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Pacific Environment Information Network [PEIN] Digest

PEIN Digest: A digest of Pacific environment news and developments

The PEIN Digest is a monthly digest of pacific environment news and developments gathered from global news sources and a regional network of Pacific environment officers.

[*The PEIN project is coordinated by the SPREP Information Resource Centre with funding assistance from the European Union.]

February
January 2010
December 2009

Articles of note - a selection of recent academic literature

see also PEIN Digest archive

February

FISHING BOAT WARNED AFTER VANUATU SPILL
Pacific Islands Report - 8 February 2010
In Vanuatu, the captain of a fishing vessel belonging to the Tuna Fishing plant at Paray bay has been warned while its crew are facing disciplinary measures after accidentally discharging waste into the harbour last Friday morning. Daily Post was told of "bits of fish and blood changing the color of the water in port." A disappointed Tuna Productions Manager Brian Fong acknowledged the incident and assured members of the public that it will not happen again in future...more

PUSH FOR LOGGING BAN IN WESTERN SOLOMONS
Pacific Islands Report - 5 February 2010
Conservationists on Kolombangara island, Western Province, are pushing for a ban of large scale commercial logging on the island. Coordinator of Kolombangra Island Biodiversity Conservation Association (KIBCA), Furgeson Vagi said the intention follows revelation that despite many logging operations that have taken place on the island over the past decades, no tangible benefit had reached the people. He said people on the island are still asking relatives for basic necessities such as kerosene and soaps, things they should have gone out of had they benefited from logging operations. Mr. Vagi says logging companies have breached the Forestry Act when they log trees from high altitudes. "People now realize that logging brings no real benefit to landowners and license holders," he said. Vagi said his association is encouraging people to turn to conservation because they can get benefit from their resources for home use and income...more

UN DESA/DSD CONVENES SIDSNET STRATEGIC PLANNING MEETING, MULTISTAKEHOLDER
DIALOGUE - -SIDSNET TO BE REVITALISED
IISD - 5 February 2010
The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), Division for Sustainable Development (DSD), convened a two-day strategic planning meeting, from 26-27 January 2010, at UN Headquarters, New York, US, under the theme “Revitalizing the Small Island Developing States Network (SIDSNet).” Participants included experts on knowledge management systems
and from international organizations currently involved in information systems related to islands and vulnerability of small island developing States (SIDS). The meeting reviewed the rationale for SIDSNet, identified new opportunities to revitalize SIDSNet in light of recent technological advances, considered the design of a SIDSNet knowledge management framework, and provided strategic input into the SIDSNet three and fi ve year strategy being developed by DESA. SIDSNet is being revitalized under funding provided by the Government of Spain (IISD RS sources)...more

1ST Asia-Pacific Conference and StEP Workshop on E-waste
Contributed by Imogen Ingram - 4 February 2010
Electronic and electrical waste, commonly known as e-waste, is rapidly becoming a major global issue with around 40-50 million tonnes of e-waste generated each year. The E-Waste Research Program of Griffith University's Atmospheric Environment Research Centre, with the support of the Solving the E-Waste Problem (StEP) Initiative of the United Nations University, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the Basel Convention, will hold the first major International Conference and StEP Workshop on E-waste for the Asia-Pacific Region in Brisbane, Australia in July 2010. This conference and workshop will bring together for the first time all the important regional stakeholders including original equipment manufacturers, distributors, retailers, consumers, recyclers, government authorities and researchers in e-waste to collaborate on the development of research, policies and management strategies to direct the future
management of e-waste in the Asia-Pacific Region. The conference themes will include: Policy and
Legislation, ReDesign, ReUse and ReCycle, with a focus on Capacity Building in each of these themes. A major objective of the conference is to inform the StEP Workshop on Ewaste which will develop the Brisbane Declaration towards a Strategy for Managing E-waste in Asia-Pacific Region. This declaration will contribute the first input to a global declaration on e-waste.
For further information please visit www.ewaste2010.org or email ewaste2010@griffith.edu.au

GIANT SNAILS POSE REAL THREAT IN SOLOMONS
Pacific Islands Report - 4 February 2010
Farmers in the Solomon Islands have every reason to be worried about the Giant African snails. They felt the Quarantine Department has lost the battle against this invasive pest. Now the snails seem to be everywhere around town. A couple of the big snails were found in the Chinatown area this week laying eggs. When the snails were first discovered around town a couple of years back, the Quarantine Department went on the offensive. But it seems the campaign fails to completely eradicate the pest because they are resurfacing again...In light of latest discoveries, Quarantine must reactivate its campaign to get rid of the pest. Because if we allow them to populate, we might as well bid farewell to our food and other cash crops. These snails are dangerous and are real risk to our food security...more

Migratory cultural icons
Fiji Times - 4 February 2010
FIJI has been identified as an important foraging ground for turtles in the South Pacific. The revelation was made at a workshop on satellite tagging of turtles in Nadi yesterday. Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Program marine species officer Lui Bell said the finding was based on the results of a flipper and satellite tagging. Government representatives from Kiribati, Tuvalu, Tonga, Vanuatu and Fiji gathered to discuss ways to build national capacities to enable the satellite tagging of turtles and learn more about their behaviours. ..Monitoring has revealed dramatic declines in marine turtle populations over the last 20 years across much of South East Asia and the Pacific. Tagging has allowed scientists to understand better the feeding, nesting and migratory behaviours of these cultural icons...more

Tuvalu church leader expresses pain of betrayal at Copenhagen
Ecunemical News - 3 February 2010
For the Rev. Tofiga Falani, president of the Christian Church of Tuvalu, the worry of his Pacific nation has been the risk of rising sea levels. Climate change in the tiny island nation, most of which lies only a few metres above sea level, has been a severe worry. However, now he has to explain how Tuvalu is facing a drought. Just a few weeks without rainfall constitutes a serious situation for this nation of nine little atolls that rise from the floor of the ocean some 1600 kilometres north of Fiji, and which measure a combined total of 26 square kilometres, with a population of about 12 000 people. Tuvalu is the world's fourth smallest country, bigger only than the Vatican City (0.44 square kilometres), Monaco (1.95 square kilometres) and Nauru (21 square kilometres). But given that the islands are usually doused with afternoon tropical thunderstorms that refill tanks, wells and ponds that provide drinking water for the entire population, a few weeks without rain is a crisis. And it is a climate change issue, though concern for lack of rain soon gives way to fears of too much sea water rising up from the depths. For Falani and the people of Tuvalu it fits a package: his people are the victims of climate change forces they did not create and which they cannot change. And the United Nations climate conference in December was a harsh and disheartening experience...more

