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WHY FISH DON'T FREEZE IN THE
ARCTIC OCEAN: CHEMISTS UNMASK
NATURAL ANTIFREEZE
NEW EL NINO HAS INTENSE EFFECT
ON SEA TEMPERATURES
MARINE CARBON CYCLE (August
2010) : NEW STUDY SAYS FISH ARE
MAJOR PLAYERS
NEW BIOGEOGRAPHIC
INFORMATION SITE FOR U.S.
OCEANS AND WATERS (AUGUST
2010)
SPONGES BEAT SEAWEED IN BATTLE
FOR FLORIDA REEFS
SOUTHERN INDIAN OCEAN
FISHERIES AGREEMENT COMES INTO
FORCE
IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON
MUSSELS
MUMBAI SHIP COLLISION: MSC
CHITRA OWNERS TOLD TO PAY UP
GOVT ASSESSING DAMAGE DUE TO
OIL SPILL: RAMESH
MUMBAI OIL SPILL TO INCUR LOSS
USD 4 BILLION BY WEEKEND
HUMAN NOISE POLLUTION IN
OCEAN CAN LEAD FISH AWAY FROM
GOOD HABITATS AND OFF TO THEIR
DEATH
ORISSA PLANS BILL TO REGULATE
FISHING IN CHILIKA LAKE
CHINA’S FIRST FISHERY RESEARCH
SHIP
NOW, A LIFE-SAVING DEVICE TO
WARN FISHERMEN BEFORE THEIR
VESSELS CAPSIZE
MEKONG DAMS THREATEN RARE
GIANT CATFISH
26 August 2010
WHY FISH DON'T FREEZE IN THE ARCTIC
OCEAN: CHEMISTS UNMASK NATURAL
ANTIFREEZE
ScienceDaily (Aug. 26, 2010) — Bochum researchers
have discovered how natural antifreeze works to
protect fish in the icy waters of the Arctic Ocean from
freezing to death. They were able to observe that an
antifreeze protein in the fish's blood affects the water
molecules in its vicinity such that they cannot freeze,
and everything remains fluid. Here, there is no chemical
bond between protein and water -- the mere presence
of the protein is sufficient.
Together with cooperation partners from the U.S., the
researchers surrounding Prof. Dr. Martina Havenith
(Physical Chemistry II of the RUB) describe their
discovery in a Rapid Communication in the Journal of
the American Chemical Society (JACS).
This is the fish, Macropteris maculatus, with antifreeze
protein structure. (Credit: Konrad Meister)
Better than household antifreeze
Temperatures of minus 1.8 °C should really be enough
to freeze any fish: the freezing point of fish blood is
about minus 0.9 °C. How Antarctic fish are able to keep
moving
at
these
temperatures
has
interested
researchers for a long time. As long as 50 years ago,
special frost protection proteins were found in the
blood of these fish. These so-called anti-freeze proteins
work better than any household antifreeze. How they
work, however, was still unclear.
The Bochum researchers used a special technique,
terahertz spectroscopy, to unravel the underlying
mechanism. With the aid of terahertz radiation, the
collective motion of water molecules and proteins can
be recorded. Thus, the working group has already been
able to show that water molecules, which usually
perform a permanent dance in liquid water, and
constantly enter new bonds, dance a more ordered
dance in the presence of proteins -- "the disco dance
becomes a minuet" says Prof. Havenith.
Souvenir from an Antarctic expedition
The subject of the current investigations was the
anti-freeze glycoproteins of the Antarctic toothfish
Dissostichus mawsoni, which one of the American
partners, Arthur L. Devries, had fished himself on an
Antarctic expedition.
"We could see that the protein has an especially longrange effect on the water molecules around it. We speak
of an extended dynamical hydration shell," says coauthor Konrad Meister.
"This effect, which prevents ice crystallization, is even
more pronounced at low temperatures than at room
temperature," adds Prof. Havenith.
Nevertheless, to freeze the water, lower temperatures
would be necessary. Complexation of the AFP by borate
strongly reduces the antifreeze activity. In this case, the
researchers also found no change in the terahertz
dance. The researchers' results provide evidence for a
new model of how AFGPs prevent water from freezing:
Antifreeze activity is not achieved by a single molecular
binding between the protein and the water, but instead
AFP perturbs the aqueous solvent over long distances.
The investigation demonstrated for the first time a
direct link between the function of a protein and its
signature in the terahertz range.
The
studies
were
funded
by
the
Volkswagen
Foundation.
Source
-
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/1008251038
32.htm
26 August 2010
NEW EL NINO HAS
INTENSE EFFECT ON SEA TEMPERATURES
THURSDAY, 26 AUGUST 2010 10:31
A NEW type of El Niño, which has its warmest waters in
the central-equatorial Pacific Ocean, rather than in the
eastern-equatorial Pacific, is becoming more common and
progressively stronger, according to a new study by NASA
and NOAA.
