CITES votes to protect endangered mako sharks

Yahoo – AFP, Laure FILLON, August 25, 2019

Mako sharks are often targeted for their fins which are used in shark fin soup
(AFP Photo/Valery HACHE)

A proposal to strengthen protection for mako sharks, hunted for their meat and fins, was adopted Sunday by 102 countries at the CITES global wildlife trade summit.

Makos, the fastest shark species, have practically disappeared from the Mediterranean and their numbers have plunged in the Atlantic, Northern Pacific and Indian Oceans.

Mexico presented a proposal to list mako sharks under Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), meaning that they cannot be traded unless it can be shown that their fishing will not threaten their chances for survival.

Mako sharks are often targeted for their fins -- used in shark fin soup -- a status dish in Asian countries, notably China, which is often served at weddings.

"Fishing is the main threat being faced by sharks," said a delegate from the European Union, which backed the proposal.

Dried fish and shark fin on sale in a Hong Kong shop (AFP Photo/ANTHONY 

WALLACE)

"We need much stronger measures" than national initiatives to prevent overfishing, he said during a heated debate in Geneva.

Countries opposing the measure such as Japan and China argue that there is insufficient scientific data to show that mako sharks are declining as a result of their trade. Forty nations voted against the measure.

'Global momentum'

Delegates from more than 180 countries gathered in Geneva for 12 days also voted for the inclusion of a total of 18 species of rays and sharks in Appendix II.

"There is a real global momentum to save these species. There is now hope for these 18 depleted species of sharks and rays," said Megan O'Toole of the International Fund for the Protection of Animals (IFAW).

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) said in March 

that 17 species of rays and sharks face extinction (AFP Photo/Seyllou)

"There is now hope for these species," added Luke Warwick from the Wildlife Conservation Society.

The vote must still be finalised at the plenary session at the end, when all appendix change proposals passed in committee are officially adopted.

For the first time three species of sea cucumber -- also sought after by consumers in Asia -- were also listed in Appendix II, with a 12-month deadline for implementation.

The move was hailed by WWF's Colman O Criodain, who said the sea cucumbers, which are threatened by overfishing, play a crucial role in the health of ecosystems.

CITES can impose sanctions on countries which do not adhere to its rules. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) said in March that 17 species of rays and sharks face extinction.

Sharks appear to be getting an image makeover as countries move to restrict trade in several species of the oceans' top predator in a push to extend more protections to marine species https://t.co/YxwK3bRnwq pic.twitter.com/L2eo3XFF20

— AFP news agency (@AFP) 26 augustus 2019

Palau burns Vietnamese boats in warning to fish poachers

Yahoo – AFP, 13 June 2015

Vietnamese fishing vessels are set on fire off the coast of Palau, on 

June 13, 2015 (AFP Photo/Richard Brooks)

The small Pacific island nation of Palau has set fire to four Vietnamese fishing vessels caught illegally operating in its waters, and delivered a stern warning that it will not tolerate poaching.

The 77 crew members were transferred to two other arrested fishing boats with enough fuel and provisions to get back to Vietnam.

"This message goes to the captain and crews of these vessels. Palau guarantees you will return with nothing," President Tommy Remengesau said after the boats were burned on Friday.

Palau President Tommy Remengesau

 delivers a speech at the 45th Pacific

 Islands Forum, in Palau, in July 

2014 (AFP Photo/Richard W. Brooks)

"Captains will be prosecuted and jailed. Boats will be burned. Nothing will be gained from poaching in Palau. From one fisherman to another, respect Palau."

The Vietnamese boats were caught in a protected area with more than eight tonnes of sea cucumbers and reef fish on board.

Since last year, 15 boats from Vietnam have been seized with more than 25 tonnes of Palau's marine species destined for the black market in Asia.

"We have a simple message for those who try to steal Palau's marine resources: We will not tolerate poachers in our ocean," Remengesau added.

"Palau is working with our military, diplomacy, and NGO partners from around the world to get tough on illegal fishers and protect our food security."

Palau hosted workshops last month involving maritime surveillance authorities from the United States, Australia, Japan and the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency, designed to develop a comprehensive marine enforcement plan.

"Illegal fishing is a major threat to Palau, given its location as a critical gateway to the Pacific," said Seth Horstmeyer of The Pew Charitable Trusts' Global Ocean Legacy programme.

"With a no-tolerance policy and growing enforcement capabilities, illegal fishing will be stopped in Palau."

