Download Successes in the marine environment

Good day Ladies and Gentlemen. My name is Julie Davidson. I’m a representative of WWF in
Russia. Today I’d like to tell you about some of our projects.
Populations of 274 representative marine species are tracked to calculate the Marine Living
Planet Index. This index shows us the current health of marine environment in 4 oceans as
compared to 1970.
The Marine Living Planet Index shows a greater than 27% decline on average across the four
ocean basins in the period between 1970 and 2003.
Zooming into the Marine Living Planet Index
The marine index is split by ocean basis. A comparative picture shows
dramatic declines in populations of species in the Indian/Southeast Asian
and Southern Oceans as compared to the Arctic/Atlantic and Pacific
Oceans.
Indian/Southeast Asian Oceans saw more than 50% decline, in the Southern Ocean it was about
30%. In Pacific Ocean species remained stable overall, while trends in Arctic/Atlantic Oceans
increased overall.
Mangroves: the indicator of ocean health
Mangroves provide nurseries to 85% of commercial fish species in the tropics and are essential
in maintaining fish stocks.
Between 1990 and 2000, in just 10 years, Asia lost more than 25% while South America lost
almost 50% of their mangrove cover.
Working to safeguard our oceans and coasts
WWF's Global Marine Program focuses its activities on the most significant
threats facing the marine environment today and where WWF has the
expertise to provide solutions for the future.
Our team of marine scientists, policy experts, economists, lawyers, and communications experts
work in more than 40 countries, with work focused in over 20 diverse marine ecoregions around
the world - from polar ice caps and highly productive upwelling, to coral reefs, mangrove
forests, and recently discovered deep-sea habitats.
Using our global scope, credibility, and expertise, we develop and advocate solutions for
sustainable fishing and the creation and management of Marine Protected Areas. This involves
working with fishermen and local communities; commissioning and publishing impartial data;
developing political advice for governments; campaigning through the media; lobbying decisionmakers; and above all, championing sustainable livelihoods and the conservation of our oceans
and coasts.
This is not Planet Earth, it’s Planet Water
Oceans cover 71% of our planet’s surface and make up 95% of all the
space available to life.
The rolling waves, glassy stillness, or frosty ice we see on the ocean’s surface hide an amazing
variety of underwater worlds - from sunlit coral reefs to dark abyssal canyons, from forests of
giant kelp to mussel communities clustered around scorching hydrothermal vents, from tidal
mangroves to the vast open ocean.
Rich biodiversity
Life began in the oceans, and continues to thrive in its diverse habitats. With as many as 100
million species - from the largest animal that has ever lived on Earth, the blue whale, to the
tiniest bacteria – marine biodiversity far outweighs that on land. And new species are being
discovered all the time.
Vital role for life on land...
The oceans also have a huge influence on us landlubbers. They produce 70% of our oxygen,
absorb heat and re-distribute it around the world, and dominate the world's weather systems.
...and shapers of human history
the oceans have also shaped human history, culture, and lives - and continue to do so. We eat
their bounty, bask on their beaches, swim in their waves, dive around their wonders, send our
goods and raw materials across their surface, and mine their mineral- and oil-rich floors. There
are very few people who are not somehow influenced by the oceans, even if they never set sight
on one during their life.
Successes in the marine environment
Atlantic corals now protected
06 Feb 2007
London, UK – After years of lobbying efforts, the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission and
the European Community have agreed to protect the coral-rich waters off north-west Scotland.
The Rockwall and Hatton Banks — located in the North Atlantic some 400 kilometers from the
Scottish coast — will now be protected from destructive fishing, which threaten cold-water coral
reefs that a several thousand years old, and populations of vulnerable fish species.
WWF, together with the Scottish Fishermen's Federation, developed a protection plan for the
coral reefs at Rockwall Bank, as well as for the endangered fish stocks, particularly Rockwall
haddock.
“After eight years of continuous efforts to protect the Rockwall Bank, this is a successful
milestone,” said Christian Neumann, Marine Conservation Officer at WWF-Germany.
“Finally the cold-water corals are getting the kind of protection that they so desperately need.
The designation of these closures as marine protected areas would be the next step towards
responsible ocean stewardship.”
Cold-water coral reefs make an important contribution to the health of the seas by providing
habitats for sea fans, sponges, starfish, sea urchins, and crustaceans. The reefs, often associated
with seamounts, serve as essential spawning and nursery grounds for several commercial fish
species, including orange roughly, blue ling and grenadiers.
In previous years, WWF helped protect the Darwin Mounds, another coral area off the Scottish
coast, as well as five reefs in Norwegian waters and the ecologically-rich waters surrounding the
Azores.
Despite the urgent need for protection, the United Nations late last year failed to prohibit
unregulated bottom trawling on the high seas, allowing for the unnecessary plunder of the
ocean’s precious resources to continue unabated.
