tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67699839542081853072024-03-14T03:18:02.686+00:00Sustainable SeasNews, views, and research on the human dimensions of coastal and marine environments. We look deeply into the sustainability of the blue planet - from the coasts to the deep sea and the connections between the oceans and society. Tavishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18355219027678403722noreply@blogger.comBlogger133125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6769983954208185307.post-39780854130464744272016-07-17T09:06:00.001+01:002016-12-15T07:08:58.045+00:00Perceptions of marine litter – why should we try to understand the values, norms and worldviews of a small group of artisanal fishermen?<style>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0m8zjT4C2lI/V4s4I9Ywu-I/AAAAAAAAEVQ/uPHoMsdglkU7NRmTUW85GsY6MGWzL3NXQCLcB/s1600/00Early%2Bmorning%2Bfishing%2B13.5.16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0m8zjT4C2lI/V4s4I9Ywu-I/AAAAAAAAEVQ/uPHoMsdglkU7NRmTUW85GsY6MGWzL3NXQCLcB/s320/00Early%2Bmorning%2Bfishing%2B13.5.16.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early morning fishing, Jisr-az-Zarqa</td></tr>
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I’ve spent the past 4-5 months doing fieldwork in a small, Eastern Mediterranean town. Jisr-az-Zarqa (Jisr), the only
exclusively Arab town on the Israeli coastline, is economically distressed and
densely populated – 14,500 people live in an area of 1.6km<sup><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2</span></sup>.
It has high unemployment and many families live below the poverty line. About
30 artisanal fishermen (all with families), live in the town of Jisr. They have
huts (where they store their fishing gear – gill nets and long lines) in Jisr’s
‘fishing village’ which is located on Jisr’s undeveloped shoreline. Five years
ago, one of the fishermen turned his hut (without planning permission) into a
restaurant – serving freshly caught fish at weekends. Since 2010, the Israeli
government have been putting together a new development plan for Jisr, and the Israel National Parks Authority (INPA) have put together another plan to expand existing nature reserve and national park designations in the area. Neither of the plans have yet been implemented. Many of the changes proposed by the INPA plan involve development of the
shoreline, including deepening and enlarging the harbour, replacing the fishing
huts with ‘nicer’ buildings and restaurants, and building a coastal walkway
along the beach. The beach in Jisr is designated as a national park (where it
is permitted to have developments, such as restaurants), in contrast to the
adjoining Taninim nature reserve, where the purpose is conservation of the
environment and where no development is allowed. The shoreline is owned by the State and managed by the
Israeli Land Administration (Minhal Mekarkei Yisrael).</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Popular local swimming hole, Jisr-az-Zarqa</td></tr>
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The research I’m doing is a pilot project which aims to explore
perceptions of litter in Jisr (both town and fishing village), identify the
main challenges to the prevention of litter (including derelict fishing gear)
on Jisr’s beach and in its sea, and <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">to
identify approaches that could reduce the marine and coastal</span> litter in
Jisr’s fishing village area.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span>Although the importance of
research into perceptions of marine litter has increased in recent years, there
is actually very little in-depth qualitative research on perceptions of marine
litter. Research to date has tended to use quantitative surveys to explore such
perceptions.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FGEHdlHAWcw/V4s4prfLsiI/AAAAAAAAEVc/UYZzZJsFaqY14IgwKyx9avDcHUTxGrGrACLcB/s1600/2016-05-17%2Bbathing%2Bbeach%2Blitter%2B5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FGEHdlHAWcw/V4s4prfLsiI/AAAAAAAAEVc/UYZzZJsFaqY14IgwKyx9avDcHUTxGrGrACLcB/s320/2016-05-17%2Bbathing%2Bbeach%2Blitter%2B5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bathing beach litter, Jisr-az-Zarqa</td></tr>
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So far, I’ve carried out in-depth interviews with 6 local
fishermen and 5 representatives of two institutional structures directly
relevant to the governance of Jisr’s shoreline – the Israel National Park
Authority (Rashut HaTeva ve HaGanim) and Jisr’s local council. One of the main
objectives of the pilot project is to provide insights into how artisanal
fishermen perceive marine litter and their awareness of its impact on their
fishing activities and the marine environment. As I started interviewing the
fishermen (in Arabic, with the help of Mona Sabbah, an Arabic-speaking research
assistant), it became increasingly evident that their relationships with the
governing institutions (and the relationships between those institutions) were
directly relevant to the challenges to the prevention of litter on Jisr’s
shoreline. In short, and unsurprisingly, the underlying historical, cultural,
social and political context matters a lot. Understanding this local context is
crucial in providing guidance on whether certain measures to reduce marine
litter would work or not. </div>
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For example, there are usually no bins on, or near, the
beach. People who visit the beach (locals and non-locals alike) generally leave
their litter behind them. The initial fishermen I interviewed complained that
they don’t have a big skip nearby, and alleged that the council has refused to
provide them with one. However, when a skip appeared a few weeks ago (put there
by the INPA), it lasted about a week before
it was burnt. Some of the fishermen had been using it, and so had employees of
the INPA, who recently started to regularly clean the beach. So why was it
burnt?
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hhZrxcKRQ38/V4s5SgrzhzI/AAAAAAAAEWM/hl2QBt9QaXAS502tKWQbb7SNAO9gbf27gCLcB/s1600/20160508_new%2Bskip2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hhZrxcKRQ38/V4s5SgrzhzI/AAAAAAAAEWM/hl2QBt9QaXAS502tKWQbb7SNAO9gbf27gCLcB/s320/20160508_new%2Bskip2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hJ4ABQIl5r8/V4s5K0-I4jI/AAAAAAAAEV0/mlafvyGrJjIDQlzj_btSIf9ndiDpxmgGQCEw/s1600/2016-05-22%2Bskip%2Bburnt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hJ4ABQIl5r8/V4s5K0-I4jI/AAAAAAAAEV0/mlafvyGrJjIDQlzj_btSIf9ndiDpxmgGQCEw/s320/2016-05-22%2Bskip%2Bburnt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jR92JtgveyA/V4s5NuwsHwI/AAAAAAAAEWA/mh94RmX5moUt133A0Fe-LoTi6i9GZ0cEwCEw/s1600/2016-06-12%2Bburnt%2Bskip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jR92JtgveyA/V4s5NuwsHwI/AAAAAAAAEWA/mh94RmX5moUt133A0Fe-LoTi6i9GZ0cEwCEw/s320/2016-06-12%2Bburnt%2Bskip.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The INPA skip - before and after</td></tr>
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The in-depth interviews helped me to understand that most of
the fishermen are hugely distrustful and suspicious of the INPA. There is an
ingrained fear of (government-driven) improvement of an area leading to
dispossession and loss of control – over land and over resources. Environmental
protection is perceived as a poorly disguised tool of oppression. The
fishermen’s narrative goes like this: ‘the INPA and the government only want to
clean this place up so they can clear us (the fishermen) out of here and have
it for themselves’. The historical context here is crucial: Palestinian-Israelis have a very complex and difficult relationship with the land. As one
person (not from Jisr) put it to me – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘It
is yours, but it’s not yours, so you don’t care at the same time as you do
care. You love the place, but hate the place. You want to see it clean, but you
f*!^ it up.’</i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5XPdIVy3aeo/V4s62bksOYI/AAAAAAAAEWo/_ivuLy7xblApKs_zsR5id6lJqBdRS0FrwCEw/s1600/2016-02-17%2Bhighschool%2Bstudents%2Bcleaning%2Blitter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5XPdIVy3aeo/V4s62bksOYI/AAAAAAAAEWo/_ivuLy7xblApKs_zsR5id6lJqBdRS0FrwCEw/s320/2016-02-17%2Bhighschool%2Bstudents%2Bcleaning%2Blitter.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">High school students collecting litter from road leading to Jisr's beach</td></tr>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>These insights have important practical relevance if we
think about what measures might be effective to reduce marine litter on Jisr’s
shoreline. It’s certainly not as simple as putting bins on or near the beach
(the council tried that three years ago – they were burnt too). Before bins are
put there, questions should be asked, such as: </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span>Who is providing the bins?</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span>What kind of relationship
do the fishermen have with the institution that is putting the bins there?</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span dir="LTR"></span>What institution(s) (if
any) do they trust, and under what circumstances?</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>What would need to change
in order to prevent bins on the beach being vandalised and to ensure that they are used?</div>
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In short, we need to understand the values, worldviews and
norms of local coastal users so that we can figure out what kind of policy
interventions will work – and which ones will most definitely not.<br />
(Published research article available <a href="http://authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S0025326X16309870" target="_blank">here</a>) </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset, fishermen's beach, Jisr-az-Zarqa</td></tr>
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Ruth Brennanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02075894624510166830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6769983954208185307.post-90280499543668467202015-09-17T12:21:00.004+01:002015-09-17T12:21:53.413+01:00New Research on Marine Planning and Interactive Touch Tables <div style="background-color: white; border: none; color: #464646; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; line-height: 20.48px; outline: 0px; padding: 5px 0px 10px;">
The implementation of marine spatial planning (MSP) has tended to follow the traditional approaches inherent within terrestrial planning processes. However MSP is radically different on several accounts - new data, occurring over larger spatial units, a fluid 3D planning environment where activities shift in space and over time and a common pool resource with a lack of defined property or access rights. </div>
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Despite these dimensions, the demand for use of the marine environment and coastal areas has never been greater. With ambitious targets for the development of marine renewable energy, marine protected areas and interactions between traditional and new marine industries and activities, marine planning has risen to the top of the policy agenda. Combining data capture and effective engagement is particularly important for coastal stakeholders where data is poorly spatially resolved and questions over effective engagement are raised. </div>
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A recent project, ‘Supporting Marine Spatial Planning with Local Socio-Economic Data (MSP-LED)’ funded by the Scottish Government’s Centre for Expertise in Water (CREW) developed a method for local scale data collection and stakeholder engagement, which was tested through a series of regional workshops to support planning activities. The approach pioneered the use of digital interactive touch tables, both as a means of capturing local scale data and engaging marine stakeholders in dialogue and negotiation over the future use of the marine environment. Key outcomes include: </div>
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• Using a digital touch table to gather, visualize, and discuss
local information about marine activities with stakeholders
is a promising method for decision-making in marine spatial
planning. </div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: none; color: #464646; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; line-height: 20.48px; outline: 0px; padding: 5px 0px 10px;">
• Mapping local recreational and tourism activity highlights
the complexity, importance, and social and economic
significance of this sector </div>
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• Clear communication with sectors over the value and use
of collected data is critical from the outset. Not all sectors
agree or are forthright about mapping spatial activity. </div>
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• Different sectors have very different needs in terms of data.
Spatial activities vary according to sector needs, local
conditions and engagement with decision makers.</div>
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• Finding trade-offs in the marine environment is as
much a function of trust and mutual understanding as of
spatial allocation and technical approaches. </div>
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• Participatory approaches as explored by this project engage
users in joint fact finding and data collection, pointing to
new means of exploring data at different scales, and to the
potential for conflict resolution or co-location of marine
activities. </div>
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• Digital technologies that visualize spatial data can ‘refresh’
stakeholder consultation processes and promote policy
learning and hands-on interaction; they are dynamic in real
time, with natural user interfaces, scaling of maps, and a
range of useful layers (e.g. bathymetric data, or protected
areas sites).</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: none; color: #464646; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; line-height: 20.48px; outline: 0px; padding: 5px 0px 10px;">
<a href="http://www.crew.ac.uk/publications/supporting-marine-spatial-planning-local-socio-economic-data">Download the full report here</a>.</div>
Tavishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18355219027678403722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6769983954208185307.post-80561939147280206112015-06-17T01:24:00.002+01:002015-06-17T03:14:26.691+01:00Charting the course of Blue Low Carbon Economies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.habitat.noaa.gov/images/renewable_wind_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div>
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Climate change has been described as an existential threat to coastal and marine ecosystems and communities. Close to half of the world’s population – and 45% of economic activity - is located in proximity to the coastal zone with population growth and development projected to accelerate into the 21st century. Coastal systems in particular are under threat facing the twin trajectories of development and population pressure whilst being at the forefront of climate impacts. While coastal systems are hubs of social, economic and cultural activities and importance, the emergence of integrated responses to climate change has been limited.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AjySYkK7LXg/VYDVwpChS6I/AAAAAAAADPA/oNz4zV_eKBQ/s1600/C02%2BIP2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="257" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AjySYkK7LXg/VYDVwpChS6I/AAAAAAAADPA/oNz4zV_eKBQ/s400/C02%2BIP2015.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">IPCC projections for CO2 emissions</td></tr>
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In 2013, the <a href="http://climate.nasa.gov/climate_resources/26/">Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)</a> concluded that warming of the climate system is unequivocal, human influence on the climate system is clear; and limiting the risks will require substantial reductions of GHG emissions. The assessment highlighted that CO2 concentrations are at their highest concentration for 800,000 years [IPCC FIG] with 90 per cent of the heat being absorbed by the oceans. Current trends suggest that a 4°C rise is likely on current trends by the end of the century (IPCC 2013) - double the internationally agreed target of 2°C. <a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10712-011-9119-1">Global sea level</a> has risen by 20 cm since the 1880s with the rate of increase rising to 3.2 mm/yr. The advent of ocean acidification and altered hydrology will impact productive habitats such as coral reefs, seagrasses and mangroves which could disappear when ecological thresholds are exceeded and undermine critical ecosystem services that support economic, social and cultural activity. <br />
<br />
In parallel to the challenges facing marine environments significant potential exists in addressing the challenges set by climate <a href="http://www.global-greenhouse-warming.com/climate-mitigation-and-adaptation.html">mitigation and adaptation</a>. While the primary response to climate change is driven at a global level through the <a href="http://unfccc.int/2860.php">UN Framework Convention on Climate Change</a> process, this is inevitably bound up in regional, national and local legal, policy and economic drivers and debates. The trajectory and effectiveness of the ‘low carbon response’ is one that can be explored through the understanding the intersection of policy fields such as energy security, climate policy, industry and innovation strategy, planning and the interaction with actors from government, industry and civil society. The emergence of conceptual approaches such as the ‘blue economy’, ‘blue growth’ and the ‘green-blue economy’ indicate a growing interest in this field, but the various definitions are ambiguous over the extent of the influence of green economy or the cleaner production principles embedded within the strategies. Often traditional ‘brown’ sectors (e.g. oil and gas) are included in blue economy frameworks, diluting the emphasis from a low carbon economy in favour of maximising maritime growth and employment. National strategies tend to exhibit a tension over the extent of incorporating well established sectors that can be considered as business usual versus the promotion of emerging low carbon and green sectors. The phrase ‘have your cake and eat it too’ very much applies to thinking on the blue economy! </div>
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<a href="http://www.habitat.noaa.gov/images/renewable_wind_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.habitat.noaa.gov/images/renewable_wind_01.jpg" height="238" width="320" /></a></div>
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While nations are currently accounting for both traditional and emergent sectors of the blue economy, there appears to be shift in some regions to developing low carbon strategies tailored to coastal and marine systems. This includes mitigation strategies that reduce emissions or increase sequestration, and adaptation strategies that improve the ability of sectors and societies to adapt to changing conditions. In terms of coastal sectors, developments in ocean renewable energy, green ports, carbon capture and storage, eco-tourism and biomass and food production are growing areas of interest. So too are initiatives that conserve and restore coastal habitats for the purpose of carbon sequestration (blue carbon) and maximising ecosystem services. The convergence of marine spatial planning, energy security and climate change raises considerable challenges and opportunities for coastal regions. <br />
<br />
Understanding these patterns in the regional and national context is the basis of a new collaboration between the University of Wollongong (Australia) and the University of Aberdeen (UK). A recent workshop ‘The intersection of the low carbon and blue economy: perspectives, issues and governance’ was held on the 3rd of June to explore the issues surrounding the concept of a blue low carbon economy. The workshop focused on PhD students working on or interested in coastal and marine climate issues, with discussions around the topics of ocean renewable energy, energy security and blue carbon. Seminars included (note seminars will soon be available to download):<br />
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<br />
<a href="http://www.abdn.ac.uk/geosciences/people/profiles/tavis.potts">Dr Tavis Potts, University of Aberdeen, Department of Geography & Environment</a>. ‘<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7AX9Xt8KM-5U0xBQ2J1TmR5bk0/view?usp=sharing">Blue Low Carbon Economies – A Framework for Navigating Practice and Uncertainty.’ </a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://ancors.uow.edu.au/staff/UOW076788.html">Professor Clive Schofield, Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security</a>, University of Wollongong. ‘<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7AX9Xt8KM-5SGwzVXl4M3hiRzQ/view?usp=sharing">Energy Security and the Oceans: Prospects for Turning the Blue Economy from Black to Green’ </a><br />
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<a href="http://smah.uow.edu.au/sees/UOW147885.html">Dr Kerrylee Rogers, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences</a>, University of Wollongong. ‘Coastal wetlands and the intersection of climate change mitigation and adaptation.’<br />
