Very Important Study to Be Published in Science Tomorrow

Photo: Boris Worm (Credit: Danny Abriel, Dalhousie University)

Thu Jul 30 12:40:45 2009 Pacific Time

Scientists Document Prospects for Recovery of Fisheries, Call for More Global Action

SANTA BARBARA, Calif., July 30 (AScribe Newswire) -- Scientists have joined forces in a groundbreaking assessment on the status of marine fisheries and ecosystems. The two-year study, based at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and led by Boris Worm of Dalhousie University and Ray Hilborn of the University of Washington, included an international team of 19 co-authors. It shows that steps taken to curb overfishing are beginning to succeed in five of the 10 large marine ecosystems that they examined. The paper, which appears in the July 31 issue of the journal Science, provides new hope for rebuilding troubled fisheries.

The study had two goals: to examine current trends in fish abundance and exploitation rates (the proportion of fish taken out of the sea) and to identify which tools managers have applied in their efforts to rebuild depleted fish stocks. The work is a significant leap forward because it reveals that the rate of fishing has been reduced in several regions around the world, resulting in some stock recovery. Moreover, it bolsters the case that sound management can contribute to the rebuilding of fisheries elsewhere.

Click here to read the full article.

Coastal Voices E Newsletter

Click here to read our Summer 2009 edition of Coastal Voices!

Ecosystem Based Management

Ecosystem-based management is an environmental management approach that recognizes the many interactions within an ecosystem, including humans, rather than considering single issues, species, or ecosystem services in isolation. (Christensen et al. 1996, McLeod et al. 2005)

EBM was initially applied to terrestrial space; but in recent years, there has been increased interest in EBM for management of marine space as well. If you are just learning about EBM, you might be able to benefit from the EBM Roadmap tool, developed by the Ecosystem Based Management Tools Network.

This Roadmap provides information that will help to answer questions about what it really means to take an ecosystem-based management (EBM) approach; how your organization can help move EBM from concept to implementation; and how you can contribute to EBM as part of your work. The website also offers opportunities for further reading, if you just can't get enough of EBM.



Christensen, N. L., A. Bartuska, J. H. Brown, S. Carpenter, C. D'Antonio, R. Francis, J. F. Franklin, J. A. MacMahon, R. F. Noss, D. J. Parsons, C. H. Peterson, M. G. Turner, and R. G. Moodmansee. 1996. The report of the Ecological Society of America Committee on the scientific basis for ecosystem management. Ecological Applications. 6:665-691

McLeod, K. L., J. Lubchenco, S. R. Palumbi, and A. A. Rosenberg. 2005. Scientific Consensus Statement on Marine Ecosystem-Based Management. Signed by 221 academic scientists and policy experts with relevant expertise and published by the Communication Partnership for Science and the Sea

An Interesting MPA Mapping Tool from our Neighbours to the South

I have just come across the MarineMap Decision Support Tool. This interactive site was set up to assist Californian stakeholders in the design of Marine Protected Areas by mapping oceanographic, biological, geological, chemical, and human dimensions of the ocean and coastal areas. This MarineMap tool is a great way for a broad spectrum of stakeholders to understand the diverse range of factors that decision-makers must take into consideration when establishing a network of MPAs. California has kept its promise to establish a network of MPAs, as legislated by the State in the 1999 Marine Life Protection Act.

I hope that in the future, the PNCIMA process will also allow for the establishment of a network of MPAs in British Columbia, and I see the British Columbia Marine Conservation Analysis as a very useful source of information for this and for other marine planning decisions on our coast.

The yellow areas in the map to the right identify the top 50 locations of high conservation value identified by Living Ocean Society’s Conservation Utility Analysis (CUA), completed in 2004. The lessons learned in the CUA are being incorporated into the new and improved BCMCA project.

