Inuit Observations Offer New Tool for Climate Change Research

Inuit communities that have long paid close attention to the climate have said Arctic weather patterns are shifting--and scientists say they are right

Scientific American, By Lauren Morello and Climatewire

TALKING ABOUT THE WEATHER: Researchers credit a combination of scientific data and traditional environmental knowledge from Inuit communities for shedding new light on an overlooked aspect of climate change. (NATIONAL OCEAN & ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION)

Computer models, weather satellites and ice cores are valuable tools for scientists who study how Earth's climate is changing. But a new study suggests that researchers can add another weapon to their arsenal: the knowledge gathered by indigenous people who have spent generations living off the land in rhythm with weather and seasons.

Researchers at the University of Colorado credit a combination of scientific data and traditional environmental knowledge from two Canadian Inuit communities for shedding new light on an overlooked aspect of climate change.

In recent years, Inuit communities that have long paid close attention to the climate have said their traditional forecasting methods are becoming less accurate. They blame the change on shifting weather patterns.

Scientists have attempted to confirm those claims for at least 15 years without success -- until now.

"This is not the first scientific paper on Inuit knowledge," said lead author Elizabeth Weatherhead, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Colorado. "But it is the first paper linking that Inuit knowledge to more scientific approaches."

The scientist said the detailed interviews with Inuit conducted by her co-author and University of Colorado colleague, Shari Gearheard, helped make the difference.

"Instead of just glossing over and taking a sort of sound bite -- 'The weather is faster' -- she really sat with people and found it was a problem and at what time scales," Weatherhead said.

Unexplained changes in weather persistence

The Inuit weather observers Gearheard interviewed told her that the strange weather behavior didn't occur every year or in every season, but it was becoming more severe when it did happen.

Meanwhile, Weatherhead combed through scientific data and discovered evidence supporting the Inuit observations.

"What we found is that the day-to-day persistence of weather was changing in this more unpredictable manner for at least one of the two locations" included in the study, she said, during a critical time of year -- Arctic spring, which occurs in June at the two Canadian sites.

In simple terms, what the researchers were looking at is how much weather changes from one day to the next, and how long a weather pattern -- like a heat wave or a cold snap -- lasts.

"We all grew up with the idea that if today is a warm day, tomorrow will be a warm day, too -- but we probably won't be stuck in a warm period for three weeks," Weatherhead said. "There's a natural time scale to weather events. That's what seems to be changing."

In most of the world -- including mid-latitudes, where much of the planet's population lives -- weather seems to be getting more persistent.

But at the Baker Lake site in the Canadian Arctic province of Nunavut, weather events seem to be getting less persistent -- shorter. Scientists didn't observe such a change at the second place they studied, the community of Clyde River, also located in Nunavut.

Though they don't fully understand what caused the different outcomes at the two sites, Weatherhead speculated it had something to do with Clyde River's proximity to Baffin Bay, and the influence of weather patterns that develop over the oceans.

Inland areas, like Baker Lake, are more sensitive to changes in land use and snow cover, she said.

Overlooked and underappreciated by mainstream scientists

The new study is not the first attempt by scientists to draw on indigenous environmental knowledge. Projects funded during the 2007-2008 International Polar Year, for example, documented different Arctic native populations' rich vocabulary for different types of sea ice and plumbed the communities' observation of changing caribou behavior.

But Mead Treadwell, chairman of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, said the new work is another piece of evidence that justifies the attention to indigenous knowledge that has been overlooked and sometimes dismissed by mainstream science.

That's one reason his commission has urged measures ranging from preserving indigenous languages of the Arctic to encouraging scientists and native peoples to collaborate on scientific research.

"If you lose the language that people have been speaking for 10,000 years as it has evolved, you lose a huge amount of information that is built up in the language," he said. "If something is named 'a place where the caribou mate,' that tells you the caribou were once there if they are not there now. If you lose a particular plant that might translate as 'medicine weed,' you understand how it has been used."

Treadwell noted that, in two separate instances, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration changed its estimate of the Arctic's bowhead whale population based on native reports that showed more whales than the government initially counted.

For her part, Weatherhead said her next step will be examining how climate change affects the persistence of weather patterns around the world.

"This increase in persistence that we're seeing in very many places is just as important as the decrease in persistence that Arctic inhabitants are talking about," she said. "It has potential human health impacts, for example. People with asthma can often take one day of bad weather. Two is stressful. But at three, they might find themselves in the emergency room."

The study will be published this month in the journal Global Environmental Change.

