17 March 2008
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IN THIS BULLETIN
NEWS
Public wants more protection for Moreton Bay: McNamara (Queensland, Australia) ....................................................................................... 1
$2.5bn for ecology (Australia) ........................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Forgotten sister of Chek Jawa gets protection (Singapore) .............................................................................................................................. 2
Coastal pollution poses serious threat to reefs (Fiji).......................................................................................................................................... 2
Stricter laws needed to govern fishing industry (Kingston, Jamaica) ................................................................................................................ 2
Investigators say Suncruz casino boat may have damaged sea grass (St. Petersburg,FL,USA)..................................................................... 3
Oil spill devastates marine life (Cape Town,South Africa)................................................................................................................................. 3
Boatie casts doubt over call for slower speed limit (Australia) .......................................................................................................................... 3
Pew Institute teams with Chantecaille Cosmetics to protect global (Washington,DC,USA).............................................................................. 3
Water quality in bay slips (St. Petersburg,FL,USA)........................................................................................................................................... 4
Protection of Cornish sea conservation area (Northallerton,England,UK) ........................................................................................................ 4
'Clean bill of health' for bay amid dredge (Pakenham,Victoria,Australia).......................................................................................................... 4
FROM HQ
Frequently Asked Questions ............................................................................................................................................................................. 5
Seagrass-Watch News Issue 31 ....................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Seagrass-Watch Shop ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Virtual Herbarium .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 5
Giveaways......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Future sampling dates....................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Handy Seagrass Links ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Please note: links to sources were active on date of publication. Some sources remove links periodically.
NEWS
Public wants more protection for Moreton Bay: McNamara (Queensland, Australia)
15 March 2008, ABC News
Queensland Minister for Sustainability Andrew McNamara says public support for creating new Moreton Bay Marine
Park protection zones has been overwhelming.
At the moment, only 0.5 per cent is protected. Mr McNamara says in the 8,000 submissions lodged, many people
asked for 30 per cent of the bay to be protected, which is double the proposed 15 per cent.
He says it is clear that Moreton Bay's important to Queenslanders. "The important thing for me, and I think for many,
many people, is that this is about more than just fishing," he said. "This is about protecting the biodiversity and
environmental values of the bay, the seagrass and the coral. "These things are the scientific approaches designed to
protect all of the bay's biodiversity."
more....................... http://www.seagrasswatch.org/news.html.
$2.5bn for ecology (Australia)
14 March 2008, by Matthew Franklin, The Australian
Regional community authorities and farmers will have access to a share of hundreds of millions of government
funding for environmental projects under a new fund.
Seagrass-Watch E-bulletin 17 March 2008
The Rudd Government last night unveiled the $2.25billion Caring for our Country fund, which will also deliver funding
for a series of pre-election promises, including $200million for the Great Barrier Reef, $100million to repair and
protect fragile coastal eco-systems and $2million to fund efforts to halt the southward march of Queensland cane
toads.
The new fund is the result of the amalgamation of a range of environmental and land protection programs that existed
under the Howard government. These included the Natural Heritage Trust, National Landcare and the Environmental
Stewardship and Working on Country programs. Environment Minister Peter Garrett and Agriculture Minister Tony
Burke designed the new model to reduce administrative inefficiencies, double-dipping and alleged rorting.
more....................... http://www.seagrasswatch.org/news.html
Related links: http://www.smh.com.au/news/environment/sixpronged-plan-to-replace-howards-green-scheme/2008/03/13/1205126112326.html
Forgotten sister of Chek Jawa gets protection (Singapore)
11 March, 2008. The New Paper
Why would Singapore, a bustling port city dependent on ships passing through, stop ships from anchoring at a
secluded island off Pulau Ubin? The island, called Pulau Sekudu, looks nondescript from afar. However, it is teeming
with marine wildlife because it is very close to the marine-protected area of Chek Jawa. While Chek Jawa is known
for its natural gems, Sekudu, its neglected sister, has been the victim of repeated illegal fishing, camping and
harvesting of marine creatures such as oysters and clams. Between July and September 2007, there were more
than 20 landings on Pulau Sekudu, Mr Robert Teo said. He is the assistant director in charge of Pulau Ubin at the
National Parks Board (NParks).