Solomon Islanders want government assistance with relocation
PacNews - 3 February 2010
Climate change is severely affecting the low lying islands of Malaita Province in Solomon Islands and inhabitants are looking at resettlement according to Malaita provincial health minister Erickson Otia. Mr Otia who is also looking after the Environment department said residents of low lying islands are now feeling the pinch of rising sea level. “Islands such as Lord Howe, Sikaiana, Kwai, Walande, Fanalei, Islands in Areare, Lau Lagoon, Langalanga and even low coasts on the main land are getting affected,” he said. He said it was upsetting when he observed the rise of sea level and its impacts on inhabitants of these islands. Mr Otia said his staff have been going around the affected areas and talked to affected people. “Most of these people are calling on the Government to help resettle them because sooner or later they will have no more homes...more

HEARINGS SOUGHT ON CNMI MARINE MONUMENT
Pacific Islands Report - 3 February 2010
U.S. Rep. Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan, [Democrat-Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, (D-MP)] has sent a formal request for a legislative hearing on two bills dealing with the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) to the chair of the Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans, and Wildlife, Madeleine Z. Bordallo. Sablan introduced one of the bills, H.R. 3511, on July 31, 2009. It authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to build a multipurpose visitor center in the Northern Mariana Islands (NMI) for interpretation and public education and enjoyment of the Monument. Two weeks ago, Bordallo introduced another bill, H.R. 4493, which provides for monument visitor and research services on Guam. Bordallo's bill also gives the Government of Guam a role in the management of the Monument...more

NIUE LAWMAKER WANTS ASBESTOS DUMPED AT SEA
Pacific Islands Report - 3 February 2010
Niue Opposition Member of Parliament Terry Coe says it’s time a decision was made on how to get rid of asbestos that remains stacked up on the island. Most of the houses on Niue were built with asbestos roofing and damaged roofing from the 2004 cyclone Heta is still yet to be disposed of. Terry Coe says there’s a stock pile of asbestos roofing at the airport, some in containers and some covered in plastic, as well as bundles of roofing wrapped in plastic around the villages. He says there’s been no movement as to what to do with the roofing and it seems the government is afraid to make a decision on how to get rid of it...more

NOAA’s Sea Grant Awards Eight ‘Climate Engagement’ Mini-Grants
NOAA - 3 February 2010
Coastal residents, businesses and decision-makers around the country will consider how their communities can adapt to climate change through eight newly awarded NOAA National Sea Grant College Program grants. Each of these $25,000 climate engagement mini-grants will support projects focused on preparing for changing climate conditions. The projects will be led by principal investigators from local Sea Grant programs and NOAA Regional Collaboration Teams in eight regions including Alaska, the Pacific Islands and sections of the mainland United States...
Pacific Islands Region – To prepare a Pacific Climate Change Impacts Resources Guide. Funding supports production of two stand-alone chapters of the guide planned for educators. The guide is for use in a larger effort of climate outreach and education activities. Principal investigators: Darren Okimoto, University of Hawaii Sea Grant; Eileen Shea and Lynn Nakagawa, NOAA Integrated Data and Environmental Applications Center/Pacific; and James Weyman, NOAA National Weather Service Climate Information System...more

Newsletter of interest: Climate, environment and energy in the Pacific: a quarterly brief on UNDP activities in the Pacific- January 2010
UNDP - February 2010
UNDP is providing policy, technical, knowledge and programme development/implementation services to Pacific Island Countries (PICs) on a wide range of climate, environment and energy related topics.

Highlights in this issue:

Pacific wide Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) project launched in Fiji
Pacific Island countries have uniquely fragile water resources due to their small size, lack of natural storage, competing land use and vulnerability to natural hazards and climate change impacts. In many Pacific countries, even small variations in water supply can have a significant impact on health, quality of life and economic development. The GEF is funding a regional and nationally based programme to build the capacity of Pacific Island countries to manage water resources. 14 demonstration projects will be run in 13 Pacific countries to show the practical benefits of integrated sustainable water resources and wastewater management. The Pacific IWRM Programme will address water management issues prioritized by each country. They are:
- Watershed management projects, which will take place in the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Samoa and Vanuatu
- Wastewater management and sanitation projects, to be run in the Marshall Islands, Nauru and Tuvalu
- Water resources assessment and protection projects in the Cook Islands, Fiji and Niue
- Water efficiency and safety projects, which will be run in the Solomon Islands and Tonga
The projects will be executed regionally by the Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC), with UNDP and UNEP being the implementing agencies. For more information please contact Tiy Chung, SOPAC Media Advisor, tiy@sopac.org.

The Palau Sustainable Economic Development through Renewable Energy Applications (SEDREA) project
The Government of Palau/UNDP/GEF SEDREA project aims at reducing fossil fuel consumption in power generation through promotion of Renewable Energy Technologies that can help to meet household electricity needs and provide rural energy services in the country’s outer islands. One of the key activities of the project is to establish a Renewable Energy Fund Window (REFW) at the National Development Bank of Palau (NDBP). An assessment of renewable energy technologies appropriate for REFW finance and assessment of the market for those technologies in Palau has been carried out. Furthermore a capacity assessment for renewable energy financing has been undertaken. Currently the design and operating procedures of the Renewable Energy Fund from project analysis and selection through monitoring and evaluation is underway. Shortly the preparation of a marketing plan and identification of bankable renewable energy projects for support by the REFW will be undertaken. The REFW is expected to be officially launched by mid-2010. By the end of November 2009 a tariff review of the Palau Utility Corporation (PPUC) was initiated. Among others this tariff review will enable an increased understanding of pricing issues associated with renewable energy based power generation to make it competitive with petroleum based generation. This is the fourth tariff review that UNDP is supporting in the Pacific region over the last few years – in addition to Palau electricity tariff reviews have been undertaken in Tuvalu, Solomon Islands and Pohnpei, Federate States of Micronesia (FSM).