Inuits has long studied nature. Photo from 1854. (Photo by paukrus /Flickr)

Related Article:

Climate change scientists turn to Inuits for research

"The tilting of the earth changes everything" - Inuit Elders Speak on Climate Change

Surfing Made Awan wins Oakley Pro 2010 at Canggu Beach

The Jakarta Post, Tim Hain, Contributor, Canggu Beach, Bali | Thu, 04/08/2010 11:40 AM

Balinese surfer Made Awan has taken out the first event of this season’s Coca-Cola Indonesian Surfing Championship Tour, the Oakley Pro 2010, after defeating Dede Suryana of West Java.

Awan received a Rp 10 million cash prize from Oakley and now sits at number one in the ISC Tour rankings, collecting a whopping 3,000 championship points.

He also received the Coca-Cola Best Maneuver Award for recording the highest wave score of the event, nabbing an extra bonus of Rp 1 million.

Back on the beach, drenched in a combination of Coca-Cola and San Miguel Light courtesy of the sponsors and his friends, Made was ecstatic, “I won. Thank God I won. I’m number one! The waves were so good and I had so much fun out there”.

When he heard he scored a 9 on his final wave, he said he knew he had a chance to beat his opponent Suryana.

“Last year I was up against Awan back at my home break of Cimaja in West Java, and I beat him just near the end of the heat, so I guess we are even now,” Suryana said laughing.

“The next ISC comp is in Sanur, so it will be very interesting because that is almost Awan’s home break. He is surfing really well and is a great competitor, so I’m happy for him that he won. We’ll see what happens next time though!” he added.

Suryana went home with a Rp 5 million cash prize and 2,750 ISC Championship points.

The competition was the fifth and final day of the Oakley Pro 2010, a six star rated Coca-Cola Indonesian Surfing Championship Tour sanctioned event, the first of the 2010 Tour season, which took place at Canggu Beach, a few kilometers north of Kuta on Bali’s west coast.

Around 64 of Indonesia’s best pro surfers as well as 11 masters (35 years and older) surfers competed for prestige, prize money and points on some of the best waves in the world.

Prior to the Pro Final, four of Indonesia’s best masters surfers took to the perfect Canggu waves to compete in their final.

Coming back to the beach in first place was Wayan “Ompong” Budayasa, competing in his very first Master’s Division event. He also competed in the Pro Division but failed to advance beyond Round 3.

The next stop on the Coca-Cola ISC Tour will be the Rusty Rumble in Da Jungle at Sanur Beach with a waiting period starting on April 26 and ending on May 16.

Coca-Cola ISC Tour Pro Division

Made Awan (17.25 pts)
Dede Suryana (15.50 pts)
Marlon Gerber, Agus Frimanto

Coca-Cola ISC Tour Masters
Division
Wayan “Ompong” Budayasa
Ketut “Kombong” Juliarta
Made Lapur

Sail Banda launching date moved forward

Antara News, Thursday, April 8, 2010 14:23 WIB

Ambon, Maluku (ANTARA News) - The date of Sail Banda launching in the East Indonesian city of Ambon has been changed from April 17 to April 15, 2010.

Maluku Deputy Governor Said Assegaf said here on Thursday that the launching of Sail Banda was moved forward from April 17 to April 15 at the request of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Fadel Muhammad.

Assegaf said the maritime affairs and fisheries minister would launch the event at night around the monument of world peace gong, but if the location is too small to accommodate the guests and sympathizers attending the ceremony, it will be moved to Merdeka Square.

He said an open invitation would be issued to the people of Maluku so that they could attend the launching ceremony and interact with a number of ministers.

"The people of Maluku will be invited because they are expected to participate in making the international marine event of Sail Banda 2010 a success," Assegaf said.

He hoped that the Sail Banda launching would not be conducted in a formal ceremony but in a casual manner, so that the people from all walks of life could enjoy its atmosphere.

Assegaf said the people attending the Sail Banda launching ceremony were expected to be part of it and mingled with other ministers and invited parties.

Meanwhile, the launching of Sail Banda in Ambon will be highlighted by traditional dances from Kisar island in Southwest Maluku (MBD) district.

Maluku provincial administration assistant Pieter Norimarna recently highlighted the launching of Sail Banda 2010, scheduled for July to August this year.

"Governor Karel Albert Ralahalu wants the traditional dances from Kisar to mark the launching of Sail Banda to convince the international community that the small island in MBD actually has valuable cultural assets to support tourism in the district," Norimarna said.

He said Kisar was during the pre-independence era once controlled by the Portuguese and therefore necessary arrangements had been made to promote the island to the international community during Sail Banda.

Four New Islands off Jakarta’s North Coast

Tempo Interactive, Wednesday, 07 April, 2010 | 18:49 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:The Jakarta Government will build four new islands off Jakarta’s north coast.