Palau, in the western Pacific, has a fishing-reliant economy for its population of 21,000 people spread over 250 islands.

Jiaolong divers find new deep-sea organisms, break them

Want China Times, Xinhua and Staff Reporter 2015-01-15

Organisms collected by the Jiaolong scientists in the Indian Ocean,
Jan. 11. (Photo/Xinhua)

China's manned deep sea submersible Jiaolong collected 17 samples of deep-sea organisms from the seabed of the southwestern Indian Ocean on Wednesday, of which two were unknown to scientists aboard the vessel.

With a size similar to a regular sea cucumber, the first mysterious creature broke into three parts when it was taken to the vessel.

Since the organism was transparent, scientists could see its blue and brown viscera clearly.

"This might be a special kind of sea cucumber, but we need to make sure after further analysis in labs," said Lu Bo, a scientist with the Second Institute of Oceanography of the State Oceanic Administration.

Looking like a small pink snake, the second strange creature, 330 centimeters long and three centimeters wide, was completely unknown to the scientists. Two bubbles appeared in its body due to pressure change, said the scientists.

"These two organisms might be new species but we can't be certain with limited tools and data on the ship," Lu Bo said.

Additionally, the Jiaolong gathered 15 deep-sea shrimps, water and sulfide weighing 6.9 kilograms.

The Jiaolong, which made a dive of 7,062 meters in the Mariana Trench in June 2012, is on a 120-day expedition to study polymetallic sulfide, biological diversity, hydrothermal microbes and genetic resources in the southwest Indian Ocean.

Related Article:

Jiaolong sub collects perfect 'chimney vent' in Indian Ocean

Sea cucumber farming hurting Bohai Bay's marine life

Want China Times, Staff Reporter 2014-09-11

A sea cucumber. (File photo/CFP)

The considerable amount of quicklime and antibiotics used in sea cucumber farming has severely polluted northern China's Bohai Bay, pushing a lot of marine life to the brink of extinction.

Sea cucumber farmers harvest once every five years on average. They drain the water, collect the matured sea cucumbers and then use quicklime as an anti-bacterial agent to "clean up" the mud in the fishing grounds. The quicklime, together with all other waste materials, is released without any treatment into the ocean.

The corrosive chemicals commonly used in sea cucumber farming pose a threat not only to marine species but also to migratory seabirds. Every time sea cucumber farmers discharge wastewater into the ocean, dead fish can be found floating in surrounding waters.

Another serious source of pollution comes from the antibiotics used for sea cucumber cultivation. To reduce the mortality rate of sea cucumber larvae, sea cucumber farmers use anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial agents to protect the larvae against disease.

They also use other chemicals to kill marine species that might compete for food, which has further worsened the quality of seawater in surrounding areas.

A reporter from the state-run China News Service who visited a sea cucumber farm saw the ground littered with empty cylinders and bottles which had previously contained antibiotics and chemicals. He said it was shocking to bump into these "marine life killers" everywhere.

The sea cucumber farming industry has developed rapidly over recent years due to the pursuit of economic interests from the Liaodong peninsula to the Shandong peninsula. All the wetlands have been transformed into sea cucumber farms, some of which are even encroaching upon the National Ocean Reserve area. The eutrophication of the surrounding ocean is so serious that even mullet and shrimps have disappeared from the area.

Undersea Anomalies in Aceh to be Studied

Jakarta Globe, Nurfika Osman, April 18, 2010

A special geological assessment team will be sent to Aceh to see whether the strong 7.2-magnitude earthquake this month had significantly altered the geography of the area.

Ridwan Djamaluddin, director for mitigation and regional development at the State Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT), said on Sunday that a team of 15 researchers from the BPPT was expected to arrive in Aceh Singkil district on Wednesday.

Residents on Banyak Island, off Aceh Singkil, which was near the epicenter of the quake on April 7, have claimed that the seabed has risen dramatically since the temblor. Undersea fissures were also reportedly spewing out mud and rocks.

“We will be observing the area and the team will be coordinating with the local government as soon as they arrive, collecting the data they need and making their assessment,” Ridwan said, adding that Aceh Governor Irwandi Yusuf had invited the agency to visit the site.

“The Acehnese governor tells us that local people are starting to get worried and they are thinking of moving to a safer place,” he said. “We are going to tell them if it is actually dangerous or not after conducting a thorough analysis.”

