A meeting at the Linnean Society on 24th November 2011 will unveil the highlights from a decade of research into the Chagos Archipelago; the world’s largest marine protected area (MPA). Organised in partnership with the Chagos Conservation Trust and supported by the Pew Environment Group, this one-day meeting will explore the ecology of the Chagos and the importance of safeguarding the archipelago from the damaging impacts of over-fishing and over-exploitation.

Professor Charles Sheppard, who works part-time at the University of Warwick and for the remainder as an advisor to the UN and Government on tropical marine ecology and conservation, is the lead organiser for the meeting and will oversee a programme of invited speakers discussing varied topics; from how to monitor fish populations in the Chagos to the way ahead for the management of the MPA.

Further information is available from the website of the Linnean Society.

The European Commission is expected to announce a ban on discards during Wednesday this week as part of the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). The shake-up brings victory for TV chef, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall who fronted the Big Fish Fight campaign along with a number of other celebrity chefs including Gordon Ramsey, and Heston Blumenthal. The campaign gained over 700,000 signatures of support and was backed by London’s Selfridges in a bid to raise awareness about the increasing decline of ocean fish stocks.

Currently under the CFP, fishermen are forced to throw back millions of tonnes of dead fish, known as discards, into the sea each year in order to meet legal quotas on size and species. The quotas cause up to 80% of catches to be discarded including edible and often endangered species in order to meet the current rules. Such unsustainable practice has been blamed for the severe decline in North Sea fish stocks which have plummeted to less than 10% of post-war levels, driving species such as Cod and Haddock to breaking point.

The reform will see the end of such wasteful methods with the scrapping of discards. The new plans are also expected to adopt a more scientific approach to the management of fish stocks, with the aim to limit catches to a sustainable level by 2015. Following the announcement, MEP’s will have a year to consult on the plans before they become legislation in 2012. The Commission admits that the reform – which is the biggest in 40 years, will mean some job losses. Yet they argue that the cost of no action will be far greater, and state support will be given to those affected.

A panel of scientists has today concluded that the planets oceans are in an even worse state that previously considered, with some referring to the results as “shocking”.

The report, written by experts on coral reefs, fisheries, climate and pollution that form the International Program on the State of the Ocean (IPSO) concludes that ocean life is “at high risk of entering a phase of extinction of marine species unprecedented in human history”. The reason for this decline in marine life is human induced climate change, pollution and over-fishing.

“What we’re seeing at the moment is unprecedented in the fossil record” said Alex Rogers, Scientific Director of the IPSO and Professor of conservation biology at Oxford University. In the past, mass extinctions took place over millions of years, not overnight as often perceived. The rate of decline seen today exceeds the speed at which the previous 5 mass extinctions took place, which some say indicates that we are now moving into a 6th period of mass extinction. The report concludes that is too early to say definitively that this is the case, but warns that current trends indicate that such a situation is likely to occur in the future.

The report presented to government at the UN headquarters in New York later this week during discussions on the reform of ocean governance. The publication will recommend three main changes to marine policy:

1. Making swift reductions in green house gas emissions
2. Reducing the input of pollutants
3. Bringing a stop to exploitative fishing

Pressures to implement action are supported both economically and in terms of human welfare. At present, coral reefs are estimated to be worth millions through tourism and for sea-defense, but 75% are at risk of severe decline. While a huge 70% of the world’s population reply on fish as their main source of protein, yet 50% of fisheries still remain classified as unsustainable in the UK alone.

Report contributor Dan Laffoley, an advisor to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) however remained positive, saying that “unlike previous generations, we know what now needs to happen”.

Aquaculture is the fastest growing food production sector but there is still a great deal of uncertainty surrounding it’s environmental impact and how this is likely to change into the future as the sector expands to meet global food demands. A new report published by Conservation International and the WorldFish Centre investigating the aquaculture sector has identified some of the challenges in ensuring that the sector minimises adverse impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services whilst maintaining high growth to respond to global food shortages as population size increases.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation estimate that around 84% of the world’s fish stocks are already over exploited indicating that fisheries will not be able to meet the protein demands of a rapidly growing population. Fish farming is becoming increasingly common (the sector has grown by 8.4% per annum since 1970) particularly in Asia and Africa, and now accounts for around half of all the fish we consume reducing pressure on natural fish stocks.

To identify the main sources of environmental damage in the industry and establish opportunities for increasing sustainability into the future the researchers investigated several different methods of aquaculture, measuring their inputs (fertilizers, energy, land and water) and outputs (carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and phosphorus) and then estimated the impact of the enterprise on ecosystems and biodiversity (acidification, eutrophication, and climate change).

Perhaps unsurprisingly the enterprises producing the largest quantity of fish had the highest environmental impact. The type of fish reared also has implications for the sustainability of the fishery, for example rearing carnivorous fish such as salmon and rearing shrimps and prawns which are highly dependent on temperature control decreases the efficiency of the enterprise and increases emission of nitrogen and green house gases. Seaweeds, oysters and mussels were found to have the lowest environmental impact.