The research could improve understanding of the
relationship between El Niños and climate change, and has
potential significant implications for long-term weather
forecasting.
Lead author Tong Lee of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
Pasadena, California, and Michael McPhaden of NOAA's
Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory in Seattle
measured changes in El Niño intensity since 1982. They
analysed satellite observations of sea surface temperature,
checked against and blended with directly measured
ocean temperature data. The strength of each El Niño was
gauged by how much its sea surface temperatures
deviated from the average. They found the intensity of El
Niños in the central Pacific has nearly doubled over the
study period, with the most intense event occurring in
2009-10.
The scientists say the stronger El Niños help explain a
steady rise in central Pacific sea surface temperatures
observed over the past few decades in previous studies —
a trend attributed by some to the effects of global
warming. While Lee and McPhaden observed a rise in sea
surface temperatures during El Niño years, no significant
temperature increases were seen in years when ocean
conditions were neutral, or when El Niño’s cool water
counterpart, La Niña, was present.
“Our study concludes the long-term warming trend seen in
the central Pacific is primarily due to more intense El
Niños, rather than a general rise of background
temperatures,” said Lee.
“These results suggest climate change may already be
affecting El Niño by shifting the centre of action from the
eastern to the central Pacific,” said McPhaden. “El Niño’s
impact on global weather patterns is different if ocean
warming occurs primarily in the central Pacific, instead of
the eastern Pacific. If the trend we observe continues, it
could throw a monkey wrench into long-range weather
forecasting, which is largely based on our understanding of
El Niños from the latter half of the 20th century.”
El Niño (Spanish for “the little boy”) is the oceanic
component of a climate pattern called the El NiñoSouthern Oscillation, which appears in the tropical Pacific
Ocean on average every three to five years. The most
dominant year-to-year fluctuating pattern in Earth’s
climate system, El Niños have a powerful impact on the
ocean and atmosphere, as well as important
socioeconomic consequences. They can influence global
weather patterns and the occurrence and frequency of
hurricanes, droughts and floods; and can even raise or
lower global temperatures by as much as 0.2 degrees
Celsius (0.4 degrees Fahrenheit).
During a “classic” El Niño episode, the normally strong
easterly trade winds in the tropical eastern Pacific weaken.
That weakening suppresses the normal upward movement
of cold subsurface waters and allows warm surface water
from the central Pacific to shift toward the Americas. In
these situations, unusually warm surface water occupies
much of the tropical Pacific, with the maximum ocean
warming remaining in the eastern-equatorial Pacific.
Since the early 1990s, however, scientists have noted a
new type of El Niño that has been occurring with greater
frequency. Known variously as “central-Pacific El Niño,”
“warm-pool El Niño,” “dateline El Niño” or “El Niño
Modoki”, the maximum ocean warming from such El Niños
is found in the central-equatorial, rather than eastern,
Pacific. Such central Pacific El Niño events were observed
in 1991-92, 1994-95, 2002-03, 2004-05 and 2009-10.
Studies have hypothesized that global warming due to
human-produced greenhouse gases could shift the
warming centre of El Niños from the eastern to the central
Pacific, further increasing the frequency of such events in
the future. Results of the study were published recently in
Geophysical Research Letters.
Source http://www.fishnewseu.com/index.php?option=com_cont
ent&view=article&id=4144:new-el-nino-has-intenseeffect-on-sea-temperatures-&catid=46:world&Itemid=56
26 August 2010
(August 2010)
MARINE CARBON CYCLE
New study says fish are major
players
A recent study by researchers in the UK, US, and Canada,
estimates that three to 15 per cent of marine calcium
carbonate is in fact excreted by fish. This is a conservative
estimate and the team believes it may be as much as three
times higher.
Fish are therefore responsible for contributing a major but
previously unrecognized portion of the inorganic carbon
that maintains the ocean's acidity balance. The researchers
predict future increases in sea temperature and rising CO2
will cause fish to produce even more calcium carbonate.
Their study appeared in the journal Science.
Calcium carbonate is a white, chalky material that reduces
the acidity of sea water. The ocean's acidity has a large
effect on marine ecosystems, including coral reefs, and
controls how easily the ocean can absorb increases in
atmospheric CO2.
Calcium carbonate is produced by bony fish (teleosts), a
group including 90 percent of marine fishes, but not sharks
or rays, which have cartilaginous skeletons. Teleosts
continuously drink seawater to avoid dehydration, which
results in an excess of ingested calcium. This excess
calcium is precipitated as calcium carbonate crystals in the
gut and excreted.
