluefin trade ban now vital as tuna commission fails to take action again

2009-11-15

Porto de Galinhas, Brazil: The Atlantic tuna commission today came up with only inadequate or delayed actions to ensure the recovery of the eastern Atlantic bluefin tuna, global conservation organization WWF warned today. Saving the tuna will now depend largely on an international trade ban due to be discussed in March.

The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas today endorsed a proposal from its chair, the EU, Japan, Morocco and Tunisia to drop the 2010 eastern bluefin quota from 19,500 tonnes to 13,500 tonnes, still far too high to enable stock recovery.

A key study presented to ICCAT in Recife showed even a strictly enforced 8,000-tonne quota would have only a 50 per cent chance of achieving a recovery in eastern Atlantic bluefin tuna by 2023 and another ICCAT study showed only a total fishing halt yielded significant chances of the bluefin population to recover enough to no longer qualify for high-level trade restrictions by 2019.

It is now more than ever necessary for member countries of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to line up behind global trade restrictions on Atlantic bluefin tuna. CITES is to consider a Principality of Monaco proposal that bluefin be listed for the highest level of trade restrictions at a meeting in Doha next March.

“Today’s outcome is entirely unscientific – and entirely unacceptable,” said Dr Sergi Tudela, Head of Fisheries at WWF Mediterranean. “This reduction of allowable catch is not based on any particular scientific advice to recover the stock with high probability – it is just an arbitrary political measure and only for one year. Now more than ever WWF sees a global trade ban as the only hope for Atlantic bluefin.”

Dr Tudela said a new provision for a 2011 fishery closure if the fishery was detected as being at serious risk of collapse was difficult to reconcile with the scientific committee’s recent data that the stocks are already at less than 10-15 per cent than unfished levels. “The trends for bluefin tuna are very clear and we need to act on the forward view rather than the rear mirror view to avoid collapse,” Dr Tudela said.

WWF had lobbied the meeting for a fishing suspension and determined action against illegal fishing, estimated to considerably inflate the most recent (2008) catch estimates of 34,120 tonnes. During the Recife meeting almost all harvesting countries were formally identified by ICCAT for breaking its rules – like EU tuna fattening farms accepting fish without proper documentation.

The massive overcapacity of industrial fleets in the Mediterranean also continues to hamper conservation efforts, yet the problem remains insufficiently addressed by the tuna commission.

The season for industrial fishing for bluefin tuna with purse seine fleets was reduced from two months to one, but remains open during the peak of the spawning period of 15 May to 15 June when the tuna are most vulnerable. ICCAT also continued to ignore long-standing calls to establish sanctuaries in key bluefin tuna spawning grounds such as the Balearic Islands off Spain.

“Common sense says that a trade ban supported by a temporary fishing closure is currently what is needed for the recovery of Atlantic tuna,” Dr Tudela said. “To close the fishery is what ICCAT needed to do to save the tuna and to save its own reputation.”

Dr Tudela called on CITES member countries “not to be fooled by ICCAT’s promises to save Atlantic bluefin tuna in the coming years. We have seen too many empty promises in ICCAT’s forty years of not conserving tuna. The tuna commission has failed in the most crucial moment of its history – how can it be expected of anything better? Now is the time for action elsewhere”.

Adding more fuel to the compelling case of ICCAT’s overall failure, contracting parties endorsed a further two years of the use by Morocco of illegal driftnets to catch swordfish. The nets, known widely as ‘walls of death’, kill 4,000 dolphins and 25,000 sharks in Mediterranean waters every year.

Bans on driftnets are covered in a large array of international agreements dating back to 1992 and including the UN, ICCAT, the EU which is the main market for the Moroccan swordfish, and Morocco itself.

“This year all contracting parties talked of the need to restore ICCAT’s credibility, and to do so they endorse the slaughter of 50,000 more sharks and 8,000 dolphins, violating UN resolutions? It is beyond belief, and is one more proof of the total dysfunction of ICCAT as a serious fisheries management organization,” said Dr Tudela.

ICCAT was also unable to agree on substantial measures to protect vulnerable shark species.

Mediterranean bluefin catches continue to mock quotas and science

2009-11-12

Porto de Galinhas, Brazil: New bluefin tuna catch estimates show Mediterranean fishing fleets continuing to make a mockery of fishing quotas set by the beleaguered Atlantic tuna commission.

The new catch estimates – themselves likely to severely underestimate the effect of continuing rampant illegal fishing – are also around four times the level scientists estimate would give the collapsing tuna population only limited chances of recovery over a time span of more than a decade.

Scientists attached to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) estimated the 2008 bluefin catch at 34,120 tonnes, well over last year’s quota of 28,500 tonnes set under the discredited 2006 ICCAT “recovery plan”.

Last year, ICCAT set a 22,000-tonne catch quota for 2009 in a controversial response to its scientists’ recommendations for a quota as low as 8,500 tonnes.

The new estimates come as ICCAT considers radical amendments to management measures in the face of rising calls for an international trade ban on Atlantic bluefin tuna and a supporting suspension of the fishery.

“New estimates lodged with ICCAT’s science committee show that one quarter of the latest estimated bluefin tuna catch would give us just a toss of the coin chance of recovering the tuna population by 2023,” said Dr Sergi Tudela, WWF Mediterranean.

Dr Tudela said he believed the latest estimates themselves were well under the real catch.

“To accept these figures at face value we have to accept a huge reduction in the amount of illegal fishing over the previous year,” he said. “I just don’t see the evidence or the reasoning for this miraculous drop in illegal fishing, while there is abundant evidence that pirate fishing remains rampant.”

ICCAT’s scientific committee notes that the estimates take no account of illegal fishing by unregistered boats.

The French navy reported dubious catch data and a lack of observers in intercepted Turkish bluefin boats, investigations are underway into the reflagging of vessels in Algerian waters and a Spanish study revealed laundering of undersize tuna through tuna fattening farms for the Japanese fresh tuna trade.

Opening the ICCAT meeting, chair Dr Fabio Hazin of Brazil said ICCAT had to set up “an efficient mechanism for the monitoring and control of the fishing fleets” and capable of “applying penalties proportional to the infringements detected”.

“We have been very much able to impose sanctions on non-members in the past and time has also come for ICCAT to show it does not have double standards, and that it is equally determined to also impose sanctions on its members in the same way it does with non-members,” he said.

