Bangladesh dolphins get Sundarbans sanctuaries

BBC News, by Anbarasan Ethirajan, Dhaka, 31 October

The dolphins are among the world's most endangered mammals
(Photo: Rubaiyat Mansur Mowgli)

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Bangladesh is declaring three areas in the southern Sundarbans mangrove forest as dolphin sanctuaries to protect freshwater dolphins, officials say.

Conservationists say the mangrove forest is the only place in the world where the Ganges river dolphins and Irrawaddy dolphins are found.

These dolphins are among the world's most endangered mammals.

Fishermen normally do not target them, but the animals get entangled in fishing nets and drown.

They are also threatened by rising salinity levels and pollution.

"We have decided to declare Dhangmari, Chandpai and Dudhmukhi areas of eastern Sundarbans as dolphin sanctuaries so that these mammals can survive in a safe environment," Tapan Kumar Dey, a senior wildlife conservation official, told the BBC.

He said the three water segments were identified as dolphin hotspots by the Wildlife Conservation Society's Bangladesh Cetacean Diversity Project (BCDP), which has been doing research in Bangladesh.

'Clearly demarcated'

Mr Dey said an official notification on establishing the sanctuaries will be issued by the ministry of environment soon.

"The waterways in these areas will be clearly demarcated and there will be signpostings so that local fishermen will not venture into this region for fishing," Mr Dey said.

Environmentalists say the diverse aquatic ecosystem of the Sundarbans support an impressive variety of cetaceans - whales, dolphins and porpoises.

While Ganges river dolphins find safe haven in the upper regions of Sundarbans, Irrawaddy dolphins thrive in the southern parts, which are closer to the Bay of Bengal.

The decision by the forest department coincided with a new survey by the BCDP which, apart from freshwater dolphins, also reported sightings of the finless porpoises and an Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin in western Sundarbans.

These two cetacean species, which are normally found along the coast, migrate upriver in Sundarbans mostly during winter, when the salinity level is high. They go back after fresh water starts flowing into the rivers.

The nine-day survey was conducted in the western part of Sundarbans mangrove forests earlier this month.

"This year we encountered many of them during the recent survey, soon after the rains when the salinity level is low. Their presence in this region at this time may be an indication of the rising salinity level," Rubaiyat Mansur Mowgli, principal researcher of the BCDP said.

"Our preliminary results indicate that there is a high density of dolphin population in western Sundarbans as well and some areas there might also be identified as dolphin hotspots," Mr Mowgli said,

However, he warned that the identification of new dolphin hotspots does not mean the animals are thriving in Sundarbans.

"Declining freshwater supplies and rising sea levels due to global climate change are affecting the dolphin population," Mr Mowgli said.

Two years ago, researchers found that there were nearly 6,000 Irrawaddy dolphins - which are related to orcas or killer whales - in the waterways of Sundarbans mangrove forests and the nearby coastal waters of the Bay of Bengal.

Dutch help clean up NZ oil spill

RNW, 10 October 2011

A container ship which ran onto a reef off the coast of New Zealand is no longer leaking oil. Cor Radings, spokesman for the partly Dutch-based company Svitzer Salvage says they will start on Tuesday cleaning up the oil spilled in the Bay of Plenty, an important habitat for dolphins, whales, penguins and seals.

“On Sunday we began pumping the fuel to a tanker moored nearby, until the weather conditions forced a temporary halt. We’re also preparing to remove the containers, although the angle of the ship will make it difficult. ”

Svitzer Salvage is leading an operation involving 250 specialists from Australia, Great Britain, Singapore and the Netherlands, with 300 New Zealand servicemen standing by.

It’s not clear how the Rena, A Greek ship sailing under a Liberian flag, ran aground in fine weather on a reef clearly marked on all charts. It can’t be moved until the containers have been removed and even then it could still break up and leak more oil.

So far the environmental damage has not been as bad as was feared, with only a few seabirds and penguins covered in oil.

The New Zealand authorities say they will investigate all aspects of the case, including possible alcohol use by the crew.