Lead author Rod Wilson of the University of Exeter (UK)
said, "Our most conservative estimates suggest three to 15
per cent of the oceans' carbonates come from fish, but this
range could be up to three times higher. We also know
that fish carbonates differ considerably from those
produced by plankton. Together, these findings may help
answer a long-standing puzzle facing marine chemists, but
they also reveal limitations to our current understanding
of the marine carbon cycle."
And what about the future? The researchers predict that
the combination of increases in sea temperature and rising
CO2 expected over this century will cause fish to produce
even more calcium carbonate. This is for two reasons.
Firstly, higher temperatures stimulate overall metabolism
in fish, which drives all their biological processes to run
faster. Secondly, increasing CO2 in their blood directly
stimulates carbonate production by the gut specifically.
Rod Wilson continues: "We have really only just scratched
the surface of knowing the chemistry and fate of fish
carbonates. Given current concerns about the acidification
of our seas through global CO2 emissions, it is more
important than ever that we understand how the pH
balance of the sea is normally maintained. Because of the
impact of global climate change, fish are likely to have an
even bigger influence on the chemistry of our oceans in
future".
Source - http://www.macroevolution.net/marine-carboncycle.html
26 August 2010
NEW BIOGEOGRAPHIC
INFORMATION SITE FOR U.S.
OCEANS AND WATERS
(AUGUST 2010)
A one-stop source for biogeographic information collected
from U.S. waters and oceanic regions is now available from
the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII)
Program.
The OBIS-USA website offers a unique combination of
tools, resources, and biodiversity information to aid
scientists, resource managers and decision makers in the
research and analyses critical to sustaining the nation’s
valued marine ecosystems.
OBIS-USA was established in 2006 in cooperation with the
U.S. National Committee for the Census of Marine Life a
committee composed of renowned marine community
leaders. OBIS-USA – a partnership of state, federal and
scientific organizations — is the United States’
contribution to the International Ocean Biogeographic
Information System, an effort led by the Census of Marine
Life to provide “open access” to global biodiversity data on
the myriad of marine life that inhabits the ocean.
“The world’s ocean is critically important, not only because
of how it influences the climate, but also because it
provides the resources for commercial, recreational,
cultural, scientific, conservation, and national security
activities,”” said John Mosesso, OBIS-USA co-lead. “At the
same time, the ocean is threatened by a variety of
changes, including warming temperatures, increasing
ocean acidity, invasion by non-native species,
overharvesting, and loss of habitat for species of concern.”
OBIS-USA provides data and functional tools to address
key questions and information needs related to scientific
understanding of sustainable and resilient ecosystems,
marine spatial planning, climate change, ocean
acidification, invasive organisms, and managing the
nation’s fisheries. To address these ocean threats requires
access to critical information on marine biodiversity,
Mosesso noted.
OBIS-USA data holdings comprise millions of individual
records supplied by marine data sponsors from across the
nation. The site provides a work space for visitors to search
and manipulate that data. This is accomplished in
collaboration with data providers to produce a compilation
of data in a common format. Data are interoperable and
can be consistently viewed and applied by researchers,
decision makers and resource managers.
Users can search and download data and meta-data
describing when and where organisms were observed or
collected. The site’s offerings are available through an
atlas (where users can review and select specific data
sets). Individual or composite data sets (user-created
selections from the entire holdings) may be viewed
through several functions, including:

data dashboard - provides a pictorial view of data
attributes that lets users assess their utility;

data richness - assesses how well the data are
populated for selected elements;

data quality - provides key data collection
information;

duplication status - indicates if a data set may
contain duplicate records;

general metadata – displays the Federal
Geographic Data Committee data record;

geographic coverage – displays data collection
sites spatially;

participants - names OBIS-USA participants, with
the option to connect back to the atlas,
dashboard, and metadata functions; and

taxonomic depth - table shows the levels of
taxonomic hierarchy for each organism.
OBIS-USA goals this year include an increase to over 10
million total data records and expanded functionality to
address needs such as integration with non-biological data
and further capability regarding geographic distributions.
To learn more about OBIS-USA, including growing its list of
data and exploring partnerships, contact the NBII’s Mark
Fornwall or John Mosesso.
Coordinated by the U.S. Geological Survey, the NBII is a
broad, collaborative program to provide increased access
to data and information on the nation's biological
resources.
Source - http://www.macroevolution.net/biogeographicinformation.html
25 August 2010 SPONGES BEAT SEAWEED IN
BATTLE FOR FLORIDA REEFS
By Jane Sutton Posted 2010/08/25 at 5:20 pm EDT
MIAMI, Aug. 25, 2010 (Reuters) — Giant barrel sponges
that can live for thousands of years have proliferated in
the waters around the Florida Keys, the apparent winner in
a recent battle for dominance among corals, seaweed and
sponges.