Romanians protest lift of sturgeon fishing ban

2009-11-12

Bucharest, Romania – A government decision to overturn a ten-year ban on the fishing of wild sturgeon in the Danube River basin drew protests in the capital this week, led by WWF and a contingent of local NGOs.

The controversial legislation, allowing sturgeon fishing for purposes other than restocking, was adopted in September by the Agriculture and Environment Committees of the Romanian Parliament. The new law in effect legalizes fishing of sturgeons for commercial purposes.

Meanwhile, some Romanian politicians are calling for the elimination of the current ban on gillnet and trawler fishing in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve.

To counter this destructive decision, 34 Romanian environmental NGOs, including “Save the Delta” Association and WWF, organized a bitter protest in the Romanian capital Bucharest on Tuesday.

“The new fishing law practically throws away the EUR 4 billion spent by the Romanian Government for the sturgeon restocking programme, which was developed during the last four years,” said Luminița Tănasie, Director of WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme Romania. “If the 200,000 young sturgeons which were bought for restocking the Danube, are not given the necessary time to mature and reproduce naturally, the sturgeon fisheries will not be able to recover, and both the economical and the ecological loss will be enormous.”

In front of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forests and Rural Development building in Bucharest, protesters on Tuesday held a “sturgeon fair”, offering the public the opportunity to view sturgeons caught in a fishing gillnet. Environmentalists also displayed the photographs of the MPs who proposed the amendments.

At the end of the protest, the sturgeons were sent to the MPs. The MPs who proposed the elimination of the ban on gillnets and trawlers within the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve received the gillnet used during the protest. Each of the MPs also received a letter of protest signed by the 34 participating NGOs, asking them to reconsider their actions and adopt new legislation.

Scientific reports indicate that among the sturgeon species which populate Romanian waters, are the critically endangered (possibly extinct) Ship Sturgeons, the endangered Russian and Beluga Sturgeons, as well as the Sterlet Sturgeon, considered to be vulnerable.

The Black Sea once harboured some of the most productive sturgeon populations. However, research on age structure of sturgeons captured in Romania has revealed a critical decrease in the number of sturgeons born during 1990–99 that survived to sustain the population.

Sturgeons are fished mainly for caviar, although their meat and skin are also widely used in the region. Poorly regulated fisheries have caused severe decline in populations due to overfishing, which almost entirely disrupted the fish species' natural spawning in the Danube River.

Due to concern about the sustainability of international trade in sturgeon caviar and meat, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) has been regulating such trade in all sturgeon species since 1998 and has, from time to time, been forced to recommend trade suspensions.

Fishing of sturgeons for commercial purposes was banned in Romania in 2006 for a period of ten years. The relatively long period of prohibition is explained by the long life cycle of the sturgeon (the maximum age being between 24 and 100 years), by the long period necessary for the sturgeon to reach reproductive age (between 6 and 26 years), and by the fact that the sturgeon does not reproduce every year.

The letter of protest was also sent to the Romanian President Traian Băsescu, to the Interim Prime Minister Emil Boc, to the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR), to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and to the Romanian National Commission to UNESCO.

Neglected UK seas catch break with new legislation

2009-11-12

Godalming, UK – The UK Government has today introduced new legislation that will make the region’s neglected seas much healthier, reversing years of overfishing and habitat loss.

The UK Marine and Coastal Access Act requires the UK government, for the first time, to conserve and protect marine species and habitats. The law’s passage is a result of more than a decade of campaigning by WWF-UK.

The UK as an island nation has a remarkable 20,000 kms of coastline. Nationally important species and habitats can be found under the waves which have, until now, been left exposed to a multitude of pressures, including fishing, aggregate extraction, oil and gas exploitation, and emerging threats such as the impacts of climate change.

Research into UK seas shows that key species and habitats, such as Atlantic salmon, harbour porpoises, deep-water coral reefs, and seagrass beds are under threat. Of the 16 flagship species and habitats monitored by WWF in 2005, 13 were found to be in decline and a new investigation this year concluded that none were at healthy levels.

“This is a pivotal moment for UK conservation efforts and shows what can be achieved through tireless campaigning efforts,” said David Norman, Director of Campaigns at WWF-UK. “This long-awaited piece of legislation has the potential to really make a difference to thousands of species, including not just dolphins and sharks, but seahorses, turtles, commercially important fish stocks, and lesser-known species like pink sea fans and sunset cup corals.”

“The Marine and Coastal Access Act will bring together the many rules and regulations that currently govern our seas to ensure our seas are used sustainably, and this legislation will provide long-term benefits to many people who rely on healthy, well-managed seas – from fishermen to tourist operators.”

WWF began campaigning for a Marine Act at the start of the decade, realising that a single, comprehensive piece of legislation was vitally needed to govern UK waters.

The UK Marine and Coastal Access Act now puts a clear and unambiguous duty on the Government to designate a network of protected areas to conserve and improve the marine environment. A new Marine Management Organisation will manage and champion the UK's seas, and following WWF lobbying, a Chief Scientific Advisor will be appointed to provide a stronger scientific steer for its decision-making

WWF is pleased that the Government will now seek to ensure that new marine plans cover the whole of UK waters so that the multitude of activities at sea are planned strategically.

“We now have the tools to protect our marine species and habitats but we cannot rest on our laurels,” Norman said. “We must ensure that political momentum is not lost and both current and future Government’s are held to account on delivering the intentions behind this Act. With the right implementation the UK Marine and Coastal Access Act could become a leading piece of legislation that other countries across Europe can follow.”

Famed clam fishery first to receive MSC certification in Southeast Asia

2009-11-10

Hanoi, Vietnam – The Ben Tre clam fishery in Vietnam has received Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification, becoming the first fishery in Southeast Asia to meet the organization’s sustainability and management standards.

The nationally renowned Ben Tre hard clams (Meretrix lyrata) are hand picked using metal rakes and collected into mesh sacks. Once collected, the clams are sold to domestic markets and exported to Europe, the US, Japan, China and Taiwan.

Ben Tre province covers a 65-kilometre coastal area and contains more than 4,800 hectares of protected mangroves. In this important region of tremendous biodiversity, the clam fishery plays a vital economic role.