Banyak islander Mufliadi previously said that the changes in the seabed were first noted on Tuesday by a fisherman who had been trawling for sea cucumbers in the Gosong Turak waters around Pailana Island, one of the many islets in the chain.

“He was shocked and came back to tell us what he’d seen because the site is a prime fishing spot for local fishermen” but no fish were found in the once abundant area, he said.

Before the quake, the waters at Gosong Turak were 20 to 30 meters deep, but now stood at just five meters, Mufliadi said. He said the villagers were concerned an undersea volcano could be forming.

Ridwan said the assessment team would also visit the Mentawai Islands in West Sumatra to help prepare a tsunami warning system for the area.

Related Articles:

BPPT to install tsunami early warning buoy in Aceh

Fearful Aceh Islanders Tell of Massive Sea Change in the Wake of Earthquake

Fearful Aceh Islanders Tell of Massive Sea Change in the Wake of Earthquake

Jakarta Globe, Nurdin Hasan, April 15, 2010

Banda Aceh. Local residents claim the seabed near Banyak Island in Aceh Singkil district, Aceh, has risen dramatically since the 7.2-magnitude earthquake on April 7.

They also say they have seen an undersea fissure spewing out mud and rocks. But experts are not so sure about the supposed geological phenomenon.

Banyak islander Mufliadi told the Jakarta Globe the phenomenon was first noted on Tuesday by fisherman Ruslan, who had been trawling for sea cucumbers in the Gosong Turak waters around Pailana Island, just off Banyak.

“He was shocked and came back to tell us what he’d seen because the site is a prime fishing spot for the local fisherman,” Mufliadi said on Thursday.

Ruslan had been shocked to find layer upon layer of rocks and no fish in the area. The fisherman also reported a 10-meter-long fissure shaped like a frying pan.

Before the quake, the water in Gosong Turak had been 20 to 30 meters deep but now was just five meters, he said.

On Wednesday, hundreds of villagers dove into the water to see the change for themselves and take rock samples.

“The black rocks were the size of a person’s head, and crumbled easily,” Mufliadi said. “When we burned the rocks, a very strong odor was emitted.”

He said the villagers were concerned the fissure could be an undersea volcano because it kept spewing mud.

Mufliadi urged local authorities to survey the area to confirm what was happening and ease villagers’ concerns.

“If the fissure really is a volcano, we want to anticipate and be ready for the worst-case scenario,” he said.

Mufliadi said more people visited the area on Thursday, bringing back yellow stones “that looked like gold.”

Banyak Island subdistrict head Safnil confirmed the seabed was silting, after visiting the area. “There is a geological anomaly underwater, shaped a bit like a volcano, that keeps spewing out mud,” he said. “But the mud isn’t hot like lava from a regular volcano.”

Safnil said many Banyak residents were worried. He urged them to remain calm and alert pending the arrival of geologists to study whether the fissure posed a threat.

But Danny Hilman Natawidjaya, a geologist from the Indonesian Institute for Sciences (LIPI), told the Jakarta Globe it was impossible for the seabed to have risen so much. “The maximum the seabed can rise is one meter,” he said. “If it did really happen, there should have been a major landslide near the area.”

Danny also said the anomaly that looked like a volcano was called liquefaction. “It’s normal, as the layer of sand on the seabed is pushed by the quake until it liquefies and forms a volcano and can spew out mud,” he said.

Danny said earthquakes altered the land and sea structure and sometimes fish left to find a more comfortable habitat.

Additional reporting by Nurfika Osman

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Bantaeng Exports Sea Cucumber to Hong Kong

Tempo Interactive, Monday, 29 March, 2010 | 14:05 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Bantaeng: Bantaeng regency in South Sulawesi is preparing its first sea cucumber export to Hong-Kong. This follows the the regency’s succeess in exporting fish in the form of frozen surimi to Japan and kapok seeds to Korea.

The export of 4.2 tons of sea cucumber with a value of more than Rp 3 billion will be carried out by UD Mamampang Jaya, a local company in partnership with companies from the Philippines and Malaysia. Saing, the head of the company, confirmed the export to Bantaeng Regent, H M. Nurdin Abdullah, last week.

According to Saing, who came with his partners from Malaysia and Philippines, the sea cucumbers are obtained from areas around Bantaeng Regency, like Selayar, as well as several other provinces in Indonesia, including Papua.

“We collect the sea cucumber from various regions and provinces,” said Saing. He added that the export is waiting for the administration process to be completed this week.