A comparison between sectors was also included in the report, showing that aquaculture has a much smaller demand on fresh water and energy than poultry, pig and cattle farming, and has lower outputs of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus.

By 2030 the sector is expected to double in size, producing 110 million tonnes of fish and seafood and the associated environmental impact is also expected to double. The report makes a series of research and policy recommendations to ensure that the sector is sustainable in the future, whilst simultaneously meeting the global demand for meat.

These include research into innovative methods to increase sustainability and improve efficiency, establishing regional networks to help improve efficiency in developing countries and promote best practice, and a variety of legislative measures to monitor the sector and promote compliance with environmental standards. The report also emphasises the importance of preventing new enterprises from establishing in important carbon sinks such as mangrove swamps

The report suggests that aquaculture may be the best solution to the global demand for meat as requirements for energy water and land are only a fraction of that for pig, cattle and poultry farming. Aquaculture will most likely be able to produce the most meat for the least demand on ecosystems, and the report indicates that fish farming should be promoted in policy to slow expansion of the other meat production sectors.

Spanish officials today seized over £4 million worth of illegally caught fish landed in the Canary Islands. It is thought the move is the start of a new EU scheme to prevent to deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing after new regulations were introduced last year. The fish seized, weighing over 1100 tonnes, were destined for sale in Europe.

Illegal fishing of the coast of West Africa is a serious problem for local people, who rely on fishing for employment and as a source of protein. EU officials estimate that Sierra Leone loses around $29 million per year as a result of illegal fishing. Declines in fish stocks can increase pressure on other natural resources such as bush meat. Environmental Justice Foundation, the organisation to which the illegal fishing was first reported, said that the EU needs to take more responsibility for policing it’s waters. Among the species illegally caught were octopus, squid, sole, shrimp, and grouper some of which are known to be endangered or have depleted stocks.

Three boats involved in the illegal fishing, owned by South Korea, Panama, and China, were apprehended in the port of Las Palmas. Fish were taken from waters off the coast of Sierra Leone which are reserved for use by local fishermen under international fishing agreements. Other allegations were also made against the vessels, including use of child labour, damage to the local fishermen’s equipment, and even assault. EU officials noted that illegal fishing often goes hand in hand with other criminal activities.

This move is the most drastic action the European Union has ever taken on illegal fishing and a second strike is planned for later this year. Europe is currently investigating the activities of over 70 vessels from both member states and other countries. If vessels are found to be involved in illegal fishing they can be banned from landing fish in any European port, excluding them from the world’s biggest market for fish. Europe is also demanding answers from the Panamanian authorities who provided certificates to show that the fish landed were caught within international fishing agreements which protect certain areas for use by local fishermen.

See Fish worth £4m seized in EU crackdown on illegal fishing by Robert Booth for more information.

So says Nancy Knowlton, chair of Marine Sciences at the Smithsonian, in an article for the Guardian by Suzanne Goldenberg. A new report from the World Resources Institute “Reefs at Risk Revisited” suggests that three-quarters of the world’s coral reefs are at risk from overfishing, pollution and climate change.

The report serves as an update to the 1998 publication “Reefs at Risk”- the first global, quantitative assessment of threats to coral reefs ever conducted. Since this initial report, the threat posed to reefs worldwide from climate change has grown. Reefs are threatened by a combination of local pressures – such as overfishing, particularly in the Indian and Pacific Oceans where aggressive dynamite fishing has left reefs in a parlous state – and global stressors. An increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and therefore in the sea, is leading to ocean acidification which prevents corals from laying down their calcium-rich exoskeletons, and increases in temperature which are killing the photosynthetic unicellular algae (’zooxanthellae’) which make it possible for coral to survive. Such coral ‘bleaching’ is becoming more widespread.

If climate change is not addressed, virtually all of the world’s coral reefs will be in danger by 2050. However the report gives reasons for optimism, suggesting in particular that Marine Protected Areas can prove a useful tool in coral conservation. Dr Mark Spalding, Nature Conservancy, based in Cambridge, UK, says that “Well managed marine protected areas are one of the best tools to safeguard reefs…At their core, reefs are about people as well as nature: ensuring stable food supplies, promoting recovery from coral bleaching, and acting as a magnet for tourist dollars. We need to apply the knowledge we have to shore up existing protected areas, as well as to designate new sites where threats are highest, such as the populous hearts of the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, East Africa and the Middle East”.

The report provides additional information to policy-makers, business leaders, ocean managers, and others which can aid them in developing means to better manage coral reefs and to ensure that the threats they face are adequately tackled. Speaking at the launch of the report in the U.S., Dr Jane Lubchenco, of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminstration (NOAA), and under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere under President Barack Obama, commented that “It will take a Herculean effort to reverse the current trajectory and leave a healthy ecosystem to our children and grandchildren”.

Half of all fish caught in the North Sea are thrown back dead. This is due to strict fishing quotas set out by the EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) that limit the number of fish landed each day. Although these quotas were originally developed with the intention to help conserve fish stocks, they are in fact doing the exact opposite and forcing fishermen to throw back thousands of dead fish, known as discard, every day.