The island construction is related to the reclamation plans of two north coast areas, East Ancol and Pantai Indah Kapuk (PIK).

According to the Head of Jakarta’s Spatial Planning Gamal Sinurat, the area to be reclaimed is one island in East Ancol of 177 hectares and three islands in PIK of 821 hectares.

ISMA SAVITRI

Indonesian sail ship with Indian motifs leaves Kochi

The Hindu, S. ANANDAN

Indonesian Navy's sail training ship KRI Dewaruci in Kochi.

Photo: Special Arrangement

KRI Dewaruci, a sail training ship of Indonesian Navy with very Indian mythological motifs, left the port here on Tuesday for Salalah in Oman after a three-day goodwill visit.

The vessel, on its 37th voyage — Kartika Jala Krida 2010— lasting about nine months, will call at over 30 ports in 21 countries, mostly European, where it will partake in tall ship races. Its chief mission, however, is to impart training to Indonesian Naval Academy cadets in navigation, meteorology, keeping watch and survival at sea.

Having set sail for the current voyage with a crew of 81, including 16 officers, besides 68 cadets during the second week of March from its homeport at Surabaya, the ship docked at Sabang in Western Indonesia before calling at Kochi on Saturday. During the visit, Colonel I Putu Arya Angga S, Indonesia’s Defence Attache in India, along with Lieutenant Colonel S.H. Suharto, Commanding Officer of the ship, called on Rear Admiral S.S. Jamwal, Chief of Staff of the Southern Naval Command.

Post-sunset on Monday, at a reception accorded to Indian Navy personnel and a select group of media persons aboard the Dewaruci (seemingly an adaptation of the Sanskrit Devarshi, Guru of the Gods)—named after the God of honesty and bravery — the sailors of the ship showcased a slice of Indonesian culture. The vessel, as the cultural ambassador of Indonesia, has its masts christened after the great Pandavas of the Mahabharata: ‘Yudhistira’, ‘Bima’ and ‘Arjuna’, indicative of the influence Indian legends and myths have had in shaping Java’s philosophy.

Dewaruci was built in 1952 and commissioned the very next year. On Monday, the grand dame’s sailors doubled up as artistes presenting Rantak dance, a traditional martial art-based dance from West Sumatra; War dance, about the story of a warrior from Papua; Badinding dance, which is a show of hospitality; and Rampak Gendang, a traditional percussion ensemble. What stole the show, however, was the most wonderful and bewitching Seni Reog Ponorogo, an East Javanese ethnic dance akin to north-Kerala’s Theyyam. It depicts a mythological, headgear-wearing-beast-in-trance casting off the evil forces in combat.

After the cultural show, Rear Admiral Jamwal congratulated the Indonesian sailors and recalled the historical association India had had with Indonesia.

“During the current voyage, Dewaruci will partake in the historical seas tall ships regatta in Turkey and Greece, the tall ships race 2010 in Aalborg in Denmark, the sail festival Amsterdam in Netherlands, the sail festival Bremenhaven in Germany and the ‘festival internationale Mediterraneo e Velieri in Italy. Besides India, it will visit countries like Oman, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey, Tunisia, Nigeria, Spain, France, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Germany, Cyprus, and Sri Lanka,” said Lt Col Suharto.

Talking to The Hindu on ‘Ind-Indo Corpat’, Col Angga termed the coordinated patrol carried out by the Indian and Indonesian Navies along the International Maritime Boundary Line a grand success.

KRI Dewaruci

Italian yacht moors at Belawan port

Antara News, Wednesday, April 7, 2010 04:06 WIB

Medan, N Sumatra (ANTARA News) - The Italian luxurious cruise ship "Costa Allegra" cast its anchors at Belawan port in Medan, Tuesday to allow its passengers to enjoy the well-known tourist destinations and objects in the area.

The fancy yacht brought 600 passengers on board from several countries, including the United States, France, Germany, Australia, and some European countries.

Of the 600 passengers, 277 tourists planned to disembark and go to many tourist objects and destinations in Medan and environments.

This historical objects in the area which the tourists planned to visit include the Maimun Palace, the North Sumatra Museum, the Grand Mosque, and the traditional market place in Medan city where they can buy special souvenirs.

They also planned to visit the tourist object in Berastagi, Karo regency, some 65 Km east of Medan city, North Sumatra province. They will visit the windmill, kangaroo country, and other `countries` known as Berastagi fruit city with its fresh and cool climate, just like in Puncak, Bogor.

"Costa Allegra" skippered by Salvatore Donato, cast its anchors at Belawan port only for one day, and will proceed to Langkawi, Malaysia, and Phuket in Thailand before returning to Europe.