Advancing in NAPA implementation
HIGHLIGHT: Samoa’s Integrated Climate Change Risk on Agriculture and the Health Sector
In Samoa the inception phase has been completed for the first NAPA follow up project addressing the agriculture and health sectors. Samoa’s Integrated Climate Change Risk on Agriculture and the Health Sector (ICCRAHSS) project aims to increase the resilience and adaptive capacity of coastal communities in Samoa to the adverse impacts of climate change on agricultural production and public health. The project commenced implementation in April 2009. A series of high level Steering Committee meetings and technical workshops took place using a three day ‘road show’ approach to bring together experts and officials from health, agriculture, and meteorology fields, jointly with CSO and private sector representatives.

HIGHLIGHT: Tuvalu's NAPA document, endorsed by Cabinet and submitted to UNFCCC and UNDP in August 2007, highlights climate change vulnerabilities that affect Tuvalu's development priorities and proposes solutions through adaptation. National priorities were identified for strengthening adaptive capacity of Tuvalu's population and enable better response towards impacts of climate change through a stakeholder consultative mechanism. Through the project, Tuvalu's national Climate Change Team was revived, relevant committees and working groups established and local capacity built by the project. The inclusive process has secured confidence from potential partners and donors for its implementation. A NAPA follow up project for Tuvalu, Increasing Resilience of Coastal Areas and Community Settlements to Climate Change project, was endorsed by the GEF CEO on 12 November 2009. The project addresses Tuvalu’s number one NAPA priority, which is enhancing resilience of coastal areas, integrating also water management and food security issues, with demonstration projects planned in communities of all of the country’s 9 atolls. It is a full-size project worth a total of US$7.8m (US$3.3m GEF and US$4.5m parallel co-financing from JICA and Government of Tuvalu).

Consultation on the Asia-Pacific Human Development Report on climate change in Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands, and Suva, Fiji
The Asia-Pacific Regional Human Development Report (RHDR) on Climate Change is currently under preparation.

SPREP/UNDP/GEF Pacific Islands Greenhouse Gas Abatement through Renewable Energy Project (PIGGAREP)
In the last week of Nov 2009 two major monitoring and evaluation activities of PIGGAREP took place: the second Multipartite Review (MPR) meeting and an initiation of an independent external mid-term evaluation. As part of the MPR the 2009 progress was critically assessed against 2009 targets, practical ways to improve project performance was discussed and an initial work-plan for 2010 was prepared. The preliminary findings from the independent external mid-term evaluation consultancy were positive including: PIGGAREP is implementing useful and tangible activities; there is evidence of effective co-ordination with other regional and national projects; and this regional project is filling a useful niche alongside large projects supporting mainly hardware/equipment.

Marine Important Bird Area Coordinator at Birdlife International (Pacific)
Birdlife International Pacific - 2 February 2010
Dr Susan (Sue) Waugh has been appointed to the new position of Marine Important Bird Area Coordinator in the Pacific Partnership Secretariat office in Suva and will commence duties on 1 February 2010. Funded by the Aage V. Jensen Charity Foundation of Denmark, the Marine IBA Coordinator will be responsible for managing the Jensen Foundation-funded project Conserving marine biodiversity through a world-wide network of marine protected areas with the primary purpose of developing and coordinating the implementation of a Marine Important Bird Area Programme for the Pacific region and providing technical and strategic support to other regional seabird conservation programmes.

New reports on Ecosystem-Based Management
Wildlife Conservation Society - February 2010

Adams VM, Mills M, Jupiter SD, Pressey RL (2010) Marine opportunity costs: a method for calculating opportunity costs to multiple stakeholder groups. Wildlife Conservation Society-Fiji Technical Report no. 01/10, Suva, Fiji, 34 pp.
http://www.sprep.org/att/irc/ecopies/countries/fiji/116.pdf - 2.36mb

Jupiter SD, Tui T, Shah S, Cakacaka A, Moy W, Naisilisili W, Dulunaqio S, Patrick A, Qauqau I, Yakub N, Caginitoba A (2010) Integrating EBM science to assess marine protected area effectiveness: clues from coral proxies of land disturbance, ecological assessments and socioeconomic surveys. Wildlife Conservation Society-Fiji Technical Report no. 02/10. Suva, Fiji, 24 pp.
http://www.sprep.org/att/irc/ecopies/countries/fiji/109.pdf - 2.72mb

Jupiter SD, Egli DP, Jenkins AP, Yakub N, Hartley F, Cakacaka A, Tui T, Moy W, Naisilisili W, Dulunaqio S, Qauqau I, Prasad S (2010) Effectiveness of marine protected area networks in traditional fishing grounds of Vanua Levu, Fiji, for sustainable management of inshore fisheries. Wildlife Conservation Society-Fiji and Wetlands International-Oceania Technical Report no. 03/10. Suva, Fiji, 59 pp.
http://www.sprep.org/att/irc/ecopies/countries/fiji/115.pdf - 9.14mb

Jupiter SD, Clarke P, Prasad SR, Egli DP, Tui T, Caginitoba A, Qauqau I (2010) Non-compliance with management rules and its implications for traditional fisheries in Fiji. Wildlife Conservation Society-Fiji Technical Report no. 04/10. Suva, Fiji, 29 pp.
http://www.sprep.org/att/irc/ecopies/countries/fiji/113.pdf - 3.46MB

Egli DP, Moy W, Naisilisili W (2010) Fish movement in MPAs on coral reefs in Kubulau, Fiji. Wildlife Conservation Society-Fiji. Technical Report no. 05/10. Suva, Fiji, 16 pp.
http://www.sprep.org/att/irc/ecopies/countries/fiji/112.pdf - 3.44MB

Cakacaka A, Jupiter SD, Egli DP, Moy W (2010) Status of fin fisheries in a Fijian traditional fishing ground, Kubulau District, Vanua Levu. Wildlife Conservation Society - Fiji, Technical Report no. 06/10, Suva, Fiji, 21 pp.
http://www.sprep.org/att/irc/ecopies/countries/fiji/110.pdf - 3.52mb

Egli DP, Tui T, Jupiter SD, Caginitoba A, (2010) Perception surveys of coastal resource use and changes following establishment of a marine protected area network in Kubulau, Fiji. Wildlife Conservation Society - Fiji Technical Report no. 07/10. Suva, Fiji, 16 pp.
http://www.sprep.org/att/irc/ecopies/countries/fiji/114.pdf - 2.54mb