The fishery is operated by a local cooperative that provides close management and surveillance of the broodstock and harvestable clams within their area. Support and advice are provided to the cooperative by the Ben Tre People’s Committee Department of Fisheries and the Ben Tre Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD). Ben Tre DARD and WWF co-sponsored the MSC certification process.

“Although our clams are largely familiar to the EU market, we are still thinking of ways to better promote our business overseas,” said Tran Thi Thu Nga, Vice Director of Ben Tre DARD. “MSC certification gives us the right to promote our products with the credible MSC ecolabel to customers worldwide.”

“I congratulate the Ben Tre clam fishery on their MSC certification. This is an historic occasion – the first small-scale, community-based fishery in South East Asia to achieve MSC certification,” said MSC Chief Executive Rupert Howes. “I am also delighted to hear that certification is already bringing benefits to the communities who depend upon this sustainable resource and very much hope other Vietnamese fisheries will soon come forward into the third-party assessment process.”

In 1997, provincial authorities established the Rang Dong Fishery Cooperative, which is co-operated and managed by the fishing community. In 2007, the Cooperative’s profits reached 40 billion VND (approximately 2.2 million USD), greatly improving the income of its members. Already, ten additional clam cooperatives have now been established, forming an alliance of cooperatives that covers all clam areas in Ben Tre.

“It is our pleasure to contribute to the first MSC certification in Vietnam and in Southeast Asia,” said WWF’s Fisheries Officer Nguyen Thi Dieu Thuy. “One of our major tasks is to harmonize economic development with the maintenance of the natural environment. MSC certification of the Ben Tre clam fishery is such a success. Importantly, the Ben Tre fishery can now serve as a model sustainable fishery at both national and regional levels.”

“As the first MSC-certified fishery in Southeast Asia, the Ben Tre clam fishery will play a key role in demonstrating how certification can conserve resources, preserve local communities, and positively impact the bottom line for business – all at the same time,” said Meredith Lopuch, deputy director of the WWF-US Fisheries Program’s Major Buyer Initiative.

The government of Vietnam and the MSC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in May 2005 declaring their joint commitment to encourage sustainable fishing in the country by promoting and facilitating MSC certification. The initial agreement was for three years and renewed in 2008.

“Vietnam was the first nation-state to publicly commit to using MSC certification to promote sustainable fishing,” said Howes. “Today, with the certification of the Vietnamese Ben Tre clam fishery, we are celebrating the first successful MSC certification in South East Asia. This confirms Vietnam’s pioneering role in advancing sustainable fisheries management in the region.”

“I would also very much like to thank WWF for their partnership and support working with the Ben Tre fishery towards MSC certification,” said Howes. “Today, Ben Tre fishery joins ranks with a number of other fisheries that have achieved MSC certification with the support of WWF.”

The MSC recently announced the addition of a Risk Based Framework (RBF) to the MSC Fisheries Assessment Methodology (FAM). The RBF enables fisheries with limited data to undergo assessment to the MSC standard.

The Ben Tre clam fishery was one of the pilot fisheries involved in the testing of the RBF methodology, but was ultimately assessed using the conventional methodology in use at the time.

Shipwreck an ecological disaster for southern Madagascar

2009-10-28

Faux Cap, Madagascar – Toxic waste from a ship which went down off the coast in southern Madagascar in August has had severe impacts on the health of local people and on the rich coastal and marine environment, according to a study supported by WWF.

The Turkish vessel Gulser Ana grounded near Faux Cap in the very south of Madagascar The ship carried 39000 tons of raw Phosphates, 568 tons of fuel, 66 tons of diesel and 8000 litres of lubricant, most of which was slowly released into the Indian Ocean. The accident occurred in a whale reproduction and migratory corridor zone during the migratory season.

The report, co-funded by WWF was prepared by an interdisciplinary team of eight scientists which went to Faux Cap shortly after the accident.

While one to three whales normally beach in the area each year, nine whales beached in September alone, and some beach stretches seem to be real death zones, the report found. Villagers suffer from diseases such as respiratory problems, skin diseases and diarrhoea.

“WWF is very concerned about the possible negative impacts on biodiversity especially marine and coastal species, the threats to the ecosystems and the loss of people’s livelihood options. That’s why we decided to fund this mission,” said Harifidy Olivier Ralison, WWF Western Indian Ocean Marine Programme Coordinator.

Oil clumps cover the beach 30 km to the east and even further to the west of the shipwreck. People who were hired to clean up the area are not equipped properly and lack clothes protecting them. The collected oil clumps land in plastic bags on the beach where they are likely to burst and cause further damage, the report founds.

Almost half the 40'000 people in the area have been affected by consequences of the shipwreck, the study found with a key impact being the banning of fishing for three months.
Some 25 to 40 percent of the inhabitants depend on fishery as their source of income.

The impacts on marine species are also tragic.

"Like human beings, whales suffer from respiratory problems due to diesel odour. They come to the surface from time to time to breathe, so if they happen to surface through an oil film, this might result in the animal’s death,” Yvette Razafindrakoto, WCS (World Conservation Society) marine mammal specialist said.

Although raw phosphate is not poisonous, a huge amount of it being suddenly released into the ocean can be problematic. The expert team found signs of eutrophication in front of the shipwreck. « Phosphate acts like fertilizer, which leads to an extensive algal bloom. This depletes the oxygen in the surrounding marine environment and could cause the disappearance of species such as fish and molluscs» said Ralison.

Some common species of sand crabs were also only found sporadically and other species, such as various gastropods contained a very high amount of heavy metal, which is connected to higher mortality.

There are signs that the food chain in the area around Faux Cap is severely harmed. What this means for the coastal ecosystem and the villagers on the contaminated beaches can only be definitively estimated after the passage of some years, the report said.

For more information please contact:

Martina Lippuner, +261 20 22 348 85, mlippuner@wwf.mg

Atlantic bluefin tuna trade ban supported by fishery’s scientists

2009-10-28

Madrid, Spain - Atlantic bluefin tuna meets the criteria for a ban on international trade, according to global scientists of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). This official assessment of bluefin’s extreme stock decline has been welcomed by major environment groups WWF and Greenpeace.

The scientists met in Madrid, Spain (21-23 October) to assess current stock status of Atlantic bluefin tuna against the specific criteria necessary to list a species under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

ICCAT’s scientists estimate that the current spawning biomass is less than 15 per cent of what it once was before fishing began – meaning Atlantic bluefin tuna meets the criteria for a CITES Appendix I listing.