The moment armed marines abseiled onto a hijacked ship before rescuing its crew from pirates

Daily Mail, by MAIL FOREIGN SERVICE, 2:06 PM on 06th April 2010

Guns at the ready, six Navy commandos abseil from a helicopter onto the deck of a ship as they prepare to come face to face with the armed pirates hiding on board.

These pictures capture the precarious moment the Dutch marines boarded the German merchant ship, the MV Taipan, not knowing the risks that awaited them.

Minutes later they arrested the pirates and freed the ship's 15-strong crew.

Risky: Marines board the German vessel MV Taipan where 10 armed pirates were waiting on board

Hijacked: After arresting the pirates the commandos freed the crew of 15 people, who were locked away

The ten pirates had boarded the container ship - as it sat 500 miles east of Somalia - using a mothership and two attack boats.

Within hours the Dutch frigate Tromp had deployed its Lynx helicopter to the scene, after receiving a distress signal from the Taipan.

As the Tromp neared the hijacked vessel it fired warning shots and sounded alerts, sending the mothership fleeing.

After using a rope to board the ship, the marines turned off the engines and overpowered the pirates while alerting warships patrolling the Gulf of Aden.

Rescue: The Dutch helicopter was deployed after crew on the MV Taipan issued a distress alert

Brave: The marines boarded the ship, turned off engines and overpowered the pirates while alerting warships patrolling the Gulf of Aden

The German ship's crew members had locked themselves into a secure area and were unharmed. One Dutch marine was slightly injured during boarding but no one else was hurt.

The pirates were taken on board the Tromp but German Defence Ministry spokesman Robin Middel said it was not known what would be done with them. He would not reveal their nationality.

The Dutch navy launched the operation as part of an EU naval mission called Operation Atalanta which protects shipping along the key route off Somalia.

In March alone the mission captured 18 pirate gangs, destroyed 22 skiffs and apprehended 131 pirates for prosecution.

But there are still eight vessels and 157 hostages in the hands of Somali pirates.

The Taipan ship was able to continue its voyage after despite damage to its bridge, according to a statement from the Defence Ministry.

37 illegal immigrants captured in Jakarta Bay

Hasyim Widhiarto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 04/06/2010 4:25 PM

Thirty-seven male Afghan nationals were captured by patrolling officers from Jakarta Police's water police division in waters off Bidadari Island in Jakarta Bay early Tuesday and admitted they were heading to Australia to look for political asylum.

Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Boy Rafli Amar said the officers found the illegal immigrants floating in two fishing boats crewed by two Indonesian nationals identified as Ending and Ardun.

"We are still questioning them to find out how they entered Indonesian waters and which route they used," Boy said, adding that the illegal immigrants now came under the division’s jurisdiction.

Boy said the police were now coordinating with UNHCR representatives in Jakarta to decide the future of the asylum seekers.

"But it is almost certain they will be deported from Indonesia," he said.

Water carrier

The Jakarta Post, Antara, Tue, 04/06/2010 1:55 PM

A woman paddles a small boat filled with buckets from the small island of Kampung Tobati in Jayapura, Papua on her way to look for clean water on the mainland Tuesday. The local residents have been having difficulty accessing clean water after a distribution pipe to the island belonging to the local state water company broke last year and has yet to be repaired. Antara/Anang Budiono

Treasure from shipwreck awaits auctioning

The Jakarta Post, Tue, 04/06/2010 11:59 AM

CIREBON: Thousands of artifacts pulled from a shipwreck dating back to the 10th century in waters north of Cirebon, West Java, will be auctioned off next month by a government team.

The auction will be held in Jakarta on May 5, the National Committee of Excavation and Utilization of Precious Artifacts from Sunken Ships (Pannas BMKT) said in a press release Monday.

"The findings of Cirebon's Pannas BMKT operation comprise 271,000 items, making it one of the biggest findings in the country's history. Among the artifacts are China ceramics from the 10th century *Yue Mise Dynasty*, glass and rock crystals from the Middle East and Africa and other precious items, like gold coins and jewelry, silver jewelry and precious stones," the statement said.

The government-licensed project was conducted by PT Paradigma Putra Sejahtera in cooperation with Cosmix Underwater Research Ltd.

Pannas BMKT has published a book titled Kapal Karam Abad ke-10 (Sunken Ship of the 10th Century) about the recovery effort and the artifacts. The government has named a number of artifacts from the wreck as historical artifacts and has claimed them as state assets. - JP

Indonesian Chemical Tanker Robbed In Vietnam

Bernama, April 05, 2010 19:55 PM

SINGAPORE, April 5 (Bernama) - Three robbers struck an Indonesian-registered chemical tanker, Tirta Samudra XVII, while the vessel was berthed at Hiep Phuoc, a palm oil jetty in Vietnam on Saturday.

The Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) Information Sharing Centre here said the robbers armed with knives, came in an engine-driven wooden boat and climbed up the tanker using grapnel and rope at about 2.30 am.

In a statement here Monday, the centre said while stealing some stores, they were sighted by the ship's officer who reported the incident and raised the emergency alarm.

After realising they had been spotted, the robbers held the officer hostage for a few minutes before escaping in their boat taking along with them three tins of paint and a walkie-talkie.

The officer was reportedly injured in the mouth after he was hit by one of the robbers.

The centre said the incident, the fourth in the area since January this year, was reported to the Vietnam Marine Police, and that the ship with all her crew onboard had since left Vietnam for Indonesia.

Jepara Builds Fish Processing Units

Tempo Interactive, Monday, 05 April, 2010 | 15:20 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jepara: The Jepara government has finished building 24 fish processing units in Pulaudarat village, Pencangaan district and 24 units of fish marketing kiosks in Bulu Village, Jepara District.

"The aim is to increase fishermen’ and fish entrepreneurs’ living standards,” said Ahmad Khotib, the Head of the After Harvest Capture and Fisheries Infrastructure Section of Jepara Maritime and Fisheries Office, two days ago.

The Minister of Maritime and Fisheries Fadel Muhammad will inaugurate the units on April 15.

BANDELAN

Indonesian NGO Plans to Enter Gaza by Sea to Build Hospital

Jakarta Globe, Putri Prameshwari, April 04, 2010

The Medical Emergency Rescue Committee hopes to move forward with a plan to build a medical facility in the Gaza Strip by entering the conflict area by sea, a founder of the independent health group said on Sunday.

Joserizal Jurnalis said Mer-C had sent an envoy to Turkey for talks with delegations from international nongovernmental organizations regarding the plan to enter Gaza and build a trauma and rehabilitation center.

“We have collected Rp 13 billion [$1.43 million] to build the hospital,” Joserizal told the Jakarta Globe. “Now we are trying to get into the area.”

Joserizal said Mer-C was cooperating with a Turkish humanitarian relief foundation called Insani Yardim Vakfi to get assistance into Gaza. The current plan is to go in by ship.

Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip have escalated in recent weeks, as warplanes launched strikes on what the military had tagged weapons storage sites.

Teuku Faizasyah, a spokesman for the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry, said it had urged Israel to stop harming civilians with its air raids because it would hamper peace efforts between Israel and Palestine.

“What they did was a violation of international law,” he said. “Israel’s use of military force will leave a great impact on local people.”

Teuku said Indonesia was ready to support any efforts from independent groups to push for peace in Palestine.

Joserizal said Mer-C would use all possible means to build the medical facility in Gaza. The Indonesian government, he said, had agreed to donate Rp 9 billion for its construction. He said the group had met with State Secretary Sudi Silalahi in March to discuss the construction plan.

The design for a trauma and rehabilitation center had been finished, he said.

Permits to enter Gaza, he said, remained the biggest obstacle for the group to build the facility. However, Joserizal said Mer-C and several international NGOs now were planning to acquire a vessel and enter the area by sea.

Last year, Indonesia provided Rp 20 billion to help fund the construction of a new hospital in Gaza.

Indonesian Sailors in Somali Pirates’ Clutches

Jakarta Globe, April 04, 2010

The nation’s Foreign Affairs Ministry confirmed on Sunday that 12 Indonesians were among those aboard a Taiwanese fishing boat that has been seized by Somali pirates.

Teguh Wardoyo, director of the Foreign Ministry’s citizens’ protection unit, told the Jakarta Globe on Sunday that “the Taiwan boat Jih Chun Tsai 68, whose crew includes 12 Indonesians, was seized on April 2.”

The deep-sea tuna trawler had a Taiwanese captain at the helm and also had two Chinese on the crew. The vessel was attacked by Somali pirates on Wednesday along with another Taiwanese fishing boat, the Jui Man Fa, which managed to escape.

In recent years, five Taiwanese fishing trawlers have been seized by Somali pirates. They were released after the ship owners paid ransoms.

Taiwan on Friday confirmed the news and said the boat was being towed toward Somalia.

“Our embassy in Nairobi has been informed and is working to find out their condition and the ship’s position," Teguh said.

“Our representative office in South Africa has contacted the missing fishing trawler, the Jih Chun Tsai 68,” Taiwan Foreign Ministry spokesman Henry Chen said. “Captain Wu Yu-lai said the boat was seized by Somali pirates and was being towed to Somalia, but the crew was safe.”

Taiwan has contacted several international and national maritime organizations to “seek help to rescue the Jih Chun Tsai,” he added.