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<a href="http://ancors.uow.edu.au/staff/UOW099843.html?ssSourceSiteId=socialsciences">Professor Richard Kenchington, Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security</a>, University of Wollongong. <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7AX9Xt8KM-5b3hYa1ItQnBJNlE/view?usp=sharing">‘Blue Carbon, Payments for Ecosystem Services:Seeking a Blue Carbon Market.’</a> <br />
<br />
<br />
Topics discussed included:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>A conceptual framework for assessing blue low carbon economies across industry sectors; political economy; innovation and training; MSP; energy and climate law / policy; & ecosystem services; </li>
<li>Case study on Scotland’s 100% renewable energy target; ocean renewable energy development and MSP; </li>
<li>Energy security discourse in E & SE Asia: fossil fuel dependence; maritime economy and renewable energy developments; </li>
<li>The ecosystem services that are provided by coastal systems; blue carbon in the Hunter River and adaptive capacity of coastal systems to climate stressors. </li>
<li>Policy and ecosystem management responses to coastal system squeeze from sea level rise, development and geomorphology. </li>
<li>Monetary evaluation and pricing of blue carbon ecosystem services for carbon sequestration; payments for ES; feasibility of REDD+ to apply to coastal systems and blue carbon. </li>
</ul>
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Tavishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18355219027678403722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6769983954208185307.post-43955971324053426272015-06-16T04:54:00.001+01:002015-06-16T04:55:15.428+01:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/VJwr8Puarj4/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VJwr8Puarj4?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><br />A new course starting in September 2015 at the University of Aberdeen. The MSc in Environmental Partnership Management is an innovative and exciting programme to train future leaders and the next generation of eco-entrepreneurs with the skills and tools needed to develop the green economy. It responds to the gap for skilled graduates an environmental professionals who can work across civil society, business and government in building partnerships for sustainable development. The MSc will combine knowledge on environmental and social issues together with practical business skills to enable the design, management and delivery of effective multi stakeholder partnerships.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 20.4799995422363px;">For more information: See the <a href="http://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/courses/postgraduate/taught/enviro_partnership_management/">MSc in Environmental Partnership Mgt.</a></span></span></span></div>
Tavishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18355219027678403722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6769983954208185307.post-111792530210563702015-02-13T13:04:00.001+00:002015-02-13T13:04:11.156+00:00New MSc in Environmental Partnership Management at the University of Aberdeen.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UINgXP8ngcc/VN31vWbdQWI/AAAAAAAAC24/AzKCdgrW3Yo/s1600/EPM%2Bposter%2Bfinal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UINgXP8ngcc/VN31vWbdQWI/AAAAAAAAC24/AzKCdgrW3Yo/s1600/EPM%2Bposter%2Bfinal.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />Tavishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18355219027678403722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6769983954208185307.post-23253793063564685752015-01-14T18:26:00.001+00:002015-01-14T18:31:34.490+00:00SUSTAINABLE SEAS WILL BE BACK ONLINE SOON.......!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ULMr5_onWkw/VLa12eifU0I/AAAAAAAACxc/y9NzkzLtajI/s1600/Irish%2BCoast.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ULMr5_onWkw/VLa12eifU0I/AAAAAAAACxc/y9NzkzLtajI/s1600/Irish%2BCoast.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Tavishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18355219027678403722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6769983954208185307.post-41625882221498684762014-06-05T17:40:00.001+01:002014-06-05T23:26:34.914+01:00Where is the management plan for Isla Holbox, Mexico? An ecological reserve in the midst of social and political controversy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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At the northeastern corner of the Yucat<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">á</span>n
Peninsula, the small island of Holbox (43km long and 2km wide) is separated
from the Mexican mainland by a shallow saltwater lagoon. The 6<sup>th</sup> of
June 2014 marks the 20<sup>th</sup> anniversary of the Yum Balam ecological
reserve, of which Holbox forms part. I arrived on this island a week ago in the
early hours of the morning of Thursday 29<sup>th</sup> May. The quiet sandy
streets gave no hint of the social unrest that was to erupt a few days later.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zY7Jk-FZfMA/U5CZ1Z9SG7I/AAAAAAAAB3U/uOPg9jQ2PeA/s1600/Holbox+maps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zY7Jk-FZfMA/U5CZ1Z9SG7I/AAAAAAAAB3U/uOPg9jQ2PeA/s1600/Holbox+maps.jpg" height="227" width="320" /></a></div>
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At about 4pm on Sunday 1 June, as I was sitting in a café on
Holbox plaza, chatting to a local, the church bell started to ring insistently.
After taking a call on his mobile, the local said that a meeting of Holbox
landowners earlier that day in <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Kantunilikin (a small town on the
mainland) had not gone well and that the bell was calling local people to the
plaza to protest. As people gathered in front of the steps of the town hall,
someone speaking into a megaphone called for the old mayor to step down and for
a new one to be appointed. A police car, appropriated by the locals (the police
had left the island earlier that day) was parked in front of the town hall and
the sound of its siren mingled intermittently with the pealing of the church
bell. </span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TedSl07ExWw/U5CaMiYb58I/AAAAAAAAB3c/NmXP_YGK0j4/s1600/IMG_20140601_160722533_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TedSl07ExWw/U5CaMiYb58I/AAAAAAAAB3c/NmXP_YGK0j4/s1600/IMG_20140601_160722533_HDR.jpg" height="320" width="179" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ajUEls2DvJA/U5CaMjLB_ZI/AAAAAAAAB3c/qxfwbzLPxL8/s1600/IMG_20140601_163523340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ajUEls2DvJA/U5CaMjLB_ZI/AAAAAAAAB3c/qxfwbzLPxL8/s1600/IMG_20140601_163523340.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></div>
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The megaphone speaker apologised to tourists for the disturbance. I moved
over to a doorway where three old women were gathered, watching the drama
unfold. I asked them what was going on. One woman lifted a handful of sand from
the street and, letting the grains trickle through her fingers, explained that
it was all about the land, land that had been stolen by rich people from locals
who never read the small print on the contracts they signed. An hour later, as
I wandered back through the plaza, I noticed that graffiti adorned the sign in
the centre of the plaza which up to then had been celebrating the ‘DIA DE LA
MARINA’ on 1 June. It now read ‘NUEVO MUNICIPIO HOLBOX. 1 DE JUNIO 2014. DIA DE
USOS Y COSTUMBRES’ – the 'day of the mariners' had become the 'day of traditions
and customs', under a proclaimed new (self-elected) town council. Local people
occupied the plaza for the rest of that day, through the night, and the
following day too. As I left the island in the early hours of the morning on
the 3<sup>rd</sup> of June, I noticed that the plaza was strangely empty. But
the graffiti remained.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DG20btMt60E/U5CakBccepI/AAAAAAAAB3o/Poe_ya9Nh20/s1600/IMG_20140601_175838552_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DG20btMt60E/U5CakBccepI/AAAAAAAAB3o/Poe_ya9Nh20/s1600/IMG_20140601_175838552_HDR.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oqw36yMj-w0/U5CakKmj4hI/AAAAAAAAB3o/q2C4dS6KtXU/s1600/IMG_20140602_084735714_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oqw36yMj-w0/U5CakKmj4hI/AAAAAAAAB3o/q2C4dS6KtXU/s1600/IMG_20140602_084735714_HDR.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></div>
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For the sake of clarity, this article separates the conflict
on Holbox into 3 separate issues:</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>The intentional sale of waterfront plots of land
in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">La Ensenada</i> (an undeveloped part
of Holbox uninhabited by humans) by 70 Holbox <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejidatarios</i> and the unwitting sale of these <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejidatarios’</i> rights to the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejidales</i>
of Holbox (italicised terms explained below) </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>The major touristic development planned by the
development company Peninsula Maya Developments in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">La Ensenada</i></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>The (shelved) management plan for the Yum Balam
ecological reserve (of which Holbox forms a part)</div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">1. The sale of plots
of land in </i>La Ensenada<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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On Thursday 29 May (the day I arrived on Holbox), a <a href="http://www.avaaz.org/es/petition/A_TODA_LA_COMUNIDAD_SALVEMOS_ISLA_HOLBOX/?tmemMab" target="_blank">petition</a> appeared on Avaaz, asking signatories to “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Save
Holbox Island! …if you care about the environment, life and the people living
on Holbox island, which is part of the Yum Balam Biosphere Reserve</i>.” The
petition (which is quite lengthy, and in Spanish) stated that: </div>
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<br /></div>
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“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">On Sunday 1 June
2014, an assembly of </i>ejidatarios<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> will
vote to approve the sale of land on Holbox to the company Peninsula Maya
Developments who wish to build </i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">875
villas and condominiums, three hotels, a shopping complex, access channels and
a harbour</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.”</span></div>
</blockquote>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The gist of the petition was that these
new <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejidatarios</i> had illegally
obtained their <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejidales</i> rights and
that these rights must be restored to their original owners in order to stop a
major tourist development, by non-local developers, going ahead on Holbox
against the wishes of the Holbox community (approximately 2000 people).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In Mexico, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejidatarios</i> are owners of common land (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejidales</i>) and agrarian rights of distribution related to that land.
The areas of common land (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejidales</i>)
remain commonly owned by the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejidatarios</i>
unless and until the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejido</i> (a body
which administers the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejidales</i> from a
headquarters where it carries out transactions and holds assemblies) decides to
divide up all or part of the commonly owned land into plots which are then
individually owned by each <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejidatario. </i>Together,
the commonly owned <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejidales</i> make up
one <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejido</i>, which, as well as being an
administrative body, also refers to the entirety of the common land. So, for
example, the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejido</i> (the entirety of
the common land) might be divided into different parcels (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejidales</i>) of commonly held land, distinguished by name and
geographical location. Originally, when the Mexican government granted this
common land to qualifying <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Holboce</i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">ñ</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">os</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> (Holbox natives), none of the land
could be sold (either individually allocated plots of land or the land held in
common) – it could only be inherited by the descendants of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejidatarios</i>. The law was modified during
the nineties allowing the individually owned plots to be sold to Mexican
nationals and to national or non-national companies. It is one thing for an <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejidatario </i>to sell his/her individual
plots of land. It is quite another to sell his/her rights to the commonly owned
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejido</i>/<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejidales</i>. The difference is that even if a plot of land is sold by
an <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejidatario</i>, he/she is still
entitled to receive distributions akin to dividends from the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejido</i> (for example property taxes are
paid to the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejido </i>on the sale of any
plots of land and these taxes (less administration fees) are eventually
distributed equally as dividends between all of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejidatarios </i>belonging to that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejido.</i>
In addition, if the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejido</i> decides to
divide up more of the land into individual plots, the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejidatario </i>stands to gain more land which he/she then owns
individually and can sell on). These rights are valuable – they represent a
potential income stream and also the right to a defined asset at some point in
the future (allocated plots of land). Those who possess these rights are
legally obliged to be living in the same state as the relevant <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejido</i> (in the case of Holbox, the state
is Quintana Roo) or to maintain a presence there with periodic visits to the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejido</i> or to already own property in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejido</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Back to the situation in Holbox. In 2004,
70 out of the 117 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejidatarios</i> on
Holbox </span>accepted an offer from the company Peninsula Maya Developments of
5 million pesos (approx. GBP£250,000) for each waterfront plot of land (which
they each owned individually as this land had been allocated by the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejido</i>). They received payment for the
sale in 2008. The other 47 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ejidatarios</span></i>
refused to sell their plots in that area (which is known as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">La Ensenada</i>). According to
a local source, this has led to a huge conflict within the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejidatario</i> community, with those refusing to sell being henceforth
referred to as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Los Talibanes </i>(the
Taliban). A local protest group, YDH (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Yo
Defiendo a Holbox</i> – I Defend Holbox), made up of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejidatarios</i>, claim that the waterfront plots of land were actually
worth 99 million pesos (approx. GBP£5 million) each and that since they did not
realise that at the time, they were cheated by the buyer Peninsula Maya
Developments.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What the 70 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejidatarios
</i>more recently realised is that they appear to have sold not only their
waterfront plots of land in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">La Ensenada</i>
to Peninsula Maya Developments, but also their related common rights to all the
common land/<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejidales/ejido</i> on Holbox.
Talking to locals, the consensus seems to be that the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejidatarios</i> had been hoodwinked by rich people and hadn’t read the
small print in the contracts which they signed when selling their land. In the
meantime, a local rumour is that the 47 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejidatarios</i>
who previously refused to sell, have been in closed negotiations with Peninsula
Maya Developments and have been offered 15 million pesos for each of their
waterfront plots of land in <i>La Ensenada. </i>It is unclear how many of these 47 <i>ejidatarios</i> are simply waiting for a better price to sell their land and how many are not interested in selling at all.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Avaaz petition presents the 70 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejidatarios</i> calling for a restitution of their common rights to the
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejidales </i>in order to stop the major
tourist development planned by Peninsula Maya Developments. The group YDH
points out that that the new <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejidatarios</i>
are businessmen/women from the state of Yucatan, who do not live in the state
of Quintana Roo. However, the petition conflates 2 separate issues. The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejidatarios</i> want their rights to the
common land of Holbox returned to them, because, understandably, they feel that
they have been swindled, having never intended to sell these rights. However,
when they sold their plots of land, they must have understood that these lands
would be subject to development as they were selling them to a development
company – Peninsula Maya Developments.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yVMfQapsVOk/U5CbXTNx7kI/AAAAAAAAB38/IKWJMrT2yF4/s1600/IMG_20140529_182244049_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yVMfQapsVOk/U5CbXTNx7kI/AAAAAAAAB38/IKWJMrT2yF4/s1600/IMG_20140529_182244049_HDR.jpg" height="320" width="179" /></a></div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">2. Peninsula Maya
Developments</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Heading up </span>Peninsula Maya
Developments is <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Fernando
Ponce García and his son-in-law Ermilo Castilla Roche.</span> <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ponce García </span>owns <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bepensa</i> which is the company used by
Coca Cola to bottle its product for the Yucatan Peninsula. The Ponce family (generally referred to as <i>los Ponces</i>) are well known as a wealthy, powerful and well-connected Mexican family. YDH contend that 11
or 12 years ago, Ponce, the head of Peninsula Maya Developments suggested that the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejido </i>of Holbox should form a company in
order to ‘help’ Holbox with a major tourist development. Subsequently,
Peninsula Maya Developments was formed by businessmen Ponce and Castilo
together with the property developer Ara and the<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejido</i> for Holbox.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I checked the <a href="http://peninsulamaya.com/project.php" target="_blank">website of Peninsula Maya Developments </a>to see what kind of development they are
planning for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">La Ensenada</i> on Holbox.
The front page of the website presents an ecologically friendly image – it
states that the company will only develop 10% of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">La Ensenada</i> and will ensure that the rest of this pristine habitat
is protected. They will employ experts in their field to design the tourist
complex and the concentration of the land in the hands of one owner (Peninsula
Maya Developments) rather than a multitude of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejidatarios</i> will protect it from badly planned future ad hoc
development.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“The
PMD Project promotes preservation through sustainable, nature-based tourism.