That's a good thing, according to researchers wrapping up
a 10-day stint at the Aquarius Underwater Laboratory off
Key Largo on Wednesday, because the sponges filter the
water and provide a habitat for valued fish species.
Corals have been in decline for decades along the reef
tracts of the Caribbean and the Florida Keys for a variety
of reasons, leaving free space for sponges and
macroalgae -- seaweed -- to move in. Barrel sponges are
hollow and come in a range of colors including red and
purple.
"If you can't have corals, better that you should have
sponges than macroalgaes. And right now it appears the
sponges are doing OK," said Joseph Pawlik, one of the
University of North Carolina-Wilmington researchers
studying the sponges.
The barrel sponge population has increased by about 40
percent since 2000 in the reef alongside the bus-sized
Aquarius lab, which sits in 60 feet of water off the coast of
Key Largo in the Florida Keys, the researchers said.
"We had lots of baby sponges on the reef this year," Chris
Finelli said in a teleconference from inside Aquarius.
Anecdotal evidence suggests the same thing is occurring
throughout the region, as barrel sponges and seaweed
battle for dominance on reefs once covered with coral.
Seaweed is food for some fish species but it doesn't live
long, the researchers said.
"They don't seem to make space or homes for any of the
things that we value as far as fisheries go," Pawlik said
from North Carolina. "Giant barrel sponges are the most
important habitat-forming organism on Florida's coral
reefs."
"COOL LITTLE PUMPS"
Baby barrel sponges are thimble-sized but they can grow
to be as large as 55-gallon drums.
"Those giant barrel sponges filter about 100 times their
own volume every hour," Finelli said. "They're really cool
little pumps."
Since 1997, teams from the University of North Carolina at
Wilmington have made twice-yearly visits to the Aquarius
lab, which is owned by the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration.
They live for 10 days at a time in the lab, which gives them
the unique opportunity to spend up to nine hours a day
measuring and photographing life on the reefs.
"The only way you can tell if the community is changing is
research like this," Finelli said.
The lab also acts as a decompression chamber. Before
returning to the surface, the researchers will spend 16
hours decompressing to bleed off the excess nitrogen that
builds up in their bodies at undersea pressures.
(Editing by Pascal Fletcher and Cynthia Osterman)
Source - http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/tre67o5pgus-usa-sponges/
23 August 2010
SOUTHERN INDIAN OCEAN
FISHERIES AGREEMENT COMES INTO FORCE
MAURITIUS
Monday, August 23, 2010, 09:40 (GMT + 9)
The Government of Mauritius has ratified the Southern
Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA), allowing it to
enter into effect. Mauritius is the fourth state to enter the
Agreement, after the Cook Islands, European Union (EU)
and the Seychelles.
The creation of a regional fisheries management body for
the Southern Indian Ocean has been a primary objective of
the Southern Indian Ocean Deepsea Fisheries Association
(SIODFA) since its formation in 2006.
The Association of four companies, which undertake
deepwater fishing in the Southern Indian Ocean, has been
acutely aware of the consequences and risks of the
absence of a formal international fisheries agreement in
the area in which they operate.
SIODFA notes that this action will satisfy a major
requirement of the United Nations General Assembly in
their desire that high-seas areas come under management
of regional fisheries bodies.
According to SIODFA Executive Secretary, Dr Ross Shotton,
the entry into force of the agreement should remove any
uncertainty and delay over introducing essential fisheries
management arrangements. It will also provide a formal
means of executing the various management and
conservation measures that the Association’s members
have been undertaking voluntarily in relation to their
fishing operations and which have been beyond those that
were called for in the interim measures adopted by the
signatories to SIOFA at their ceremony at the Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Rome in
July 2006.
SIODFA vessels have been engaged in a voluntary
programme of collection of biological data of species
targeted by the fishery, primarily orange roughy and
alfonsino and also data on bycatch of coldwater corals
and deepwater sharks.
Several of the Association’s vessels have also been
undertaking aggregation-based acoustic stock-assessment
surveys as an integral part of their commercial fishing
operations. All of the Association’s vessels are equipped
with the advanced acoustic systems needed to undertake
such quantitative assessment surveys.
Source
http://www.fis.com/fis/worldnews/worldnews.asp?l=e&c
ountry=0&special=&monthyear=&day=&id=37823&ndb=1
&df=0
-
20 August 2010
ON MUSSELS
IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE
US - Climate change is causing higher air and water
temperatures along the east coast of the United States.
These changes have shrunk the geographic region where
blue mussels are able to survive, according to findings by
University of South Carolina researchers published in the
Journal of Biogeography.