Taiwan has warned its fishing boats and cargo ships to stay away from the Somali coast and the Gulf of Aden.

A number of Indonesian sailors have also been held by pirates in recent attacks. On Jan. 1, Somali pirates seized the MV Pramoni, a Singapore-flagged chemical tanker, with 17 Indonesian crew members aboard.

The ship was released after its owners reportedly paid an undisclosed ransom toward the end of February.

The cash was bundled in a waterproof container, attached to a parachute and pushed out the back of a small plane, a common way of delivering the multimillion-dollar ransoms demanded by the pirates.

JG, DPA

Fishy deal

The Jakarta Post, Sun, 04/04/2010 3:50 PM

Fishy deal: Fishermen unload their catches, cakalang [tuna] fish, in Larantuka, East Flores of East Nusa Tenggara, on Sunday. East Flores area produces around 12 million tons of fishes per year. Antara/Ismar Patrizki

Australia alert over oil leak on Great Barrier Reef

BBC News

There are concerns the Shen Neng I may break up

A Chinese ship has run aground off north-eastern Australia, sparking an alert of an oil leak into the Great Barrier Reef.

The Shen Neng I, carrying 950 tonnes of oil, ran aground 70km (43 miles) off the east coast of Great Keppel Island.

Oil patches have been seen and officials said there were real concerns the ship may break apart, causing a greater spillage.

Conservationists say they fear for a major accident in the future.

The Shen Neng I, with a crew of 23, was carrying about 65,000 tonnes of coal to China from the Australian port of Gladstone.

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said the ship was in danger of breaking up.

"We are now very worried we might see further oil discharged from this ship," she said.

Maritime Safety Queensland general manager Patrick Quirk said: "It is in danger of actually breaking a number of its main structures and breaking into a number of parts."

Capricorn Conservation Council spokesman Ian Herbert told the Australian Associated Press he feared the latest incident was "a sign of things to come".

"We are outraged that no marine pilot is required on ships between Gladstone and Cairns," he said.

The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest reef system and extends for more than 2,500km.

(Photo: Daily Mail)

Related Articles:

Australia arrests crew of China Barrier Reef ship

Cargo ship crew charged over Great Barrier Reef route

Stranded ship "time bomb" to Great Barrier Reef

Oil spill clean-up underway

Race against time to stop oil leak on Great Barrier Reef after Chinese coal ship runs aground

An Indonesian body found in Yellow Sea

Antara News, Sunday, April 4, 2010 03:22 WIB

Seoul/Incheon (ANTARA News) - South Korea`s Coast Guard on Saturday discovered the body of a second crew member from a fishing boat that sank in the Yellow Sea while returning from a search for clues to last week`s naval disaster.

The body, found floating 50 kilometers southwest of Daecheong Island, has been identified as that of 35-year-old Yusuf Haaefa of Indonesia, a crew member aboard the 99-ton Kumyang 98 fishing boat that sank late Friday, the Incheon Coast Guard said.

The fishing boat, with a crew of nine including two Indonesian nationals, was one of several vessels employed by authorities to help search for evidence that could shed light on why the 1,200-ton Navy corvette Cheonan sank on March 26 near the maritime border with North Korea.

The Taiyo-1 -- a Cambodian-registered freighter -- has been detained by authorities in relation to the sinking of the South Korean fishing boat. Earlier in the day, the Coast Guard found the body of 55-year-old crew Kim Jong-pyong not far from where the latest recovery was made.

The Coast Guard is currently using helicopters and patrol boats to search for the other members of the Kumyang 98 crew, with the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to pitch in with three fishing control vessels.

The Navy, meanwhile, said it discovered the hull of the ill-fated fishing boat 48 kilometers southwest of Daecheong and attached a marker buoy to identify it location.

Maldives Eyes Floating Golf Course as Sea Rises

Jakarta Globe, April 02, 2010

An slight increase in sea levels could make the Maldives uninhabitable by 2100. (AFP Photo)

The Maldives faces the threat of extinction from rising sea levels, but the government says it is looking to the future with plans to build homes and a golf course that float.

An increase in sea levels of just 18-59 centimeters would make the Maldives — a nation of tiny coral islands in the Indian Ocean — virtually uninhabitable by 2100, the United Nations’ climate-change panel has said.

President Mohamed Nasheed has vowed a fight for survival, and last month he signed a deal with a Dutch company to study proposals for a floating structure that could support a convention center, homes and an 18-hole golf course.

“It is still early stages and we are awaiting a report on the feasibility,” a government official said.

The company, Dutch Docklands, is building floating developments in the Netherlands and Dubai.

There was no immediate comment from the firm, but its Web site said it undertook projects that make “land from water by providing large-scale floating constructions to create similar conditions as on land.”