This concept utilizes a fraction of the land (10%) as the base for travelers
and investors who want to visit Isla Holbox because of its intrinsic natural
environment. This can only be accomplished applying appropriate planning and development
guidelines on most or the entire island. One owner with a single vision can
plan this. A sub-divided island with multiple owners who have different
interests cannot.</span></i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In
order to help insure that PMD property is appropriately planned to help protect
all of Holbox, PMD will infuse into the Master Plan many protective measures…”</span></i></blockquote>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The website provides a link to a
<a href="http://peninsulamaya.com/project.php" target="_blank">presentation</a> with more detail on the
project – I had to register with my name and email address to gain access.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The first half of the 41-slide
presentation (in English) was not hugely interesting or informative in terms of
the kind of development planned. It was only on reaching slide 16, that the
language started to reveal the intentions of the developers, and, in
particular, the exclusive tone of the planned development.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">At
Peninsula Maya Developments, real estate becomes a part of the attraction of
the resort. By clustering three different 50-75 room boutique hotels around a
single, large ‘outdoor living room’, the three become a pivotal chapter in the
story of this magical island. Each appeals to the guest seeking a specific
experience – oceanic adventure, culinary arts, and wellness/life extension</i>.”</span></div>
</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="textexposedshow"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ironically, most of
the existing hotels on Holbox (owned by locals) have between 10 and 29 rooms,
with one 'large' hotel which has 68 rooms. So, ‘boutique’ hotels already exist
on Holbox (in the inhabited part of the island), and many of them are pretty
upmarket (see for example the eco-friendly <a href="http://www.holboxcasalastortugas.com/" target="_blank">Casa Las Tortugas</a>).
875 private villas and condominiums are also planned as part of the PMD
development which would bring an estimated 6,000 people to this currently
uninhabited part of the island.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="textexposedshow"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The PMD presentation
goes on to describe its three boutique hotels as follows:</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="textexposedshow"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The three share the spectacular deck, which is organized so it serves
as a dramatic entry, a signature restaurant, a pool area and a collection of
quaint shops for each hotel…. They draw strength from one another and from the
uniqueness of the living-room-as-a-small-village concept</i>.”</span></span></div>
</blockquote>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="textexposedshow"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Many small local
shops, owned and run by people who live on Holbox, and selling their own goods,
already exist on Holbox – in the inhabited part of the island.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="textexposedshow"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The PMD hyperbole
continues:</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="textexposedshow"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The outdoor living room is the social hub of the resort where guests
and residents alike gather in a near-theatrical setting that reflects their
cultural interests and casts them as players in a performance that unfolds each
day and night. With the two and three storey high porticos of the three hotels
as backdrops and palms and tropical shrubs and flowers as set pieces, this
splendid stage provides a strong emotional connection to both the land and the
sea. The 25,000 square foot living room…is its own destination within a
destination</i>.”</span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="textexposedshow"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At this point, have a
look at the video <a href="http://vimeo.com/89796439" target="_blank">‘130 seconds of Isla Holbox, Mexico’</a> which provides a good sense of what real life on Holbox is like - and how far
removed the vision of PMD is from the local culture and community. The slightly
longer video,<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07ifrd2J_80" target="_blank"> Sin Holbox no hay Paraiso (Without Holbox there is no Paradise) </a></span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span class="textexposedshow">was made by locals on Holbox about 18 months ago,
seeking international help to protect their island. Locals are currently
working on another video which will be released soon.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EM5KZlAYHkM/U5CblFS_0qI/AAAAAAAAB4E/52d84gPS_tc/s1600/IMG_20140529_151350392.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EM5KZlAYHkM/U5CblFS_0qI/AAAAAAAAB4E/52d84gPS_tc/s1600/IMG_20140529_151350392.jpg" height="320" width="179" /></a></div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="textexposedshow"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Coming back to the
PMD development: according to the presentation, it will provide an ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">attractive destination for celebrity
musicians</i>’ because, amongst other things, the planned development includes
a state of the art recording studio and an outdoor amphitheatre. Yet, the
presentation insists, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the resort engages
the </i></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Holboce</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">ñ</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">o<span class="textexposedshow">s as partners in the future of
the island. They are among the resorts’ decision makers</span></span></i><span class="textexposedshow"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.” This quietly ignores the question of
whether the local people want the resort in the first place. Some may welcome
it (in the hope of gaining employment and more tourist trade) but, from the conversations
I had over the last few days, it seems that most locals do not want this
development to go ahead. The exclusive tone of the language describing the
planned development in the PMD presentation suggests that it will be anything
but inclusive of the local community. The presentation’s reference (towards the
end) to “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">community input and
participation</i>” in the development is highly dubious. What is more revealing
is PMD’s description in the presentation of the project phasing:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="textexposedshow"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Development will follow market demand.</i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="textexposedshow"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Future permitted phases will remain natural environments
until or unless there is demand</span></i></span><span class="textexposedshow"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">.”</span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Peninsula Maya Developments website and presentation
claim that Holbox needs to be protected from unplanned and unmanaged
development, and that they are best placed to do this, having an array of
outside experts at their fingertips. Nowhere does the presentation (dated 2014)
refer to a shelved, community-driven management plan whereby the locals of
Holbox wish to regulate, on their terms, the development, and protection, of
their island.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">3.
</span>The management plan for the Yum Balam ecological reserve (which includes Isla Holbox)</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
More recently, <a href="http://www.mexicohazalgo.org/yum-balam/" target="_blank">another petition</a>
has appeared calling for the Mexican government to ‘draw up’ a management plan
for the Yum Balam ecological reserve. Once again, the wording of this petition is misleading in that it
suggests that a management plan does not exist. From my conversations with
locals on Holbox over the last few days, I learnt that during the summer of
2011, several workshops were held on Holbox with various stakeholders
(fishermen, service providers (eg hotels and tour operators), local business
owners) who reached agreement (described by one local as a ‘compromise’) with
the government bodies <a href="http://www.conanp.gob.mx/%20" target="_blank">CONANP</a> and <a href="http://www.semarnat.gob.mx/" target="_blank">SEMERNAT</a> on what the Yum Balam management plan should contain in relation to Holbox. Crucially, I was told that all parties agreed that the area known as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">La Ensenada</i> should be untouched – ie
protected from development in the future. CONANP (Comision Nacional de Areas
Naturales Protegidas) is the Mexican Commission for Protected Areas and
SEMERNAT (Secretaria de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales) is the Mexican
Secretariat for the Environment and Natural Resources. A local who attended the
workshops told me that CONANP and SEMERNAT promised that the Yum Balam management plan
would be circulated by November 2011 at the latest. There is still no sign of
the management plan. When stakeholders have called to find out where it is,
they have received various responses: it has been drafted, finalised, printed,
it is just about ready to send out…but still no management plan has appeared. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If the Yum Balam management plan were released, assuming
that it restricts any development of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">La
Ensenada</i>, this would of course pose a problem for the major tourist development
planned by Peninsula Maya Developments. Draw your own conclusions.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
Yum Balam management plan is urgently needed on Holbox for other
reasons too. While I was on the island, a police patrol boat carried out
a
night-raid on the lagoon separating Holbox from the Mexican mainland.
They
seized two fishing boats with 42 illegal nets between them. There may
have been
other illegal nets in the water which the patrol boat could not get to.
Illegal fishing in the lagoon is causing huge problems for the local
fishermen on Holbox (it is a fishing community) who have noticed their
stocks
dwindling as the illegal nets catch more and more juveniles.</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SxcytBWIzTA/U5Cb8kD-h2I/AAAAAAAAB4M/Z7gB6MX0Esw/s1600/IMG_20140602_084020431_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SxcytBWIzTA/U5Cb8kD-h2I/AAAAAAAAB4M/Z7gB6MX0Esw/s1600/IMG_20140602_084020431_HDR.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Holbox is known for its whale shark tours from May to
September when whale sharks congregate in the waters off its coast. There are
about 10 whale shark tour operators on Holbox. When I asked one of the
operators about a code of conduct, I was told that one existed between the
operators but it was not written down. Despite this verbal understanding
between tour operators, not all of them abide by the same rules. For example
some boats will chase after just one whale shark in the hope of fulfilling
their promise to the tourists on board of being able to snorkel with these
magnificent creatures. Other operators don’t join this chase and prefer to wait
longer and approach the whale sharks more calmly and sensitively. Some
operators had posters of rules outside their shops – but even here there were
discrepancies with some listing the required distance between a snorkeller and
a whale shark as a minimum of 5metres, others as a minimum of 2 metres.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z-GnbGFIEW8/U5CcNBSQ9qI/AAAAAAAAB4U/ErXKJJ3Robw/s1600/IMG_20140602_083813191.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z-GnbGFIEW8/U5CcNBSQ9qI/AAAAAAAAB4U/ErXKJJ3Robw/s1600/IMG_20140602_083813191.jpg" height="400" width="223" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qPWNMxr0SQY/U5CcNNb2YlI/AAAAAAAAB4U/dHp2eZczLqs/s1600/IMG_20140531_184324073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qPWNMxr0SQY/U5CcNNb2YlI/AAAAAAAAB4U/dHp2eZczLqs/s1600/IMG_20140531_184324073.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
There
seems to be general agreement though that the captains of the boats are
extremely vigilant in stopping tourists trying to touch the whale sharks. A
management plan could include a written code of conduct which regulates these
activities – this would then help to counter the claims of outside developers
such as PMD that the ecology of Holbox is not adequately protected.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>What does the future hold for Isla Holbox?</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In 2005 after Hurricane Wilma, foreign aid flowed into
Holbox to help with the devastation. In 2008 the 70 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejidatarios </i>(finally) received payment from Peninsula Maya
Developments for the sale of their waterfront plots of land. Locals described
to me how the island has changed a lot since these two injections of cash,
pointing to the increase of golf cars on the island (some families own more
than one car per family) and the construction of 2 storey concrete houses
compared to the traditional one storey palapas (thatched with palm fronds). It
is undeniable that local development on Holbox is happening and that the island
is changing.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Nltjn03GR3U/U5CcnVCFhnI/AAAAAAAAB4c/aIDf4hauxzo/s1600/IMG_20140529_151410497.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Nltjn03GR3U/U5CcnVCFhnI/AAAAAAAAB4c/aIDf4hauxzo/s1600/IMG_20140529_151410497.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At the start of this article I described how locals had
gathered in the main square of Holbox on 1 June to protest at the outcome of a
meeting in the mainland town of Kantunilkin. This meeting was an assembly of
the Holbox <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejido </i>with the new <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejidatarios </i>to approve the division of
Holbox into four <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejidos</i> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Peninsula Holbox, Isla Holbox, Holbox </i>and
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Punta Holbox</i>). Outside the meeting,
while the new division of Holbox was approved by 70 out of 117 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejidatarios</i>, the police prevented the former (disenfranchised) <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejidatarios </i>from entering the
assembly<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">. </i>The injury of an elderly <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejidatario </i>after the meeting (when the
car of the director of public security for local government ran over the
elderly gentleman’s foot and then continued without stopping) prompted the crowd to attack the vehicle with stones.
The police responded by firing tear gas at the crowd. This was the prequel to
the church bell ringing in the plaza of Holbox a few hours later and the locals' occupation of the town hall – in an attempt to force the government to talk to
them about their grievances. On 2 June, a delegation of the former <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejidatarios </i>travelled to Cancun to talk
to the Secretary for the government of the state of Quintana Roo. On the return
of this delegation, later that evening, they surrendered the town hall and
disbanded the occupiers, on the basis (and in the hope) that the 1 June
assembly may be declared void.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kKRauFRMXvU/U5Cc1-cgtfI/AAAAAAAAB4k/klK0EC9-SYA/s1600/IMG_20140602_203100416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kKRauFRMXvU/U5Cc1-cgtfI/AAAAAAAAB4k/klK0EC9-SYA/s1600/IMG_20140602_203100416.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This conflict raises difficult questions. For example, if
the rights to the common land of Holbox were returned to the 70 old <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejidatarios</i>, would they still
be calling for protection of Holbox against a major tourist development or
would they sell these rights (which they now know are worth a lot of money) to
the next bidder? They were prepared to sell their plots of land to a developer
in 2004. Where was their concern for protecting the environment of Holbox, and
their children’s heritage, then? Or have they realised that the money from the
sale of their lands has not improved their quality of life as much as they
imagined and has cost them a lot more in terms of loss of heritage, and perhaps
even identity?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Can the community on Holbox come together despite the
divisions which exist between the former <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejidatarios</i>
and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Los Talibanes</i>, the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ejidatarios</i> who would not sell, and some or all of whom who
may have now agreed to sell via closed discussions with PMD? Can the community,
which consists of native <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Holboce</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">ñ</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">os</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span>and incomers who have developed
local businesses there (such as the beachfront hotels) and who mainly work in
the tourist industry, agree on a vision for the island whereby the island’s
culture and ecology is managed by the people who live there?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Perhaps the only thing that is clear from the tangled conflict on Holbox is that
self-management via a government-supported and resourced management plan, by a
local community who live on and know their island, is preferable to 'management'
by outside property developers who claim to have the best interests of the
island’s ecology, culture and its community of 2000 people at its corporate
heart.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_iqtxnuJ3hU/U5Cc_jkDDWI/AAAAAAAAB4s/-BV_mC5_q9o/s1600/IMG_20140603_064055761.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_iqtxnuJ3hU/U5Cc_jkDDWI/AAAAAAAAB4s/-BV_mC5_q9o/s1600/IMG_20140603_064055761.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
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Ruth Brennanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02075894624510166830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6769983954208185307.post-50798908628646143742014-05-11T04:36:00.000+01:002014-05-18T18:26:30.553+01:00Crocodile-fish, manatees and 4 wooden clothespegs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-viKNvzmeRdw/U29w10VbSKI/AAAAAAAAAPM/a4MSk1Z3raI/s1600/IMG_20140504_175511699.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-viKNvzmeRdw/U29w10VbSKI/AAAAAAAAAPM/a4MSk1Z3raI/s1600/IMG_20140504_175511699.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
It all started with a man with a map walking down the street in Palizada, Pueblo Magico (the magic town), with its terracotta-tiled roofs from Marseille. Samuel, the man with the map spotted some of our group on the street, a meeting was set up and the next day saw us poring over his 2 maps of the Usumacinta River ( a delta system) and its tributaries, one of which is the Palizada River.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bNm55UARoro/U29wIgEDK3I/AAAAAAAAAO8/AvIu4V9OMiM/s1600/IMG_20140504_175456683.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bNm55UARoro/U29wIgEDK3I/AAAAAAAAAO8/AvIu4V9OMiM/s1600/IMG_20140504_175456683.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Samuel told us about a small population of manatees who live in a freshwater lagoon - visible on the map but usually not accessible in the dry season (up to the beginning of June) to the fishermen who fish that territory. There is (as yet) no organised way for the general public to access the lagoon. The narrow and shallow waterways which lead to the lagoon are filled with water-lilies and their trailing root systems make it impossible for motor boats to pass through. But this year because of two unusual rains in late April, Samuel thought that these waterways might be passable in fishermen´s <i>cayucos</i> (traditional wooden kayaks). Two days later, 6 of us found ourselves in a field outside Palizada with an array of overturned <i>cayucos </i>and about a dozen fishermen tretrieving oars from the branches of the surrounding trees. We were a little puzzled as we couldn´t see any water anywhere near the <i>cayucos</i>, although the land was boggy underfoot. As the first <i>cayuco </i>was turned upright and dragged forward by a coiuple of the fishermen, we realised that what appeared as a mass of green vegetation on land was actually a dense carpet of aquatic plants in about 40 centimetres of water.<br />
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While the fishermen stood with perfect balance at either end of each <i>cayuco</i>, using long oars to push us forward, each expeditionary sat in the middle of their designated vessel, almost at a level with the water, watching the incredible bird and plant life unfold as we slowly edged our way through to the lagoon over the course of about an hour and a half. We never saw any manatees (according to the fishermen there is a population of 8 resident there at the moment) when we eventually reached the lagoon which measures about 8km by 300 metres. Nor did we see any of the 4 metre crocodiles who apparently inhabit it - they are shy and stay underwater...unless you fall in, in which case they eat you. But I learnt a lot about the practices of the freshwater fishing community of this particular fishing territory in Campeche, as I happened to be accompanied by a particularly chatty and obliging fisherman.<br />