Mytilus edulis, or blue mussels, a popular seafood, used to
live along the East Coast as far south as Cape Hatteras,
North Carolina, but now exist only as far south as Lewes,
Delaware, according to Sierra Jones, a PhD student in the
Department of Biological Sciences at USC.
Most plants and animals have geographic ranges defined
by northern and southern limits. In many cases, ranges are
thought to be controlled by temperature, and if it becomes
too hot, the limits will shift. However, linking changes in
geographic range to changes in climate is difficult unless
long-term records in distribution are compared to equally
long-term records of weather.
Spanning over 300 miles of coastline, Jones and colleagues
explored how survival of mussels changed across latitudes
and decades with respect to temperature. As recently as
sixty years ago, these mussels thrived as far south as North
Carolina. Due to air and water temperature increases over
the past sixty years, they no longer survive throughout the
year south of Lewes, Delaware, and populations to the
north now experience higher rates of mortality than in the
past.
The findings are significant because they show that recent
climate change is affecting the organisms along our coast.
"These mussels are a very important part of the food
chain, help clean the water, and are farmed commercially.
If temperatures continue to increase, we can expect range
changes of species like blue mussels to continue, and the
health of our oceans is at risk," said Jones.
"Understanding the link between organism and
environment is essential for making predictions of how
future climate change will affect species and ecosystems,"
concluded Jones. "Where organisms might be in the future
is crucial to planning for marine reserves and the future of
the fishing and aquaculture industries."
Source http://www.thefishsite.com/fishnews/12908/impacts-ofclimate-change-on-mussels
18 August 2010
MUMBAI SHIP COLLISION: MSC
CHITRA OWNERS TOLD TO PAY UP
NDTV Correspondent, Updated: August 18, 2010 12:45 IST
Mumbai: The owners of MSC Chitra, which collided with
another cargo ship resulting in an oil slick off the Mumbai
coast, have been asked to pay full compensation for the
August 7 collision.
Port authorities have sent notices to the merchant vessel's
owners, the Mediterranean Shipping Company, asking
them to pay full compensation since they have been
identified as "polluters". This compensation will run into
crores of rupees.
It was Chitra's tanks that caused the oil
spill and the falling tankers caused both Mumbai Port and
Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) to shut down.The two
ports have also expressed unhappiness over the salvage
work and have warned Chitra's company to accelerate the
process. So far both the ports haven't put any blame on
MV Khalijia, the other ship, for footing the compensation.
If investigations by DG Shipping show that MV Khalijia was
responsible, then MSC can claim it from Khalijia, but
currently the "polluter" is MSC and it is hence liable to pay.
CASE OF THE MISSING CONTAINERS
More than a week since two ships
collided off the coast of Mumbai, the worries still remain.
A hundred of the 250 odd containers that had drifted from
the vessel MSC Chitra, have gone missing. Two of these
containers are carrying hazardous chemical substances.
Efforts are still on to locate the missing containers.
The Navy is conducting a survey of the
sea using sonar equipment to try and trace the containers
with the help of a salvage team called in from Singapore.
The containers, the Navy team says, could be stuck on the
ocean bed.The MSC Chitra had collided with MV Khalijia on
August 7 and has been grounded in the Arabian Sea since
then off the Mumbai coast. The ship tilted precariously
from the impact of the collision. While oil poured out into
the sea through a leak, some containers too detached
from the ship. The oil leak was only plugged after
hundreds of tonnes of crude oil were already spilt. As a
result of this, both Mumbai Port and Jawaharlal Nehru
Port Trust (JNPT) were shut for many days.
NDTV reported on the environmental damage due to the
spill. The state government confirmed that marine life had
been contaminated.
When the MSC Chitra collided with the
Khalijia, it had a cargo of 1219 containers. The cargo
contained 2662 tonnes of fuel, 283 tonnes of diesel and
88040 litres of lubricant oil. Thirty-one containers held
chemical substances.
Campaign to clean Mumbai's beaches
NDTV along with TERI and Sanctuary Asia is campaigning to
clean up Mumbai 's beaches that have been affected by
the oil spill caused by the ship collision. The campaign
starts this evening and we need volunteers to come
forward and help in the effort. To join the campaign, log
on to ndtv.com/savebeaches or mail us at
[email protected].
Story first published:
August 18, 2010 09:34 IST
Tags: MSC Chitra, Mumbai oil spill, Mumbai ship collision
Source - http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/mumbai-shipcollision-msc-chitra-owners-told-to-pay-up-45273
14 August 2010
GOVT ASSESSING DAMAGE
DUE TO OIL SPILL: RAMESH
PTI, Aug 14, 2010, 08.53pm IST
MUMBAI: Describing as "significant" the impact of the oil
spill caused by collision between two cargo ships off
Mumbai coast, environment and forest Jairam Ramesh on
Saturday said the Centre is in the process of assessing the
extent of ecological damage.