Jenkins AP, Mailautoka K (2009) Seasonal patterns in ichthyofaunal communities of fresh and estuarine wetlands in Vanua Levu, Fiji. A technical report for the Fiji Ecosystem Based Management Project. Wetlands International-Oceania, Suva, Fiji, 39 pp.
http://www.sprep.org/att/irc/ecopies/countries/fiji/117.pdf - 4.79mb

Jenkins AP (2009) Freshwater fish survey methods for streams & rivers on tropical oceanic islands: A brief guide based on the freshwater survey work conducted as part of the Fiji Ecosystem Based Management Project. Wetlands International-Oceania, Suva, Fiji, 16 pp.
http://www.sprep.org/att/irc/ecopies/countries/fiji/119.pdf - 12.59mb

WCS (2010) WCS-Fiji marine biological monitoring handbook. Version 3.0. Wildlife Conservation Society-Fiji, Suva, Fiji, 34 pp.
http://www.sprep.org/att/irc/ecopies/countries/fiji/118.pdf - 1mb

Cook Islands seabed minerals bill still not in force
PacNews - 2 February 2010
The landmark law covering the management of Cook Islands seabed minerals has yet to come into force because Crown Law claims it is ‘too overworked’ to provide a document that, once signed, will complete its passage into law. The seabed minerals bill, passed in parliament last November, still has to receive approval of the Queen’s Representative Sir Frederick Goodwin by ‘order in executive council’ to become law. Until recently it was understood the bill had been enacted. Cook Islands Prime minister Jim Marurai revealed that the executive council (cabinet and the QR) have been ready to pass the bill into law but the simple document needed to complete this process has yet to be provided by Crown Law...more

Exclusive: Eco2 Tree-Planting Scheme Highlights Fears About Forestry Offsets [Vanuatu]
Solveclimate.com - 2 February 2010
On the island nation of Vanuatu in the South Pacific, 20,000 acres of deforested land are supposedly being converted to a plantation with millions of super carbon-absorbing trees. The company behind the scheme, Eco2 Forests, has been pitching its plan as a moneymaker for investors, with cash coming in almost immediately through the selling of carbon credits for the CO2 those trees would one day sequester. It's already claiming conspicuous success in sprouting its special "Kiri" tree in faraway places. From November 2009 through January 2010, Eco2 — which launched last July and boasts offices in Australia and California — released a flurry of news aimed at investors: executive appointments, new headquarters in Sacramento, tree plantings and a flashy web site that contains several pages on how to invest directly with the company. The biggest announcement, though, was a "multi-million dollar carbon credit deal" with a Colorado company, which appears from public records and interviews to be operated by executives from Eco2. That connection raises serious questions about both firms — and more generally, of the transparency in the nascent forestry carbon market...more

NOAA to give lab $5 million to continue project [FSM / Guam / Palau]
Star Bulletin - 1 February 2010
A $1 million-a-year grant has been awarded to the University of Hawaii Kewalo Marine Laboratory for five years by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to work with Pacific islanders on land-sea interactions and damage to coral reefs, recreational and fishery resources. Robert Richmond, a world-renowned coral reef conservationist and principal investigator for the project, said the funding continues an earlier grant dealing with watershed issues at the community level throughout islands in Micronesia. "It will have a huge impact," he said. The researchers will work on Pohnpei and Yap in the Federated States of Micronesia and Guam and Palau...more

NZ climate change film wins top award [Papua New Guinea]
PacNews - 1 February 2010
A New Zealand film has taken top award at the International Pacific Documentary Film Festival in French Polynesia. 'There once was an island' is a film by Briar March and Lyn Collie focusing on the first impacts of climate change seen on the remote pacific atoll of Takuu, in Papua New Guinea's Bougainville province.

January

Statement from David Sheppard, Director of SPREP [World Wetlands Day]
SPREP - 31 January 2010
World Wetlands Day, on the second day of February each year, marks the day the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands was signed in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971. This annual event provides us with an opportunity to raise and strengthen awareness of the importance of wetlands throughout the world and in our region. Furthermore, with the International Year of Biodiversity kicking off across the world, including here in our Pacific islands, we are reminded yet again of the wondrous natural systems that combine to make life on our planet possible...This year’s theme for World Wetlands Day is “Caring for Wetlands – An answer to climate change”. For the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), this could not be more appropriate. Protecting and conserving the diversity of life, including conserving our valuable wetlands and adapting to and building resilience to climate change impacts are inextricably interlinked. SPREP recognises that we cannot realistically address one without the other and, more importantly, that human activity is as much to blame as climate change for the continuing destruction of our natural ecosystems... more

“Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust International Training Centre, Island Species-Led Action (ISLA) course 2010”
PILN Soundbites - 31 January 2010
."Following the success of ISLA 2008 in Guam and ISLA 2009 in Fiji the International Training Centre is pleased to announce that we have funding for one more iteration of this popular course in the Pacific region. ISLA is a 10-day course for conservation practitioners & educators, focusing on proven & practical approaches to managing endangered species and habitats that can be realised with minimal resource implications. The course is designed for island species and habitat conservation managers from the public & private/charity sectors & academic staff from island universities/colleges. The secured funding will cover local costs and provide a small number of scholarships for participants from other countries. We are now looking for a location and a partner to host the 2010 course, in the latter half of the year. If you are interested please get in touch with jill.key@durrell.org"

Conservation NGO Management and Leadership 2010
PILN Soundbites - 31 January 2010
Unitec NZ is offering a management and leadership training programme for Managers and Leaders of conservation NGOs in the Pacific. A Flyer is avalable upon request from the PILN Coordinator. For further information please contact Fraser McDonald at fmcdonald@unitec.ac.nz

Island Invasives: Eradication and Management Conference
PILN Soundbites - 31 January 2010
Further details about the Island Invasives: Eradication and Management Conference are now posted on the conference website: http://www.cbb.org.nz/conferences.asp . Of particular note is the draft programme as a downloadable pdf file. This includes authors and titles of 96 oral presentations and 46 poster papers. Please also note that the cutoff date for discounted early registration is the end of November. At this time nearly half of the 300 places are taken.