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Fishermen´s groups exist in the different fishing territories of the state of Campeche (and, I understand, in the other coastal and freshwater Mexican states). As I am used to talking to Irish and Scottish fishermen, I was somewhat surprised when Juan, the chatty fishermen described a relationship free of antagonism between the local fishing community (77 freshwater fishermen in that territory) and local government. Applying for a fishing permit appears to be a straightforward and trouble-free process. It seems that 14 years ago the Mexican government decided to create specific fishing territories for fishermen as stock levels were dropping. Each territory has a fishing group composed of the fishermen in the area, with responsibility for taking care of that area and its fish stocks, and each <i>cayuco</i> in this case has a chip which tracks its location. If a fisherman breaches his territorial limit, he loses his fishing permit for good. The fishing is protected on two levels - by law via local government (who enforce the territorial limits as described above) and by agreements reached between the fishermen themselves which are not legally enforceable and depend on mutual respect between fishermen. According to Juan, it works. The fishermen agree how many days each month they will fish - they may limit their fishing to 3 specific days in the month, or more if stocks appear more abundant (they seem to fish in groups of 3 days at a time). The amount they fish prvoides them with enough fish to feed their families, to sell on the market and to allow stock levels to regenerate. As there are only 3 entrances to the lagoon, it is easy for the fishermen to self-monitor and see if any of the group is not respecting the agreement reached that month. I was unable to find out what happens if a fisherman does breach the agreement - in fact Juan seemed puzzled by the question (which I asked several times) and kept referring to respect between the fishermen. During the 3 months when the freshwater fishermen cannot acess the lagoon (until recently this was the case from end February to the beginning of June) the local governemnt agency in charge of the fishing territory pays each <i>cayuco</i> owner 1500 pesos (about 75 sterling), 500 pesos for each month, which he splits evenly with his crew member. However, he did note that relationships between the sea (<i>alta mar</i>) fishermen are more fraught, as illegal fishing there is more prevalent and there is less respect between the fishermen.<br />
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Juan has observed significant changes in the climate of the area over the last 8 years - more rain, and more and stronger hurricanes. Before this year they would never have been able to access the lagoon in May and this is the first year that the land has not completely dried up during the dry season More rains mean that there are more waterways opening up through the boggy land around the lagoon, but less land for the neighbouring cattle farmers to work with every year. The lagoon conditions are affected by the sea conditions in the Gulf of Mexico (where the initial pair of lagoon manatees travelled from) which can create huge waves in the lagoon, sometimes forcing the fishermen to camp out for several days until safe conditions return. Fishing there is easy according to Juan, in tbat thre are always fish to catch. Species caught include the valuable and meaty <i>pes lagarto</i> (crocodile fish, so named because it looks like a miniature crocodile), 4 different species of <i>mojara</i>, and <i>savalo </i>(which is no longer allowed to be sold on the market and is only for private consumption).<br />
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As we floated over the lagoon I asked Juan if there were aby stories about the area which the fishermen told their children. theere was a moment´s silence as I saw him hesitate - then he called to one of the other fishermen ´She wants to hear the stories...´. It was almost as if he was asking for permission. Lowering his voice, Juan started to tell me about the fishermen who have disappeared in this lagoon, and in other lagoons in the area. Fishermen who have been struck down with inexplicable fever. And the light. Juan himself has seens the light several times, but not in the last 15 or so years. The first time he saw it, he was fishing the lagoon by night, and he thought it was a big star. But then he and his crew member realised it was too big to be a star and that it was moving towards them at a great pace. They remembered the stories they had been told and put out their own night light on the cayuco and started to move their cayuco in curves in stead of straight lines. This makes it hard for the evil light to find them - according to the older fishermen it is because of the evil light that people disappear. When the light appeared, Juan said that the wind dropped and everything became eerily still. As they evaded the light, it stoped moving and then disappeared and the wind picked up again. They were safe.<br />
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And the 4 wooden clothespegs? They are by far the most useful items I have brought with me on this expedition. More on that in the next post.<br />
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<br />Ruth Brennanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02075894624510166830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6769983954208185307.post-43757525432294851932014-05-01T00:37:00.000+01:002014-05-01T00:37:39.451+01:00In the future there is no plastic...<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<h4>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #45818e;"> '</span><i style="color: #45818e;">Journeys; voyages; dreams. To reach out beyond what we are, what we
know. To dare, to fail. To stand among the wreckage, and imagine anew</i></span><span style="color: #45818e;"><span style="font-size: small;">.' </span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Jon Bonfiglio, Director, The Clipperton Project</span></span></h4>
</blockquote>
In less than a week I will be on board a traditional canoe, paddling down the Usumacinta river in the Chiapas region of Mexico, as part of an interdisciplinary team which includes artists, biologists, educators, writers, documentary film-makers, a medical doctor and a social ecologist (me). Behind the voyage is an inspiring organisation called <a href="http://www.clippertonproject.com/" target="_blank">The Clipperton Project</a> (TCP), '<span style="font-size: small;">an international, independent
not-for-profit organisation which promotes notions of exploration around
the world, especially in terms of its empowering potential for all
people, wherever they find themselves, whatever their age or background.' With a strong (but not exclusive) marine focus, and addressing a range of issues from sustainability to plastic in the marine ecosystem, TCP's art-science expeditions enable people to work across personal, cultural and professional boundaries. Expeditionaries share their experiences with broader audiences in workshops and events which inspire and empower the public </span>to explore their own surroundings, their
own abilities and possibilities, and to regain a sense of wonder for this world. Live updates of the Usumacinta adventure can be found on <a href="https://twitter.com/ClippertonTweet" target="_blank">@ClippertonTweet</a>. Expedition highlights will also be posted on this blog in June.Ruth Brennanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02075894624510166830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6769983954208185307.post-66044761102544851042014-04-11T11:23:00.001+01:002014-04-11T11:23:25.852+01:00A vision for marine renewable energy in Scotland....<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
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The following is an article by <b>Caroline Sejer Damgaard</b> from the University of St Andrews, <a href="https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/gsd/">Department of Geography and Sustainable Development</a>. </div>
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Due to increasing human activities such as fishery, shipping, resource extraction and recreation, the ocean is becoming increasingly crowded and characterized by competition for space. Scotland has the largest offshore renewable energy resources in Europe, estimated at 200GW offshore wind- tidal and wave resources, and with the national goal of meeting 100% of Scottish electricity consumption by 2020, offshore </div>
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developments are central to the government’s energy plans. For maximisation of the Scottish potential, there is need to reframe discourses of Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) from issues of competition to issues of potential and integration.<br />
<br />Marine renewable energy developments are regulated under Scottish Planning Policy and a range of energy-related acts and plans. The Blue Seas Green Energy Sectoral Marine Plans provide a planning framework with defined zones and areas for future offshore developments. These policies largely adhere to principles of adaptive governance, but lack concrete integration measures and institutional arrangements for successful real-world application. As Scottish marine renewables are only just developing, there’s good potential to shape a truly integrative approach to governance as it emerges.<br /><br /><div>
MSP is integrative, bringing together distinct planning practices and sectors under the umbrella of a coherent spatial plan. However, a deeper, broader concept of integration is desirable. In order to facilitate more efficient, multi-level integration, a planning framework could benefit from the application of a three-tiered concept of integration (<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2012.0394">Potts et al 2012</a>):<br /><br />1) integration at the level of actors and activities<br />2) spatial and temporal scale integration <br />3) integration at the level of the full socio-ecological system<br /><br />Current planning practices do well in incorporating the second tier, integrating marine plans with energy plans and national and European planning policy, while strategic plans incorporate the long-term perspective. </div>
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<i><b><span style="color: #38761d;">At the levels of actors and activities and, to some extent, the wider social-ecological system, integrative processes could be developed further.</span></b></i></div>
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To ensure sustainable management of oceans while supporting offshore renewable energy developments, the concept of co-location needs to enter into planning. Stakeholder involvement is not in and of itself sufficient, rather reconceptualising marine space and functions could encourage multi-functional use of space, inspire a move from fundamentally competitive uses to integrated uses. This could involve windfarm-location within a marine conservation area, fishing-allowance in or in the vicinity of the farm, co-location of different renewable technologies, or even big co-location platforms integrating renewables, aquaculture, transport and recreation, as explored through, for example, the European TROPOS project.<br /><br />Professor Richard Barnes and colleagues at the University of Hull, encourage co-location as a legally feasible spatial planning strategy. They make the case for co-location based on increasing competition for space, but also highlight potential related benefits. </div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #38761d;">Windfarm establishments may function as automatic regulation of environmentally destructive fishing practices such as trawling, and may even result in habitat enhancement. Evidence from windfarms in Denmark and Germany, for example, shows that windfarms provide healthy habitats for blue mussels, oysters and seaweed, and potentially good breeding grounds for certain species of fish. </span></i></b></div>
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The potential is there, but an enabling, supportive regulatory framework is essential. Successful co-location is highly site-specific, and will require extensive Environmental Impact Assessments, as well as stakeholder support, developer co-operation, and public support. </div>
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<br />Cooperation and collaboration will be fundamental to institutionalised co-location planning to a higher degree than is the case in current MSP. A regulatory framework should facilitate engagement of planning authorities, developers and stakeholders, already in the location-selection phase and throughout the project planning, design and implementation phases. This entails networking modes of governance, with maintained trust between actors as a major concern, due to the high-risk nature of the renewable energy sector. Market mechanisms and regulations could serve to encourage cooperation, build trust between stakeholders and address issues of financial risk. <br /><br />In addition to such deeper processes of integration, attention should also be given to broader processes of integration. Public opinion is a central concern for renewable energy planning. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #38761d;">The “not in my back yard” effect has been commonly accepted as cause of opposition to developments, but recent research indicates that, not only does that theory fail to capture important aspects of opinion formation, it prevents appropriate dialogue and solutions. </span></i></b><br /><br />Dr Maarten Wolsink identifies the public-opinion problem as an institutional one, a problem with central planning and the framing of decision-making. Following his and other research, participation and equity are key issues to address. Participation relates to the decision-making process, and goes hand in hand with the need for deeper and more thorough stakeholder involvement, earlier in the planning process. Participation is not meaningful if reduced to simple consultation after the completion of project design and announcement. <br /><br />Aside from the institutional framework, other pressing issues related to ownership and equity. It is peculiar that, as greater emphasis is placed on local ownership of onshore renewable energy developments in Scotland, and with international evidence of high success rates of locally owned developments – both on and offshore – Scotland’s offshore renewable plans involve no level of community ownership or local investment possibility. The Crown Estate owns and manages the vast majority of Scottish marine territory, and explicitly prevents local management agreements when it comes to offshore renewables development. <br /><br /><b><i><span style="color: #38761d;">Equity and connection to local economies play a major role in shaping public support (Wolsink 2005). </span></i></b></div>
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World-leaders in offshore renewable energy such as Denmark and Germany are characterised by local ownership of the majority of wind energy establishments, and Scotland is seeing immense success and growth of onshore community renewables. This change in ownership dynamics is seen as key to meeting Scotland’s 2020 target, but marine planning policy does not reflect these trends. Financial engagement of the public, community ownership and local investment could not only benefit local economies, it could stimulate a shift in public perception of offshore windfarms from one of contestation and intrusion to one of potential and inclusion.</div>
Tavishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18355219027678403722noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6769983954208185307.post-18911399741111592062014-03-27T09:23:00.000+00:002014-03-27T09:23:12.306+00:00Emergence of Coastal Low Carbon EconomiesThe following is a copy of a recent seminar and <a href="http://uowblogs.com/globalchallenges/">blog </a>by <a href="http://www.sams.ac.uk/tavis-potts">Tavis Potts</a> in partnership with the University of Wollongong (Australia) <a href="http://globalchallenges.uow.edu.au/sustaining/index.html">Global Challenges Program: Sustaining Coastal and Marine Zones</a>.<br />
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The emerging impacts of climate change are increasingly felt across the globe. Examples span both the northern and southern hemispheres, from the <a href="http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/6238/20140304/arctic-sea-ice-season-shortening-by-5-days-per-decade.htm">diminishing extent of Arctic summer sea ice</a>; <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/feb/01/january-uk-wettest-winter-month-250-years">the extensive flooding in the south of England across January</a>; <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/comment/reality-bites-as-climate-change-adds-fuels-to-bushfires-20131208-2yz47.html">or the increasing occurrence and intensity of bushfires in Australia</a>.<br />
<br />
No matter the location, the message is clear – the scientific
consensus indicates a warming climate driven by human greenhouse gas
emissions. In 2013, <a href="http://www.ipcc.ch/">the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change</a> concluded that <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/sep/21/climate-change-ipcc-global-warming">warming of the climate system is unequivocal</a>.
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The assessment highlighted that CO<sub>2</sub> concentrations are at their highest concentration for 800,000 years with 90 per cent of the heat being absorbed by the oceans. Increased CO<sub>2</sub> and heat absorption will increasingly effect
marine and coastal environments through sea level rise, ocean
acidification and impacts upon coastal habitats such as seagrass
meadows, mangroves and corals.
<br />
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This is a significant concern because productive coastal habitats
provide a number of critical services for society including protection
from flooding, fisheries and culturally important seascapes and are
increasingly threatened by a combination of climate impacts and
development pressure.<br />
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Our link with coastal regions is an ancient one. From the time we crawled, hopped and slithered from the sea we have
established coastal populations, settlements and civilisations.
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<blockquote>
<b><i>Fifteen of the 21 global mega cities of more than 10 million people are perched on areas of low coastal elevation.</i></b></blockquote>
It is clear that climate change will substantially impact these
coastal spaces and related ecosystems and that a mix of adaptation and
mitigation measures will need to be planned in the short and long term. However, despite their critical importance coastal systems tend to be
decoupled from debates on economic growth or social welfare. Much of the dialogue around coasts and climate change is centred on
risk minimisation – in particular, the scenarios of what will happen
under sea level rise and flooding.<br />
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Recent developments hint at a change in this discourse with
increasing awareness of the role of the coast in supporting low carbon
growth and dialogue on the positive benefits that support societal
development.This includes the transformation of traditional industries such as
fisheries, shipping and coastal infrastructure and the emergence of new
maritime industries such as marine renewable energy, aquaculture,
eco-tourism and bio-prospecting.<br />
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‘Coastal low-carbon economies’ (C-LCEs) are defined as economies that
link climate mitigation and adaptation measures to the development of
coastal industries and communities. They are regionally focused innovation systems, being built upon
regional specialisations that draw upon ‘blue carbon’ ecosystems and
associated services, coastal infrastructure and human capital.
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<blockquote>
<b><i>Europe, in particular, is embracing the concept of a coastal economy with dedicated policy programs and initiatives.</i></b></blockquote>
Both European legislators and their national counterparts
increasingly see the economic, social and environmental advantage in
investing in coastal low-carbon infrastructure across a range of scales
and industries. The European Commission is building capacity through its <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/maritimeaffairs/policy/index_en.htm">Integrated Maritime Policy</a>
(IMP) that identifies how low-carbon maritime innovation can provide a
route out of the recent economic crisis through new ideas and job
creation. The IMP is supported by several marine directives, which encourage
growth within environmental carrying capacity and mandate marine spatial
planning across the EU.<br />
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Examples are emerging from the Atlantic seaboard where countries such as Scotland recognise marine renewable energy, aquaculture and biotechnology
as national policy priorities that can grow in conjunction with
conservation initiatives such as marine protected areas and marine
spatial planning.<br />
<br />
In Scotland, the offshore economy is emerging with substantial
investment in marine renewable energy. This is supported by legislation
such as the <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Environment/climatechange/scotlands-action/climatechangeact">Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2010</a>,
which establishes a long-term framework to cut greenhouse gas emissions
by at least 80 per cent below 1990 levels by 2050, an interim target of
42 per cent by 2020 and legislates the equivalent of 100 per cent of
gross electricity consumption, from renewable sources by 2020.<br />
<br />
While there is considerable work to be done to achieve these
ambitious targets and many challenges remain, it is clear that Europe
appears to be investing in a low carbon shift with coasts and oceans at
its heart. Fundamentally, these reforms are changing the nature and identity of the coasts in Europe.