The government is also planning to compensate the
fishermen who lost their livelihood due to this mishap, he
said.
"We have asked the Bombay Natural History Society
(BNHS) along with the National Institute of Oceanography
(NIO) to study the impact of the oil spill on mangroves in
the Navi Mumbai and Raigad areas. We are expecting a
preliminary report within 2-3-weeks and a detailed report
in the next 2-3 months," the minister said.
The ministry has also asked the Central Marine Fisheries
Research Institute to prepare a detailed report on
fisheries loss and an action plan will be put in place to
compensate the affected fishermen, he said.
So far, almost 100 kilometers of area has been affected
by the oil-spill, of which almost 70 kms area is covered by
mangroves.
BNHS is studying the impact of the oil-spill in these areas
and after that they will prepare a detailed report, Ramesh
said, adding the Government is also planning to initiate a
plan for regeneration of mangroves in the affected areas.
The minister said that it may take more time for Jawaharlal
Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) and Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) to
become fully operational.
The environment minister also said that the damages
caused by the oil-spill are quiet tangible.
"There are areas where mangroves are totally washed out,
while it has also affected the marine life in those areas," he
said, adding fuel oil-spill is more dangerous than crude
which vapourises easily.
He said that senior authorities of the Jawaharlal Nehru
Port Trust (JNPT) and Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) have
decided to launch Tier-I system compliance (a safety
management system) with the oil companies in next 7-8months.
On operations at both JNPT and MbPT, the Minister said
"it might take little longer to get them fully operational. So
far, there are 83 containers physically accounted out of
250," he said.
Source http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Govtassessing-damage-due-to-oil-spillRamesh/articleshow/6312103.cms
13 August 2010
MUMBAI OIL SPILL TO INCUR
LOSS USD 4 BILLION BY WEEKEND
Four billion dollar of trade will be lost if the oil spill off
the Mumbai coast is not dealt with by the weekend. The
situation has already prompted exporters and importers to
ask the government for financial relief, reports CNBCTV18.
The recent oil spill off the Mumbai coast has disrupted
cargo traffic at JNPT and Mumbai port. And if the
situation is not addressed by the end of the week, the
Federation of Indian Export Organizations (FIEO) estimates
that USD 4 billion of trade cargo will be lost.
Afterall, these two ports handle 60% of India’s container
traffic. The FIEO says that losses are mounting with each
day of delay. It pegs losses to Indian importers and
exporters at USD 20 million by the end of the week. The
Federation is now asking the government to help contain
these financial losses by waiving demurrage, detention and
other charges which arise from suspension of operations
at the ports.
Oil companies, meanwhile, are putting on a brave face, for
now. They say that fuel production at their Mumbai plants
are normal, and add that the port disruption will not mean
a shortage of supplies, for the time being. ONGC is also
working to compensate for the blocked ports by diverting
crude to its two facilities through pipeline.
This measure, it says, will ensure supplies are not
impaired. Officials at oil marketing companies IOC, BPCL
and HPCL agree, saying they have enough inventories to
survive this crisis.
The Maharashtra government is going all out to assure the
people that port activities will resume as soon as possible.
But experts point out that if port operations remain
suspended past the 15th of august, Mumbai could run out
of fuel.
Source http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/economy/mumbaioil-spill-to-incur-loss-usd-4-billion-byweekend_477347.html
13 August 2010
HUMAN NOISE
POLLUTION IN OCEAN
CAN LEAD FISH AWAY
FROM GOOD HABITATS
AND OFF TO THEIR
DEATH
ScienceDaily (Aug. 13, 2010) — The growing amount of
human noise pollution in the ocean could lead fish away
from good habitat and off to their death, according to new
research from a UK-led team working on the Great Barrier
Reef.
After developing for weeks at sea, baby tropical fish rely
on natural noises to find the coral reefs where they can
survive and thrive. However, the researchers found that
short exposure to artificial noise makes fish become
attracted to inappropriate sounds.
In earlier research, Dr Steve Simpson, Senior Researcher in
the University of Bristol's School of Biological Sciences
discovered that baby reef fish use sounds made by fish,
shrimps and sea urchins as a cue to find coral reefs. With
human noise pollution from ships, wind farms and oil
prospecting on the increase, he is now concerned that this
crucial behaviour is coming under threat.
He said: "When only a few weeks old, baby reef fish face a
monumental challenge in locating and choosing suitable
habitat. Reef noise gives them vital information, but if they
can learn, remember and become attracted towards the
wrong sounds, we might be leading them in all the wrong
directions."
