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This month we celebrate the fifth anniversary of the UN Atlas of the Oceans! Thanks to our dedicated expert topic editors and contributors, the Atlas currently contains over 4000 entries. Membership continues to rise - now topping 7000 - and some 100,000 users visit the Atlas each month.
We thank all of you for having made these first 5 years a success and urge you to continue your active support and contributions.
June celebrates World Ocean Day and also marks World Environment Day, which this year focuses on polar ecosystems and the effects of climate change. Another growing issue on the UN agenda - marine genetic resources - is featured in a new topic. Marine genetic resources have great potential value but environmental and biological impacts must be considered when both exploring and exploiting them.
If this newsletter may interest someone you know, please forward it. Contribute to and participate in the growing Atlas community by becoming an active Member of the UN Atlas today.
Thank you,
The UN Atlas of the Oceans Editors
Visit the UN Atlas of the Oceans Web site
Comments? Please write to UN-Atlas-Oceans-Project@fao.org
- Marine Genetics : Marine genetic resources and other aspects of genetics relevant to marine biology (Topic)
- Improving living and working conditions in the fishing sector : Delegates to the 96th International Labour Conference will consider a new international labour standard that revises the seven existing ILO standards on fishing adopted between 1920 and 1966. (News)
- FAO panel supports trade restrictions to protect sawfish and eels : Recommendations made to UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (News)
- The treasure trove of life hiding in the Antarctic depths : The sheer quantity and range of previously unknown life has astonished scientists, who are still trying to count and analyse the creatures they have found. More than 700 new species have been identified and, with assessments of fewer than half the animal groups completed, the final number could be closer to 1,500. (News)
- Fish feed scare highlights challenges of aquaculture boom : FAO conference eyeballs the future of the 'blue revolution' - safety issues in spotlight (News)
- ISO standards will aid sustainable development : The sustainable development of the fisheries and aquaculture sectors will benefit from the International Standards produced by a new ISO technical committee, due to hold its first meeting in Bergen, Norway in October. (News)
- World Ocean Day : Created in 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro - although not yet officially designated by the United Nations - World Ocean Day is an opportunity each year to celebrate our world ocean and our personal connection to the sea. (Event)
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World Environment Day - 5 June 2007
: Melting Ice-A Hot Topic?
World Environment Day, commemorated each year on 5 June, is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action. The World Environment Day slogan selected for 2007 is Melting Ice – a Hot Topic? In support of International Polar Year, the WED theme selected for 2007 focuses on the effects that climate change is having on polar ecosystems and communities, and the ensuing consequences around the world. The main international celebrations of the World Environment Day 2007 will be held in Norway. UNEP is honoured that the City of Tromsø will be hosting this United Nations day. (News) - Where Our Fish Comes From. Thai fisheries, from an Australian perspective : DVD video presents an overview of the Thai fishing industry from an Australian perspective. (Map)
- Whale Shark Numbers in Decline : The iconic whale sharks that congregate at Ningaloo Reef off Western Australia are declining in number, according to a recent study. Researchers from the Australian Institute of Marine Science and Charles Darwin University have used 12 years of whale shark photographs from Ningaloo Reef to monitor and predict trends in population size. The scientists’ models show a steady decline in numbers of the giant fish. (News)
- Crude - The Incredible Journey of Oil : Crude spans 160 million years of the Earth's history to reveal the story of oil, including offshore oil and gas; and climate change. Editor's award. Documentary film available on DVD. (Map)
- Chinese know little about shark conservation: survey : There is growing public support in China for the need to protect the world's dwindling shark population, but little understanding about the connection between conservation and shark finning, according to a survey. (News)
- EU Proposes Ways To Make Dismantling Old Ships Safer for Humans, Environment : The European Union should play a more active role in halting the scrapping of old ships in dangerous and polluting conditions in Asia, a practice likely to worsen as single-hull tankers are phased out in favor of safer double-hulled vessels, the top EU environment official said. (News)
- Halibut Excluder Helps Hapless Halibut Escape Cod Nets : It's called the halibut excluder -- a scary name for a nifty device, especially if you're a hapless halibut caught in a cod trawl net off Kodiak Island. (News)
- Scientists target fishing subsidies : A group of 125 international marine scientists urged the head of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to push for a global accord to slash subsidies paid by many countries to their fishing industries. (News)
- Barcoding Marine Life : DNA barcodes are being established for marine species (Website)
- IMO: New international treaty on wreck removal adopted in Nairobi : A new international convention on wreck removal has been adopted in Kenya. The Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks, 2007, will provide the legal basis for States to remove, or have removed, shipwrecks that may have the potential to affect adversely the safety of lives, goods and property at sea, as well as the marine environment. (News)
- More fishing boats, less fish : Malaysian vessels are joining the hunt for tunas (News)
- SIDS - Small Island Developing States : This website is an information gateway to UNEP's assistance in SIDS. (Website)
- Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States : Official SIDS Web site (Website)
- Official Mexican Norm 029 on Shark and Ray Fishing is a Watershed for the Conservation of Marine Organisms : When Official Mexican Norm (known as NOM in Spanish) 029 on shark and ray fishing goes into effect [on 17 May], it will make it possible to regulate one of the fisheries with the greatest impact on endangered marine species such as sea turtles, whales and sea lions. (News)
- South Africa Battles Alien Fish : Predatory imported fish including trout, bass and carp are crowding out many local species in one of the few places in the world still rich in biodiversity. (News)