The Maldives began work on an artificial island known as the Hulhumale near the crowded capital of Male in 1997 and more than 30,000 people have been settled there to ease congestion.

The capital, which has a population of 100,000, is already protected from rising sea levels by a $30 million sea wall, and the government is considering increasingly imaginative ways to combat climate change.

Nasheed, who staged the world’s first underwater cabinet meeting in October to highlight his people’s plight, has even spoken of buying land elsewhere in the world to enable Maldivians to relocate if their homes are submerged.

He has also pledged to turn his nation into a model for the rest of the world by becoming “carbon neutral” by 2020.

His plan involves ending fossil-fuel use. 

AFP

Related Articles:

The city of tomorrow may be built on water

Dutch build green city off China coast

A computer rendering of the 'Citadel' building which will soon arise in The Hague's hinterland/ Photo: Waterstudio.nl

News focus: rescuing Indonesia`s coral reefs from blast fishing

Antara News, by Rahmad Nasution, Friday, April 2, 2010 14:36 WIB

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Endowed by nature with more than 50,000 square kilometers of coral reefs, Indonesia has been listed by the United Nations as s nation with the largest coral reef resources in the world, along with Australia and the Philippines.

According to the United Nations Environment Program World Conservation Monitoring Center (UNEP-WCMC)`s World Atlas of Coral Reefs (2001), Indonesia had 51,020 square kilometers of coral reefs or 17.95 percent of the world`s coral reefs.

This archipelagic nation topped the list , followed by Australia with 48,460 square kilometers, the Philippines (25,060), France (14,280), Papua New Guinea (13,840), Fiji (10,020), Maldives (8,920), Saudi Arabia (6,660), Marshall Islands (6,110) and India (5,790).

The benefits that Indonesia can get from its coral reef biodiversity are obvious because coral reefs are evidently the sources of food and income for a lot of people through such activities as fisheries and tourism and also sources of raw materials for medicines.

But the UNEC-WCMC has warned that human activities, such as blast fishing, are seriously degrading coral reefs in various parts of the world, including in Indonesia.

The UN body`s warning is based on factual information collected over the years. Blast fishing itself has been practiced in Indonesia since World War II.

C.Pet-Soede, H.S.J. Cesar and J.S.Pet argued in their research report (1999) that blast fishing was chosen by certain local fishermen in Indonesia because it was "an easy and profitable way to catch whole schools of reef fish".

While it was a pactical and profitable for fishermen to earn their living, blast fishing, they said, was threatening the coral reef ecosystem and would eventually spell the end of coral reef fisheries.

Since the publication of C.Pet-Soede, H.S.J. Cesar and J.S.Pet`s report on their economic analysis of blast fishing in Indonesian coral reef waters in 1999 and the UNEP-WCMC`s World Atlas of Coral Reef in 2001, blast fishing has remained a frequent practice in Indonesia.

Although the government has officially banned it, the destructive fishing method, for example, continues to be used by certain fishermen on Enggano Island, Bengkulu Province, and in Kaduara Barat village in Pamekasan district , Madura Island, East Java.

Chief of Bengkulu`s naval base, Lt.Col.Sukrisno, had recently warned local fishermen of the danger of blast fishing for the preservation of coral reefs` biodiversity, and the legal sanctions they were risking.

Therefore, instead of using the home-made explosives, he urged them to use fishing nets as recommneded by Bengkulu province`s fishery and marine authorities.

Cases where fishermen are penalized for having practiced blast fishing happen repeatedly. On March 12, 2010, three fishermen in the East Java island of Madura, for example, were detained for possessing explosives.

The local police caught the fishermen of Candi hamlet, Polagan village, Galis sub-district, Pamekasan district red handed with the evidence minutes before they were about to go fishing.

Chief of Pamekasan police precinct Adjunct Senior Commissioner Mas Gunarso said his men seized 15 packs of home-made explosives from that the suspects. These law violators were threatened with severe sentence.

The direct impacts of this blast fishing has even been felt by the fishermen in the East Java island of Madura.

Basudin, traditional fisherman of Kaduara Barat village, Larangan sub-district, Pamekasan regency, said the fish catches of his and his fellows had badly been affected over the past years.

He suspected that the blast fishing might have contributed to the shortages of marine resources in the Madura sea because during the rainy season, certain local fishermen intensively used home-made explosives in fishing.

Every time they went fishing, they spent Rp100,000 - Rp150,000 in operational costs but they only got five kilograms of tiny sea fish. The selling price of this catch was no more than Rp100,000 in the local fish market, Basudin said.