Regent Nurdin plans to launch the Hong-Kong export in a special event. He welcomes Mamampang Jaya’s readiness. Even though the sea cucumber does not come from Bantaeng area, this shows that a local company is capable of exports.

“We will keep on encouraging various industries so that region can advance,” said Nurdin. According to Nurdin, besides sea cucumbers, in April taro will also be exported to Japan.

Sea cucumber is known as a marine export commodity which is being developed in a big scale, given its high economic value in markets overseas. Sea cucumber is exported in the dry form. Besides Hong Kong, sea cucumber export destinations are Singapore, Taiwan and Japan.

ELIK | ANT

Indonesian fishermen are running out of sea cucumbers

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 03/15/2010 6:17 PM

Indonesia fishermen at Scott Reef, one of the allowed areas for traditional fishermen in Australian fishing zone, are running out of sea cucumbers.

“As the result of the increasing depletion of the resource (of sea cucumbers), the selling price has increased between 33 and 200 percent within four years,” James J Fox of the Australian National University said in the meeting of Research Institute of Maritime and Fisheries on Monday.

According to Fox, the fishermen, mostly from Rote Island, East Nusa Tenggara, hoped that the price rises would compensate for decrease quantities of sea cucumber harvested.

There is a total of 550 legal Indonesian traditional fishermen came to Australia every year. (not)

Foreign fishermen now also targeting marine biota

Antara News, Tuesday, December 8, 2009 03:55 WIB

Pontianak, W Kalimantan (ANTARA News) - Foreign fishermen who frequently operate in West Kalimantan waters not only steal fish to be sold in their countries or to buyers at sea but also target marine biota, an official said.

"They have begun taking also other marine biota like the `akar bahar` or a kind of sea talisman," head of Supervision Division of Fishery and Marine provincial office Muliansyah said here on Monday.

Akar (root) Bahar is a kind of sea coral root plant species, and it comes in three types, namely the black Akar Bahar, white Akar Bahar and red Akar Bahar.

Akar Bahar

Of the three species, only the black one that is easier to be found. As accessories, the Akar Bahar can be used as bracelets, rings, or pipes for smoking.

According to him, foreign fishermen were now getting closer to the West Kalimantan shoreline. "There is information that they have entered upto four miles of the West Kalimantan waters," said Muliansyah.

Meanwhile, head of the Integrated Service Unit of the local Monitoring and Control Station, Bambang Nugroho said, apart from the Akar Bahar, the sea cucumbers also become the theft target of foreign fishermen.

"The price for good quality sea cucumber can reach millions of rupiah," Bambang Nugroho added.

Local fishermen seek assistance from Kalla

Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Kupang | Mon, 03/30/2009 12:58 PM

Vice President Jusuf Kalla has promised to take action in support of traditional Indonesian fishermen who are being caught by Australian maritime authorities in areas deemed "Indonesia's own marine territory".

The pledge was made Sunday during a Golkar Party meeting in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, where Kalla spoke as the chairman of Indonesia's largest party.

The Vice President voiced his sentiments while responding to a complaint from a local fisherman named Hamzah, who attended the gathering.

Hamzah claimed he and other local fisherman were often caught in Indonesian waters in the Timor Sea by Australian sea patrols.

"We were caught in Indonesia's sea, not Australia's, nor that of Pasir Island," he said, referring to an island rich with sea cucumbers and shrimps often mistakenly labeled Indonesian territory by many traditional fishermen.

According to a recent maritime boundary agreement signed between Indonesia and Australia, Pasir Island is an Australian territory.

Lens Haning, the regent of Rote Ndao in Kupang, confirmed that the areas in which local traditional fishermen were often being caught by patrolling Australian vessels was in fact Indonesian territory.

"If there are other *local* fishermen being caught in Indonesia's own marine zones, please contact me. I will take action against it," Kalla told the gathering.

During the past five years, as many as 1,000 local Indonesian fishermen have been caught by Australian sea patrols in the Timor Sea.

When fishermen are caught, their vessels are destroyed and they are usually detained for around one to three months before being deported back to Indonesia.

Indonesia and Australia recently agreed to conduct joint sea patrols around border areas to tackle illegal poaching. The two countries, however, have not yet reached an agreement on "traditional fishing", which is widely practiced in Indonesia but not recognized in Australia.

Both countries are scheduled to discuss this issue specifically at a meeting in Surabaya, East Java, in May.