In this photo provided by Maritime New Zealand, shipping containers float 

Wednesday, in the water around the cargo ship Rena that has been foundering

 since it ran aground Oct. 5 on the Astrolabe Reef, about 14 miles (22 kilometers) 

from Tauranga Harbour, New Zealand. The condition of the stricken cargo ship

 stuck that is leaking oil worsened Wednesday, with about 70 containers falling 

overboard and the vessel moving onto a steeper lean.

(AP/Maritime New Zealand, Blair Harkness)

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Govt eyes more cruise ship visits to RI

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sat, 10/08/2011

The government plans to separate industrial and tourism ports to bring more international cruise liners to Indonesia due to growing demands.

“We have to prepare our ports because they are crowded with cargo ships. International cruise tourists want to see the beauty of the port,” Firmansyah, the Culture and Tourism Ministry’s director general for tourism development, told The Jakarta Post at his office on Friday.

He said that the ministry was collaborating with port operator PT Pelindo I and II as well as local administrations to improve ports including Tanah Ampo and Benoa in Bali, Tanjung Mas in Central Java, Tanjung Priok in Jakarta, Belawan in North Sumatra and Palopo in South Sulawesi.

“We have to admit that we are lacking ground handling facilities. We are working hard so that more international cruise ships can visit Indonesia,” he said, adding that the cruise industry had a lot of promise in Indonesia.

As of September 2011, there were 178 cruise ship calls with 113,766 passengers coming to Indonesia, while in 2010, that figure stood at 198 for the calls that brought 94,228 passengers.

In 2012, he said that as many as 215 calls have been scheduled to visit Indonesian ports, bringing 137,279 passengers.

He added that 2,000-passenger cruise ships had anchored twice in Tanah Ampo this year, including the Australian Sun Princess, which anchored at Tanah Ampo on July 17.

Sun Princess was the first ship to make a stopover after several others canceled their visits due to unfinished docking facilities. With 2,100 passengers and 880 crew on board, the ship made its final stopover in Tanah Ampo before returning to Fremantle, Australia.

Kicking off its journey in Fremantle, the ship went to Padang, Langkawi and Singapore before heading to Vietnam and Cambodia.

“Tanah Ampo still needs a wharf extension to be able to accommodate cruise liners, and we are working on that,” Firmansyah said.

The current pier is only 154 meters long, while the international standard is at least 300 meters.

Construction is unfinished, despite being was initiated years ago, for lack of around Rp 200 billion (US$23.6 million) budgeted by the central government.

Although docking facilities are not yet finished, cruise ships can anchor some 400 meters away from the wharf and small boats bring passengers and crew to a floating jetty to reach the terminal.

However, Firmansyah was upbeat that the dock would be finished soon because Pelindo and local administrations have felt the benefits. “Indonesia gets at least $1 million from cruise liner business a year,” he said.

Indonesia also plans to make Bali a hub cruise port that will connect several potential ports for foreign tourists in 2014, he said.

From Bali, cruise liners will travel to Semarang, Jakarta, Palopo, Flores and back to Bali.

The ministry is still choosing between Benoa and Tanah Ampo as the hub. However, he said that if Benoa were chosen, it would take much more work and time. (nfo)

Seized Vessel Shines Light on Illegal Fishing

Jakarta Globe, October 09, 2011

Juneau, Alaska. The recent seizure of a stateless ship in international waters 4,200 kilometers off Alaska's coast has spotlighted the challenge that the United States and other nations face in trying to crack down on illegal fishing, an activity that accounts for up to $23.5 billion a year in global economic losses.  

Finding rogue vessels in the vast, open ocean can be like finding a needle in a haystack. But US officials and some environmentalists say progress is being made, including multinational patrol and enforcement agreements and the potential for sanctions against countries that engage in illegal, unreported and unregulated (or IUU) fishing.  

More countries are joining the efforts and there is greater awareness of the illegal fishing issue in the US and Europe, where patrons ask restaurants and shops for the source of their product.  

There are efforts to better track high-value products like bluefin tuna to ensure they were obtained legally, and to keep illegal product out, said Rebecca Lent, director of the Office of International Affairs for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries.  