WWF Releases Results of a Planning Participation Study

Last week, the World Wildlife Fund released the results from a marine planning / community preparedness survey it took last summer and fall in the North Coast communities of Prince Rupert, Terrace, Haida Gwaii and Kitimat. While this survey was not taken in our Northern Vancouver Island communities, the questions that were asked in the survey are very relevant to our experience on the coast as well. The survey results showed that people on the coast usually have very direct linkages to the ocean environment:
"Nearly half of all respondents (48 per cent) said they depend on the marine environment for work while 53 per cent indicated that the ocean is a significant source of food and 65 per cent indicated that it is an important recreation resource. A further 58 per cent said that the marine environment plays a vital role in their cultural traditions and even more so (67 per cent) in family traditions." 1

Another interesting finding from this research is that while 65% of the respondents indicated that they have been involved in a marine planning or consultation processes in the past, only a quarter of them agreed that this involvement had been a positive experience.

While Mike Ambach of WWF in Prince Rupert says that this survey was not specifically designed to fit in with PNCIMA, I do hope that WWF will be able to find some synergy between the two. Most of the concerns brought up by coastal residents in this survey, such as declining fish stocks, climate change, and poor fisheries management could be addressed with an inclusive PNCIMA process.

Have you taken part in marine planning consultations before? Was it a positive experience? What are your suggestions for Fisheries and Oceans Canada as it begins the PNCIMA consultation and planning process?

PNCIMA - One step closer to integrated management?

Last Thursday and Friday, individuals representing many communities along the British Columbia coast came together in Richmond for the first-ever Pacific North Coast Integrated Management Area or PNCIMA forum. At this forum were representatives from Federal, Provincial, Municipal, and First Nations government. Also present were representatives from many other interests: including commercial and recreational fisheries, academia, renewable and nonrenewable energy, environmental organizations, transportation, and aquaculture.

Over the two days, we heard informative presentations and had many discussions about what integrated marine planning on our coast should entail. While there were limited opportunities for the public to be heard during the plenary sessions, I hope that the two small group break-out sessions allowed everyone the ability to ask questions, give comments, and provide feedback about the future direction of PNCIMA. There certainly was not consensus about the best way to move forward with PNCIMA, but no one in attendance seemed to debate the fact that integrated planning on our coast is necessary and overdue.
This first PNCIMA forum has certainly sparked a dialogue about marine planning on our coast; and I hope that planning for PNCIMA continues to gain momentum as time goes on. Personally, I would like to see the PNCIMA steering committee out in the communities in the upcoming weeks and months, disseminating the knowledge gained at the Forum and collaboratively charting the way forward with concrete action items and deliverables.

Did you participate in the PNCIMA Forum last week (either in person or via webcast)? What were your overall impressions? How do plan to be engaged in the management of our coast in the future?

Coastal Fling

Check out this new game about Pncma: http://www.coastalfling.com/
See how many people you can get back to their homes in Pncima and then register your score. The top score at the end of March will win a collector Pncima - Floats my Boat ball cap.

This game is fun (and addicting), but I'm rubbish at this sort of thing so sadly, I will be no competition for the ball cap! After you play, have a look at this new website - http://www.pncimamatters.ca/

And if you haven't been following my past postings, the first Pncima Forum is March 26 and 27th of this year. You have to register at pncima.org. There is no registration fee to attend the Forum. However, you must pre-register by March 15, 2009.

Have fun!

PNCIMA Dates!

For those of you who have an interest or a stake in how the government plans the use of our local marine resources, you might be interested in attending the PNCIMA Forum in Richmond, on March 26 and 27th. There is funding available for stakeholders from the North Island to attend, if you apply for the funding before March 9.

On Thursday, March 5 from 6:15 - 9:00 pm the Department of Fisheries and Oceans will be holding a community meeting in Port Hardy, at Malone's Oceanside Bistro. The purpose of this meeting is to:

• Give the community an overview of the PNCIMA initiative
• Offer an opportunity for input on engagement, values and issues specific to the PNCIMA initiative
• Inform the community about the PNCIMA forum to be held in Richmond on March 26 and 27

Anyone from the community is welcome at both the March 5 event and the March 26-27 event. Hopefully I'll see you there!