Further, the scientists’ analyses confirmed that a suspension of commercial fishing is the only measure with a substantial chance of ensuring that the stock no longer meets the criteria for CITES Appendix I by 2019.

“What’s needed to save the stocks is a suspension of fishing activity and a suspension of international commercial trade – this is the only possible package that can give this fish a chance to recover,” said Dr Sergi Tudela, Head of Fisheries at WWF Mediterranean. “We must stop mercilessly exploiting this fragile natural resource until stocks show clear signs of rebound and until sustainable management and control measures are firmly put in place.”

On 14 October the Principality of Monaco submitted a CITES Appendix I listing proposal to temporarily ban international commercial trade and allow the species to recover from years of ineffective fisheries management and control.

“The ICCAT scientists have made formal what we have been saying all along – that Atlantic bluefin tuna is balancing precariously on the edge of collapse, and only drastic measures can now ensure this endangered species gets a fighting chance of recovery,” added Sebastian Losada, Oceans Campaigner for Greenpeace International. “The extent of the failure by ICCAT members to act responsibly and preserve our marine environment can no longer be ignored. Atlantic bluefin tuna has been subject to decades of massive overfishing and overexploitation and time is running out to save this species”

“Independent of what ICCAT decides to do in November, the science is undeniable that Atlantic bluefin tuna meets the criteria for a suspension of trade through a CITES Appendix I listing – and if ICCAT stops the fishing too, so much the better for this species,” added Sergi Tudela of WWF.

WWF and Greenpeace urge ICCAT to impose a zero quota at the organization’s next annual meeting on 6-16 November in Recife, Brazil. Interest will focus on what ICCAT does with the advice of its own scientists; in the past, the advice of ICCAT’s scientists has been largely disregarded.

The verdict from ICCAT’s scientific committee will be submitted to the 48 Contracting Parties when they meet in Recife. The next Conference of the Parties of CITES, meanwhile, is in Doha, Qatar, in March 2010, when WWF and Greenpeace are calling on the 175 CITES member countries to vote in favour of an Atlantic bluefin tuna Appendix I listing.

Genetic tuna tracking opens new options in race to save fish and fisheries

2009-10-27

Madrid, Spain – A new method that uses gene sequencing to accurately distinguish between tuna species has the potential to support fisheries management and possible trade restrictions for endangered tuna species.

The new method, revealed in a paper published today in PLoS ONE, the online open-access scientific journal, can make an identification from any kind of processed tuna tissue.

The true tunas – from the genus Thunnus – are among the most economically valuable fish in the world and are also among the most endangered of all commercially exploited fish . They are not to be confused with the tuna most commonly tinned, which comes from related families such as mackerel.

The paper, ‘A Validated Methodology for Genetic Identification of Tuna Species (Genus Thunnus)’, co-authored by Dr Jordi Viñas, a fish genetics specialist at Girona University in Spain and Dr Sergi Tudela, Head of Fisheries of WWF Mediterranean, proposes for the first time ever a genetic method for the precise identification of all eight recognized species of tuna.

Northern, southern and Pacific bluefin tuna are among the most stressed fish populations in the world, with the Principality of Monaco having lodged an application before the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) for a trade ban on the Atlantic (Northern) bluefin tuna where several fisheries have collapsed and failed to recover and the Mediterranean bluefin fishery is exhibiting advanced signals of impending collapse in the face of overfishing and decades of poor management.

The other tuna species are yellowfin, blackfin, longtail, bigeye and albacore tuna. Identification of traded forms of the fish, which can be dressed, gilled and gutted, or loin and belly meat, and either fresh or frozen – is a highly complex process, which has hampered conservation efforts and was a potential limitation to the imposition of trade controls.

The analysis of the DNA sequence variability of two unlinked genetic markers, one a hypervariable segment of the mitochondrial genome and the other a nuclear gene, enables full discrimination between all the tuna species.

"..findings are particularly relevant"

“This methodology will allow the identification of tuna species of any kind of tissue or type or presentation – including sushi and sashimi,” said Dr Jordi Viñas of Girona University. “The differentiation between different tunas, even those with highly similar genes, is now possible.”

“Our findings are particularly relevant for the highly overfished, overtraded – and hence endangered Atlantic bluefin tuna, for which there is a growing campaign to impose a temporary ban on international commercial trade,” added co-author Dr Sergi Tudela of WWF. “There will now be no trace of doubt when seeking to identify chilled or frozen tuna flesh at port or point of sale.”

The paper will remain available to download for free from the website of PLoS ONE and will be submitted to the relevant tuna fishing and trade management and control authorities.

(PLoS ONE is the first journal of primary research from all areas of science to employ a combination of peer review and post-publication rating and commenting, to maximize the impact of every report it publishes. PLoS ONE is published by the Public Library of Science (PLoS), the open-access publisher whose goal is to make the world’s scientific and medical literature a public resource.)

Treaty parties learn of 40 proposed wildlife trade rule changes

2009-10-26

Gland, Switzerland - Proposals for tighter trade controls for species such as the Atlantic Blue Fin tuna, sharks and corals have been submitted for the next meeting of parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES).

The meeting, which will have changes to trade rules for an unusual proportion of marine species on its agenda, will be held in Quatar in March. Controversy is also expected over conflicting proposals concerning elephants.

WWF especially welcomes the proposal by the Principality of Monaco to list Atlantic bluefin tuna on Appendix I to the convention, which would ban international trade for commercial purposes and was submitted as Atlantic bluefin tuna stocks are declining dramatically because of uncontrolled overfishing.

“An Appendix I listing for Atlantic Bluefin Tuna has become imperative if we are to save the species,” said Amanda Nickson, Director of the WWF International Species Programme.

“If we act now we can secure the future of this species and guarantee that fishing can be resumed in the future, but at a sustainable level.”

WWF was also encouraged to see that proposals to list several shark species on Appendix II, which allows for international trade but imposes strict regulations and requires proof that trade is sustainable and legal, were submitted. Threats such as bycatch and shark finning and illegal fishing and overfishing have caused serious declines in shark populations.