- Study Shows Southern Ocean Saturated with Carbon Dioxide : The Southern Ocean around Antarctica is so loaded with carbon dioxide that it can barely absorb any more, so more of the gas will stay in the atmosphere to warm up the planet, scientists reported. (News)
- Arctic Islands Invite Tourists To See Climate Woes : A remote chain of Arctic islands is advertising itself as a showcase of bad things to come from global warming. Visitors to Svalbard can see reindeer, seals or polar bears in the Arctic, where U.N. scientists say warming is happening twice as fast as on the rest of the planet in what may be a portent of changes further south. (News)
- Australian Maritime Digest : Monthly digest of Australian maritime initiatives and news (Document)
- The West's Poverty Subsidies : Farmers in Kenya, Burkina Faso and Senegal used to be able to make ends meet. Today they have trouble selling their goods because of subsidized exports from industrial nations that are sold in Africa at dumping prices. But will the West ever change? (News)
- Commissioner Borg: "Mauritius meeting will be decisive for the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission's fight against illegal fishing" : The European Commission considers that the forthcoming annual meeting of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), in Mauritius, on 13-18 May 2007, will be crucial for the ability of the organisation to effectively fight illegal fishing in the area under its management responsibility. (News)
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IMO: Conference to adopt new international treaty on wreck removal opens in Nairobi
: International Conference on the Removal of Wrecks: 14-18 May 2007, Nairobi, Kenya
A Diplomatic Conference to adopt a new international convention on wreck removal was opened in Nairobi, Kenya, by the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Mr. Efthimios E. Mitropoulos, on Monday (14 May 2007). The new convention will provide the legal basis for States to remove, or have removed, shipwrecks that may have the potential to affect adversely the safety of lives, goods and property at sea, as well as the marine environment. (News) -
IMO: New international treaty on wreck removal set for adoption
: Preview: International Conference on Wreck Removal: 14-18 May 2007, Nairobi, Kenya
A new international convention, which will set out the legal responsibilities under which States can remove hazardous shipwrecks, is expected to be adopted at the end of a five-day Diplomatic Conference to be held from 14 to 18 May 2007 at the United Nations Office in Nairobi (UNON), Kenya. (News) - Coral Disease Linked to Warming : An international team of scientists working on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef (GBR) has found a clear link between coral disease and warmer ocean temperatures. Worldfirst research at 48 reefs spread along 1500 kilometres of the GBR combined with 6 years of satellite data on sea temperatures has revealed "a highly significant relationship" between ocean warming and the emergence of a disease known as white syndrome. White syndrome is one of a number of unexplained coral diseases which scientists have observed to be on the increase globally in recent years. (News)
- Migratory Birds, Whales Confused by Warming, UN Says : Birds, whales and other migratory creatures are suffering from global warming that puts them in the wrong place at the wrong time, a U.N. official told 166-nation climate talks (News)
- US proposes global ban on fishing aid : A US proposal for a global ban on billions of dollars in subsidies that drive overfishing of the oceans has won widespread support from World Trade Organisation members and raised hopes for an international pact later this year. (News)
- Pro-poor criteria, principles must be used to design policies for small-scale fisheries management in developing countries, FAO tells ICSF workshop : The improvement of the livelihoods of coastal communities and the sustainability of the fishery resources on which they depend require increased attention, strong commitment and collective efforts, according to Ichiro Nomura, Assistant Director-General, Fisheries and Aquaculture Department of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). (News)
- Perspectives from small-scale fishing communities on coastal and fisheries management in Asia : Objectives: to review the experiences of traditional and modern rights-based approaches to fisheries management, and discuss their relevance and scope in the Asian context; contribute to improving the overall effectiveness of fisheries management by promoting responsible small-scale fisheries and the rights of small-scale fishing communities; and advocate for policies that recognize the rights of fishing communities to the coastal lands and resources customarily used by them. (Event)
- Poverty in fishing communities poses serious risks : The rights of poor fishermen to harvest and manage local fish stocks need to be strengthened in order to fight poverty and reduce overexploitation of threatened coastal and inland fisheries, FAO said. (News)
- Alien "Water Weed" in Africa Choking Lakes, Killing Fish : Paul Okecho stood on a hard spit of land jutting into central Uganda's Lake Kyoga late last fall and looked over a dozen empty wooden fishing boats trapped in a floating field of aquatic plants. (News)
- New Species of Coral Found off the Coast of Oman : Two new species of coral have been discovered off the Omani coast, as well as other existing coral species that had previously not been known to live in the area. (News)
- China Census of Marine Life : Chinese component of the Census of Marine Life, including the OBIS Node for the Chinese region. (Website)
- American Red Cross and FAO team up to restore fisheries and aquaculture in tsunami-affected communities : The American Red Cross and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have announced the launch of a new partnership to support the recovery of fishing communities in Indonesia's Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam Province affected by the 2004 tsunami. (News)
- Maritime Conflict in Asia : Ownership of islands, resources and sea-lanes in South, Southeast and Northeast Asia (Project)
- Tropical coastal ecosystems and climate change prediction: global and local risks : Coastal ecosystems face gradual changes in average conditions as well as extreme events. (Document)
- Reversing Environmental Degradation Trends in the South China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand : GEF project (32 million US$), implemented by UNEP for South China Sea (Project)
- Impacts of Climate Change on Australian Marine Life : Report on the likely Impacts of Climate Change on Australian Marine Life (Document)