Pacific Ocean Shelf Tracking Project

A POST Scientist checks the growth of a tagged salmon smolt

Photo Credit: POST Photo Gallery [www.postcoml.org]

The Pacific Ocean Shelf Tracking Project (POST) is a resource for "tracking the movement and estimated survival of marine animals along the West Coast of North America, using acoustic transmitters implanted in a variety of species, and a series of receivers running in lines across the continental shelf."1 POST began its tracking work in 2001, focusing specifically on finding out what happens to salmon when they leave the rivers and enter the ocean. Today, with additional funders, POST has expanded from just studying salmon migration to tracking a vast array of marine life on the West Coast.

An acoustic unit is deployed. Each unit is equipped with a yellow flotation device, white acoustic modem, and black acoustic receiver. Photo Credit: POST Photo Gallery [www.postcoml.org]

Tools such as the Pacific Ocean Shelf Tracking project are helpful in understanding key aspects of the biology of marine species and our oceans. When I look at POST from a marine planning perspective, I am reminded that our entire ecosystem is important to planning; and that fresh water systems are indeed quite connected to the rest of the ocean.

To learn more about POST, and to watch an informative video about how it works, visit: http://www.postcoml.org/

Blue is the New Green - Family Film Nights on Haida Gwaii

BBC's Deep Blue Trailer

This weekend, Haida Fisheries and the Haida Oceans Technical Team offered a Family Film Night in Masset on Friday and in Skidegate on Saturday. Living Oceans Society helped to sponsor this event, so I was able to go up to Haida Gwaii to talk about Living Oceans and to watch the videos in both communities.

The first movie shown was "Once Upon a Tide" - a fantastic 10-minute animated film created by the Center for Health and Global Environment at Harvard Medical School. This film tells the story of a young girl's first trip to see the ocean. To watch this video you can visit the Once Upon a Tide website.

The second film that was shown was the BBC's Deep Blue (see above for the video trailer), a 90 minute film comprising of amazing footage of the incredible life found in our oceans around the world.

After watching these two films, it is hard to remain indifferent about our oceans. I hope that the community members who took part in the film night will also plan to attend Gaaysiigang - An Ocean Forum for Haida Gwaii on January 22-24.

On a personal note: I found my weekend up in Haida Gwaii quite valuable as well. Seeing a new place on the PNCIMA coast and being able to talk to the intelligent, invested, and gracious people who live there helped me to (once again) see the value in integrated marine planning. As the movie demonstrated, we all rely on the ocean to provide us with many different vital services. Planning for our oceans needs to incorporate the interests of everyone (and everything) that shares our coast. And what a beautiful coast it is!

Oil Hungry Nation

Some news from south of the border shows how important it is to maintain British Columbia’s moratorium on offshore drilling. Besides the reality that spills can have devastating effects on sea life, the hungry oil companies seem to be waiting for any opportunity to drill.

I didn’t know it, but America’s 27 year old moratorium on offshore drilling was allowed to lapse this last year when Congress failed to renew it. So now, a nation addicted to oil, with a new president and new adminstration, is considering drilling off the coasts of both Oregon and California. Seizing on this, the Department of the Interior has moved to open some or all of federal waters, which begin 3 miles from shore and are outside of state control for exploration beginning in 2010. This means there could be drilling rigs as early as 2012.

The surprising thing is that Obama is somewhat vague on how he is going to respond to this. As well, his designated interior secretary and head of the nation's ocean-drilling agency, Sen. Ken Salazar, hasn't said what he would do in coastal waters. And Obama, while indicating he wants to move America away from its addiction to oil, has also implied that he is open to the idea of offshore drilling if it is part of a comprehensive package, adding that he would turn over the question to his team.

Even more frightening is this: "We've been encouraged that the president-elect has chosen Sen. Salazar," said Dan Naatz, vice president for federal resources with the Independent Petroleum Association of America, a group with 5,000 members that drill 90 percent of the oil and natural gas wells in the United States. "He's from the West, and he understands federal land policy, which is really key."