<br />
New developments are emerging – for example, a recent announcement in
Scotland highlighted consent for two large offshore wind farms in the
north east of the country, totalling 1866 MW of capacity providing electricity to power nearly a million homes.<br />
<br />
There are increasing clashes between traditional users of the sea,
such as fisheries, with the new kids on the block, such as renewable
energy and large-scale aquaculture. Communities are also facing challenges from the industrialisation of
coastal regions, particularly in areas that are remote or have cultural
and scenic values.
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A number of responses are emerging to the challenges. They
include implementing a marine planning regime across the EU that will potentially navigate a path between traditional and
emerging users of the seas; ensure the equitable flow of ecosystem
services from the seas to individuals and communities and integrate the approach into policy; and
ensure that communities participate in the planning process and reap the
benefits as the necessity for a low carbon economy increases.Tavishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18355219027678403722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6769983954208185307.post-87923413336857425042014-02-07T14:48:00.000+00:002014-02-07T16:44:12.403+00:00Hydrodynamic insights into designing and locating effective MPAs<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image: Tom Adams</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature13022.html" target="_blank">New research</a> has found that fish populations within the
majority of marine protected areas (MPAs) studied are not significantly
different to fish populations in unprotected waters. The study looked at a
total of 964 sites in 87 marine protected areas (MPAs) across 40 different
countries (including both tropical and temperate waters).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also found that only 10% of those sites
studied are ‘effective’ in meeting their conservation goals. ‘Effective’ MPAs
were defined as those meeting at least four out of five management and planning
criteria:</div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>No-take (no fishing permitted)</div>
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</span></span></span>Enforced well (MPA boundaries and restrictions
complied with)</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Old (more than ten years old)</div>
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</span></span></span>Large (more than 100km squared)<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 6.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></div>
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</span></span></span>Isolated (by deep water or sand)</div>
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This latest research is likely to add fuel to an already raging
debate (discussed in an <a href="http://sustainable-seas.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/news-flash-new-marine-conservation.html" target="_blank">earlier post</a><a href="http://sustainable-seas.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/news-flash-new-marine-conservation.html" target="_blank"> </a>on this blog) on the designation of
areas to create an ecologically coherent network of MPAs in the UK. Indeed, the study (discussed by the lead author <a href="http://theconversation.com/worlds-largest-survey-of-marine-parks-shows-conservation-can-be-greatly-improved-22827" target="_blank">here</a>) has already been picked up on in this context in <a href="http://theconversation.com/marine-conservation-efforts-are-failing-to-take-five-key-steps-22728" target="_blank">another recent article</a> in The Conversation which takes the view that:<br />
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‘<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Evidence from UK waters may be poor,
but there is ample information available from the rest of the world to provide
a guide for the best way to build a biologically functional MPA…. The challenge
to conservation planners, in Britain and elsewhere, is to build a series of
protected areas that fulfil the criteria for successful conservation. It would
help to have <u>clearly stated biological goals</u> for these parks that would provide
a basis for their location and design.'</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
problem (or one of the many problems) is that locating and designing effective MPAs
is not as simple as having clearly stated biological goals. Scientific research
uses mathematical models (which are informed by huge amounts of scientific data)
to predict, for example, the likely changes to fish populations in an area over
time. While models </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">of
both population dynamics (eg changes to fish populations) and hydrodynamic
processes (such as the effects of ocean currents) are now well developed,
studies that combine both are rare. Yet accounting for hydrodynamic processes
is a crucial part of understanding population processes in specific
environments, such as larval dispersal and settlement. If such processes are
not understood, it is difficult to predict whether a designated area will be
effective in maintaining or (ideally) increasing the fish population within
that area. </span></div>
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<br />
The science of where to situate
MPAs in temperate waters is still very much developing and studies have, to
date, been largely based on estimated tidal movements (see <a href="http://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/46009" target="_blank">here</a> for an example)<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. However, the situation is a lot
more complex. Estimated tidal movements alone do not provide the full picture
in relation to, for example, how larval dispersal takes place in a particular environment.
<a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1600-0587.2013.00259.x/abstract" target="_blank">Recent research on larval dispersal of intertidal organisms</a> shows that differing
roles of particular sites as larval ‘sinks’ and ‘sources’ need to be taken into
account in order to fully understand dispersal patterns.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
Understanding such dispersal patterns is necessary to accurately design and
locate networks of MPAs so that the biological goals of such MPAs (which will include the recovery or
maintenance of fish stocks) can be achieved. However, studies such as <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1600-0587.2013.00259.x/abstract" target="_blank">this research</a> have not generally been taken into consideration for MPA
design and location up to now. An exception is a <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/0042/00427638.pdf" target="_blank">recent study</a> by <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/marine/science" target="_blank">Marine Scotland Science</a></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. While this is a positive step forward,
such work is still in its infancy and needs further refinement to work well in
coastal areas.</span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Is
this an excuse to ignore the alarming decrease in the biodiversity of the
world’s oceans and to throw the precautionary principle out of the window? Not
at all. The authors of the <a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature13022.html" target="_blank">recent MPA research</a> underline the seriousness of
this decline:</span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">‘By
using effective MPAs as an unfished standard, our study allows the first global
assessment of the magnitude of fishing effects on temperate as well as tropical
reef communities. Fish biomass was greatly reduced overall, with 63% of all
fish biomass, 80% of large fish biomass, 93% of sharks, 84% of groupers and 85%
of jacks apparently removed.’ </span><br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What I am highlighting is the need to acknowledge the
complexity of designing and locating networks of effective MPAs, and to enable and
encourage emerging science around population dynamics and hydrodynamic
processes to be taken into account by, and incorporated into, the social,
cultural, economic and political contexts which shape, and are themselves
shaped by, the creation of these networks.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">I am grateful to <a href="http://www.sams.ac.uk/tom-adams/" target="_blank">Dr Tom Adams </a>for</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">comments on this piece.</span></div>
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Ruth Brennanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02075894624510166830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6769983954208185307.post-10895875292477938542014-02-01T12:49:00.000+00:002014-02-02T19:18:15.805+00:00Bringing the arts and culture into Scotland's marine planning process<style>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z8cjWzephtE/Uu6ZHM7MTlI/AAAAAAAAALw/D3x0pC2zp8U/s1600/3.+as+clear+as+a+bell.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z8cjWzephtE/Uu6ZHM7MTlI/AAAAAAAAALw/D3x0pC2zp8U/s1600/3.+as+clear+as+a+bell.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo: Amanda MacQuarrie, Barra</span></div>
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From July to November 2013, <span id="goog_804746723"></span><a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/People/Directorates/marinescotland" target="_blank">MarineScotland</a><span id="goog_804746724"></span> (the arm of the Scottish Government <span class="st"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">responsible
for the integrated management of </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-style: normal; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Scotland's</span></i><span class="st"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> seas) carried out a mammoth consultation process (<a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/marine/marine-consultation" target="_blank">PlanningScotland’s Seas</a>) to take forward integrated marine planning for Scotland’s
seas. As part of this process, they sought the views of the public on a
National Marine Plan, offshore renewable energy and a proposed network of
marine protected areas. </span></span></div>
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<span class="st"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At one of the many consultation
meetings delivered around Scotland during this 16 week period, a colleague of
mine advised Marine Scotland to ‘sex up’ their consultation process in order to
get the public more engaged in this important debate on the management
of their seas. I’m not entirely sure if this suggestion is now floating its way
along the corridors of Victoria Quay in Edinburgh, where Marine Scotland
is currently analysing the results of this consultation process. I do know, however, that some
of the 14,000 responses to the consultation on a proposed network of 33 marine
protected areas for Scotland's seas arrived in the form of poetry, drawings and paintings. Fortunately,
one of the members of Marine Scotland’s Marine Analytic Unit is an anthropology
graduate. </span></span></div>
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<span class="st"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It is heartening to hear about these
imaginative responses to the consultation. It was also encouraging to be invited,
as a social ecologist, to deliver a lunchtime seminar at Marine Scotland last
week about my understanding, from a cultural perspective, of a conflict around
the creation of two marine special areas of conservation off the coast of
Barra, a small island in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. My co-speaker was Ruth
Little (Associate Director of <a href="http://www.capefarewell.com/seachange/about/" target="_blank">Cape Farewell</a>), </span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">an
Australian dramaturg, teacher, writer and former academic who has developed ‘a
philosophy and methodology of ‘metabolic’ dramaturgy: the dramaturgy of
non-linear living systems, which considers the biological, cognitive and social
realms in the creation and interpretation of performance works, and attends to
patterns, processes and emergent moments in dramatic structure and human
experience.’ Ruth spoke from an artistic perspective about the islands of</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">Fair Isle, Shetland and Orkney (in Scotland's northern waters) in
relation to marine spatial planning issues and relationships between local
communities and fisheries/energy.</span><span style="font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">Ruth Little and I share a common belief in the importance of
acknowledging and embracing culture as an aspect of local ecologies, and
extending the ecosystem approach to encompass the specific kinds of
relationship that people have with their marine environment, and the ways in
which they perceive and express those relationships. We offered the Marine
Scotland audience visually illustrated cultural and artistic perspectives on many of the issues within the <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/marine/marine-consultation" target="_blank">Planning Scotland’s Seas </a>consultation process.
From the lively discussion which followed, it was evident that Marine Scotland (at least the 25 people who attended the seminar) are open to engaging with
these different ways of knowing and relating to the seas around Scotland – and
indeed many of them hail from the coastal and island communities we were talking
about.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">It is important for artistic and cultural perspectives to weave
their way through the ‘integrated’ marine planning process for Scotland’s seas. Beyond the realm of marine planning, and in a broader sense, some of these perspectives
currently find expression in publications such as <a href="http://www.theislandreview.com/" target="_blank">The Island Review</a>,
an </span><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">imaginative and beautifully illustrated online magazine </span><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">which describes itself as ‘</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">a haven in the vast and stormy online
ocean…bringing together great writing and visual arts from islands all over the
world</span><span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">.’ </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;">Without local cultural and artistic perspectives, the marine planning process for Scotland's seas, quite simply, won’t be
integrated. The specific kinds of relationship that people have with their
marine environment, and the ways in which they perceive and express those
relationships, form the glue that does the integrating.</span></div>
Ruth Brennanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02075894624510166830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6769983954208185307.post-37498742483085394302013-11-21T12:25:00.001+00:002013-11-21T12:28:04.201+00:00New Marine Conservation Zones Declared in England.<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Today DEFRA announced the designation of <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/marine-conservation-zone-2013-designations">27 new Marine Conservation Zone</a>s in English inshore and offshore waters. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://www.boattripstolundy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/ARIEL-SHOT-OF-LUNDY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="208" src="http://www.boattripstolundy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/ARIEL-SHOT-OF-LUNDY.jpg" width="400" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It has been a long and controversial process. Initially the MCZ regional pilot programs, that brought together scientists and stakeholders in f<a href="http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/page-2409">our regional projects </a>, recommended the creation of 127 sites that formed the basis of an ecologically coherent network. This stakeholder driven process was challenging but managed to bring together diverse opinions and perspectives to build a constituency over MPA sites. The process was praised by a <a href="http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/PDF/120718MCZAP_JNCC_NE_MCZ%20advice_final_Executive_Summary.pdf">JNCC and Natural England scientific review</a>, particularly in light of the ability to raise awareness and support for the extensive proposed network. The scientific review by the agencies endorsed the proposed MPA network citing that it makes 'good progress to an ecologically coherent network and minimises impacts of socio-economic interests' but noted, alongside the UK government Marine Protected Areas Science Advisory Panel that considerable data gaps existed in understanding the condition of sites.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In December 2012 the UK Environment minister announced the launch of the MCZ consultation, proposing 31 sites across England and a considerably smaller number of sites as identified in the regional programs. The reasoning purportedly lay in the lack of an evidence base to identify and manage the full suite of sites and that the proposals would be designated in tranches. 'No take reference areas' have virtually been dropped from the process. Despite public outcry over the streamlined number of sites that number has been cut further with today's final designation of </span><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-network-to-protect-valuable-marine-life" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">27 Nature Conservation Zones.</a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Disappointing considering the enormous effort of the regional programs that developed consensus over 127 sites? Yes. Publicly controversial? Yes. Something still to celebrate? Yes. Despite only a fifth of recommended sites surviving the process, these are still locally important areas that will improve management of the marine environment. The critical question is do they form an ecologically coherent network? That's highly unlikely. The positive impact will more likely be local rather than national. Looking forward, the appetite for future designations will be low, at least in the immediate future. However the ongoing pressure for marine conservation outcomes that restore the health of our seas will be an important driver for the management of existing sites and designation of new areas. But for now... 27 new MPAs have come into existence and will form part of the toolbox that protects and manages UK seas. </span></div>
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<br />Tavishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18355219027678403722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6769983954208185307.post-45557593310299627362013-11-18T15:58:00.000+00:002013-11-18T15:58:15.506+00:00Sgeulachdan na Mara/Sea Stories: Barra <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qDsmAlA2NtE/UoovrGIG_vI/AAAAAAAAAJo/oI-RwXjuFDI/s1600/Mapping_Sea_Banner_20cm_FaceBook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="95" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qDsmAlA2NtE/UoovrGIG_vI/AAAAAAAAAJo/oI-RwXjuFDI/s400/Mapping_Sea_Banner_20cm_FaceBook.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="usercontent">The small island
of Barra forms part of the Outer Hebrides, a long chain of islands off the west
coast of Scotland, stretching through the North Atlantic Ocean for a hundred
miles. It takes over five hours to make the 70 nautical mile ferry crossing
from the mainland to the island.</span><br />
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<span class="usercontent"><span class="usercontent">On
Saturday 16th November 2013, a </span><a href="http://www.mappingthesea.net/barra" target="_blank">unique cultural map of the sea</a> was launched at the Heritage Centre on Barra.</span><br />
<span class="usercontent"></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Wz68lFOd_lQ/UoopbDbKYII/AAAAAAAAAI4/lT3nr5YiFjA/s1600/Mapfrontpage.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Wz68lFOd_lQ/UoopbDbKYII/AAAAAAAAAI4/lT3nr5YiFjA/s400/Mapfrontpage.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="usercontent"><a href="http://www.mappingthesea.net/" target="_blank">Sgeulachdan na Mara/Sea Stories</a>, an online cultural
mapping project for Barra, has engaged with local people over the past year and
a half to develop an online cultural map featuring sound, image, story and
naming, that reveals the rich lo</span><span class="textexposedshow">cal
knowledge, language and culture based on their relationships with the sea
around Barra and Vatersay.</span></div>
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<span class="textexposedshow">The project team of artist <a href="http://www.hurrelvisualarts.com/" target="_blank">Stephen Hurrel</a> and
social ecologist <a href="http://www.sams.ac.uk/ruth-brennan/sgeulachdan-na-mara-sea-stories-1" target="_blank">Ruth Brennan </a>have been working in partnership with <a href="http://www.vabv.org.uk/%E2%80%8E" target="_blank">VoluntaryAction Barra & Vatersay </a>and <a href="http://www.castlebayschool.org.uk/" target="_blank">Castlebay Community School </a>in the recording and editing
of audio-visual material for the online cultural map. As the older people of
Barra are the main focus for gathering local names, stories, etc. this has
created an interesting cross-generational oral history project.</span> </div>
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A detailed view of the map below shows some of the icons used on the map (in this case, navigational buoys, mussel & pearl, red dots). Each icon can contain names
and active media (such as video, audio, photos, text, animations).</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PzMniJ7N884/Uoos7gMtkTI/AAAAAAAAAJI/FJ1bBFz0hcc/s1600/icons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PzMniJ7N884/Uoos7gMtkTI/AAAAAAAAAJI/FJ1bBFz0hcc/s320/icons.jpg" width="320" /> </a></div>
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The marker buoy icons (below) indicate 'fishing marks'. Once the buoy is clicked
blue lines are drawn. These lines connect to features on land that local
fishermenuse to triangulate their position at sea, and to find
their 'fishing marks'. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PKcIwBrx6gE/UootY5gqlaI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/f4NThz8j5Og/s1600/marks.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PKcIwBrx6gE/UootY5gqlaI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/f4NThz8j5Og/s320/marks.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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</div>
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<span class="textexposedshow"></span><br />The story of the Rusty Lobsters (which you can find on the map by
clicking on the shipwreck called the 'Cullen') is an animated text and
audio piece based on an anecdote from