FSM has new policy on climate change
PacNews - 29 January 2010
With the approval of the new Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) nationwide climate change policy, President Manny Mori is now calling on all department, office and agency heads to revisit and update the existing sectoral plans and develop new ones for sectors that have no plans, incorporating climate change measures where necessary. The new policy establishes the climate change vision and goals of the FSM and the process to attain these goals. While the main solutions to remedy climate change by reducing and/or eliminating the emission of greenhouse gasses requires adequate international agreements, this policy details FSM’s part in both mitigating greenhouse gases and adapting to climate change. The new policy calls for the implementation of climate change in the FSM by mainstreaming and integrating climate change into other policies, strategies and action plans... more ...read the policy - http://www.fsmpio.fm/Nationwide_Climate_Change_policy.pdf

PNG Governments has failed to protect landowners from carbon traders, says Greenpeace
PacNews - 29 January 2010
A Greenpeace forest campaigner in Papua New Guinea says the government has failed to stop unscrupulous carbon traders from buying up rights to forests from indigenous landowners. Dorothy Tekwie’s comment comes amid media reports of various carbon traders, mainly Australian, forcing PNG landowners into questionable deals, often with the assistance of local officials... more

SMUGGLED IGUANAS GAIN FOOTHOLD IN FIJI
Pacific Islands Report - 29 January 2010
A reptile that has stirred alarm on Taveuni and Qamea is scared of humans, according to the Department of Agriculture. The creature has been identified as the Green Iguana of the Iguana Iguana species, which is a new species in Fiji... more

AMERICAN SAMOA GETS $49 MILLION FOR CLEANUP
Pacific Islands Report - 29 January 2010
Debris removal is the priority for the 26 projects to be funded with the more than US$49 million American Samoa received from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) for road infrastructure damaged by the Sept. 29 earthquake, tsunami and flooding... more

PNG LANDOWNER GROUPS TALK ABOUT CARBON TRADING
Pacific Islands Report - 28 January 2010
More than 30,000 people from the 16 integrated landowner groups (ILGs) in the Kofena Valley of Daulo district, Eastern Highlands province are in serious talks to launch a carbon trading business. In a show of their seriousness, the ILGs have flown in three scientists from the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) for boundary survey, social mapping and biodiversity survey in the Marafuga Rain Forest area. Kofena ILG chairman Andrew Warige said that the Marafuga Rain Forest had an estimated 50,000 ha of rain forest potential for carbon trading... more

NOAA Award to Support Community Efforts to Protect Pacific Coral Reefs
NOAA - 27 January 2010
NOAA awarded the University of Hawaii at Manoa Kewalo Marine Laboratory a $199,996 grant to address the effects of land-based sources of pollution on coral reefs in the Pacific. The money will fund the first year of a five-year, $1 million dollar project. With this grant, researchers will help resource managers, policy makers and community leaders develop and implement strategies to prevent or reverse coral reef degradation on the Pacific Island nations of Palau, Pohnpei, Guam and Yap. The grant will facilitate information exchange among indigenous fishers, resource managers, researchers and students in an effort to learn from previous work and to incorporate traditional ecological knowledge into management decisions... more

Coconut invasion signals lost paradise for many island species
National Geographic - 27 January 2010
It's not only giant alien snakes or feral cats that can threaten entire ecosystems. Now scientists have confirmed that exotic coconut palm trees can also devastate native birds and other species. The large-scale introduction of the Cocos nucifera palm has been a slow-occurring invasion that has disrupted nutrient cycles and caused a cascading effect on birds, other trees, and plant-eaters throughout the Pacific...more

VANUATU ENVIRONMENT MINISTER REASSURING ABOUT FISH PLANT
Pacific Islands Report - 26 January 2010
In Vanuatu, the Blacksands Fishing plant will not operate until the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) is completed and approved by the Environment Minister. This was revealed by principal consultant Ernest Bani in the 1st public consultation on the Blacksands Fishing plant at the Chief’s nakamal [meeting place/kava bar], Friday. The consultation which was purely an open dialogue to collect opinions and not the draft report presentation occurred after presentations from the EIA Consultants Ernest Bani and Albert William, the Environment unit, Michael Taurokoto from RAPT and Fisheries Director Robert Jimmy. The lively discussion saw a consensus with Mr. Kalpokor Kalsakau (the family who own the land on which the Fishing plant is situated) who likened the whole situation as putting the cart before the horse because the EIA was supposed to be done before the establishment of the Blacksands plant...more

300 groups sign on for carbon trade in PNG
PacNews - 26 January 2010
More than 300 incorporated land groups (ILG), representing over 40,000 people in East Pangia, Southern Highlands have given the go-ahead for a carbon trading project to start in their area. In moving ceremonies that started in Port Moresby and ended in Apanda village on the weekend, chairmen of more 300 ILGs signed the documents required to create a carbon trading project to save the beautiful rainforests of Pangia District...more

Queensland Uni course comes to Raro
Cook Islands News - 23 January 2010
two-week University of Queensland environmental management course is being held in Rarotonga from Monday until February 5. About 30 people from the region are here to take the annual course which looks at integrating contemporary and traditional coastal ecosystem management in the Pacific. This is the first time the course has been held in the Pacific instead of in Australia. The Takitumu lagoon management plan will be used as a case study by the coastal resource managers and non-government organisation members and consultants who are tasked with planning in small island states...more

Coral Triangle stakeholders vow to patronize only legal operations
PacNews - 22 January 2010
Fishing operators and buyers who attended the first-ever business summit to address overexploitation and overfishing in the Coral Triangle have promised not to source their products from illegal, unregulated and unreported operations. They are also committed to implement catch and trade documentation by using third party certification schemes to ensure that products are not sourced illegally. The Coral Triangle covering Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste, covers just 1 percent of the earth´s surface but includes 30 per cent of the world´s coral reefs, 76 percent of its reef building coral species as well as vital spawning grounds for tuna...more

UN admits Copenhagen 'failed to deliver'
PacNews - 22 January 2010
The United Nations has for the first time admitted that the Copenhagen talks last month failed to deliver what's needed to address the urgency of climate change. The UN's chief negotiator Yvo de Boer said countries have until the end of January to declare their hand on the new agreement known as the Copenhagen accord. Australia, the United States, China and South Africa are signatories to the deal, but it fails to deliver binding targets to cut the planet's emissions. Mr de Boer says while the accord was signed by more than 25 countries, it didn't deliver what's needed to avoid the worst of climate change...more