Much of this activity began last summer when fuel prices shot through the roof and America was wrestling with foreign oil dependency issues. We are prone to the same forces here in Canada and therefore must remain vigilant that the BC moratorium remains!

Roger

The recent winner of the J Paul Getty award for conservation is a champion of marine planning, and he comes from a small coastal community, just like my hometown, Port McNeill. This marine-conservation champion's name is Roger and fishing is one of the most important sources of income for those in his community. Local fishermen use nets, lines, and spear diving to catch fish. In an interview with the BBC, this prize-winner mentions that he has seen fish stocks rapidly decline over the years in his village, and he is worried about the local corals and sea grass that are being destroyed by bottom-dragging fishing techniques. In his small coastal town, he sees the impacts that unsustainable practices have on the livelihood of his villages, and has spent much of his time advocating for community-managed marine protected areas.

It is a hard job to get people to think about the sustainability of the oceans; and four hours away in the capital city, people seem too far removed to understand or to really think much about the future of the oceans.

All of Roger's concerns sound like concerns that we have have on the Pacific North Coast. Is he from Sointula, Sandspit, or perhaps Prince Rupert?

Actually, he's from Africa.

Samba Roger, living in Andavadoaka, a fishing community on the island of Madagascar, is just one example of the type of people who are taking action to preserve our ocean ecosystems worldwide.



To see a great photo presentation about Samba Roger, click here.

Oily Lesson

I think we can be learning lessons from California. On one of their offshore oil rigs last week, over 27 barrels of oil spilled from a finger sized hole in a pump. The result was a slick a mile and a half long by 200 feet wide. They say no birds were caught in the oil but also that often, “Oiled birds are not spotted until they wash ashore, dead or dying because the oil has ruined their ability to keep warm.”

Since 1972, there are two moratoriums have protected British Columbia's coastline from the threat of oil spills.

However there are several proposals for pipeline projects to deliver oil from Alberta's tar sands to the North Coast. These proposals call for oil tanker traffic loaded with crude from the pipelines to travel through B.C.'s coastal waters. But our federal government is already ignoring the moratorium on tanker traffic. Since early 2006, tankers carrying condensate have traveled through the Inside Passage to Kitimat.

Now, the federal government is considering lifting its offshore oil and gas moratorium on the North Coast, and the B.C. government wants the entire moratorium lifted to allow offshore oil and gas development in the Strait of Georgia and off the west coast of Vancouver Island. Yikes!
The risk is high for very little gain. Even the top end estimates predict that B.C.’s offshore reserves would produce only enough oil and gas to satisfy U.S. consumption for six months. Surely the risks are not worth it!

I find our oil spill model to be a good graphic reminder about what could potentially happen on our coast from an oil spill. Check it out:
http://www.livingoceans.org/programs/energy/model/spill_model/oil_spill_model.shtml

Here's an article about the California spill from the LA Times:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-oilspill9-2008dec09,0,3221617.story

A Step in the Right Direction

Finally! Some progress towards integrated marine planning in the Large Ocean Management Area (LOMA) of PNCIMA (Pacific North Coast Integrated Management Area). Late last week, coastal First Nations and DFO signed an Memorandum of Understanding regarding the PNCIMA planning process. In a press release published late Friday, DFO states :

"The MOU outlines a "PNCIMA Model", including a proposed method of governing and support for PNCIMA initiatives within the area. It also calls for the establishment of a steering committee and secretariat to guide and support future planning efforts and the involvement of all those with a vested interest in PNCIMA. In addition, the MOU sets out the expectation that DFO and the First Nations of the Pacific North Coast (Coastal First Nations (CFN)), and the North Coast Skeena First Nations' Stewardship Society (NCSFNSS), will work together on integrated ocean planning in the area."

Hopefully, this MOU will act as the impetus for concrete action towards conservation and planning on the Pacific North Coast. Stay tuned!

Read the Environmental NGO Caucus' reaction to the MOU signing here.