a local fisherman. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6JI7byLrgvY/Uoot2NedBCI/AAAAAAAAAJY/393wMhNEvkg/s1600/rusty+lobsters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6JI7byLrgvY/Uoot2NedBCI/AAAAAAAAAJY/393wMhNEvkg/s320/rusty+lobsters.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span class="textexposedshow">If you click a navigation buoy called Bo a' Chleirich (the Reef of the Priest) </span><span class="textexposedshow"><span class="textexposedshow">on the east coast of the map,</span> you will find the story of how that reef got its name. The story, called the Altair Mor, is narrated by local historian Calum MacNeil and is illustrated in an adventure-comic-book-style. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OjWT2s0mIKw/UoouWpFbAxI/AAAAAAAAAJg/tV8eTfBPvOw/s1600/altair+mor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OjWT2s0mIKw/UoouWpFbAxI/AAAAAAAAAJg/tV8eTfBPvOw/s320/altair+mor.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">The </span><span class="textexposedshow">Sea Stories online cultural map was officially
handed over at the launch event on Saturday 16th November and is now a
permanent feature within the Barra community. It will continue to be added to
as further 'sea stories' are gathered by Castlebay School’s media students and
the wider community throughout the years. It will also be accessible to the
public at local cultural events and to the wider world via the Internet.</span></div>
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<span class="textexposedshow">Sg</span><span class="textexposedshow"><span class="creditsbody">eulachdan na Mara/Sea Stories grew out of
collaborative research undertaken by social ecologists Ruth Brennan and Iain
MacKinnon and audio-visual material generated by artist Stephen Hurrel, for the
publication</span> <span class="creditsbody"><a href="http://www.mappingthesea.net/Belonging-to-the-Sea.pdf" target="_blank">Dùthchas na Mara/Belonging to theSea</a> (Authors: MacKinnon and Brennan. Photographs: Hurrel).</span></span></div>
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<span class="textexposedshow"><span class="creditsbody">The </span></span><span class="creditsbody">idea of a dynamic map - to reflect
intergenerational knowledge, fishermen’s ways of knowing the sea and the
intangible cultural heritage<sup>*</sup> of the marine environment - had been
discussed by Brennan and MacKinnon, and Hurrel proposed the idea of an
interactive digital map. This was subsequently developed by Hurrel and Brennan
as a way of bringing to life, and making visible, what is often invisible to
most people.</span> <span class="creditsbody">Hurrel and Brennan decided to
collaborate on a Barra-related project following their participation in <a href="http://www.capefarewell.com/2011expedition/about/" target="_blank"><span id="capeFarewellLink">Cape Farewell’s </span>Scottish Islands Expedition 2011</a>.</span></div>
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<span class="creditsbody">The best way to experience this unique interactive cultural map of the sea is to <a href="http://www.mappingthesea.net/barra" target="_blank">explore it for yourself</a>. Enjoy!</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KybEu9d2Ko4/Uoov1mlR7dI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/hXCbf6RXb4o/s1600/MappingTheSea_USB_15cm_72ppi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KybEu9d2Ko4/Uoov1mlR7dI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/hXCbf6RXb4o/s200/MappingTheSea_USB_15cm_72ppi.jpg" width="199" /></a></div>
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<span class="creditsbody"><span class="creditsbody">*</span>The </span><span class="creditsbody">UNESCO Convention for the
Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage 2003 provides international
protection for the intangible aspects of cultural diversity.</span></div>
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Ruth Brennanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02075894624510166830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6769983954208185307.post-30367274748808701132013-10-01T13:21:00.002+01:002013-10-01T13:33:25.685+01:00The European discards ban - a counter-productive measure?A <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/faf.12060/abstract" target="_blank">new paper</a> published in the journal Fish and Fisheries questions whether the discard ban proposed by the European Commission as part of the reformed <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/reform/background/index_en.htm" target="_blank">Common Fisheries Policy</a> will effectively contribute to the sustainable management of marine resources. Discards, or discarded catch, is the portion of plant or animal material (dead or alive) which is dumped at sea for a variety of reasons, for example - exceeding fishing quota, unwanted catch due to small size, immaturity or little or no commercial value. The European discard ban enforces the landing of fishing discards as a means of encouraging their reduction.<br />
<br />
There is agreement across the board (including from fishermen) that discards are undesirable and wasteful. From an ecological and ethical point of view discards are highly controversial. For a start, they are wasted food. Discards can also lead to the underestimation of fishing mortality where large quantities of a stock that is subject to Total Allowable Catch (TAC) regulations is discarded - this underestimation impairs sustainable management of that stock. However there is disagreement as to the best way to address the problem. <br />
<br />
The authors of the paper argue that the following impacts of the new discard ban have been overlooked:<br />
<br />
1. Effects of the ban at different levels of biological organisation:<br />
a. Several marine species (eg seabirds and bottom-dwelling invertebrates) have, for decades, adapted to the 'unnatural' source of food provided by discards. A substantial reduction in discards in the marine environment through forcing such discards to be landed will have direct and indirect effects on such species which are as yet unknown;<br />
b. As discarded biomass is a source of energy which is removed and then immediately returned to the ecosystem, landing the discards increases the net loss of biomass and production which could impact the resilience of the ecosystem and accelerate its deterioration by reducing secondary production and recycling of energy.<br />
<br />
2. Economic, operational and technical challenges of the ban:<br />
a. The landing of discards could create new fishmeal markets (for aquaculture and agriculture) so perversely, the discard ban could encourage rather than discourage the production of discards (to take advantage of such new markets);<br />
b. Fishers will have additional operational costs from landing discards and storing them onboard which means a reduced capacity to land products of higher economic value and these costs are likely to be covered by subsidies. Public subsidies to fishing which have long been heavily criticised as detrimental for the ecosystem and for the profitability of European fisheries.<br />
c. Enforcement of the ban will be very difficult especially if there are little or no economic incentives to land discards with little market value.<br />
<br />
The authors state that it is contradictory to avoid discards by promoting their landing and not by reducing discards at source. They suggest that a real reduction in discards can be achieved more effectively through (a) a focus on developing more selective and non-destructive fishing gear (eg to allow identification of target species in the water before capture); (b) the enforcement of regulations; (c) reducing overall fishing capacity. They conclude by calling for an investigation of the impacts of the discard ban from a scientific and technical perspective before it is implemented.<br />
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I think it is important that the impacts of the ban should be investigated from more than just a scientific and technical perspective. The authors argue that the Ecosystem Approach is being disregarded by the discard ban's failure to take into account the potential negative effects of the ban on different levels of biological hierarchy within an ecosystem. However, their call for investigation of the impacts of the ban from a 'scientific and technical perspective' with 'a rigorous and open scientific debate on key issues' is too narrow. The Ecosystem Approach is not limited to biological science. The definition of the Ecosystem Approach by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) takes us away from the idea of an ecosystem as a tangible biophysical unit by recognising that that humans, with their cultural diversity, are an integral component of ecosystems. The application of the Ecosystem Approach is supposed to help reach a balance of the three objectives of the CBD: (i) biodiversity; (ii) sustainable development; and (iii) equitable sharing of benefits. Application of the <a href="http://www.cbd.int/ecosystem/principles.shtml" target="_blank">12 principles</a> of the Ecosystem Approach is supposed to follow <a href="http://www.cbd.int/ecosystem/operational.shtml" target="_blank">five points of operational guidance</a>:<br />
<br />
1. Focus on the relationships and processes within the ecosystem<br />
2. Enhance benefit sharing (which provides the basis of human environmental security and sustainability)<br />
3. Use adaptive management practices<br />
4. Carry out management actions at the scale appropriate for the issue being addressed, with decentralisation to the lowest level, as appropriate<br />
5. Ensure intersectoral co-operation<br />
<br />
If the Ecosystem Approach is being diregarded by the discard ban, it is important not to disregard this very approach in tackling the issues. <br />
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<br />Ruth Brennanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02075894624510166830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6769983954208185307.post-62190882341243888072013-09-24T15:44:00.000+01:002013-09-24T15:44:27.981+01:00People and the Sea - relationships which call for more than rational thinking<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ES1COjbGJCo/UkF1wjkRqMI/AAAAAAAAAFM/Z6RRQJbvgBs/s1600/similan_map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ES1COjbGJCo/UkF1wjkRqMI/AAAAAAAAAFM/Z6RRQJbvgBs/s320/similan_map.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
My love affair with the marine environment really began 10 years ago. I was coming to the end of a year's travelling around Latin America and south-east Asia and had signed up for a 4 day liveaboard trip to go diving off the south-west coast of Thailand in the Similan Islands National Park (an area which, only a year later, was devastated by the South Asian tsunami/Sumatra-Andaman earthquake). I had left my backpack with my cousin who lived in Songkhla near the Malaysian border and was travelling with literally one change of clothes for what I thought would be a 4 day trip spent mainly underwater. Six weeks later, my backpack was gathering dust in Songkhla, my one change of clothes was wearing thin and I had completed my PADI Divemaster training with Sea Dragon Dive Centre in Khao Lak - a completely unexpected twist at the end of a year's travelling. The following year I returned to Central America to work as a divemaster - in Utila off the coast of Honduras, and also in Guatemala and Belize. My eyes were opened more and more to the breathtaking natural beauty of this underwater environment which I had rarely thought about up to this point. As my confidence underwater grew, and as I relaxed more and more into guiding holiday divers and introducing them to the underwater flora and fauna, I slowly became aware of a deep sense of peace and stillness which this environment evoked within me when I was immersed in its watery depths. Without realising it at the time, I was tasting the peace and stillness of my inner world, which, a few years later, I learnt to access by diving within myself - to explore my own inner seas.<br />
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My diving continued, inner and outer, as a year studying marine policy at the University of Plymouth revealed another layer to these watery realms - they are not only inhabited by marine flora and fauna, but also by people, through complex and multi-layered human relationships with this environment, be that through work, play or simply breathing this environment through the pores of their skin. My work at <a href="http://www.sams.ac.uk/ruth-brennan" target="_blank">SAMS</a> over the past 5 years has reinforced and expanded my awareness of the complexity of these human-nature relationships with/in/through the marine environment. <span class="italic">For coastal communities in particular, these relationships are vast and
deep - they are bound up with a sense of identity and belonging and not
always rational or even conscious. </span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fOYmhRTYdmQ/UkGCJAvHPRI/AAAAAAAAAFo/RgrrCofuEyk/s1600/Jung_ways+of+knowing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fOYmhRTYdmQ/UkGCJAvHPRI/AAAAAAAAAFo/RgrrCofuEyk/s400/Jung_ways+of+knowing.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Relationships between people and
'their' sea extend beyond the rational, thinking mind and encompass also
feelings, intuition and embodied knowing. <span class="italic">In the Gaelic context, the sense of belonging to a home place, and of
responsibility for that place - described by the great Gaelic scholar
John MacInnes as a form of 'emotional energy' - is encapsulated by the
not easily translatable Scottish Gaelic word </span><span class="italic"><span class="italic"></span><span class="italic"><i><span class="italic">dùthchas.</span></i> </span> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x4GfsEUzFYM/UkGCJKtRIsI/AAAAAAAAAFs/OTzIpvIhz5Q/s1600/DnaM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x4GfsEUzFYM/UkGCJKtRIsI/AAAAAAAAAFs/OTzIpvIhz5Q/s400/DnaM.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
While<i> </i></span><span class="italic"><i><span class="italic">dùthchas</span></i> is a word of the land - it is derived from the Gaelic word </span><span class="italic"><i>dùth </i>which can mean 'earth' or 'land' - <a href="http://www.sams.ac.uk/ruth-brennan/belonging-to-the-sea" target="_blank">recent research </a>suggests that the emotional energy of belonging and responsibility that word conveys extends to the waters around the homeland. In a more general context, transdisciplinary philosopher Glenn Albrecht has created the term <a href="http://healthearth.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/endemophilia.html" target="_blank">'endemophilia' </a></span><span class="italic"><span class="italic">to encapsulate the 'particular love of the locally and regionally distinctive in the people of that place'. </span>Albrecht describes endemophilia or 'homewellness' as similar to Relph's 'existential insideness' - 'the deep, satisfying feeling of being truly at home within one's place and culture'.</span><br />
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<span class="italic"> In </span><span class="italic"><a href="http://www.sams.ac.uk/ruth-brennan/belonging-to-the-sea" target="_blank">Dùthchas na Mara/Belonging to the Sea </a>the authors ask questions about the deeper nature of maritime conflict that two separate Gaelic-speaking coastal communities - one in Ireland and one in Scotland - have become embroiled in during recent years. The work neither justifies nor invalidates the island people's feelings of being under threat; nor does it argue for or against they way in which they have responded to the threat they are feeling. Instead, the research looks behind the political antagonism to explore shared maritime traditions and principles of belief and conduct in these two communities that may be motivating the resistance manifest on both islands to the legislation of the states that rule them.</span><br />
<span class="italic"><br /></span>
<span class="italic">This is the kind of territory being navigated, perilously, by marine policy-makers right now - a watery realm of lovers, replete with culturally-specific nuances; humans (individuals, institutions, political processes) and nature continuously responding to and shaping each other. Is it any wonder that trying to manage this environment by means of a 'right' and 'wrong' logic alone is simply not enough?</span><br />
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Ruth Brennanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02075894624510166830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6769983954208185307.post-6689277858358975442013-09-20T09:57:00.000+01:002013-09-20T09:57:20.689+01:00It’s time to draw a line in the Arctic ice over oil and gas<h1>It's time to draw a line in the Arctic ice over oil and gas</h1>
<p><span>By <a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/tavis-potts-95557">Tavis Potts</a><em>, Scottish Association for Marine Science</em></span></p>
<p>I have a great respect for National Geographic. I’m a card-carrying member with an annual subscription, and I appreciate the balance, depth and understanding they bring to revealing the links between the natural and human world.</p>
<p>So the latest issue had prepared me for a recent debate at the Royal Society in London which examined the question of <a href="http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/energy/great-energy-challenge/arctic/">the Science of Change in the Arctic</a>. It painted a stark and disturbing picture of our planet’s future in terms of the impact of <a href="http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2013/09/rising-seas/folger-text">global sea level rise</a> on coastal cities. It dramatically brought home the message that a fossil fuel-driven civilisation has profoundly altered the planet, which by 2070 will put some 150m people and US$35 trillion worth of assets in the world’s coastal cities at risk from flooding. Our desire for carbon intensive energy has raised sea level by <a href="http://sealevel.colorado.edu/">60mm since 1994</a> and the <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-09-19/draft-ipcc-report-show-sea-levels-to-rise-by-metre/4969724">draft fifth IPCC report</a> predicts a one metre rise by the end of the century. That is a lot of coast underwater.</p>
<p>So to the debate at the Royal Society, part of the joint National Geographic and Shell <a href="http://environment.nationalgeographic.co.uk/environment/energy/great-energy-challenge/">Great Energy Challenge</a>. I have to admit I felt rather uncomfortable heading into an event sponsored by Shell, considering some of their <a href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2013/09/controversy-over-shells-oil-exploration-in-arctic-continues.html">recent activity</a> in the Arctic and Alaska. There was an implicit feeling that oil development in the Arctic marine environment was inevitable, with continued offshore exploration, despite limited success, and terrestrial extraction well established in places such as the <a href="http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=10639">North Slope of Alaska</a> or the Russian <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2009/oct/20/yamal-gas-reserves">Yamal Peninsula</a>.</p>
<p>In my view the questions for the debate seemed skewed towards how oil companies could gain a social licence for developing oil and gas in the Arctic. I’m glad that several voices raised concerns about the viability of establishing offshore operations in the extreme Arctic environment and these concerns were captured. But at the forefront of my mind were recent debates over the idea of the <a href="http://www.carbontracker.org/carbonbubble">carbon bubble</a>, where essentially, in order to have a realistic chance of avoiding a 2°C rise, 80% of proven fossil fuel reserves need to stay in the ground. So exploring and developing new reserves, particularly in places such as the Arctic, makes neither ecological nor economic sense. The direction should be towards de-carbonisation, not further development.</p>
<p>I enjoyed being able to discuss the future of energy with one of the world’s major oil companies and I would do it again. The industry needs to be at the table discussing the future of a carbon-constrained world. It has the experience and expertise to drive this transition, but other voices are needed: scientists, the Arctic’s indigenous peoples, and industries such as fisheries and tourism. The perspective from the view of the renewable energy industry was as silent as the pack ice.</p>
<p>My point is that when debates about the Arctic are sponsored by oil companies such as Shell, there will be a natural tendency to be steered into a discourse around fossil fuel expansion into the Arctic. It is what these companies do. In light of the scientific evidence I was determined to present an alternative, where the Arctic ocean is free from fossil fuel development.</p>
<p><figure class="align-centre zoomable"><a href="https://c479107.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/31664/area14mp/tyf5gy6t-1379611881.jpg"><img src="https://c479107.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/31664/width668/tyf5gy6t-1379611881.jpg"></a>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Arctic death spiral: it’s going the wrong way. <span class="source">Andy Lee Robinson</span></span></figcaption></figure></p>
<p>My experience of Arctic policy meetings, including the recent <a href="http://www.arctic-council.org/">Arctic Council</a> Ministerial meeting in May, reflects a type of institutional schizophrenia, where fossil fuel development is discussed alongside the emerging impacts of climate change. With warnings of an ice-free Arctic, as beautifully presented by the Arctic death spiral graph showing rapid decline of sea ice, Arctic specialists should be calling for and putting forward more concrete and practical solutions in the face of global meandering. A recent UK Parliamentary report, <a href="http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmselect/cmenvaud/171/17106.htm#a13">Protecting the Arctic</a>, highlights this irony, outlining how fossil fuel exploration is being undertaken in full knowledge that emissions need to be reduced.</p>
<p>In a <a href="http://theconversation.com/all-eyes-turn-to-the-prize-as-the-arctic-opens-for-business-15116">previous article</a>, I identified that fossil fuel development in the offshore Arctic was facing a difficult time. It still is. No commercial finds have been found in Greenland, the Shtokman Russian gas project has been shelved, and drilling the recent commercial discovery in the Norwegian Barents Sea, the Johan Castberg field, has been <a href="http://www.statoil.com/en/NewsAndMedia/News/2013/Pages/05Jun_Castberg.aspx">delayed</a> due to costs pushing the project to the margins of viability. Oil company Total has been the first to publically state that operating is the Arctic is too <a href="http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/26/14107150-environmental-risk-of-drilling-in-arctic-too-high-ceo-of-oil-giant-total-says?lite">high risk</a>.</p>
<p>In light of the science and the fact that we need to keep fossil fuel reserves in the ground, exploration for oil and gas in the Arctic is irresponsible and unnecessary. There are already excessive amounts of proven fossil fuel reserves, and Arctic development appears ecologically, technically and economically foolhardy. Perhaps it is time to draw a line in the ice and recognise there are some places that we should not drill.</p>
<p><em>Tavis Potts receives funding from the European Union (FP7, LIFE+); the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC); and consults on marine policy to the UK and Scottish Government. </em></p><img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="//counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/18442/count.gif" width="1" /><p>This article was originally published at <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>.