Such efforts are important because "we can't be out there all the time, watching the boats," she said.  

"I think there's been progress [but] we have to continue; you can't let your guard down," Lent said. "It's like any place where you might have crime or illegal activity. You just have to stay vigilant, if you will."  

The seizure of the Bangun Perkasa was the first of a suspected illegal fishing vessel by the US Coast Guard since 2008.  

The ship was spotted by a Japanese aircraft on Aug. 31 and seized by the Coast Guard on Sept. 7, under an agreement that includes annual patrols of international waters of the Pacific to look for illegal drift-netting. High-seas drift nets are often referred to as "the wall of death" because they capture myriad species the pirates don't intend to use. The United Nations has banned drift netting.  

The drift net on the Bangun Perkasa was about 16 kilometers long and crew members cut it in an attempt to flee, said Capt. Craig Lloyd, chief of response for the Coast Guard in Alaska. Authorities were able to stop the vessel but a second ship in the area got away, he said.  

The Coast Guard reported that 30 tons of squid and about 30 shark carcasses were onboard the rat-infested ship. The vessel arrived near Dutch Harbor in southwest Alaska last weekend after a laborious escort that included two Coast Guard cutters.  

NOAA Fisheries must decide what to do with the ship and catch once the rats are eradicated and the boat is in good enough shape to be brought closer to shore. Alaska law forbids ships with rats from entering state waters.  

The Coast Guard said the crew initially claimed the vessel was from Indonesia but Indonesian officials did not claim it. In the case of a stateless vessel, the US can impose its own law, Lloyd said.  

The 22 crew members are from China, Vietnam, Taiwan and Indonesia, the Coast Guard said. Authorities investigating the case are expected to forward their findings to the US attorney's office.  

Lloyd called the seizure a big win for the international community and for law-abiding fishermen. Still, statistics are elusive as to whether enforcement actions are having a significant impact on the problem.  

The US Commerce Department in a report to Congress this year said that since IUU fishing activities are generally carried out covertly monitoring and detection are difficult.  

Estimates suggest global economic losses due to illegal fishing could be as high as $23.5 billion a year, with the problem a particular concern in the waters off developing countries. John Hocevar, oceans campaign director for the environmental group Greenpeace USA, said losses to sub-Sahara Africa alone are estimated at over $1 billion annually.  

The toll taken by pirate fishing can't be overstated, he said: Fisheries are being depleted, many countries lack the resources to monitor and enforce illegal fishing in their waters, and large ships and powerful gear allow pirates to go farther out on the high seas, meaning, "fish literally have no place to hide."  

He cited a concern with sharks, often targeted because they're prized for shark-fin soup. Sharks have low reproductive rates, he said, leaving them vulnerable if their numbers steeply decline.   

Lent said her agency plans to propose expanding the definition of IUU fishing to include protections for sharks.  

Earlier this year, the Commerce Department reported that it had identified six countries as having engaged in IUU fishing in 2009 or 2010: Colombia, Ecuador, Italy, Panama, Portugal and Venezuela. Twelve other countries were considered but either the allegations were refuted or the nations involved said they'd acted to address the concern.  

Italy, Panama and four other countries — France, Libya, China and Tunisia — were identified in a 2009 report to Congress. But in each case of verified violations, the countries took action against the vessels or persons involved and showed proof of their own efforts, according to the Commerce Department. 

Countries that do not comply run the risk of sanctions including a block on imports.   Hocevar said the federal government now has strong tools to hold other countries accountable if they're supporting illegal fishing. And he thinks NOAA is doing a good job in addressing the problem.  

New technology to monitor vessels and attention to the issue by the United Nations helps, too.  

"But the fact is, we still have a multibillion-dollar problem on our hands," he said, "and we still have a long way to go."  

Associated Press  

Ministry to build 16,000 houses for fishermen

The Jakarta Post, Thu, 10/06/2011

The Public Housing Ministry says it will build around 16,000 affordable across the country, especially for fishermen.