Also proposed for an Appendix II listing were red and pink coral, which are used to make jewellery. Red and pink corals are found throughout the world’s tropical and temperate seas but the absence of effective international trade controls has led to overharvesting.

Elephant debate expected to be controversial

Elephants, one of WWF’s priority species, will be a topic of debate at the CITES meeting as potentially conflicting proposals were submitted for elephants. Kenya submitted a proposal – together with a group of west African countries - that would impose a 19 year ban on other countries seeking permission for one-off ivory sales, such as the one that took place under CITES supervision in 2008, and that would suspend the legal sale of ivory souvenirs in Namibia and Zimbabwe.

One the other hand, Zambia and Tanzania submitted proposals that would have elephant populations within their borders moved from Appendix I to Appendix II in order to ease the permitting rules for trophy hunting and allow for the sale of government-owned ivory stockpiles.

“WWF recognizes that some southern African Elephant range States have successfully demonstrated that their populations should be placed on Appendix II," said Nickson.

"However, Tanzania and Zambia have yet to prove their case by demonstrating that their management of ivory stockpiles is adequate enough to prevent laundering of poached ivory.

“And while we acknowledge the concerns that have motivated Kenya’s proposal, we must focus not forget to address what WWF sees as the main issue driving elephant poaching – that is, unregulated domestic markets in central and West Africa.”

Two other of WWF’s priority species that were not the subject of listing proposals but that will be discussed at the meeting are tigers and rhinos, which are both critically endangered and are being poached in order to feed the illegal market for their parts and derivatives. Tiger numbers could now be as low as 3,200 and rhino poaching has reached a 15 year high according to new research released this summer.

WWF will now engage with its partners TRAFFIC and IUCN, which will do a full analyses of the proposals in order to assess whether or not they meet the criteria required for a species to be listed in the CITES appendices. WWF will formulate its position on each proposal based on this analysis.

“WWF looks forward to the CITES meeting,” said Ms Nickson. “There has never been a meeting where marine animals featured so prominently. Now is an opportunity to show that CITES has the capacity to address the pressing issues concerning the trade in these species.”

Southern Bluefin quota cuts could be “too little, too late”

2009-10-23

Jeju Island, South Korea, 23 October - A 20 percent cut in the Southern Bluefin Tuna take could still be too little, too late for the species which is on the brink of collapse, WWF and the wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC warned today.

Speaking at the conclusion of the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin (CCSBT) Tuna meeting in Jeju Island, South Korea, TRAFFIC’s Global Marine Programme Leader Glenn Sant said that even under a best case scenario, the Southern Bluefin Tuna populations would not recover for many years.

“The members agree it is a crisis with the breeding stock being somewhere between three and eight per cent of its original level,” said Sant.

“A 20 per cent cut is a step towards resolving the terribly low level of Southern Bluefin Tuna Stock, with the scientific assessment of the scenario saying there could be recovery, but only after many years.”

WWF and TRAFFIC had asked for a temporary closure of the fishery, while Australia had requested a 50 per cent cut in catches.

On the other side of the world, the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna has been proposed for an international trade ban under CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), with WWF also to press a forthcoming meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas for a moratorium on the fishery.

Both fisheries are plagued with illegal and over-fishing.

“Our biggest concern is the need to reduce illegal catches and ensure that members stick to their quotas so that we don’t have some members withdrawing from the bank while others bank recovery for the future,” said Sant.

“Some members have been burnt by this situation in the past when a member in effect overcaught its quota by some 200,000 tonnes over 20 years, in effect withdrawing all the stock recovery banked by others.”

At the end of two years the members will agree a management procedure that will more effectively advise them on what changes need to be made.

If this cannot be agreed in 2011 the catch will be further reduced to 50% of its current catch and an emergency rule has been agreed that if there are signs recruitment of juvenile fish to the population falls below historical lows the fishery will be shut.

“In theory this is all positive, but with the tuna stock at the lowest level it has ever been fished to, there is concern it may not recover,” said Sant.

Coral Triangle summit to focus on business opportunities, environment protection

2009-10-23

Business and policy leaders will get together in Manila next year to debate how to protect the Coral Triangle, the world’s most diverse marine environment.

The summit, organized by the Philippine Government and WWF will be held on January 18 to 21, 2010 and outline business opportunities for key sectors operating in the region encompassing Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste.

It will also provide a platform for financial support and investment for businesses willing to commit to sustainability and green growth.

Covering just one per cent of the earth’s surface, the Coral Triangle includes 30 per cent of the world’s coral reefs, 76 per cent of its reef building coral species as well as vital spawning grounds for tuna.

The region sustains the lives of more than 120 million people, along with thousands of small and medium businesses that heavily rely on healthy marine environments and resources.

But the Coral Triangle is under threat from over-exploitation, environmental degradation, poverty, and global economic recession – all compounded by severe climate change.

"By inviting sectors that rely on a healthy marine environment in the Coral Triangle, as well as the tourism, communications, and investment sectors, this Business Summit will contribute to the pursuit of sustainable business development and investment," said Manuel Gerochi, Philippine Undersecretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

The Business Summit will place special emphasis on the growing demand for 'green' products globally, which can drive sustainability in supply chains within the Coral Triangle.

There will also be opportunities for regional and national financial institutions and investors to explore emerging investment opportunities, and to network and forge partnerships with companies that are dependent on the Coral Triangle's natural resources.

“This event will make a compelling case for sustainable investment and business in the Coral Triangle” said Dr Lida Pet-Soede, WWF Coral Triangle Programme Leader.

“Putting new economic growth on a sustainable path requires courage, innovation, partnership and, not the least, access to credit, finance and investment, which are often major barriers to progress. Through this summit, we hope to find a way to bridge this gap” added Pet-Soede.

According to a WWF report coral reefs will disappear from the Coral Triangle by the end of the century and the ability of the region’s coastal environments to feed people will decline by 80 per cent if no effective action is taken.

This event follows the CTI Leaders Summit in Indonesia in May 2009, where the six Heads of State of the Coral Triangle states committed to ambitious conservation and development targets across the region through a Regional Plan of Action, a large part of which requires meaningful engagement from the private sector.

WWF supports the CTI by providing targeted support for issues related to climate change, fisheries, tourism and marine protected areas through its Coral Triangle Programme.