Hundreds Indonesian fishermen detained in Darwin

The Jakarta Post

BRISBANE (Antara): As many as 201 Indonesian fishermen are being held in a detention center for their alleged involvement in illegal fishing in Australian waters, an Indonesian diplomat said Thursday.

Buchari Hasnil Bakar from the Indonesian Consulate in Darwin said his office received news Wednesday 129 fishermen were being held at a detention center in Darwin.

The number may now be higher with the arrival of a further 72 fishermen recently arrested by Australian police, Buchari said.

He said police had seized around 1.1 tons of sea cucumber (a protected species in Australia) along with fishing and diving gear they used to catch them.

Buchari said, last week Australian Customs Service had arrested another 118 Indonesia fishermen in 12 boats for illegal fishing in Australian waters.

On Nov. 21, police rescued 16 fishermen from eastern Indonesia after their boat sank in the Timor sea and then arrested them for illegally entering Australian waters. Their cases are currently being processed at the immigration office on Christmas island, West Australia.

Sulawesi's Tomini Gulf 'badly in need of protection'

Ruslan Sangadji, The Jakarta Post, Palu

Tomini Gulf is one of the biggest bays in Indonesia, bordering 13 regencies in the Gorontalo and Central Sulawesi provinces.

The bay hosts 56 islands -- called the Togean Islands -- which are spread over 90 kilometers at the center of Tomini gulf.

Among them are six big islands including Batulada, Talatakoh, Togean, Una-Una, Waleabahi and Waleakodi.

The others include beautiful, small islands surrounding the six larger ones and all are continually visited by European tourists.

Based on a biodiversity zone division, Tomini Gulf is located in the Wallacea zone -- which is historically separate from Asian and Australian continents.

The name Wallacea is after the English researcher Alfred Russel Wallace, who explored eastern Indonesia in 1854-1862.

The bay is famous for its underwater beauty and is perceived as a heaven for divers -- it's said to be a home to many coral reefs and various colorful species of fish.

Parigi Moutong Regent Longky Djanggola recently told The Jakarta Post that in 2003 former president Megawati Soekarnoputri declared Tomini Gulf the gate of "Mina Bahari".

Parigi said the gulf area was a mainstay for increasing state income, as well as for providing more jobs for local people.

The Sulawesi Regional Development Cooperation Office, or Badan Kerjasama Pembangunan Regional (BKPRS), reported however that some gulfs in Sulawesi, including Tomini Gulf, had been damaged by excessive development.

The damaged areas reported included coral reefs, mangrove forests and the banks of rivers that emptied into the Tomini Gulf.

The most obvious damage could be found in Togean Island National Park in Tojo Una-Una regency, Central Sulawesi, said the BKPRS.

Data from the provincial planning board indicated 8.7 percent of coral reefs, 4.6 percent of algae and 5.11 percent of mangrove forests had been damaged.

Tojo Una-Una Regent Damsik Ladjalani said the damage was caused by illegal fishing and local habits that included throwing garbage into the sea.

And he said this was despite efforts by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which has declared Tomini Gulf one of world's treasures in need of protection because it has valuable marine assets.

The Central Sulawesi administration reported the local sea produced about 330,000 tons of fish each year, of which 214,000 tons was processed annually.

Fishermen seek pelagis fish, tuna and oil (cakalang) fish, along with shrimp, seaweed, sea cucumbers and pearls.

Canadian investor supports sea cucumber farming in west Seram

Ambon (ANTARA News) - A Canadian investor has expressed support for the development of sea cucumber farming in 10 villages in Western Seram district, a local fishery service spokesman, Rahman Usemahu, said here on Thursday.

Usemahu said the Canadian investor supported the activity because exported sea cucumbers had good prospects in overseas markets.

"The sea cucumber cultivation activity is part of the realization of a cooperation agreement signed late last year by Western Seram district head Abdullah Vanath and the Canadian investor," Usemahu said.

He added the sea cucumber cultivation activity was expected to open more job opportunities and thus reduce the unemployment rate and to add to the local people`s prosperity.

The Canadian investor would also organize an English-language course for local officials or counterparts involved in the activity to facilitate more intensive social interaction for mutual benefit.

"The Western Seram district administration is doing its utmost to create a conducive local investment climate so that the region`s natural resources, especially marine biological resources, can be managed well for the improvement of the local people`s welfare," Usemahu said.

He said he district administration at present was actively promoting the local natural resources to foreign investors by developing economic support facilities.

"We are at present preparing the construction of a fishery port as a project of the Maluku Maritime and Fishery Service," Usemahu said.