Ban on Fiji sea turtle harvesting extended
PacNews - 21 January 2010
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) says a moratorium on the harvesting of turtles in Fiji has been extended until 2018. The moratorium was initially introduced in 2004 to run until August last year, and bans the harvesting of sea turtles, and the commercialisation of sea turtle meat and derivatives. Mere Laveti, the Marine Species Officer from the WWF South Pacific program in Fiji, has told Radio Australia's Pacific Beat program the interim government has informed them its decision to extend it for another nine years...more

COP15 Outreach summary
Stakeholder Forum - 21 January 2010F
Final post COP-15 edition of the multi-stakeholder newsletter Outreach, which contains the views and opinions of a range of different groups and stakeholders in relation to the outcomes of the negotiations. You can find the issue at http://tinyurl.com/OutreachWrapUp

Fishing firms draw up commitments to ensure Coral Triangle sustainability
Business World -21 January 2010
REPRESENTATIVES of fishing firms operating in the Coral Triangle yesterday outlined measures to reduce the impact of their businesses on the world’s most important marine region. More than 160 delegates -- mainly representing governments, as well as the seafood, travel and tourism industries -- gathered in Manila for the two-day Coral Triangle Business Summit that started last Tuesday to kick-start dialogues on how their industries could contribute to the protection of the Coral Triangle, a press statement yesterday said. Participants included leaders from tuna and live reef fish businesses, airlines and resort owners, as well as government ministers and officials, and leaders of non-government organizations. "The signing of the public-private partnership is a symbol of our common desire to protect the Coral Triangle," Acting Environment Secretary Eleazar P. Quinto said in his closing remarks. "I hope this would provide more partnerships in the future." "The private sector has shown it is willing to take greater responsibility for the millions of livelihood that depend on the health of the marine environment in this part of the world," Lida Pet-Soede, head of World Wildlife Fund’s Coral Triangle Program, said in the same statement. The Coral Triangle harbors about 600 species of reef-building coral, or 75% of all known coral species, and over 3,000 species of reef fish. It holds nearly 75% of the world’s mangrove species. The 2.3-million square mile area covers the Philippines, Timor-Leste, Indonesia, Sabah in Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands...more

Protecting the Coral Triangle a top priority
Business World - 19 January 2010
PROTECTING the biodiver-sity-rich Coral Triangle needs the combined efforts of the government and private sector, and should be a top priority if the region wants to sustain the area’s vast fishery resource, experts yesterday said. The First Coral Triangle Business Summit kicked off at the Makati Shangri-La with speakers highlighting the need to protect the area, which is home to over a third of all the world’s coral reefs. We want to add our organized businessmen’s voices to the growing clamor for nations, particularly the developed countries, to take more responsibility for the damage they have wrought on our environment all these past years," President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said in her opening remarks...more

Coral Triangle summit marred by protest from local fishers
Business Mirror - 19 January 2010
THE two-day Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) Business Summit formally kicked off on Tuesday, with over 170 delegates from six Asian countries, including the Philippines, taking part to tackle business opportunities in the sustainable development of marine ecosystems in the region.
President Arroyo, who delivered the keynote speech, led a host of key government officials including Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap and Environment Secretary Eleazar Quinto in welcoming the delegates from the other five countries within the Coral Triangle region, the CT-6, namely, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste. The opening day of the summit was marred with protest by militant fisher groups denouncing the summit’s organizers for allegedly ignoring the coastal communities in designing the CTI Project, as well as the CTI Business Summit, which officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources blatantly denied...more

GIANT AFRICAN SNAIL GETS FOOTHOLD IN SOLOMONS
Pacific Islands Report - 19 January 2010
In the Solomon Islands, prompt response by Agriculture specialists to initial reports of the presence of the African giant snail in the country in 2007 and follow, there were hopes the dodgy snail had gone. But the discovery of a cluster near the Varamatta Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) church at Vara Creek proves the crop-killer is multiplying...more

CLAN LEADERS WORRIED ABOUT PNG NICKEL MINE
Pacific Islands Report - 19 January 2010
In Papua New Guinea, clan leaders at Basamuk in Madang Province are worried about the underwater blasting operation that the developers of the Ramu nickel mine are proposing. Spokesman of the Tong and Ongeg clans of Basamuk, Lois Medaing Gorongo said the sea is the peoples’ source or livelihood and he feared this would be affected if the operation was allowed to continue. Mr. Gorongo said for years, the people had been living off the reefs in the area and refuted claims by the company that the reefs they proposed to blast were dead. "...There are no dead reefs in the area, our reefs are alive and healthy and have been dwelling places for fish and other sea creatures, which we have and continue to depend on it for our livelihood," he said...more

Tuvalu prepares to adapt to climate change through PACC Project
SPREP - 18 January 2010
In upraising the profile of the PACC Project in Tuvalu, a one day inception meeting was held last week at the Government Conference Room to introduce and launch the project. It was attended by government agencies, representatives from Non-Governmental Organisations, different representatives from the eight different Island communities of Tuvalu and youth groups. The meeting was given recognition by the government and was officially opened by the Secretary for Works, Water and Energy. In his presentation, Mr. Paulson Panapa, recognised the important objectives of the project in trying to build the adaptation capacity of the people in adapting to impact of climate change and also recognises the assistance that the project can offer to the people of Tuvalu in terms of demonstrating the adaptive measure suitable for their need...more

A Pacific Island Challenge to European Air Pollution
New York Times - 18 January 2010
A Pacific island nation has challenged plans by the Czech Republic to refit a coal-fired power station, in an appeal that environmental advocates on Monday described as the first of its kind. The case focuses on efforts by a Czech utility, the CEZ Group, to prolong the life of the power plant in Prunerov, close to the German border. The Federated States of Micronesia maintains that doing so would result in continued emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming, which it says threaten its existence. “Climate change is real and it is happening on our shores,” Andrew Yatilman, the director of Micronesia’s office of environment and emergency management, told Reuters. “It’s a matter of survival for us. If you look at the map of the Pacific, we’re just dots in the middle of the ocean.” Micronesia submitted its arguments to the Czech Ministry of Environment on Jan. 4. ...more