"The Coral Triangle Business Summit is intended to help businesses reap market rewards through responsible stewardship of the marine environment. The threat of climate change and the growing consumer demand for 'green' products point to one need -- improved management of the Coral Triangle," said Dr Lida Pet-Soede.

For more information:
Lida Pet-Soede, WWF Coral Triangle Programme Leader (Bali, Indonesia)
Tel/Fax: +62 361 730185
lpet@wallacea.wwf.or.id

Paolo P. Mangahas, WWF Coral Triangle Communications Manager (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
Tel: +60 3 78033772
Mobile: +60136730413
pmangahas@wwf.org.my

Expedition observes hundreds of marine creatures in oil slick

2009-10-23

The area affected by the Montara oil spill off the Kimberley coast contains a huge amount of marine life, including some of the most iconic and threatened species in the ocean, according to a marine wildlife survey conducted by WWF.

Dolphins, migratory sea birds and sea snakes were found in abundance in the area, in addition to marine turtles, and many of these species were recorded swimming through the toxic oil affected area during WWF's recent expedition to Timor Sea.

The survey report released today paints a picture of a rich marine community under threat of toxicity from the Montara oil leak which has been ongoing for more than two months.

"We recorded hundreds of dolphins and sea birds in the oil slick area, as well as sea snakes and threatened hawksbill and flatback turtles," said WWF-Australia’s Director of Conservation Dr Gilly Llewellyn, who led the team of ecologists.

"It's a stark contrast to comments made this week by the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA) that claimed our survey found no evidence of harm to marine life. This is clearly a false representation of our results and appears to be an attempt to sweep this environmental disaster under the carpet," Dr Llewellyn said.

Overall the expedition recorded 17 species of seabird, four species of cetacean and five marine reptiles including two species of marine turtle. At least eleven of the species were listed migratory and two - hawksbill and flatback turtles - are listed as threatened with extinction under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

On Wednesday, PTTEP, the company responsible for the oil slick, reported high levels of mortality among oil- affected seabirds.

"Clearly, wildlife is dying and hundreds if not thousands of dolphins, seabirds and sea-snakes are being exposed to toxic oil. The critical issue is the long term impact of this slick on a rich marine ecosystem, taking into consideration the magnitude, extent and duration of the event," said Dr Llewellyn.

"We know that oil can be a slow and silent killer. Impacts from the Exxon Valdez disaster are still being seen 20 years later, so we can expect this environmental disaster will continue to unfold for years to come."

WWF is aware of a second sea-based survey team that has been to the area and collected data on impacts on marine life and calls on all evidence and observations to be made publically available.

"The public needs to have all available information concerning what has been observed and reported, including findings from Ashmore Reef, and from the vessels and platforms in the area." Dr Llewellyn said.

"There is global concern about this oil spill and its effects on marine wildlife. More surveys are urgently needed as every piece of information helps build a more complete picture."

Fishing for funds to be placed off limits for rule breakers

2009-10-21

Brussels, Belgium: European governments and enterprises continuing to flout fisheries regulations are to be denied access to EU public funds, according to measures agreed by the EU Fisheries Council this week.

WWF has welcomed the Control and Enforcement Regulation creates a common system of rules and sanctions to be applied at national level in Europe.

“Existing rules have been applied poorly or not at all, disadvantaging fishermen and governments who played by the rules. Illegal fishing continues to be a huge threat to healthy fish stocks and profitable fisheries," said Aaron Mc Loughlin, Head of the European Marine Programme at WWF's European Policy Office.

When some fishing nations raised last minute objections to the Article 95 sanctions on public funding for rule breaking nations and fishers, WWF wrote to the EU noting that "the fishery sector is the only sector covered by Community law in which funds are still distributed to Member States with perfect impunity, without being conditioned upon compliance with control rules."

It was "common sense" that there be provisions "setting down countermeasures in suspending and reducing financial aid in cases in which Member States continue to show no intention of stopping persistent and serious infringements," the letter said.

The nations, led by France, had sought to have serious infringements dealt with by application to the European Court of Justice. However, WWF noted that "It took over 24 years for the Court of Justice to order France to pay penalties because of failing to carry out controls of fishing activities in accordance with the requirements laid down by the Community provisions".

WWF strongly believes that measures to tackle illegal fishing inside and outside EU waters are to be implemented as soon as possible starting from the 1st of January 2010.

No public money for fishermen breaking the rules

2009-10-20

Brussels, Belgium - Today, 20 October 2009, the EU Fisheries Council reached political agreement on new rules to stop illegal fishing in Europe’s waters. WWF firmly supports the Control Regulation which creates a common system of rules and sanctions to be applied at national level in Europe.

The new measures will ban EU public funds going to governments and fishermen who continue to break the law.

“Existing rules have been applied poorly or not at all, disadvantaging fishermen and governments who played by the rules. Illegal fishing continues to be a huge threat to healthy fish stocks and profitable fisheries. This reform is the first step towards an effective change in how EU fisheries are managed” says Aaron Mc Loughlin, Head of European Marine Programme at WWF European Policy Office.

WWF strongly believes that measures to tackle illegal fishing inside and outside EU waters are to be implemented as soon as possible starting from the 1st of January 2010.

For further information:
Aaron Mc Loughlin, Head of European Marine Programme, WWF European Policy Office
Tel: +32 2 740 09 24
Mobile: +32 472 94 83 17
E-mail: AMcLoughlin@wwfepo.org

Stefania Campogianni, Press Officer, WWF European Policy Office
Tel: +32 2 743 88 15
Mobile: +32 499 53 97 36
E-mail: scampogianni@wwfepo.org

Endangered Atlantic bluefin tuna formally recommended for international trade ban

2009-10-14

Rome, Italy – WWF welcomed today the proposal to ban international trade in endangered Atlantic bluefin tuna submitted by the Principality of Monaco, which recommends a listing of the species on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

That Atlantic bluefin tuna stocks are declining dramatically was confirmed last week by scientists for the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) – the organization responsible for ensuring the sustainable commercial exploitation of this fish – at their annual meeting in Madrid, Spain.

“WWF applauds Monaco for officially proposing today a halt to international trade in this endangered and alarmingly overexploited species – an act that would cut the main driver of decline,” said Dr Sergi Tudela, Head of Fisheries at WWF Mediterranean.