“The negotiations at the UN represented the first opportunity for the international community to
take action on the back of recent scientific reports about the serious plight of the oceans and the
collapse of global fisheries,” said Dr Simon Cripps, Director of WWF’s Global Marine Program.
“The failure of governments to heed advice from some of the world’s leading scientists and to
reach agreement on a plan for immediate protection of vulnerable high sea areas enables one of
the world’s most destructive fishing practices to continue.”
WWF continues to push the contracting Parties to the NEAFC Convention to manage fisheries in
the high seas responsibly through an ecosystem approach, and continues its efforts to ensure that
EU Members States protect deep-sea fish stocks, cold-water corals and seamount habitats.
END NOTES:
• The North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) regulates fisheries in the North East
Atlantic Ocean in areas beyond the 200-nautical mile limit of a country's national jurisdiction.
There are currently five contracting parties: the European Community, Denmark (in respect of
the Faroe Islands and Green Great Barrier Reef fish rebound in marine protected areas
Land), Iceland, Norway and the Russian Federation. 04 Sep 2006
Great Barrier Reef, Australia – Recovery rates of fish in the Great Barrier Reef have increased
significantly as a result of marine protected areas.
According to a study by the Australian Institute of Marine Science and James Cook University,
populations of important fish species — such as coral trout — are up to 50 per cent more
abundant in marine sanctuaries than in reefs still open to fishing. Research done on fringing reefs
around the Whitsunday Islands showed coral trout and stripy sea perch up 60 per cent.
“The results of the study demonstrate what scientists and conservationists have been saying for
years, that creating marine sanctuaries means fish can mature and populations can recover,” said
Richard Leck, a marine and coastal policy officer with WWF-Australia.
“What is truly exciting about this research is that not only are the protected areas flourishing, but
there is very likely to be a spill-over effect to surrounding areas which will benefit the whole
ecosystem. This research clearly shows that a network of marine sanctuaries with a strong zoning
plan is vital to ensuring the sustainable future of the reef.”
Stretching for over 2,000km along Australia’s northeast coast, the Great Barrier Reef is the
world’s largest coral reef system. Under a 2004 zoning plan, strict protection of the reef system
rose from 4.6 per cent to 33 per cent within the existing Marine Park and World Heritage Area.
The network of highly protected areas is aimed at reducing pressure on the Great Barrier Reef
and enhancing its capacity to overcome large-scale threats such as coral bleaching, which is
linked to climate change and global warming.
WWF is a strong advocate of marine protected areas (MPAs). In the last few years alone, the
global conservation organization has helped achieve protection for more than 200,000km2 of
marine areas around the world, including the Great Barrier Reef, which cover coral reefs, sea
grass meadows, mangroves, fish breeding grounds and deep-sea habitats.
“The results of the research add to increasing data from Australia and around the world showing
that highly protected areas boost fish stocks and conserve marine biodiversity,” added Leck.
“We expect these benefits will be foremost in the minds of government planners in Australia as
they embark on the next phase of establishing a national network of marine protected areas.”
END NOTES:
• According to WWF around 4,600 MPAs were designated in 2005, protecting around 2.2
million km2, or 0.6 per cent, of the world’s oceans. WWF's Global Marine Program is working
towards a network of effectively managed, ecologically representative MPAs covering at least 10
per cent of the world’s oceans by Sustainable traps boost lobster conservation in Central
America2020. 01 Jun 2006
Cayos Miskitus, Nicaragua – In a joint effort between WWF and Nicaragua’s URACCAN
University, fishermen here have tested and approved sustainable lobster traps in efforts to
conserve the species.
The lobster traps are slightly modified compared with traditional ones, allowing for smaller
lobsters to escape capture and mature. Over fishing for undersized lobster, as well as female
specimens carrying eggs, is a serious conservation problem facing Central America’s
Mesoamerican reef.
“We are delighted with the results of a recent test of traps that have the potential to curtail the
illegal catch of hundreds of thousands of undersized lobsters,” said Sylvia Marin, Regional
Representative for WWF Central America.
WWF hooks up with Norwegian fishing company to save marine turtles
26 Sep 2005
Gjøvik, Norway – WWF is working with Mustad, the world’s largest manufacturer of fishing
hooks, to reduce the accidental catch of millions of marine turtles. By producing circle hooks for
commercial fishermen, WWF and Mustad hope to reduce the accidental catch of turtles by as
much as 90 per cent.
According to WWF, accidental catch — or by catch — is probably the single greatest threat to
marine turtles. As many as 200,000 loggerheads and 50,000 leatherback turtles are caught
annually by commercial long-line tuna, swordfish, and similar fisheries.
“Circle hooks are an easy and effective solution that contribute to saving turtles, while normal
fishing activity can be upheld,” said Rasmus Hansson, CEO of WWF-Norway. “We do not want
the fishermen to stop fishing, so it is important that companies like Mustad take responsibility
and create viable alternatives.”