Since 1 Oct last year, vessels entering these wetlands have to get a permit from NParks. Recently, The New Paper
went to Chek Jawa to see what could be found there and at Sekudu. Sea anemones, sand dollars, moon snails,
crabs and tubeworms were spotted in the area. In addition to the marine creatures, interesting plants can be seen,
such as the seashore nutmeg (a species that can no longer be found on mainland), mangrove plants and many types
of seagrass.
Explaining the reason for the permit system, Mr Teo said: 'Chek Jawa Wetlands, which includes Pulau Sekudu, is an
important and unique area for the conservation of Singapore's marine life. Those who are granted permits should
also exercise caution when on the island. Mr Teo said: 'For applications that are approved, we seek the cooperation
of permit holders to observe the Parks and Trees Act and Parks and Trees Regulations and avoid trampling on
marine life while on the island.'
more....................... http://www.seagrasswatch.org/news.html.
Coastal pollution poses serious threat to reefs (Fiji)
10 March, 2008, Fiji Times
Increasing coastal pollution, rapid development without any environmental impact assessments and over-exploitation
of resources are threats to coral reefs and coastal habitats, says interim Environment Minister Joketani Cokanasiga.
He said those factors were compounded by poor planning and lack of environmental awareness, increased urban
drift, all of which led to increased poverty. "As a result coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass beds and fisheries and
biodiversities are declining not only in Fiji but across the Pacific region," he said. "Fiji must address the protection of
reefs in a holistic way.
"Reef protection must include the protection of all habitats from the mountain and forest to lakes, rivers, streams; and
from mangroves and estuaries to inshore lagoons, sea grass beds and coral reefs and offshore pelagic fisheries to
the EEZs."
more....................... http://www.seagrasswatch.org/news.html.
Stricter laws needed to govern fishing industry (Kingston, Jamaica)
16 March 2008, Jamaica Gleaner
Stakeholders in the fishing industry are this year anticipating the introduction of new and overhauled legislation aimed
at better managing the industry. According to Dr Karl Aiken, former deputy director of the Fisheries Division in the
Ministry of Agriculture, the new legislation must include upgraded penalties that have strong deterrent values.
But more than penalties, he is interested in how the new legislation will encourage research and rigorous
management of the nation's coastal resources, monitor the catch of marine life out of season, and tougher laws to
regulate the introduction of new fishermen into the industry.
Similarly, environmentalist Peter Espeut is advocating a law that is more specific on the types of equipment that can
be used by fishermen. Certain types of equipment that are not environmentally friendly ought to be banned by the
new legislation, Espeut says. These include the seine, that often destroys coral and uproots sea grass - an important
source to sand formation.
Full story and source: http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20080316/news/news5.html
www.seagrasswatch.org
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Seagrass-Watch E-bulletin 17 March 2008
Investigators say Suncruz casino boat may have damaged seagrass (St. Petersburg,FL,USA)
March 15, 2008, Tampabay.com
State environmental officials are investigating whether the Port Richey SunCruz casino boat chewed up sensitive
seagrass beds off the coast of Pasco and Hernando counties, leaving behind deep scars in the ocean bottom that
are 12 feet wide and up to 3,000 feet long. "We are looking into it," state Department of Environmental Protection
spokeswoman Pam Vazquez said Friday. State officials said they have an aerial photo showing what appears to be
the casino boat in the sea grass beds.
However, a spokeswoman for the casino ship line said DEP had not contacted the owners or notified the company of
any problems. Beth Fifer, spokeswoman for Port Richey Casino Inc., said Friday that any seagrass damage must
have been done by some other vessel.