“WWF now appeals to all CITES Contracting Parties to vote for the trade ban proposal. The current management regime is a total failure and is inadequate to guarantee the recovery of this iconic species – only a stop to global trade can give bluefin tuna the breather it so desperately needs.”

A CITES Appendix I listing would ban international commercial trade in wild Atlantic bluefin tuna.

In their report of Friday, the ICCAT scientists highlighted that the fishery had been plagued with serious underreporting and illegal fishing from the 1990s – undermining the conservation of the stock – and that further stock collapse is likely unless fishing mortality rates are substantially reduced in the near future.

Parallel to the CITES trade ban, WWF is calling on ICCAT to suspend fishing of Atlantic bluefin tuna when it meets 6-16 November in Recife, Brazil – with the ultimate goal of a sustainable fishery successfully managed by ICCAT in future.

The 175 CITES Contracting Parties will vote on the listing proposal when they next meet in Doha, Qatar, 13-25 March 2010, where a two-thirds majority will confirm the global trade ban.

For more information
Gemma Parkes, +39 346 387 3237, gparkes@wwfmedpo.org

Fisheries regulator relaxed over huge cod bycatch over-run

2009-09-28

Bergen, Norway: The Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) implemented no new measures to control cod bycatch despite bycatch levels on the southern Grand Banks reaching more than twice the target levels.

While Canada, supported by the European Union, argued that bycatch had to be reduced, NFAO turned its back on a 2007 commitment to consider additional measures to control bycatch if voluntary measures failed. It is generally accepted that boats from the EU played the largest role in the bycatch over-runs, which reached 119 per cent in 2008.

NAFO joins a long list of regional fisheries management organisations worldwide facing increasing criticism for presiding over the continuing collapse of key fisheries and the failure of recovery in others. Cod is central to perceptions of NAFO’s effectiveness, with the celebrated spectacular collapse and closure of the Grand Banks cod fishery in the 1990s.

Excessive bycatch of cod has undermined a moratorium imposed in 1994, peaking in 2003 when bycatch amounts were estimated at up to 80 per cent of the remaining spawning cod stock.

“NAFO did not bring in necessary measures to reduce bycatch of Grand Banks cod, which will further prevent recovery”, said Dr. Robert Rangeley, Vice-President, WWF-Canada, Atlantic Region.

“However, there is a glimmer of hope. Canada has clearly demonstrated the ability to bring bycatch of cod under control in its own waters and NAFO’s Scientific Council has been directed to recommend concrete measures to reduce bycatch next year.”

In what WWF views as a flawed decision, NAFO re-opened the one minor Grand Banks fishery where recovery can be demonstrated, with catch quotas 33 percent higher than the levels recommended by its Scientific Council and supported by Norway, the USA and WWF. The Flemish Cap cod fishery (3M) reached the NAFO rebuilding target after a 10 year moratorium.

Some progress was made on the protection of vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) from the impacts of bottom fishing, with NAFO agreeing to close 2500 nautical square miles of the proposed areas identified in locations where bottom fishing is likely to result in the prevention of significant adverse impacts on coldwater coral forests and sponge reefs.

However, NAFO is still failing to properly assess impacts to vulnerable areas where fishing is currently being conducted.

These impacts would have been better assessed had NAFO adopted the proposal by the US to follow new UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) guidelines for impact assessment. NAFO had committed to implement these measures by January 1, 2010, yet impact assessments will not be conducted until 2011 at the earliest.

Shipping industry must act on carbon

2009-09-24

24 September 2009

Today, on World Maritime Day, the world is looking at the shipping sector to shoulder its responsibility by taking on ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets to curb climate change - one of the most urgent threats facing our planet.

The shipping industry must reduce CO₂ emissions by 40% below 1990 levels by 2020, and by at least 80% by 2050. These figures are consistent with the latest estimates to limit global warming to below the crucial 2ºC average.

A recent IMO study reveals that by 2020, existing ships could reduce their CO₂ emissions by 20% through operational measures – without costing industry a single dollar. To reach 40% by 2020, access to global carbon markets is needed.

The shipping industry is by any measure a mature and well-developed industry, and as such, its targets must be in line with those of developed countries.

Responsible shipping companies must improve efficiency, support global market-based instruments, and increase funding for development of innovative propulsion systems and other solutions to reduce emissions. In the longer run, the industry needs to seriously consider what ‘sustainable shipping’ really looks like.

The growing shipping industry and governments must take a lead and ensure that emissions from the sector are capped and that a fair deal for developing countries is struck in Copenhagen in December.

Kim Carstensen, Leader WWF Global Climate Initiative

Europe remains weak on tuna conservation, rest of world must respond

2009-09-22

Brussels, Belgium - - WWF has expressed disappointment that despite the good progress represented by 21 out of 27 European Union Member States confirming today their support for an international trade ban for endangered Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefin tuna, this majority is not enough for EU countries to sponsor a proposal to this effect. The global conservation organization calls for the support of other countries.

At a meeting yesterday of the EU’s Management Committee for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), EU Member State representatives forged a position on the recent European Commission opinion that Atlantic bluefin tuna meets the requirements to be listed on CITES Appendix I to restrict international trade – and the recommendation that the EU should formally back such a listing proposal. Yesterday 21 EU countries came out in favour of the proposal but formal EU backing was blocked by just six Mediterranean states against – discarding the advice of European Commission environment and fisheries experts.

“It is once again large-scale Mediterranean fishing interests trying to gang up against the long-term survival of Atlantic bluefin tuna and the industry this incredible species has sustained for thousands of years,” said Aaron McLoughlin, Head of WWF’s European Marine Programme.

“Such a short-sighted and unambitious stance from the Mediterranean EU Member States against marine conservation is disappointing.”

The Principality of Monaco announced in July its intention to submit a proposal to list Atlantic bluefin tuna on CITES Appendix I but any other country can choose to co-sponsor the listing proposal with Monaco.

255 out 345 votes in Council are needed to secure support for the Commission’s proposal. Reaching this qualified majority, or 74% of the total vote in favour, is a high threshold to secure the EU’s block vote at CITES. EU Environment Ministers will need to reconsider the proposal in October or December at an Environment Council.

EU countries, while each being a separate Contracting Party to CITES, vote en bloc at CITES meetings.