Read the <a href="http://theconversation.com/its-time-to-draw-a-line-in-the-arctic-ice-over-oil-and-gas-18442">original article</a>.
</p>Tavishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18355219027678403722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6769983954208185307.post-23766946732161385732013-09-06T17:16:00.000+01:002013-09-06T17:17:39.729+01:00Can ecosystem services be the bridge between Marine Protected Areas and Human Welfare? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span id="goog_1765288584"></span><span id="goog_1765288585"></span>Marine Protected Areas are an important policy approach for protecting marine biodiversity. The dominant reason for MPA development is environmental protection where marine species and habitats are spatially protected from 'damaging' activity'. They act as a insurance policy protecting biodiversity from future changes in the earths climate and act as reservoirs of biodiversity in the context of increasing use and industrialisation of the oceans. In the UK networks of MPA sites have been recently proposed in <a href="https://www.gov.uk/marine-protected-areas#marine-conservation-zones-mczs">England </a>and <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2013/07/2072">Scotland</a>. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /> A new paper in the journal <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308597X13001656">Marine Policy</a> "Do marine protected areas deliver flows of ecosystem services to support human welfare?" based on a report from the <a href="http://www.valuing-nature.net/news/2013/marine-protected-areas-and-ecosystem-services-report-published">Valuing Nature network</a> explores how can the concept of <a href="http://www.teebweb.org/resources/ecosystem-services/#.Uin8s39IFGo">ecosystem services</a> can be linked to the development of MPAs. Ecosystem services are the goods and benefits that people derive from ecosystems, and include a range of benefits including provisioning services e.g. fisheries, marine plants and natural resources; regulatory services including absorption of CO2 and wastes; and cultural services such as recreation, sense of place, and education. Increasingly monetary values are attached to services in the provisioning and regulatory classes, representing the economic benefits derived from natural systems. A debate exists over how we can value cultural services through monetary or other qualitative means, but overall it is recognised that these services are critically important for society. MPAs can improve the delivery of services from marine systems as habitats and species, on which the flow of services depends, are improved or restored by the spatial protection and associated management measures. Clearly scale is an issue here.... small unconnected sites will deliver little while large ecologically coherent networks could provide substantial services to society. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The paper takes the discussion over ecosystem services a step forward by identifying the </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">specific </span>services that are provided by marine habitats and species. It opens a debate on how marine protected areas can be managed - both in terms of their primary function for conserving biodiversity and in terms of providing a suite of services for human beings. While we are at an early stage in terms of understanding and capturing the concept of value from ecosystem services, acknowledging the contribution of MPAs in supporting human welfare is an integral step in building public support for their designation.</span><br />
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Tavishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18355219027678403722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6769983954208185307.post-5099258560335768162013-06-13T07:01:00.001+01:002013-06-13T07:01:36.008+01:00All eyes turn to the prize as the Arctic opens for business<h1>All eyes turn to the prize as the Arctic opens for business</h1>
<p><span>By <a href="http://theconversation.com/profiles/tavis-potts-95557">Tavis Potts</a><em>, Scottish Association for Marine Science</em></span></p>
<p><strong>Foundation essay:</strong> <em>This essay on the future of the Arctic by Tavis Potts, Senior Lecturer in Oceans Governance at the Scottish Association for Marine Science, is part of a series of articles marking the launch of The Conversation in the UK. Our foundation essays are longer than our usual comment and analysis articles and take a wider look at key issues affecting society.</em></p>
<p>At the centre of the public hall in Kiruna, northern Sweden – the host of the 2013 <a href="http://www.arctic-council.org/index.php/en/">Arctic Council</a> – sits a large block of ice emblazoned with the council’s logo. As delegates from the eight Arctic Council states, six permanent indigenous representatives, twelve observer and two ad-hoc observer states, and a host of non-governmental observers shuffle into the room, the temperature rises, and the sculpture melts. The symbolic reference to a rapidly melting Arctic region driven by human induced climatic change sets the tone, but I’m not sure if anyone has noticed it yet.</p>
<p>This month was an important date in the Arctic calendar. The ministerial-level meeting included the US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. It was a high profile event that saw the council chairmanship shift from Europe to North America, from Sweden to Canada. At the same time the Arctic blossomed from a predominantly regional issue to one of global significance. The sense of gravitas at the event was palpable, as was the intense media interest on what the future will hold for this fragile region. How wide this interest has become is underscored by the entry of China, India, Japan and South Korea into the Arctic Council as permanent observers. All are major importers of minerals, and have key interests in developing shipping and maritime trade through the region.</p>
<p>The Arctic is one of the most rapidly warming places on the planet. CO<sup>2</sup> emissions and associated warming is transforming the region into a new and unpredictable territory. There are huge annual reductions in the extent and thickness of summer sea ice, snow cover, and extensive melting of the Greenland ice sheet. Arctic summer sea ice distribution has been on a downward spiral since satellite records begin in 1978. In recent years it has suffered severe and unexpected declines. The record low ice minimum of 3.29 million sq km (1.27 million sq mi) set in September represents a little over half the average between 1979 and 2000. The <a href="http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2013/20130412_arcticseaice.html">US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a> (NOAA) recently commented that it is not a case of “if” but “when” the Arctic will be ice free in summer, a point likely to arrive in the next few decades.</p>
<p>Because the Arctic is warming about <a href="http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2013-197">three times faster</a> than the global average, Arctic ecosystems are likely to encounter regime shifts – new phases of significant change. The loss of sea ice, for example, drives changes in the amount of light which will increase the growth of marine plants vital to the ecosystem. A short-term increase in productivity may lead to significant changes in Arctic ecology and changes in the distribution of Arctic species. A loss of sea ice will also mean a potentially catastrophic habitat loss for iconic species such as the polar bear or harp seal.</p>
<p>The intrusion of warm water into environments like the Barents Sea has brought temperate marine species into Arctic waters, and an increase in cod. While not all the changes can be considered negative – Barents Sea fisheries are booming – the effects on the ecosystem are unknown. There will be clear ecological winners and losers. Add to this the impact of ocean acidification – the cold, polar waters absorb more atmospheric CO<sup>2</sup> – and it is clear we are gambling with the health of the Arctic and entering a period of entirely unknown effects on a scale never seen before.</p>
<p>The parallel dialogue among Arctic nations that highlights environmental issues yet speaks of a region “open for business” has created national and international tensions. The recent <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/05/10/national-strategy-arctic-region-announced">US National Strategy for the Arctic Region</a> makes it quite clear that developing the region for its energy resources is the long term priority. The US, it states, must:</p>
<blockquote><p>Respond effectively to challenges and emerging opportunities arising from significant increases in Arctic activity due to the diminishment of sea ice and the emergence of a new Arctic environment.</p></blockquote>
<p>As the new chair of the Arctic Council, Canada plans to establish a <a href="http://www.international.gc.ca/arctic-arctique/chairmanship-presidence.aspx?lang=eng">Circumpolar Business Forum</a> to bring together business interests across the Arctic – reflecting the new, economic priorities. It remains to be seen how these parallel dialogues can be reconciled. Will development undermine the region’s fragile environment? Is low carbon development still possible?</p>
<p>The global interest in extracting oil, gas and minerals is predominantly driven by the notion that the Arctic contains 13% of the world’s remaining oil reserves and 30% of its gas reserves. Despite any conservation rhetoric, the reality is a rush to access these highly contested resources, driven by the uncertainty, technical difficulty and expense in extracting them.</p>
<p>Recent events have shown just how difficult this can be. In March, the <a href="http://www.economist.com/blogs/newsbook/2013/03/economist-explains-why-greenland-election-global-implications">Greenlandic elections</a> were fought over concerns that mining and oil companies' growing influence in the region came at the expense of traditional hunting and fishing industries. The sitting government was removed and replaced by an administration more cautious towards resource development.</p>
<p>In Alaska, Shell suffered high profile mishaps when its Kulluk rig <a href="http://science.time.com/2013/01/02/a-rig-accident-off-alaska-shows-the-dangers-of-extreme-energy/">ran aground</a> and Conoco Phillips announced it was <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/11/business/energy-environment/conocophillips-suspends-arctic-drilling-plans.html">suspending exploration</a> after US authorities indicated regulations for offshore drilling would be tightened.</p>
<p>In Russia, the perpetually troubled Shtokman gas development has been <a href="http://rt.com/business/gazprom-shtokman-us-shale-143/">shelved</a> – to be left for “future generations”, according to state-dominated firm Gazprom. And only a few weeks ago in Norway, the recently discovered <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20130607-707745.html">Johan Castberg oil field</a> (previously known as Skrugard) was delayed indefinitely due to tax hikes.</p>
<p>Finding new discoveries has been as difficult as exploiting known deposits. Edinburgh’s Cairn Energy <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/31/arctic-oil-idUSL3N0EB38A20130531">spent $1.2 billion</a> on exploration off Greenland without any commercially viable discoveries to show for it. Increasingly the picture painted of the Arctic as an Eldorado of oil and gas seems sketchy. The reality is risky, technically difficult and expensive operations complicated by shifting, uncertain and contested politics.</p>
<p>And as the summer sea ice diminishes, shipping in the arctic increases. Moscow is particularly keen to develop the Northern Sea Route for maritime traffic. The high-tonnage tanker SCF Baltica was the first to transit the route in 2010, its 22-day voyage estimated to be twice as fast as travelling via the Suez Canal. From four vessels in 2010, traffic has grown to 46 in 2012, carrying four million tonnes of freight. This is set to grow to 89 vessels this year.</p>
<p>China in particular is eyeing the strategic use of the Northern Sea Route. Norway’s Department of Transport forecasts as much as 15% of China’s international trade, mostly container ships, will use the route to reach Europe by 2020. The opportunities offered by Arctic sea lanes have become a reality – the potential for saving time and money is enough attraction despite significant challenges in terms of navigational safety.</p>
<p>Which brings us back to the Arctic Council, embracing its new role in policy making rather than mere stewardship. The council still pushes its vision of the Arctic as vulnerable and threatened, at the same time as its development agenda. It appears concerned over the threat of climate change and is, at least on paper, set on doing something about it. It supports traditional scientific programs such the <a href="http://www.amap.no/">Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program</a> to monitor and raise awareness of the growing impact of climate change and ocean acidification. And it has began to develop legal teeth, with ministers at Kiruna signing a legally-binding agreement on oil pollution preparedness and response.</p>
<p>A permanent secretariat now exists in Norway for the Arctic Council and there is a clear mandate for the council to be more aggressive on the international stage, working towards an international legal agreement on climate change no later than 2015.</p>
<p>The Arctic has become a global issue. It stands at the frontline of climate change and faces considerable pressure from emerging oil and gas development and shipping. The parallel dialogues highlight the tensions between conservation and development – but as always the truth is in the middle. The Arctic will develop, but the form, timetable and beneficiaries of that development is unclear. What is missing is an alternative vision of the role a low carbon economy could take in the region, and how development might benefit the Arctic’s inhabitants for the long-term.</p>
<p>As members have realised in Kiruna, addressing the pressures that are driving change in the Arctic requires action beyond its borders. Climate change is a global issue needing a global resolution. Much of the impact on the climate system comes from outside the borders of the Arctic. The international community, and we as individual citizens, have an important role to play in influencing the path the Arctic takes.</p>
<p><em>Tavis Potts receives funding from the European Union, Research Councils UK, and a variety of foundations for research on oceans governance. </em></p><img src="//counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/15116/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><p>This article was originally published at <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>.
Read the <a href="http://theconversation.com/all-eyes-turn-to-the-prize-as-the-arctic-opens-for-business-15116">original article</a>.