“We will build around 16,000 very inexpensive houses for fishermen. The locations will be all throughout Indonesia and will later be determined by the Maritime Affairs and Fishery Ministry,” Public Housing Minister Suharso Monoarfa said Thursday as quoted by tribunnews.com.

He said he hoped that the houses, to be priced between Rp 6 million (US$672) and Rp 11 million, would reduce the backlog of housing in the country and also improve the prosperity of fishermen.

“Although they [fishermen] go to sea for two to three weeks at a time, they have homes to return to. Of course we don’t want them living in uninhabitable houses. It is hoped that through this cheap housing, fishermen and their families can have a better quality of life,” he said.

Russia to sell off its nuclear ice-breaker fleet

RT.com, 04 October, 2011

Ice-breaker (RIA Novosti / Vadim Zhernov)

A state-run company that operates atomic ice-breakers in Russia may soon become private.

AtomFleet has been removed from the list of previously untouchable assets.

This, however, does not mean the state is going to sell it off completely. The presidential order is expected to allow the fleet to be put up for auction, while still keeping 100 per cent of it as state property under the supervision of RosAtom.

Military specialists say the main reason behind the move is economic. Ever since the company became part of state-owned RosAtom, the losses experienced have amounted to millions of dollars annually. Private companies operating in northern Russia immediately started looking for cheaper alternatives.

The situation was worsened by the growing popularity of diesel ice-breakers. As a result, the demand for nuclear-powered icebreakers went down, while the maintenance cost of nuclear-powered icebreakers remained the same, making them highly unprofitable to operate.

Russia has been the only country to produce nuclear-powered icebreakers. Currently, Russia’s atomic fleet owns four two-reactor icebreakers (“Rossiya”, “Soviet Union”, “Yamal”, and “50 Years of Victory”), two one-reactor icebreakers (“Taimyr” and “Vaigach”), the “Sevmorput” container ship, and five floating technical aid units.

Nuclear icebreakers are not the only pieces of Russian equipment rumored to be put aside.

Earlier there were media reports that the Russian Navy was getting rid of its most powerful submarines, the Typhoon class.

Designed to carry big nuclear warheads, the Typhoon-class submarines are the largest in the world. However, their immense size was said to be the main reason why the country decided to decommission the underwater veterans.

The vessels, it was said, did not meet the terms of the new START treaty signed by Russia and the US in the spring of 2010. The long-awaited treaty considerably limited the strategic arsenals of each country to 1,550 nuclear warheads.

The rumors, however, proved to be a hoax.

Ship grounded on New Zealand reef watched for signs of oil spill

English.news.cn   2011-10-05

The 236-meter cargo ship Rena struck the Astrolabe Reef, about 12
 nautical miles off the coast near Tauranga Harbour, at around 2. 20 a.m.
Wednesday and was listing, said a statement from Maritime New Zealand (MNZ).
(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

WELLINGTON, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand's shipping authorities have cordoned off a Liberian-flagged container ship that has grounded on a reef off the east of the North Island as they attempt to assess whether it poses an environmental risk.

The 236-meter cargo ship Rena struck the Astrolabe Reef, about 12 nautical miles off the coast near Tauranga Harbour, at around 2. 20 a.m. Wednesday and was listing, said a statement from Maritime New Zealand (MNZ).

None of the 25 crew aboard the 47,000-tonne vessel were reported injured, it said.

A light sheen of oil was visible around the ship, but it was thought to be hydraulic oil from the engine and was not considered "a significant environmental risk at this point," it said.

MNZ had activated its Maritime Incident Response Team (MIRT) of experts to provide technical advice and oversight.

MNZ's 25-strong National Response Team of oil spill specialists was setting up a command center in Tauranga, and would lead the response in the event of a significant spill from the ship.

MIRT incident controller Renny van der Velde said the plans being put in place by the oil spill response team would form a safety net in the event of any spilled oil.

"While the aim is to remove the vessel with no oil spilled, it is important to have contingency plans in place in case something goes wrong."

The vessel owner -- reported to be the Israel-based Ofer Brothers Group, one of the world's largest private shipping firms - - was responsible for coordinating a salvage plan.