MILITARY TRAINING ON TINIAN WILL INTRODUCE HAZARDOUS WASTE
Pacific Islands Report - 16 January 2010
In the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the proposed live firing and other training ranges slated for implementation and use on Tinian would result in the transport and transfer of more hazardous materials, according to the draft environmental impact statement. "It is expected that the largest increases of hazardous materials would occur from the use of petroleum, oil and lubricants, including gasoline, diesel, oil, grease, kerosene and other related products," the draft report said, noting that approximately 32,000 lbs. of hazardous materials resulting from Marine activities on Okinawa are annually disposed of by Defense Reuse and Marketing Office...more

POLITICS: CLIMATE CONFERENCE FAILS VULNERABLE NATIONS
Islands Business - January 2010
Christina Ora from Solomon Islands carried the voice of young people to the United Nations Climate Negotiations in Copenhagen. Chosen to address a plenary session of the climate change conference, 17-year-old Christina said: “I was born in 1992. You have been negotiating all my life. You cannot tell us that you need more time.” But her voice, like many others from the Pacific, was not heeded. After two weeks of chaotic activity in Denmark’s capital, the Copenhagen climate conference ended in failure, without a legally binding treaty to promote long-term action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Pacific governments and community organisations have been calling for urgent action on climate change, ever since the creation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at the 1992 Rio conference on Environment and Development, and the UNFCCC Kyoto Protocol in 1997. There were high hopes that the 15th UNFCCC Conference of Parties (COP15) in Copenhagen would develop new agreements on climate change, based on two tracks of negotiations: strengthening and extending commitments by developed countries that have signed on to the existing Kyoto Protocol and also long-term co-operative action by all countries, including major powers like the United States that have not ratified Kyoto. But obtaining stronger action in Copenhagen was always going to be difficult. In the lead-up to the conference, major developed countries like the United States indicated that they would not accept a legally binding treaty without verifiable commitments from China and India.
In turn, Beijing and other developing nations called for developed nations to address their historic responsibility for existing emissions. Even though the 2006 climate conference in Bali set out a roadmap of action and negotiations have continued for two years, there were still many unresolved issues as delegates arrived in Denmark...more

POLITICS: COPENHAGEN FALLOUT TO BEGIN THE YEAR
Islands Business - January 2010
It’s January, and like the mythical Janus who looked at the past and future with his two faces, and after whom the month is named, it is time to look at how the events of last year will shape this year in our corner of the planet. As the year begins, the Copenhagen fallout will be discussed threadbare as Pacific Islands nations debate the document brought back home by their representatives at the summit. A deep feeling of despondency is running through the leadership, particularly of the most affected islands nations—Tuvalu and Kiribati. As the rest of the world prepares for the next summit in Mexico sometime later this year in a bid to build on the less than modest achievements at Copenhagen, their problems would have gotten a little worse and their morale lower. It is time they band together with other similarly affected nations and help from committed, global NGOs to form an alliance to coherently and effectively push the all important agenda of their survival, irrespective of scientific rhetoric and economic polemics before Mexico...more

FIJI SUGAR MILL BLAMED FOR RIVER POLLUTION
Pacific Islands Report - 7 January 2010
DEAD fish, discolored mussels and a foul smell emanating from a traditional fishing ground have prompted health officials to send a team to investigate claims of chemical pollution in the Ba River in Fiji. Heavily reliant on the qoliqoli [fishing grounds] for their livelihood, villagers of Votua and Yalalevu claim the stench has plagued them in recent months. And while women of the villages have had no choice but to continue diving for fresh water mussels in water believed to be polluted with poisonous chemicals, the Fiji Sugar Corporation (FSC) Ba mill manager Bhan Singh did not respond to questions over the matter yesterday...more

PNG OKS SEABED MINING
Pacific Islands Report - 8 January 2010
The Papua New Guinea government has issued an environmental permit, allowing for the world’s first commercial seafloor mining project to begin. The PNG government has granted a 25-year environmental permit to Nautilus Minerals to mine gold and copper at its Solwara One site, 1.7 kilometers below the Bismark Sea. Nautilus CEO Steve Rogers says the decision is a significant milestone. He says it took three years of research in conjunction with 14 of the worlds leading marine institutions to put together the environmental impact statement. "All of the scientific bodies have been independent from the company. These bodies have been free to publish the findings from their scientific research with no control or monitoring from ourselves," he said. Mr Rogers says Nautilus hopes to begin mining in 2012.

PNG VILLAGERS CONCERNED ABOUT GOLD MINE IMPACTS
Pacific Islands Report - 5 January 2010
In Papua New Guinea, the people of Labu-Buttu village near Lae have called on the Government to order an environmental impact study into the effects of the Hidden Valley gold mine on their lives. At a New Year’s Day meeting, they expressed concern that their lives were seriously threatened by the mine and nothing was done by the national and Morobe provincial governments. The villagers reported at the meeting that prawns, eels and cat fish, which used to be caught in abundance from the lower part of the Markham River, had completely disappeared during the past two years...more

FIJI CHIEF WANTS CONTROLS ON SEA SLUG HARVEST
Pacific Islands Report 4 January 2010
In Fiji, a paramount chief in the north has expressed concern with the uncontrolled harvesting of sea slugs in Macuata waters.The Tui Macuata, Ratu Aisea Katonivere, says that while it may bring financial rewards to his people, he fears the impact this will have on the reefs and its consequences. One of the consequences, he says, will be high waves and this will impact villages on the coast...more

NAVY WHARF PROJECT ON GUAM THREATENS MARINE LIFE
Pacific Islands Report - 4 January 2010
In Guam, aircraft carriers will inject new income into the local economy thanks to the coming military buildup, but the wildlife in local waters must pay a heavy price for growth. The construction of a new aircraft carrier wharf in Inner Apra Harbor will allow the biggest ships in the Navy to quadruple the amount of time they've spent on Guam in recent years. During each visit, thousands of sailors will come ashore and spend money that would otherwise go elsewhere, according to the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), a massive document that explains what will happen when the buildup arrives...more ... read the Draft Environmental Impact Statement - http://www.guambuildupeis.us/documents

December

NEW IRELAND MINE SHUT OVER POLLUTION CONCERNS [Papua New Guinea]
Pacific Islands Report - 30 December 2009
NEW Ireland Governor Sir Julius Chan wants the Simberi gold mine to stay shut until it has conformed to ecological requirements. He said a reputable international organization should assess the environment in and around the mine area instead of the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC). "My people have been treated with contempt and the provincial government will not take this any longer," he said. Sir Julius took a swipe at DEC over its inaction to look into the mine’s environmental concerns...more