In his opinion, the blast fishing activities had indeed destroyed all kinds of fishes, including the tiny and baby ones. The impacts of this destructive habit were not only felt by the doers but also caused the fish-net users like him to suffer from the poor catch. "But, we cannot stop them because we are all fellow fishermen," he said.

Besides degrading the marine resources, their destructive way of fishing had also destroyed coral reefs of the islands of Kramat and Pandan, he said.

Looking at the fishing condition in Madura Island waters, local authorities have periodically been holding public awareness campaigns and assisting the local fishermen with needed fishing tools.

For the fishing net users, they had once been given water-resistant lamps, Head of Pamekasan regency`s marine and fishery office Nurul Widiastuti, said.

Providing them with the government`s sponsored water-resistant lamps was part of her office`s efforts to promote a friendly fishing and care for safety of the local fishermen themselves, she said.

Apart from what the state apparatuses, like Sukrisno and Nurul Widiastuti, have done, the government need also protect the traditional fishermen from all sorts of unfair fishing policies and activities, such as letting them freely compete with trawlers on open sea.

The blast fishing may also be fought by introducing the fishermen to such alternative skills as breeding saltwater fish and running aquaculture.

With these people-empowered and oriented approaches, more fishermen can be persuaded to make a living by getting rid of any destructive way of fishing.

Govt approves plan to rent Tabuhan Island to Maldives investor

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Thu, 04/01/2010 12:04 PM

Minister of Marine Resources and Fisheries Fadel Muhammad has approved the Banyuwangi regental administration's plan to rent Tabuhan Island to Maldives investor PT Safari International Resort.

"A recommendation letter has been received by the Banyuwangi regent," head of the investment section of the administration's development planning agency Made Mahartha said as quoted by tempointeraktif.com on Thursday.

The 5.33-hectare island, which is located at Bengkak village in Wongsorejo district, will be developed into a marine tourist site to be equipped with lodging facilities.

The island, which is at the Bali straits water, is now vacant. Its surroundings is well-known for its beautiful coral reefs, Made said.

Made explained that according the proposal, PT Safari will rent the island for 30 years at a cost of Rp 100 billion.

Banyuwangi Regent Ratna Ani Lestari, he said, had set up a regional coordination team led by administration secretary Sukandi.

The team will be in charge of further deliberating the cooperation draft, which will cover, among others, obligations and responsibilities of the two sides, revenue sharing scheme and environmental insurance.

"This has been regulation in Government Regulation No. 50/2007 on regional cooperation implementation," Made said.

The plan to rent the island had earlier sparked pros and cons from environmental activists, who demanded that the Banyuwangi administration strictly watch out the cooperation implementation, especially the environment preservation.

"Surya Baksara Jaya" operation to be conducted in Ambon

Antara News, Thursday, April 1, 2010 14:45 WIB

Ambon (ANTARA News) - A health services provision program dubbed "Operation Surya Baksara Jaya" will be conducted at seven villages in Ambon July 29-August 3, in conjunction with the international marine event Sail Banda 2010.

"A similar program as part of Sail Banda 2010 will also be conducted in Banda Neira, Central Maluku district at the same time," Sail Banda local committee chairman Cak Saimima said here on Thursday.

He said the health operation activity by using floating hospital would be conducted at Mamala, Morella, Liang, Waai, Tulehu, Passo, and Hutumuri villages on the island of Ambon.

"The Surya Baksara Jaya health operation will be supported by the biggest United States Navy floating hospital USNS MERCY T-AH19," Saimima said.

Technically and aesthetically, the 273-meter long USNS MERCY T-AH19 with 955 medical personnel and doctors is arguably the most sophisticated vessel in its class to assist KRI Dr Soeharso in giving medical services to the people of Maluku.

Saimima said that the so-called Sailing Medical Service (SMS) program would also help the people in the districts of Buru Selatan, West Southeast Maluku (MTB), and Southwest Maluku (MBD) from April to August 2010.

"A health simulation program will be conducted in Ambon, Banda Neira, and MBD district town of Wonreli in Kisar island from July 1 to August 10," Saimima said.

He said naval ships from Singapore, Malaysia, and Australia would be sent to Maluku to support the Surya Baksara Jaya operation in the districts of West Seram, West Southeast Maluku, and Southwest Maluku.

The floating hospital`s operations will be coordinated the health ministry assisted by the Maluku health office and so will be the target areas of the Surya Baksara Jaya operation program.

"We welcome the support from the US, Australia, Malaysia and Singapore in the operation because indirectly they also promote Maluku`s tourism potential and the Sail Banda event," Saimima said.

Related Articles:

Sail Banda 2010 (official Website)

Most "Sail Banda" activities to take place in Ambon

Maluku`s historical sites being restored for Sail Banda 2010

More articles related to Maluku ....