The circle hook has proven to be better than the traditionally-used “J” shaped hook, which can be
snagged by turtles, leading to suffocation or internal bleeding if swallowed. The circle hook is
also designed not to damage fish.
“Circle hooks also result in better catch,” added Hansson. “Dependent on water depth, shape and
type of fish, the circle hooks normally give 20 per cent more catch than the J-hooks.”
Mustad has developed circle hooks for the last 60 years and is now leading the fishing hook
industry with new, specially designed products which are already being used in several markets.
Today, for example, it is forbidden to use anything but circle hooks for commercial line fishing
in the United States. Additionally, many sports fishermen use circle hooks to avoid by catch,
particularly when fishing for swordfish, tuna, sailfish, and blue marlin, and species that are
normally released after being caught. Due to its design, the circle hook from Mustad only fastens
itself at the side of the mouth of the fish, where it can easily be removed and the fish released.
Mustad is providing WWF with 250,000 circle hooks to be distributed to WWF projects in areas
where turtle by catch present a serious problem. This includes working with fishermen in
Malaysia, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, and Ecuador. Additionally, Mustad wants WWF to test
how these circle hooks reduce the by-catch of sea birds, which in many areas of the world is as
big a problem as turtle by catch.
“If we are to ensure the continued survival of turtles, we must work to transform fisheries around
the world to make long-line fishing more turtle-friendly,” said Katherine Short, a fisheries officer
with WWF's Global Marine Program.
Protecting fisheries and marine
habitats
The marine environment has never before been under such heavy pressure. Pollution, habitat
destruction, unsustainable fishing, tourism development, oil and gas extraction, shipping,
aquaculture, and climate change are all taking their toll on marine habitats, marine species - and
fishers too.
The world's leaders have already recognized the problem. In 2002 they agreed, at the World
Summit for Sustainable Development, to create representative networks of Marine Protected
Areas by 2012 and replenish depleted fish stocks by 2015. In 2003, G8 leaders noted that global
sustainable development and poverty reduction require healthier and more sustainable managed
oceans and seas.
WWF is working to make these visions a reality
Our Global Marine Program is turning the tide towards healthy oceans by:
"Wherever there is fishing, there is by catch, one of the greatest and most pervasive threats to the
marine environment in general, and marine turtles in particular. We must work with local
partners and the fishing industry to minimize by-catch to the greatest extent possible."
END NOTES:
• Mustad is the world’s leading producer of fishing hooks with nearly 1,200 employees
worldwide, of which 335 is based in Norway. Mustad has factories in Norway, Singapore,
Malaysia, The Philippines, Portugal, and China, and its products exported to 160 countries.
• Marine turtles are one of the oldest creatures on earth, but today most are threatened with
extinction as a result of getting caught in fish hooks and nets, as well as from the illegal poaching
and sale of turtle shell, leather, and meat. Turtle eggs are also collected in large numbers. As a
result, all seven species of marine turtles — hawksbill, green, Kemp’s rudely, Olive rudely,
leatherback, loggerhead, and flat back — are listed on Appendix I of the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), while six of the
seven species are listed as “Endangered” or “Critically Endangered”.
“Good management of fisheries, including lobsters, ensures that fishing remains a way of life for
coastal communities.”
Of all the fishing resources in this region, spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) is the most important
income source for a large number of coastal communities, especially as it fetches high market
prices. A Mexican fisherman, for example, can sell a 1kg lobster tail for US$22 in the market
place. The same quantity will sell for about US$60–90 in a restaurant in the Mexican resort town
of Cancun.
The Nicaraguan fishermen who tested the sustainable lobster traps found that the alterations do
not diminish the catch of legally-sized lobsters.
“Fishermen appreciate the fact that there are longer-term benefits of letting the undersized
lobsters go,” said Alicia Medina, WWF Technical Officer for the Mesoamerican Reef. “They
recognize both the conservation and economic value of saving them.”
Also recognizing the importance of a sustainable lobster fishery is the Central American Fishing
Organization (OSPESCA), which has included size restrictions for traps in its regulations.
“Although OSPESCA’s measurements are a bit smaller than the trap measurements we
recommend, we consider their new regulations as an important step towards the conservation of
spiny lobster and other fish caught in traditional traps used by local fishermen,” Medina added.
With fishermen in Nicaragua starting to adopt sustainable lobster traps, WWF is working to
replicate the success in other Mesoamerican reef countries, including Mexico, Belize, Guatemala
and Honduras.
The Mesoamerican Reef is the second longest barrier reef in the world, only surpassed by the
Great Barrier Reef in Australia. It spans more than 1,000km, from the northern end of the
Yucatan Peninsula to the northern coast of Honduras, including Belize and Guatemala. The reef
contains a large diversity of coral reefs, in addition to other important ecosystems such as
beaches, mangroves, lagoons, and sea grasses. This array of systems fosters the reproduction,
nesting, and feeding of a great diversity of mammal, fish, marine turtles, and invertebrates,
including the spiny lobster.