The problem occurs because in a mixed fishery, where species other than the target fish live, non-target species get caught along with the desired catch, and are then later thrown back over-board dead. This is not only a waste of food but has absolutely no benefit to conservation.

In response, the Big Fish Fight kicked off on Channel 4 this month. The campaign aims to lobby change in EU fisheries policy in order to make fishing more sustainable, as well as encourage the public to diversify their eating habits, and increase supermarket sourcing awareness.

The high profile campaign is fronted by celebrity chefs including Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay and Heston Blumenthal who have been showcasing sustainable seafood recipes to the public. The campaign is also supported by conservation NGO’s such as WWF and the Marine Conservation Society, who are working to develop solutions to help make the CFP work for fish, fishermen and consumers alike.

The Big Fish Fight has already received tremendous public support, with over half a million people signing up in favor of the CFP reform in 2012. To join the fight and find out more sign up at http://www.fishfight.net

Last night the BES’s Policy Officer attended an event to celebrate the founding of the world’s largest Marine Protected Area (MPA), around the Chagos Archipelago. The programme of talks and networking was organised by the Chagos Conservation Trust, a charitable trust which, with other partners in the Chagos Environment Network, including the RSPB, Royal Society and Pew Environment Group, actively promote conservation of the Chagos. The highlights of the evening however were however two short films which showcased the huge biological diversity of the seas around the Chagos, with turtles, sharks, rays and a huge number of fish species caught on camera. The films also made clear the diversity of avian and crustacean species inhabiting the islands.

The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office designated the waters around the Chagos as a Marine Protected Area on 1st April 2010, following a consultation to which the BES responded. The last license to fish in the seas around the Chagos expired at the end of October, meaning that from the 1st November this year, all fishing is prohibited. The Chagos MPA encompasses more than 500,000 km2 of the Indian Ocean, one of the most heavily fished and degraded oceans in the world. At this size, the MPA represents 13% of all oceans held in protected areas worldwide (which currently equate to 1.12% of oceans, with only 0.08% having total protection, as ‘no take’ zones). At the CBD in Nagoya in October this year, parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity agreed to a target to designate 10% of the ocean’s surface as protected areas by 2020.

Perhaps the most interesting presentation of the evening was delivered by Carl Gustaf Lundin, Head of the IUCN Marine and Polar Programme. The presentation focused on how the MPA can now be taken forward, including priorities for research, the development of regulation and enforcement of the MPA as a no-take reserve. Mr Lundin suggested that ‘zoning’ could be a useful approach to regulation, as in the Great Barrier Reef, proposing that tourism could be allowed in certain areas to provide money to support conservation. He saw enforcement as the priority for the MPA in the next couple of years, suggesting that a lenient attitude had been adopted to date with regard to illegal fishing: he stressed that even the smallest fishing vessels should be stopped.

Following Mr Lundin’s presentation, a representative from the FCO stood up to say a few words. He stressed the commitment of the Coalition Government to the conservation of the MPA in the Chagos, but highlighted the political realities impinging upon the success of the project – mainly relationships with the countries neighbouring the MPA (particularly Mauritius, which does not respect UK sovereignity over the British Indian Ocean Territory). The ongoing legal challenge in the European Court of Human Rights regarding the right of Chagossian Islanders to return to the islands was also highlighted an issue of which to be aware. A judicial review has been sought by some Chagossians regarding the designation of the MPA.

Overall it is clear that challenges lie ahead for the Chagos MPA, particularly regarding illiegal fishing and providing finance for enforcement of the area’s protected status. However it is clear that designation of the MPA is a very important step, both to safeguard the Chagos’ own phenomenal biodiversity and to provide a test bed for important scientific research, but also as an example which other nations can follow in order to reach the ambitious targets set at Nagoya.

The report of the BES – UK BRAG joint session on ‘The UK Marine and Coastal Act- what does it mean for biodiversity research?‘ has been published online. The session saw speakers from Defra, the JNCC, Marine Biological Association and University of Bangor join participants for a wide-ranging discussion at the University of Leeds, taking place as part of the BES Annual Meeting (6-9 September).

Our speakers, and their topics, were:

Alison Reeves, Deputy Director, Marine Stewardship Team, Defra: An introduction to the Marine and Coastal Access Act
Prof. Mike Kaiser, University of Bangor: Managing Conflicts and Conflict Resolution
Dr Matt Frost, Executive Secretary, Marine Biological Association: Ecosystem Services from the Marine and Coastal Environment

The session was Chaired by Dr John Goold, Marine Director at JNCC.

In consultation with partners and stakeholders, the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has selected the sea areas off the coast between Flamborough Head in East Riding of Yorkshire to Felixstowe in Suffolk (known formally as East Inshore and East Offshore) as the first two English marine plan areas that will be developed from April 2011.

These two area plans will be the first in a series that will, over the coming years, grow to become a comprehensive marine planning system around England, enabling the effective integration of economic, social and environmental factors and promoting the sustainable development of our seas.

See more at http://www.marinemanagement.org.uk/news.

Taken from the Society of Biology’s weekly Science Policy News digest.