“WWF is calling on other CITES Contracting Parties to stand up for what the European Commission has accepted as necessary – that global trade in endangered Atlantic bluefin must be urgently halted until it is clearly on the road to recovery,” continued McLoughlin.

“After all, how can anyone enjoy contributing to extinction by buying, selling, cooking or eating a fish whose days are clearly numbered? Enough is enough.”

The next CITES Conference of the Parties takes place in Doha, Qatar, in March 2010, when the 175 member countries will vote on trade ban listing proposals. Any such proposals must be received by the CITES secretariat before 14 October in order to be put up for consideration in Doha.

Notes to editor
• Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta and Spain do not support the CITES Appendix I listing of Atlantic bluefin.

• Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden and the UK are all in favour of the Atlantic bluefin tuna trade ban proposal.

For more information
Aaron McLoughlin, WWF European Policy Programme
Mobile: +32 472 948 317
E-mail: amcloughlin@wwfepo.org

Gemma Parkes, WWF Mediterranean
Tel: +39 346 387 3237
E-mail: gparkes@wwfmedpo.org

Endangered Grand Banks cod catch doubles in 2008

2009-09-20

Halifax, Canada: The amount of cod caught on the Grand Banks this past year exceeded the 420 tonnes bycatch reduction target set by the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) by a wide margin.

The target was exceeded by more than 500 tonnes, or 119 per cent, according to new data recently made public by NAFO.

During meetings last year, NAFO delegates refused to set and enforce absolute bycatch targets, instead relying on voluntary measures by member countries to reach their target of reducing bycatch by 40 per cent. This target was estimated to be the maximum the cod population could withstand in order to still have a chance to recover. Despite this massive overshoot, the recovery of southern Grand Banks cod is not a top priority on the agenda at this year’s annual meeting in Bergen, Norway, from September 21-25.

As voluntary measures have failed, WWF is calling on NAFO to use scientific advice to reduce bycatch and immediately implement a suite of stringent measures. Such measures would include spatial and temporal closures, absolute bycatch limits, and total allowable catches (TACs) that are in line with scientific advice.

“We can’t continue to ignore these numbers,” says Dr. Robert Rangeley, Vice-President, WWF-Canada, Atlantic Region. “Rebuilding fish stocks and ecosystems is possible if exploitation rates are reduced and effective controls are implemented in waters beyond national jurisdiction. By enforcing absolute limits on cod bycatch through a combination of gear restrictions and closed areas at this meeting, NAFO can provide the last chance for restoring this cod fishery.”

NAFO delegates can turn to their host country, Norway, as a model of what happens when ecosystem based and precautionary approach management is followed, and sustainability and recovery plans are adhered to. Norway's cod longline fishery is the world’s first Atlantic cod fishery to attain Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification, with an annual harvest of about 5,000 metric tons of cod. The benefits of this recovered fishery have impacted the country both economically and socially.

In addition to cod bycatch reduction, WWF is calling on NAFO to take concrete steps to meet their 2006 commitment to protect critical habitats and the health of the oceans. In 2008, limited steps were taken to provide protection for vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) within NAFO’s regulatory area, but the damaging effects of fishing gear continue to impact oceans health and species recovery. A strong policy has already been put in place and VME areas have been mapped, so there is no reason why NAFO cannot implement effective protection measures during this meeting.

“Healthy and productive coastal communities and industries depend on healthy and productive oceans,” says Dr. Rangeley. “By rebuilding the Grand Banks, we can sustain fish - and fishing communities - for future generations.”

Seabird saving invention snags top Smart Gear prize

2009-09-15

Vigo, Spain – A team of Australian inventors today were awarded the $30,000 grand prize in the International WWF Smart Gear Competition for a fishing gear innovation that could save thousands of seabirds from dying accidentally on longlines each year.

Their invention – the underwater baited hook – allows longline vessels to set baited hooks underwater out of reach of seabirds. Designed for use on coastal tuna and swordfish vessels worldwide, the invention minimizes or eliminates accidental mortality of seabirds including albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters, which are sometimes killed in the fishing gear when they attempt to seize bait attached to longline hooks.

The grand prize winning team consists of Phil Ashworth, general manager of Australia-based Amerro Engineering and Dr. Graham Robertson, a principal research scientist with the Australian Antarctic Division. WWF and its partners made the awards announcement today at the World Fishing Exhibition in Vigo, Spain.

Every year, unselective fishing catches non-target animals as ‘bycatch’ – an issue that causes the death of hundreds of thousands of marine animals, including seabirds. A recently published study defines bycatch as unmanaged or unused catch and on this basis it is estimated that bycatch accounts for at least 40% of what is taken from our oceans each year.

”With bycatch accounting for at least 40% of what is taken from our oceans each year, competitions like Smart Gear are critical opportunities to stimulate and showcase new technologies to reduce this threat,” said Dr. Robin Davies, Interim Leader of WWF’s Bycatch Initiative. “It is inspiring to see how many innovative ideas were submitted to the Smart Gear Competition because it reflects a dedicated and extremely diverse group of people who are committed to finding solutions to bycatch.”

Two other inventions to help reduce bycatch won runner-up prizes of $10,000 for their inventors. A team from Belgian’s Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO) won for their invention named Hovercran, which substantially reduces bycatch in shrimp trawls. The other runner-up is David Sterling, of Australia’s Sterling Trawl Gear Services, who developed a device called the Batwing Board, an alternative to the standard trawl door used by most trawl operators, which both reduces impact to the sea bottom by approximately 90 percent and reduces fuel consumption.

This year’s competition also features a special East African Marine prize of $7,500 which has been awarded to Samwel B. Bikkens of Kenya’s Moi University for his device known as “The Selector.”

The invention makes use of fish responses to light and water movement to address a bycatch problem in Lake Victoria, the largest lake in East Africa and an important fishery in the region. This is the second year that WWF has offered a special regional prize to encourage inventions that address issues in areas of critical concern.

“The creative inventions designed by the winners of the Smart Gear Competition promise practical, effective, everyday solutions to the problem of bycatch - a serious issue which threatens the health of our oceans,” say Michael Osmond, WWF’s senior program officer for fisheries, who directs the competition.

The Curtis and Edith Munson Foundation, The Marisla Foundation, the Sea World & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, the Lemelson Foundation, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are supporting this year’s Smart Gear Competition.

For more information on the International Smart Gear competition go to: www.smartgear.org.