Using underwater nocturnal light traps, Dr Simpson and his
team collected baby damselfish as they were returning to
coral reefs. The fish were then put into tanks with
underwater speakers playing natural reef noise or a
synthesised mix of pure tones. The next night the fish were
put into specially designed choice chambers (long tubes
with contrasting conditions at each end in which fish can
move freely towards the end they prefer) with natural or
artificial sounds playing. All the fish liked the reef noise,
but only the fish that had experienced the tone mix swam
towards it, the others were repelled by it.
Dr Simpson said: "This result shows that fish can learn a
new sound and remember it hours later, debunking the 3second memory myth."
His collaborator, Dr Mark Meekan added: "It also shows
that they can discriminate between sounds and, based on
their experience, become attracted to sounds which
might really mess up their behaviour on the most
important night of their life."
In noisy environments the breakdown of natural
behaviour could have devastating impacts on success of
populations and the replenishment of future fish stocks.
Dr Simpson said: "Anthropogenic noise has increased
dramatically in recent years, with small boats, shipping,
drilling, pile driving and seismic testing now sometimes
drowning out the natural sounds of fish and snapping
shrimps. If fish accidentally learn to follow the wrong
sounds, they could end up stuck next to a construction site
or follow a ship back out to sea."
The study is published in Behavioral Ecology and was
carried out at Lizard Island Research Station. The work was
supported with a fellowship for Dr Simpson from the UK
Natural Environment Research Council and by the
Australian Institute of Marine Science for Dr Mark Meekan.
Source http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/10080321
2015.htm
11 August 2010
ORISSA PLANS BILL TO
REGULATE FISHING IN CHILIKA LAKE
PTI
Bhubaneswar, Aug 11 (PTI) - In a bid to put curb on
irregular fishery practice and check unsustainable
method of fishing including shrimp culture inside famous
Chilika Lake, Orissa government will introduce Chilika
(regulation and fisheries) Bill-2010."The new act will
regulate fishery practice inside the lake and help in
eliminating illegal practice," Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik
told reporters after chairing the 10th governing body
meeting of Chilika development Authority (CDA).The CDA
would be given penal power to punish violators, he said
adding with its implementation, people earning their
livlihood from the lake would be benefitted.This apart,
considering the potential of the lake, the state
government decided to set up a fishery resource
management plan (FRMP) for holistic management of the
fishery resources of the lake. Official sources said the
government decided to set up an Orissa Wetland
Development Authority to preserve all the wetlands in the
state. Chilika (Regulation and Fisheries) Act, 2010 is under
scrutiny by the law department, the sources said. Besides,
the governing body meeting decided to strengthen
primary fishermen cooperative societies and constitute
Chilika Fishermen Central Cooperative Society
Limited.While dealing with frequent violence over lease
issue, the governing body suggested formation of a unified
leasing system for proper demarcation on ground. Reports
said the fish netted in lake during 2009-10 was 11,955.37
metric tonnes. The market price of the fish during the
period was Rs 82.54 crore. The meeting decided to
distribute insulated ice-boxes to members of the 104
primary fishermen cooperation societies.PTI AAM SUS SUS
Source http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/orissa-plansbill-to-regulate-fishing-in-chilika-lake/222310.html
09 August 2010
RESEARCH SHIP
CHINA’S FIRST FISHERY
CHINA - On August 3, the maiden voyage ceremony of
Nanfeng fishery research ship was held in Guangzhou by
the South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute under
the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences (CAFS).
At the simple yet grand ceremony, Zhang Taolin, Vice
Minister of Agriculture, delivered a speech and, joined
Yang Jian, Chairman of the Supervisory Board for Key Large
State-Owned Enterprises, in sounding the whistle, marking
the sailing of the ship to the waters off the Xisha Islands on
a mission of exploring marine cephalopod resources.
Professor Zhang Xianliang, President of CAFS, expressed
his appreciation to the National Development and Reform
Commission, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of
Science and Technology, and the Ministry of Agriculture
for their great support.
He said that the building and operation of the ship would
make positive contribution to strengthening the research
of fishery resources in the South China Sea, safeguarding
the rights and interests of marine fisheries over there, and
carrying out the national strategic policy of letting fisheries
top the agenda for exploring the Nansha Islands.
Besides, Nanfeng and Beidou research ships (the latter
from the Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute) will work
together like southern and northern flanks to undertake
the task of studying fishery resources and ecological
environment in China’s major waters, and lead CAFS in
playing a significant and supportive role in safeguarding
the rights and interests of ocean fisheries and serving
national strategies.