Together on the Coast: North Coast Sustainable Community Development Forum

A couple of weeks ago I was fortunate to attend a conference held in Prince Rupert by the North Coast-Skeena First Nations Stewardship Society.

The objectives of the meeting were to:

* Inform and enhance the engagement of North Coast communities in Marine Planning.
* Initiate dialogue among numerous levels of government and stakeholders in the North Coast on issues affecting marine ecosystems.
* Inform the public of the planning activities currently underway by First Nations.
* Provide case-studies of how community engagement can be an important and successful part of marine management decision-making.

The most interesting part of the meeting for me came at the very end when there was a discussion about the need for an ocean champion - someone who helps shepherd the changes around ocean management and conservation that need to happen through a marine planning process. As people spoke about their experiences, their passions, and their dedication to ensuring that the ocean continues to provide for their families and communities, it became very clear that we already have ocean champions. Everyone in that room was a champion. The trick now is harnessing that passion and energy to ensure that we get a marine planning process that will benefit our resources and our future.

For more information on the conference go to:

http://www.togetheronthecoast.org/

ESSIM

This past week, I attended the 4th ESSIM Forum Workshop in Halifax. The ESSIM (the Eastern Scotian Shelf Integrated Management) Initiative was the Canada's first integrated ocean management plan under the 1996 Canada's Oceans Act.

Since 1998, stakeholders in the Eastern Scotian Shelf area have been working towards the creation of a plan to "provide long-term direction and commitment for integrated, ecosystem-based and adaptive management of marine activities." (ESSIM Planning Office, 2007)

In previous years, the ESSIM Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC) used the bi-annual Forum as a broad multi-stakeholder dialogue on integrated management and marine planning. Insight gained from ESSIM forums were then integrated into future SAC decisions about the ESSIM initiative. In 2007, the ESSIM SAC officially released its Integrated Ocean Management Plan - a reflection of almost 10 years of effort from committed stakeholders.

This year, the overall goal of the ESSIM forum was to focus upon making the shift from planning to implementation of the integrated management process. A focus session on Marine Spatial Planning, led by the United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) Fanny Douvere and Charles Ehler reflected the SAC's identification of Marine Spatial Planning as a key component to the implementation of the ESSIM plan.

There was a strong representation from the West Coast at this forum, with representatives from the Living Oceans Society, the David Suzuki Foundation, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (Pacific Region), and the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society among others swelling the ranks of forum attendees. It is important for all those involved in the PNCIMA planning process to understand and learn from the ESSIM management process. Because PNCIMA is just in the preliminary stage, ESSIM is about 10 years ahead of us in the Large Ocean Management Area marine planning process.

Here is a snippet of the advice that the ESSIM participants provided for those involved in PNCIMA:
1. There must be confidence in the planning process amongst all of the various stakeholders. This is very important but also very time-consuming.
2. Because planning is time-consuming, expectations must be managed. Everything is not going to get done in a year or two, and all stakeholders must understand this.
3. It will be important to build a constituency in this initiative. Engage the local voting public: they will be able to keep the focus on planning activities over time.
4. PNCIMA must involve all aboriginal peoples in the region. There are a multitude of First Nations on the BC coast, many more than in the ESSIM constituency, and they should be strong stakeholders in the planning process.
5. At the beginning of the process, it will be important to look early on at the expected outcomes, and stick to this vision over time. Also, don't shy away from controversial issues at the beginning of the process - discuss them openly and honestly at the beginning of the process. If not, the controversial issues will slow the process later on, potentially halting the momentum gained over time.

For more information about ESSIM, visit http://www.mar.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/oceans/e/essim/essim-intro-e.html

A Living Legacy: Canada's Pacific North Coast

2010 Census of Marine Life

Juvenile representatives of the Antarctic and deep-sea genera of octopuses. Clockwise from top left , (1) Pareledone charcoti, a shallow-water species from the Antarctica Peninsula, (2) Thaumeledone gunteri, a deep-water species endemic to South Georgia, (3) Adelieledone polymoprha, a species endemic to the western Antarctic, (4) Megaleledone setebos, a shallow-water circum-Antarctic species endemic to the Southern Ocean. Photo credit: I. Everson (T. gunteri), M. Rauschert (M. setebos), L. Allcock (P. charcoti. A, polymorpha).