Biologists who have been mapping 600,000 acres of seagrass beds off the coast discovered the damage three
months ago while studying aerial photos that had been shot last year, said Keith Kolasa, senior environmental
scientist for the Southwest Florida Water Management District. The biologists were surprised by the size of the
gouges. More than 170,000 acres of seagrass beds around Florida's coast have been chewed up by boat propellers,
but those scars are usually no more than 2 feet wide.
Full story and source: http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/article418313.ece
Oil spill devastates marine life (Cape Town,South Africa)
13 March 2008, iAfrica.com
South Korea's worst oil spill has devastated marine life, halving the number of sea plants and mollusks found off the
western coast, a government report said Thursday. The oil leak also threatened the underwater food chain,
endangering fish and sea birds, the environment ministry report said.
Surveys following the spill last December showed mollusk populations had plunged to 56 creatures of five species
per square metre from 133 creatures of eight species as mussels were found to have been considerably
contaminated by remnants of crude oil. The density of seaweeds per square metre fell 43 percent from February
2007 and Phyllospadix iwatensis, a seagrass, also declined 47 percent.
Hong Kong-registered supertanker Hebei Spirit spilled 10 900 tons of crude after it was rammed by a Samsung
Heavy Industries barge in rough seas off Taean county on 7 December. Scores of marine farms and kilometres of
beaches were devastated and three people in Taean, about 110 kilometres southwest of Seoul, killed themselves in
frustration over delays in compensation.
Full story and source: http://business.iafrica.com/worldnews/248443.htm
Boatie casts doubt over call for slower speed limit (Australia)
13 March 2008, ABC Regional Online
A call for a four knot speed limit to be applied to the Bellinger and Kalang rivers is creating waves among some of the
rivers' users. The Bellingen Environment Centre says community feedback to the Bellinger Kalang Estuary Plan has
highlighted the need for the restriction to be put in place.
The centre says many residents are upset by the noise from ski and power boats, and by their impact on bank
erosion and seagrass beds. But the push has been labeled as over-the-top by recreational boatie Gary Bryant, who
says a four knot limit would be unworkable and bad for tourism.
"A lot of outboards are two-stroke engines and if you're just operating at idle speed all the time you have all sorts of
trouble with it choking up and spark plugs fouling and whatever ... it would just be a waste of time. There's be no
pleasure at all in putting these boats in the river," he said.
Full story and source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/03/13/2188099.htm?site=midnorthcoast
Pew Institute teams with Chantecaille Cosmetics to protect global (Washington,DC,USA)
10 March 2008, EurekAlert (press release)
Unique collaboration of 2 institutions headed by women provides support of Pew Institute's initiatives through sale of
'Protected Paradise' eye and face cosmetic compacts, available exclusively at select retailers
The Pew Institute for Ocean Science is pleased to announce that Chantecaille, a luxury cosmetics company, will
donate five percent of the proceeds of its gorgeous new "Protected Paradise" Face and Eyes compacts to support
vital marine science research and conservation efforts. Specifically, the funds will support the Institute's Pew
Fellowship in Marine Conservation program, which provides a $150,000 award to each of five ocean experts around
the world annually to develop solutions to critical ocean challenges. The Fellowship is widely considered to be the
Nobel Prize of marine conservation.
www.seagrasswatch.org
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Seagrass-Watch E-bulletin 17 March 2008
The Protected Paradise compacts are available for $90 each at Neiman Marcus (neimanmarcus.com), Bergdorf
Goodman, Barneys New York, and other select retailers. Each galvanized nickel compact contains brilliantly colored
powders in an intricately embossed design that depicts the diverse beauty of an underwater marine ecosystem. The
artfully rendered design includes: two fish, representing a host of overfished and endangered species; a school of
small "forage" fish that serve as a critical food source for larger marine animals and are at risk from overfishing; a sea
horse, which is being heavily exploited globally for use in aquariums and traditional medicines; coral, an integral and
threatened part of the marine ecosystem that is being profoundly affected by climate change, pollution, habitat
degradation and disease; and a graceful expanse of sea grass, which serves as a crucial source of shelter and
nutrition for fish but is being destroyed by threats such as nutrient pollution and siltation.