It is learned that NANFENG is China’s first self-designed
and self-developed comprehensive ship with
independent intellectual rights, dedicated to research in
fishery resources and environmental sciences. The ship of
1,537 gross tons, which is 66.66 meters long and 12.4
meters wide, can sale for 60 days and nights with no stop
in non-restricted waters with the endurance ability of
8,000 miles, and the highest speed of 14 knots. Its seakeeping ability, great resilience and maneuverability makes
possible the sail and investigation under various sea
conditions.
Source http://www.thefishsite.com/fishnews/12809/chinas-firstfishery-research-ship
08 August 2010
NOW, A LIFE-SAVING
DEVICE TO WARN
FISHERMEN BEFORE
THEIR VESSELS CAPSIZE
London. Aug 8 (ANI): A Scottish engineer has developed a
life-saving device that can warn fishermen that their vessel
is about to capsize.
Ayrshire-based Ken Smith, who has been working on the
project for five years, has now developed the SeaWise
monitor that he hopes will prevent accidents.
Up to 60 per cent of all cases of fishing boats being
swamped and turning over, or foundering causes vessels
to get lost at sea.Successful trials have already been
conducted Scottish and Irish fishing boats.
The device consists of a sensor box, which constantly
monitors the stability of a vessel and transmits the
information to a screen placed in the vessel's wheelhouse.
If the sensor detects that stability is threatened, a red
light and an audible warning alert the crew. The crew can
then take action to prevent the vessel capsizing or alert
emergency rescue services that their help might be
required.
"Fishing is the most dangerous industry we have," the
Scotsman quoted Smith of Hook Marine as saying."But
while the accident rate in other industries has been
declining in recent years, there has been no corresponding
reduction in the UK fishing industry."As 60 per cent of
losses are due to instability we think we can make inroads
into that and make the industry much safer," he added.
(ANI)
Source - http://news.oneindia.in/2010/08/08/nowa-lifesaving-device-to-warn-fishermen-before-theirves.html
03 August 2010
MEKONG DAMS
THREATEN RARE GIANT CATFISH
CAMBODIA, LAOS, THAILAND and VIET NAM - Wild
populations of the iconic Mekong giant catfish will be
driven to extinction if hydropower dams planned for the
Mekong River go ahead, says a new report by World
Wildlife Fund (WWF).
The report, River of Giants: Giant Fish of the Mekong,
profiles four giant fish living in the Mekong that rank
within the top 10 largest freshwater fish on the planet. At
half the length of a bus and weighing up to 1,322 pounds,
the Mekong River’s Giant freshwater stingray is the
world’s largest freshwater fish. The critically endangered
Mekong giant catfish ranks third at almost 10 feet in
length and 771 pounds.
The hydropower dam planned on the Mekong River at
Sayabouly Province, northern Laos, is a threat to the
survival of the wild population of Mekong giant catfish.
The Sayabouly dam is the first lower Mekong River
mainstream dam to enter a critical stage of assessment
before construction is approved by the Mekong River
Commission, which includes representatives from
Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.
“A fish the size of a Mekong giant catfish cannot swim
across a large barrier like the Sayabouly dam to reach its
spawning grounds upstream,” said Dekila Chungyalpa,
Director of WWF’s Greater Mekong Program. “Building this
and other dams will lead to the collapse of the wild
population of this iconic species.”
Current scientific information suggests the Mekong giant
catfish migrate from the Tonle Sap Lake in Cambodia up
the Mekong River to spawn in northern Thailand and Laos.
Any dam built on the lower Mekong River mainstream will
block this migration route.
The other Mekong giant fish featured in the report are
the dog-eating catfish, named because it has been caught
using dog meat as bait, and the giant barb, the national
fish of Cambodia and largest barb in the world. At 661
pounds each, these fish tie for fifth place on the global top
ten.
The impacts of lower Mekong River mainstream dams are
not restricted to these Mekong giants; they would also
exacerbate the impacts of climate change on the Mekong
River Delta, one of the world’s most productive regions for
fisheries and agriculture.
Building the Sayabouly dam would reduce sediment
flowing downstream to the Mekong River Delta, increasing
the vulnerability of this area to the impacts of climate
change like sea level rise.
“The Lower Mekong is currently free-flowing but the clock
is ticking,” Mr Chungyalpa said. “We have a rare
opportunity to conserve these freshwater giants and
ensure the livelihoods of millions of people who live along
the Mekong mainstream.”
WWF supports a delay in the approval of the mainstream
dams, including the Sayabouly dam, to ensure a
comprehensive understanding of all the positive and
negative impacts of their construction and operation.
To meet immediate energy demands, WWF promotes
sustainable hydropower projects on tributaries of the
Mekong River, prioritising those that already have
hydropower dams developed on them.
Source http://www.thefishsite.com/fishnews/12772/mekongdams-threaten-rare-giant-catfish