Palau: QED!

Source.

And here we go.

Looks like Palau's Marine Sanctuary has backfired.

All I can say is that I'm totally not surprised, see here and here.
That's what you get when NGOs parachute in and propose half-baked solutions to credulous politicians.

And now?
Accountability anybody?
 

Yeah I know I know...

Tiger Shark vs Manta Ray!

Yes some Sharks will attack Manta Rays - source.

Wow - source here.

It obviously begs the question, did the Tiger kill the Manta.

I'm also amazed at those many Reef Sharks as I've never seen them scavenge like they are doing here. 

And I must add that all those unprotected punters are a scary, scary sight, the more as Tiger Sharks are known to vigorously defend their meals, and perceived interlopers have already been grievously injured.

Be it as it may - what an awesome encounter!

Enjoy!

Don't eat the Reef Fish!

Source.

Bingo!

Remember this post?

Now I discover that Palau is planning to build an offshore fleet in order to fish for Tuna and other pelagics within 20% of its EEZ - and that is a good thing, and this not only economically but also ecologically! 

With the Pacific Islands running out of Fish due to a combination of rampant overfishing, habitat destruction and climate change (read it - this is truly frightening shit!), reducing the consumption of coastal Fish in favor of pelagic species becomes increasingly important - and this by both locals and visitors.

Really interesting paper here.

Required reading!

Pew - Eyes on the Seas!

Source.

Great stuff!

Watch the following.

Posted specifically for the usual naysayers that continue to assert that those Shark Sanctuaries are nothing but bullshit as nobody is enforcing the regulations. I say, SINOs my ass - yes it's hard work, yes it's frustrating and expensive but slowly slowly, the noose on those poachers is tightening!

Details here and here.

And here is an article from Palau showing how a poacher was apprehended with this technology.

Well done Pew - I'm impressed!

 

Palau - Marine Sanctuary!

Source.

Remember?

And now it appears that it has been enacted.

I still find it silly - why not let Fish stocks recover and then fish sustainably according to strict, science based guidelines whilst slowly building a domestic fishing and seafood processing industry? If managed sustainably, seafood is a totally renewable resource - so why forfeit that source of income for the country?

Oh well.

Looks like some NGOs have spent a lot of time and resources to have it their way. Good on them as it will look good with the donors and will undoubtedly generate brownie points for the individuals that have conducted the negotiations.
For them, it is undoubtedly a great coup.

For Palau, not convinced.

Palau - Proposal for a Marine Sanctuary!

Tommy Remengesau - a visionary?

Wow.

The president of Palau is proposing to declare Palau's entire EEZ a marine sanctuary where any commercial fishing would be banned.

Prima vista, it sounds like a great initiative.

It is undoubtedly so that those distant water fleets are pillaging the Pacific without any regard for sustainability and against totally inadequate compensation - and I'm not only talking about Japan and Taiwan but very much also the USA and Europe! With that in mind, one should really finally tell them to fuck off.

But is a total fishing ban really the best solution?

Would it not be way smarter to start developing a local commercial fleet, to fish sustainably, process the Fish in Palau and then sell it offshore? After all, if managed properly, Fish are a totally renewable resource and truly sustainable fishing does not harm biodiversity - so why deprive the country of this income and the tourists, of their Lobster Thermidor?

Hell, defining and implementing 100% sustainable fishing quotas and techniques with the aid of some reputable NGOs would be a great project and propel Palau right to the top of visionary fishing nations!

Or am I missing something here?

Bopha!

Our hearts go out to our friends in Palau.

Stories here , here and here.

Case in Point: Palau!

Great announcement by Palau today!

Palau Announces Massive Marine Sanctuary
NAGOYA, Japan, Oct 25, 2010 (IPS) - One of Japan's closest allies declared over the weekend that all of its oceans - more than 600,000 square kilometres - would be a sanctuary for whales, dolphins, dugongs, sharks and other species.

But then, I find this.
Palau's sanctuary may be in name only, with just one boat supplied by Australia but operated by the Palau government to patrol the vast region."We are thankful to Pew for a recent grant for fuel so they can go out more than twice a month,"
"Last August I received a report from the U.S. officials in Guam showing more than 850 vessels fishing illegally in Palau's waters," Fritz added.

You may want to scroll down to yesterday's blog post.
Q.E.D.

The Pew Charitable Trusts: excellent Stuff!

Quick-quick before we batten down: I'm increasingly impressed by Pew.

Not only because they're filthy rich, but because they very quietly (and one could say: humbly) sponsor some of the very best Marine conservation projects around and notably, excellent things for Sharks.
In fact, if you looks further than what's being said at the surface, you can discern them behind the historical Palau Declaration and more recently, the decision by the Maldives to establish a Shark Sanctuary in all of their waters.

The news could even get better if the UK decides to turn the Chagos Islands into a Marine Reserve as recently announced.
Chagos is the Maldives' southern neighbor and the resulting Shark Sanctuary would truly be of epic proportions - with the added bonus of Diego Garcia and the ensuing patrols by the British and Americans! The French did very much the same during the inglorious Mururoa episode and unwittingly contributed much to the present health of the Tuamotu Archipelago in the process.

Like always, there's controversy.
The Chagossians claim that they want to go home.
"Home"? As in Madagascar, Mozambique and Mauritius? Or are they really aiming to resettle in the Archipelago in order to be economically nonviable and threatened by Sea level rise? Really???
Or may this be, horribile dictu!, merely about money and passports?

Who knows!
In any case, this scribe fervently hopes that the clamoring subsides, that the Chagossians get their money, or whatever, and that Planet Earth gets its biggest Marine Protected Area!
Fingers crossed!