</p>Tavishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18355219027678403722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6769983954208185307.post-24847096747263668702013-05-23T11:40:00.000+01:002013-05-23T11:40:27.355+01:00Dash for gas or low carbon investment? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The UK Committee for Climate Change released a report today on electricity market reform. It specifically highlights that in the long term, low-carbon energy will cost less than gas. This will be better for consumers and in addressing the impacts of climate change. The report is available <a href="http://www.theccc.org.uk/publication/next-steps-on-electricity-market-reform-23-may-2013/">here</a>.<br /><br />In a <a href="http://sustainable-seas.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/the-carbon-bubble-financial-crisis-or_24.html">previous post</a> on Sustainable Seas, we highlighted research on the 'carbon bubble' - if we are to stay below the 2C warming limit, the global economy has a budget of than 565 gigatons of CO2 - but fossil fuel companies have reserves of fossil fuels of almost 3000 gigatons. These reserves lose considerable value if they stay in the ground - and potentially unleashing a financial crisis. It highlights, as does this report, that we urgently need to make the case, and keep building the case, of the merits of a low carbon economy. <br /><br />Further comment soon once I digest the contents!<br /><div>
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Tavishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18355219027678403722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6769983954208185307.post-40358161787706700772013-05-15T15:47:00.002+01:002013-05-15T16:03:19.232+01:00A Changing of the Guard... Outcomes from the 2013 Arctic Council Ministerial Meeting<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As the impact of climate change intensifies in the Arctic,
and the issues move from a regional to global stage, the Arctic Council
faces substantial challenges to ensure a sustainable future for the North. 'Ive
been fortunate to attend the <a href="http://www.arctic-council.org/index.php/en/">Arctic Council ministerial summit</a> in Kiruna,
Sweden representing the <a href="http://www.acops.org.uk/">Advisory Committee for the Protection of the Sea</a> (ACOPS). This meeting sees a transition from Swedish to Canadian leadership of the Council
and a new set of priorities and challenges emerge for Arctic governance.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The challenges for the Arctic are environmental, social and
economic and are deeply entwined. While this is not new, specific recognition of their
inter-related nature is relatively recent. The warning signs are increasingly
there… disappearing summer sea ice, acidification of polar seas, shifting
patterns of biodiversity as species shift their ranges northwards and habitats
change due to climatic stress – all driven by human induced climate change. At
the same time the Arctic is ‘open for business’ and while the reality of resource
extraction is still in its infancy, the seriousness of the situation and the
grave consequences of an oil spill are recognised. The Arctic Council was
certainly saying the right words… Senator John Kerry, the US Secretary of State
railed against the lack of international and domestic action on climate change and
pressed for a global agreement with China…. But can the Arctic Council and its
members deliver meaningful action and influence global outcomes?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The tone of the summit today was one where the immense
challenges are recognised, and there seems to be real effort in negotiating the
issues and moving forward. Don’t forget that this is really quite a difficult
thing where eight countries (US, Russia, Canada, Norway, Sweden, Denmark –
Greenland, Finland, Iceland) and 6 indigenous permanent members are pushing for
their view of a sustainable Arctic. Not to mention the hustle from new
observers all vying for their vision of the Arctic. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Today saw some
noteworthy outcomes that indicate positive steps. The Ministers signed off on a
legally binding agreement on oil pollution preparedness and response. This,
while not perfect, will build capacity across the Arctic states to prevent
spills from occurring and to coordinate in the case of (a disastrous) spill. There
is some way to go to develop this capacity across the region and I’m sympathetic
for calls for oil and gas development moratoriums until the regime is firmly in
place. However, this is essentially happening in several areas… the US has
pulled back from oil exploration off the Alaskan coast, Greenland has put in
place new regulations and is limiting exploration, and Norway is exercising a
very cautious approach. Russia is the wildcard and it is calling in
partnerships from oil and gas companies (e.g. Shell, BP and Dong Energy) to develop
the technical capability. However, exploration is risky, technically difficult
and overtly expensive – major risks to any project and several (such as the
Russian gas development Shtokman) have been delayed by several years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Arctic Council appears to be embracing its role as a
policy making rather than policy shaping organisation. This was the 2<sup>nd</sup>
legally binding agreement out of the Council (the 1<sup>st</sup> being a Search
and Rescue treaty) and there are moves to develop a task force and agreement on
addressing black carbon. This appears to be a sensitive subject with the
Russian Foreign minister accused by Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples
of the North for delaying progress on the issue. A permanent secretariat now
exists in Norway for the Arctic council and there is a clear mandate for the
Arctic Council to be more aggressive on the international stage, in particular
with a commitment for all Arctic states to work together with other countries
for a legal agreement on climate change no later than 2015. Time will tell…. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Finally… in a significant development in the history of the
council, China, Japan, Korea, India, and Italy have been awarded permanent
observer status. The decision on the EU, again, has been delayed to next year,
but rumours suggest it will eventually succeed. Although not widely discussed,
I also heard Greenpeace was not successful in its application to be an
observer. The observer tent is now considerably large – over 300 people
attended today – and represents States, non-government and indigenous groups….a question is will the Council
be able to cope with this influx of interests. One thing that appears certain
is that the Arctic is now a global issue and spreads beyond the borders of the
Arctic states. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Canada now takes over the helm. Its objective is to focus on
the human dimensions of the Arctic and improve conditions for indigenous
residents, open up economic opportunities, and place indigenous knowledge
alongside scientific information in making assessments. The spotlight is firmly
on Canada and the Arctic Council to ensure that development does not undermine
the ecological or cultural values of the Arctic… summed up beautifully by the
Saami Council representative: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">‘Energy security is only valid when underpinned by
ecological security’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A valid and insightful comment. More from Sustainable Seas soon. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Tavishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18355219027678403722noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6769983954208185307.post-55023558043770716422013-04-30T12:19:00.001+01:002013-04-30T12:19:23.141+01:00CFP reform faces tough negotiations - will it deliver? Caught this from the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/europe-22265017?goback=%2Egde_1157627_member_234900846">BBC Democracy Live </a>website: <br />---------------------------<br /><br />The EU's Fisheries Commissioner has warned EU governments that a speedy resolution is needed to resolve the deadlock over reform of the EU's Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), during a meeting of the EU Fisheries Council on 22 April 2013.<br /><br />There is currently a row between the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament over the issues of discards, which sees edible but unwanted dead fish thrown back in the sea.<br /><br />MEPs want a full discard ban on all fish stocks by 2015, but the Council has backed a phased discard ban that would not be completed until 2017.<br /><br />Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki - who broadly backs the parliament's stance - warned that the member states were "running out of choices" and that "postponing the issues will not be of good to anybody".<br /><br />The chair of the Fisheries Council, Ireland's Simon Coveney, said everyone agreed there needed to be new rules on the size and capacity of fishing fleets, but that "what has to be worked out is the mechanism to get us there".<br /><br />He insisted ministers were working towards securing a deal by the May meeting of the Fisheries Council, and said there were already "signals on areas where we can find compromise".<br /><br />The full public deliberations of fisheries ministers <a href="http://video.consilium.europa.eu/webcast.aspx?ticket=775-979-12813">can be viewed here.</a><br /><br />---------------------------------<br /><br />This underlines the difficulty inherent in the EU co-decision process - finding agreement and hard negotiation between the tiers of the EU governance system: the Commission, the Parliament, and the Council of Ministers. So what do we know: <br /><br /><ul>
<li>The European Parliament called for a total ban to take effect 2015, one year later than sought by European Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki;</li>
<li>This timetable was opposed by the fishing industry and some EU members France, Spain, Portugal and Malta who indicated that it was unrealistic for implementation across their industries;</li>
<li>A delay (a five year implementation plan) made its way into the EU Council of Fisheries Ministers and the resolution of the Council in it's 'general approach' reflected this;</li>
<li>Under the agreement, a discard ban on pelagic species, such as herring and mackerel, would start in January 2014, but wouldn't take effect in the North Sea until 2016. The Mediterranean wouldn't be covered until 2017;</li>
<li>The discard ban would apply to the main demersal stocks such as cod, haddock and whiting in the North Sea and Atlantic waters beginning in 2016;</li>
<li>The ban will apply to Mediterranean, Black Sea and all other EU waters beginning in 2017.</li>
<li>There is now <a href="http://www.fishsec.org/2013/04/26/cfp-reform-timeline-gets-squeezed-as-trilogue-makes-slow-progress/">a negotiation in place over the final text </a>between the European Parliament, European Commission and member states - <a href="http://cfp-reformwatch.eu/2013/03/trilogues/">a 'trialogue'</a> who will try to agree on a final version to be voted on by the Parliament. The next critical date is the 2nd of May where the Council will finalise its position on CFP reform with the Parliament proceeding a vote for CFP reform, likely in June.</li>
<li>Both the Parliament and Council agree on a discard ban and on delivering MSY - its about how it will be implemented and written into law, the timing over implementation, and flexibility for the industry. </li>
<li>MEPs voted on 17th April to adopt <a href="http://www.fishsec.org/2013/04/17/first-eu-discard-ban-approved-by-european-parliament/">a ban on discarding unwanted fish</a> of 35 species caught in the Skagerrak (between the North Sea and the Baltic). The ban, to take effect gradually between 2014 and 2016, would be enforced with a remote electronic monitoring system.</li>
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The game is not over yet....good coverage here on <a href="http://cfp-reformwatch.eu/2013/04/we-expect-that-governments-do-not-close-the-door-on-compromise/">CFP reform watch.</a> <br /><br />We'll be keeping an eye on the progress of the negotiations and summarising the developments here on the Sustainable Seas blog. <br />Tavishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18355219027678403722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6769983954208185307.post-75996893382065564462013-04-24T11:13:00.001+01:002013-04-24T11:13:56.462+01:00The Carbon Bubble... Financial Crisis or Creative Destruction?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Hidden among the tragic stories from Boston a week ago was a story that should probably have been on the front page. This story really grabbed my attention and has fundamental implications for the future of the planet and the structure and direction of the global economy. In a recent and fascinating piece of research, the group <a href="http://www.carbontracker.org/carbonbubble">Carbon Tracker </a>released a report highlight the implications of a global carbon emissions agreement, that minimizes the chance of a 2 degrees warming and essentially keeps fossil fuel reserves in the ground (as opposed to going up the pipe). </div>
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The idea of a 'carbon bubble' is the result of over valuing and investing in the exploration and exploitation of fossil fuel reserves (ie. coal, oil and gas). According to the report in 2011, the world has already used over a third of its 50-year carbon budget of 886 GtCO2. The report starkly calculates that the fossil fuel reserves owned by private industry and government equates to 2,860bn tonnes of carbon dioxide - well and truly over the safe amount of carbon that can be burned. Just 31% could be burned for an 80% chance of keeping below a 2C temperature rise. If we want to push the odds - for a 50% chance of 2C or less - just 38% could be burned. The message is here that 2/3 of fossil fuel reserves need to stay in the ground. </div>
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Up to $6tr of oil and gas assets could be left stranded over the next decade, throwing investments into disarray and potentially unleashing a new financial crisis - should international climate agreements hold firm. Fossil fuel companies are betting on the markets continuing to push for extraction and the failure of an international agreement to curb carbon pollution. We can see this by the investment figures... far from reducing efforts to develop fossil fuels, the top 200 companies spent $674bn in 2012 to find and exploit even more new resources, a sum equivalent to 1% of global GDP. Ironically the 2006 <a href="http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http:/www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/sternreview_index.htm">Stern review on the economics of climate change</a> identified that 1% of GDP would fund the transition to a clean, green, renewable economy. It seems that despite the rhetoric - we are heading in the opposite direction. </div>
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Media reports from outlets such as <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/apr/19/carbon-bubble-financial-crash-crisis">the Guardian</a> and <a href="http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2262600/regulators-urged-to-pop-usd6tr-carbon-bubble">BusinessGreen</a> highlight the warning is supported by organisations including HSBC, Citi, Standard and Poor's and the International Energy Agency recognising that a collapse in the value of oil, gas and coal assets as nations tackle global warming is a major risk to the international economy. While the markets at present are living in a fantasy world, hedging bets on a continuation of infinite fossil fuel development and hence inflating the bubble, the likely future is one that will see massive loss of value for fossil fuel assets if a global agreement is reached in 2015. Investors are starting to see this as a <a href="http://blueandgreentomorrow.com/2013/04/19/report-says-investing-in-fossil-fuels-is-a-very-risky-decision/">risky investment choice</a>... not only in terms of a loss of value as reserves will be locked up in the ground with an excessively overcaptialised industry; but also from the perspective of using said reserves will cook the planet and cause enormous impact on human civilization and the ecosystems that we depend on. </div>
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Investors need to act now and take the risk seriously and incorporate climate change and carbon risk into their investment strategies. This potential crisis could be avoided if renewable and cleaner alternatives are ramped up economy wide and to a scale equivalent to the capitalisation of the fossil fuel industry. This requires an enormous change and about face in the behavior of the markets, of investors, of governments and most importantly the public. While the threat of a new financial crisis is ominous... it is one that could be avoided since we have prior knowledge and recognition of the true costs. The choices are stark.... address climate change and bring in a financial crisis, or take the difficult step of investing in innovation across a low carbon economy... not in 50 years, not in 20 years... but now. </div>
Tavishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18355219027678403722noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6769983954208185307.post-28758778040037311522013-04-16T13:05:00.000+01:002013-04-16T13:10:26.814+01:00Blogging from Svalbard: The Arctic in a time of change...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hSZV78sCrsY/UWvdsOI2zQI/AAAAAAAAAUc/5arvYcqImqE/s1600/DSCN0206.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hSZV78sCrsY/UWvdsOI2zQI/AAAAAAAAAUc/5arvYcqImqE/s400/DSCN0206.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
I'm fortunate to be spending this week at the University institute of Svalbard (UNIS - pictured) where I am teaching the undergraduate program on environmental management. It is my 5th trip to Svalbard, a magic part of the word, located remotely 1000 miles north of Norway and parallel to the northern tip of Greenland. It is an amazing place, home to the small settlement of Longyearbyen with a population of 2000 people where I am based for the week. I'm here in the busy tourist season where daily flights bring in hundreds of tourists for polar activities including dog sledging, snow mobile tours, and wildlife watching including polar bears, reindeer, and sea birds. Longyearbyen is also home to a resident international student population (including students from SAMS) at UNIS that teaches different aspects of Arctic polar science.<br />
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As I flew in late Sunday night, I saw a snapshot of the sea ice around the archipelago as it begins to fracture and retreat northwards. Miles above the ocean and in the clear Arctic air, you get perspective of the expanse of this region combined with its stunning beauty and fragility. With the recent return of 24 hour daylight the Arctic is thawing and the cycles are moving from winter to spring with the annual retreat of the sea ice underway. I'm currently at the southern edge of the March distribution and as the
sea ice moves through its peak to the summer minimum I wonder what
changes this year will bring to the Arctic.<br />
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As shown by the <a href="http://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/">National Snow and Ice Data Centre</a>) Arctic Sea Ice update, the region is one of the most rapidly warming places on the planet. CO2 emissions and associated warming is shifting the region into a new and unpredictable territory characterised by huge reductions in summer sea ice extent and thickness, snow cover, and extensive melting of the Greenland ice sheet. Recent reports from the US National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) <a href="http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2012/20121205_arcticreportcard.html">Arctic Report Card</a> highlight the concerning trends. 2012 highlighted on ongoing downward trend in summer sea ice, and was itself a new record with the lowest seasonal minimum extent in the satellite record since
1979. <br />
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The retreat of the ice is driving a frenzy of political, economic and environmental interest not just from the Arctic States themselves but from the global community. The Arctic is well and truly a global issue, from an international action on curbing CO2 and implementing a low carbon economy, to debates over biodiversity conservation and international shipping. The global economic system inherently affects the Arctic through demands for resources and energy which can stimulate Arctic development or steer away from the inherently risky and expensive operations in ice covered areas. While the Arctic states are responsible for management of the region and ultimately decide over the nature of Arctic development, the international community, and we as citizens have an important role to play in influencing the development path. Over the coming days Ill add some substance to this picture, focusing on the links between the Arctic and the rest of the planet. <br />
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Stay tuned to Sustainable Seas. <br />
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<br />Tavishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18355219027678403722noreply@blogger.com0