In the year 2000, researchers in over 80 countries collaborated to begin the most important marine census of our time. Appropriately named the "Census of Marine Life" or COML, this census was designed to gather in-depth information about all of the species found in our oceans worldwide. By 2010, the Census organizers plan to have all of the information about newly-discovered and previously known species in an on-line encyclopedia and web page.

This study is unprecedented and will result in the first comprehensive list of all forms of life in the sea. So far, researchers have added over 5600 species to the list, and they believe that there are many more species yet to be discovered.

A male sea spider carries its eggs on specially adapted appendages under its body; it is one of many possible new species from the Antarctic. Census researchers are trying to understand the evolutionary history of these curious animals. Photo: Cédric d’Udekem, Royal Belgium Institute for Natural Sciences 2007.

When I found out about this census, I could not believe that a study of its kind had not yet been attempted. Many will agree that this census is timely and COML has even classified this research as urgent:

"Crises in the sea are reported regularly. One recent study predicted the end of commercial fishery globally by 2050, if current trends persist. Better information is needed to fashion the management that will sustain fisheries, conserve diversity, reverse losses of habitat, reduce impacts of pollution, and respond to global climate change. Hence, there are biological, economic, philosophical and political reasons to push for greater exploration and understanding of the ocean and its inhabitants."
[www.coml.org/about]

The jeweled squid, Histioteuthis bonelli, swims above the Mid-Atlantic Ridge at depths from 500 m to 2,000 m. Photo: David Shale 2007.

The impact of this census will even reach us here on the North Island and Central Coast. The more we know about local marine life in our area, the better equipped we will be to make informed decisions about how to best manage our ocean resources.

For more information about the Census of Marine Life (and for many more interesting pictures!), visit www.coml.org.

PNCIMA Resolution Passes at UBCM

At this year's Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) meeting a resolution on the need for marine planning in PNCIMA was passed. The resolution originated out of Alert Bay this Spring and was brought forward and passed at the Association of Vancouver Island Coastal Communities (AVICC). This brought it to UBCM this week. The content of the resolution is as follows:

WHEREAS the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding respecting the implementation of Canada's Oceans Strategy on the Pacific Coast of Canada;

AND WHEREAS the process of integrated planning for the Pacific North Coast Integrated Management Area (PNCIMA) appears to have stalled due to lack of commitment and adequate funding:

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Union of British Columbia Municipalities urge the Government of Canada and the Government of British Columbia to immediately commit to increased engagement and collaboration in the integrated Oceans Management Planning Process for the Pacific Coast of Canada.

The Days of PNCIMA - Introduction

I was hired in 2006 as Living Oceans Society's Marine Planning Specialist. The idea was that I would be the person from LOS who worked to ensure that DFO's imminent planning process for the Pacific North Coast Integrated Management Area (PNCIMA) includes the establishment of a network of MPAs. Everyone thought that the PNCIMA process would be starting that Fall. Well, it's now 2 and 1/2 years later, and the PNCIMA process has yet to officially begin. Needless to say, my job description has changed in that time.

But PNCIMA has pretty much been my life during this time (at least my working life). And sometimes it has very closely resembled a soap opera. There have been tears of joy and frustration, marriages as organizations formed coalitions, lots of gossip, divorces as coalitions dissolved, and car chases (kidding). The plot has managed to move right along, even though the process itself has yet to begin.

Once the PNCIMA process does start, there will be lots to keep track of. So I am starting this blog post as a take on 'The Days of Our Lives', because for many of us, 'Our Lives' can easily be replaced by 'PNCIMA'.

As things move forward with PNCIMA I will try to recap the progress that is being made or notable highlights in 'episodes' on this blog.

Stay tuned for Episode 1!