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This month of May highlights many ocean events, including:
News items feature responsible fisheries, marine tourism including indigenous tourism, the forthcoming feature film 'Océans', piracy, and IMO efforts in preventing and reducing harmful emissions from ships.Watch for next month's newsletter for details on the upcoming World Ocean Day celebrations on June 8, 2009. Learn more about this year's theme, one ocean, one climate, one future by visiting The World Ocean Project.If this newsletter may interest someone you know, please forward it.
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The UN Atlas of the Oceans Editors
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- IMO: Liberia regional search and rescue centre cements another link in African SAR chain : A vital part of the plan to provide effective search and rescue (SAR) coverage off the coast of Africa has been completed with the commissioning last week (23 April 2009) of a fully-equipped regional Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Monrovia, Liberia - the fourth such commissioning in the past three years, following the inauguration of MRCCs in Mombasa, Kenya (May 2006), Cape Town, South Africa (January 2007) and Lagos, Nigeria (May 2008). (News)
- Whale Tracking. : 4 minute videoclip from the National Geographic Wild Chronicles feature, mentioning the Census of Marine Life (CoML) (Multimedia)
- Australian Reefs : 4 minute videoclip from the National Geographic Wild Chronicles feature, mentioning the Census of Marine Life (CoML) (Multimedia)
- IMO: Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas, 2007 : Compilation of all guidance documents and PSSAs designated by IMO since 1990 (Book)
- Revised MARPOL Annex VI - Regulations for the Prevention of AirPollution from Ships- and NOx Technical Code 2008, 2009 Edition : Regulations for the Prevention of AirPollution (Book)
- World Ocean Conference 2009 : Indonesia is hosting the World Ocean Conference 2009 to build commitment for sustainable management of marine resources at Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia from 11-15 May 2009. Read more. (Event)
- WWF Coral Triangle Photo Expedition : The WWF / Freund Factory Expedition is an 18 month photojournalistic expedition into the heart of the Coral Triangle. (Website)
- World Turtle Day 23 May 2009 : World Turtle Day was founded by the American Tortoise Rescue (Website)
- IMO: Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas (PSSA) : This publication provides the reader with an overview of all PSSA’s designated by the MEPC (Book)
- Pirate attacks could ramp up hunger in Africa, warns UN agency : Several ships carrying United Nations emergency relief supplies bound for Somalia have become the latest victims of piracy off the Horn of Africa, prompting the World Food Programme (WFP) to express concern that millions of people in the strife-torn region could go hungry. (News)
- New method to track cyclone paths unveiled : A prediction method developed by NASA scientists holds promise for filling in information gaps and improving advance warning in cyclone-prone areas. (News)
- FAO Technical Guidelines for Responsible Fisheries No. 12: Information and knowledge sharing : FAO Technical Guidelines for Responsible Fisheries No. 12: Information and knowledge sharing (Document)
- FAO Technical Guidelines for Responsible Fisheries No. 11: Responsible Fish Trade : FAO Technical Guidelines for Responsible Fisheries No. 11: Responsible Fish Trade (Document)
- FAO: Safety practices related to small fishing vessel stability : This document introduces some basic principles of the stability of small fishing vessels and provides simple guidance on what fishing vessel crews can do to maintain adequate stability for their vessels. (Document)
- Indigenous Ecotourism. Sustainable Development and Management : Case studies of beach fales (Samoa), marine ecotourism in Zanzibar and Pemba (Tanzania), Kosi Bay (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa) and Sulawesi (Indonesia). This series supports the development and diffusion of financially viable ecotourism that fulfils the objective of environmental, socio-cultural and economic sustainability at both the local and global scale. (Book)
- La marine partenaire d'Océans, le prochain film de Jacques Perrin : Après Le peuple singe, Microcosmos, Le peuple migrateur, Jacques Perrin se tourne aujourd'hui vers la mer. Une nouvelle fois, il met sa foi et sa passion dans un projet grandiose dans une aventure à goût de sel avec, entre autres partenaires, la Marine... (News)
- Tourism Management. Analysis, Behaviour and Strategy : In depth coverage of planning, implementing, evaluating and administering tourism marketing and management programmes. See Chapter 16. Complexity at Sea: Managing Brands within the Cruise Industry by Adam Weaver. pp 269 - 284. Discusses the state of the cruise ship industry from the point of view of the employer, the employee and the customer. (Book)
- The world `needs to be aware' of the importance of oceans : The World Ocean Conference (WOC) is to be held from May 11 to 15 in Manado, North Sulawesi. Indonesia is hosting the WOC 2009 to build commitment for sustainable management of marine resources. International agreements and conventions on oceans are important as references for deriving national policies. In addition, it requires the political will of world leaders to drive and implement such agreements. Problems such as the impact of climate change on oceans and degradation of land and marine resources have affected global development. Efforts to reverse this trend are urgently required. This conference will be an important step towards this goal. (News)
- IMO: IMO approves draft HNS Protocol aimed at bringing 1996 HNS Convention into effect : The Legal Committee of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), meeting for its 95th session at IMO Headquarters in London, has approved a draft Protocol to the 1996 HNS Convention (the International Convention on Liability and Compensation for Damage in Connection with the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances by Sea). (News)
- FAO report says overfishing putting sea cucumbers at risk : For many in the western world, they're a summer oddity — strange blobs we sometimes see bobbing about on the seafloor beneath us during a day at the beach. (News)
- FAO/UNEP report on abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear : Abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) -- more popularly known as marine debris -- is a problem of increasing concern. A new FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper, undertaken by the United Nations Environment Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, reviews the magnitude and composition of ALDFG. Abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear, now available online, notes that while information is not comprehensive and does not allow for any global estimates, gillnets and fishing traps/pots may be the most common type of ALDFG. Factors leading to ALDFG as well as their impacts are presented. The paper profiles measures already considered to stem the problem and includes a number of recommendations for future action. (News)
- FAO Strategy and Outline Plan for Improving Information on Status and Trends of Aquaculture : The Strategy and Outline Plan for Improving Information on Status and Trends of Aquaculture, published by the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, is now online. The Strategy-STA is a voluntary instrument that applies to all States and entities. Its overall objective is to provide a framework, strategy and plan for the improvement of knowledge and understanding of status and trends of aquaculture as a basis for policy-making and management. Required actions are specified, with a primary emphasis on the need for capacity building in developing countries. (News)
- Film on Indonesian customary marine law premiered by FAO : A film on the customary marine law of the Aceh province of Indonesia has just been premiered by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Marine and Fisheries Service of Indonesia (DKP), and the local fishers' organization, Panglima Laot Aceh. (News)
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IMO: IMO and industry review progress on addressing seafarer shortage and the scourge of piracy
: At the invitation of IMO Secretary-General Efthimios E. Mitropoulos, a meeting took place on 30 March 2009, at the IMO Headquarters, with the participation of representatives of shipping industry bodies (known collectively as the "Round Table of international shipping associations", i.e. BIMCO, ICS/ISF, INTERCARGO and INTERTANKO), and of the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), to review developments related to:
• the "Go to Sea!" campaign, which they had launched jointly in November 2008 to attract entrants to the shipping industry (see IMO Briefing 53/2008); and
• the situation of piracy and armed robbery against ships in waters off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden. (News) - IMO: Revised MARPOL Annex VI and NOx Technical Code published by IMO : A new publication is now available from IMO Publications on the revised international regulations on preventing and reducing harmful emissions from ships, such as sulphur oxides (SOx) nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter. (News)