Full story and source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-03/uomr-pit031008.php
Water quality in bay slips (St. Petersburg,FL,USA)
08 March 2008, St. Petersburg Times
The health of Old Tampa Bay depends on sea grass growth, which is affected by water quality. Water quality in Old
Tampa Bay slipped a bit this past year, but the rest of the bay continued to show signs of improvement, according to
a report released this week by the Tampa Bay Estuary Program.
The estuary program's scientists check the water quality in the four sections of the bay - Old Tampa Bay,
Hillsborough Bay, Middle Tampa Bay and Lower Tampa Bay - to see whether the water will be clean enough to
promote the natural recovery of underwater sea grasses.
Sea grasses are crucial to the health of the bay, but decades ago they declined sharply and by 1982 there were only
22,000 acres left. Since then the bay has regained 6,000 acres, with 1,300 acres gained just from 2004 to 2006. By
2006 there were 28,299 acres. Although that was far less than the estuary program's goal of 38,000 acres, it marked
a milestone: the most sea grass in the bay since the 1950s.
Full story and source: http://www.sptimes.com/2008/03/08/Northpinellas/Water_quality_in_bay_.shtml
Related links: http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/mar/09/sp-water-quality-restores-seagrasses/
http://www.sptimes.com/2008/03/05/Neighborhoodtimes/Bay_water_quality_get.shtml
Protection of Cornish sea conservation area (Northallerton,England,UK)
07 March 2008, MoreThanWaste
London: Proposals for the closure of the Fal and Helford Special Area of Conservation (SAC) in Cornwall to bottom
trawling, have been published today by Defra. Fisheries Minister Jonathan Shaw took the decision to protect the
SAC against the damaging effects of scallop dredging.
Defra says that the Fal and Helford SAC is designated to protect important marine habitats which are: maerl beds;
eelgrass beds; sandbanks; large shallow inlets and bays; reefs, and estuaries. Underwater meadows of eelgrass,
Britain's only flowering marine plant, provide shelter for crabs, anemones, young fish and seahorses. However the
beds of eal grass damage easily and take years to recover leaving bare patches.
Full story and source: http://www.morethanwaste.com/Site/Default.aspx/9B39680C8AB6CD552C2D
'Clean bill of health' for bay amid dredge (Pakenham,Victoria,Australia)
March 2008, Australian Star
Port Phillip Bay's health remained intact after the first 25 days of dredging, State Government said yesterday. But the
Bellarine Peninsula spokesperson for anti-dredge group Blue Wedges Coalition slammed the government's
environmental monitoring as a sham.
Environment Protection Authority's Mick Bourke said turbidity in Port Phillip Bay was "safely" within operational
guidelines and "below environmental limits". Mr Bourke said he was "satisfied" the dredging to deepen shipping
channels had not damaged the bay's health. "The results show that after 25 days of dredging, turbidity remains at a
safe level," he said.
Blues Wedges' Catherine Jones said she didn't trust the government. "I don't know how they can possibly say the
turbidity levels are safe," she said. "The divers used to be able to see 12 metres down and now they can only see
about half a metre through the water. "It's absolutely appalling." Ms Jones said the dredging had threatened the
peninsula's diving and boating industries.
Dredging supporters say the project is crucial to Victoria's economy and thousands of jobs. Opponents fear it will
unleash an environmental disaster on the bay and adjoining wetlands.
Full story and source: http://www.senews.com.au/story/55880
Related links: http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23319784-2862,00.html
www.seagrasswatch.org
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