MNZ was also working with wildlife experts from Massey University and the Department of Conservation, which advised there were no immediate concerns for marine life, to prepare for any possible spill.

An MNZ maritime safety inspector aboard the vessel had assessed the damage and advised that the ship had several breaches to the hull, affecting cargo holds on the port side.

The ship was on a 10-degree list, but was stable on the reef, and fuel in tanks on the port side was being transferred to the starboard side as a precautionary measure, said the MNZ statement.

Pumps were working remove water from the cargo holds.

The ship's captain was in discussion with the ship's owner and salvage experts to assess how best to move the ship off the reef, but a decision was expected to take "some time."

The local Bay of Plenty Regional Council staff has ordered a 1- kilometer exclusion zone around the vessel, which was fully laden.

Tauranga harbour master Carl Magazinovic he had received reports of "sightseeing vessels" near the grounded ship, potentially causing safety issues and disrupting response efforts.

"This situation is expected to continue for some time so we will be monitoring movement of vessels around the area, and anyone found breaching the exclusion zone could face a fine of up to 20, 000 NZ dollars (15,220 U.S. dollars)," said Magazinovic.

Michael Hodgins of the Mediterranean Shipping Company, which chartered the 21-year-old Rena, told Radio New Zealand it was carrying timber, milk powder, meat and fish.

He said the crew would have been familiar with the route it was taking, which started in Singapore and included ports in Australia as well as New Zealand before heading back to Sydney, a journey usually taking about six weeks.

The 236-meter cargo ship Rena struck the Astrolabe Reef, about 12 nautical

 miles off the coast near Tauranga Harbour, at around 2. 20 a.m. Wednesday

 and was listing, said a statement from Maritime New Zealand (MNZ).

(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

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Japan to go ahead with whale hunt

Whalers will have heightened security after last year's season was marred by clashes with activists

guardian.co.uk, Associated Press in Tokyo, Tuesday 4 October 2011

Japanese whaling ship No. 3 Yushin Maru (left) and the Sea Shepherd's ship
the Bob Barker collide last year. Whalers will have more security to fend off
activists this year. Photograph: AP

Japan will go ahead with its whaling me in the Antarctic later this year under heightened security to fend off activists who have vowed to disrupt the annual hunt, the country's fisheries minister said Tuesday.

Japan's whale hunts have become increasingly tense in recent years because of clashes with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. The most recent expedition was cut short after several high-seas confrontations, and it was unclear whether the hunt would be held at all this year.

But fisheries minister Michihiko Kano said that measures would be taken to ensure the whalers' safety, and that the hunt would go ahead. It is expected to begin in December.

"We intend to carry out the research after enhancing measures to assure that it is not obstructed," he said.

Commercial whaling has been banned since 1986, but Japan conducts whale hunts in the Antarctic and the north-western Pacific under an exception that allows limited kills for research purposes.

Japan's government claims the research is needed to provide data on whale populations so that the international ban on commercial whaling can be re-examined – and, Japan hopes, lifted – based on scientific studies.

Opponents say the programme is a guise for keeping Japan's dwindling whaling industry alive. The Sea Shepherd group, which is already rallying to block the upcoming hunt, has been particularly dogged in its efforts to stop the kills.

Last year's season was marred by repeated incidents with Sea Shepherd vessels, one of which sank after colliding with a Japanese ship. The boat's captain, New Zealander Peter Bethune, was later arrested when he boarded a whaling ship from a jet ski, and brought back to Japan for trial.

He was convicted of assault, vandalism and three other charges and given a suspended prison term. Bethune has since returned to New Zealand.

Sea Shepherd recently announced that it is calling its effort to obstruct the December expedition "Operation Divine Wind" – a reference to the "kamikaze" suicide missions carried out by the Japanese military in World War II.

Though vilified by anti-whaling organisations around the world, the government's strong pro-whaling position has the support of the Japanese public, according to an AP poll conducted in July and August which found that 52% favour it, with 35% neutral and 13% opposed.

Once a common item on school lunch menus, whale meat can be found in stores and restaurants in Japan. But, because of its relatively high price, it is generally regarded as a gourmet food by the public.