EFFORT AFOOT TO SAVE PACIFIC’S ENDANGERED BIRDS
Pacific Islands Report - 24 December 2009
The Pacific is home to a quarter of the world's critically endangered birds - and has the dubious distinction of being the region with the highest number of species on the brink of extinction. There are 42 critically endangered species in the Pacific, including colourful lorikeets, doves, honeyeaters and more. Don Stewart, Pacific director of non-government organisation, Birdlife International, told Pacific Beat: "We are aiming, through our partners, to save the six most critically endangered species in the Pacific. Critically endangered means if direct conservation action isn't taken they will disappear." The six most endangered, Mr Stewart said, are the Fiji petrel, the Tahiti monarch, the Polynesian ground dove, Fa Tahiti monarch, Tuamotu kingfisher and Vanuatu's crow honeyeater...more

FSM CONSERVATION AGENCY TO MONITOR GUAM BUILDUP
Pacific Islands Report - 23 December 2009
The Micronesia Conservation Trust Board of Trustees hosted a breakfast yesterday to discuss the trust’s work in Micronesia and inform key stakeholders about environmental mitigation proposals to help protect and restore Guam’s natural resources from impacts associated with the military buildup...more

MARSHALLS TO GET $5.9 MILLION SOLAR POWER
Pacific Islands Report - 23 December 2009
Japan will provide $5.9 million for the first-ever grid-connected solar system in the Marshall Islands’ capital of Majuro. Agreements were reached Friday in Majuro by acting Foreign Minister Amenta Matthew and Japanese Embassy Charge d’Affaires Kazuyuki Ohdaira for the project which is expected to begin development in 2011. Part of Japan’s climate change response program known as "Cool Earth Partnership." The aim of the solar grant is to reduce Majuro’s dependence on diesel-powered electricity, said Ohdaira...more

PROPOSED ANCHORAGE RAISES CONCERN IN PALAU
Pacific Islands Report - 22 December 2009
In Palau, the Environmental Quality Protection Board (EQPB) said that the proposed ship lay-up facility in the Rock Islands "may have very significant adverse environmental impacts." In the EQPB notice of determination, the agency asked Palau Shipping Company (Palship), which is proposing ship lay-up services to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The notice said that preliminary information exists to identify "many potential adverse environmental impacts of the project."...more

KIRIBATI LEADER CALLS COPENHAGEN CHARADE
Pacific Islands Report - 22 December 2009
The President of Kiribati says the failure of the Copenhagen climate change conference to come up with a strong legally binding agreement raises questions about the negotiation process. Anote Tong says the accord proposed by the United States and other major emitters seems to accommodate countries which were concerned about the emissions cuts that would be required.The President says the lack of targets on cutting emissions suggests some countries came to the conference not wanting to reach an agreement. "That’s very disappointing, I think it raises a lot of questions, credibility, about the international system. Does it serve any purpose at all, what purpose is it for us to participate in an arrangement where we continue to be thinking in nationalistic terms regardless of the price that other countries have to pay?" Anote Tong says Kiribati is working on plans to cope with climate change which includes relocation as a last resort.

Traditional Knowledge Action Plan Launched
Voxy - 21 December 2009
The Traditional Knowledge Action Plan for Forum Island Countries (FICs) has been launched marking a milestone development for the region. The Action Plan was launched at a Traditional Knowledge workshop convened by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and World Intellectual Property Rights Organisation (WIPO) last week in Nadi. The meeting was attended by Traditional Knowledge and Intellectual Property Rights experts and senior government officials from across the region. "Traditional Knowledge remains an integral part of the Pacific and our work in progressing the Pacific Plan's aspirations for protection of cultural values, identities and Traditional Knowledge," says the Secretary General of the Forum Secretariat, Tuiloma Neroni Slade. "The Action Plan actively seeks to protect Pacific Traditional Knowledge from misuse and misappropriation without any compensation to the owners of Traditional Knowledge," explains Mr Slade. "We are very pleased to be heading an inter-agency collaboration in this area involving the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and WIPO." ...more ... read the action plan

1.5 degrees rejected, Pacific condemned as 25 leaders deliver Copehagen Accord
SPREP - 19 December 2009
Officials from a growing list of countries at the UN Climate Change Talks are aligning themselves to a deal offered after a 24 hour marathon session that started on Friday and stretched out into Saturday. The deal was officially noted by the COP on Saturday morning some 12 hours after the United States announced the set up of a agreement on climate change. The Copenhagen Accord was nowhere near what Pacific countries were looking for, with even the deal’s strongest backers admitting that it is a flawed document but the best available, given the situation. In fact the Accord, if it is taken as the COP15 outcome condemns some low lying Pacific Island countries to the worst effects of climate change especially rising sea levels. But for some members of the Alliance of Small Islands States, which Pacific countries are members of, it was the only way forward after two solid weeks of negotiations failed to reach a compromise on saving the planet. After hours of drama on the plenary floor AOSIS’s president accepted the proposed deal despite the rejection of the accord by some of its members including Tuvalu.

"It looks like we’ve been offered 30 pieces of silver to betray our people," said Tuvalu’s rep Ian Fry. ...more

SUMMARY OF THE COPENHAGEN CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE: 7-19 DECEMBER 2009
Earth Negotiations Bulletin Vol 12. no.459 - 19 December 2009
The United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark took place from 7-19 December 2009. It included the fifteenth Conference of the Parties (COP 15) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the fifth Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (COP/MOP 5). COP 15 and COP/MOP 5 were held in conjunction with the thirty-first sessions of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA 31) and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI 31), the tenth session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP 10) and the eighth session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the UNFCCC (AWG-LCA 8).

The Copenhagen Conference marked the culmination of a two-year negotiating process to enhance international climate change cooperation under the Bali Roadmap, launched by COP 13 in December 2007. Close to 115 world leaders attended the joint COP and COP/MOP high-level segment from 16-18 December, marking one of the largest gatherings of world leaders outside of New York. The conference was subject to unprecedented public and media attention, and more than 40,000 people, representing governments, nongovernmental organizations, intergovernmental organizations, faith-based organizations, media and UN agencies applied for accreditation at the conference.

Many hoped that the Copenhagen Climate Conference would be able to “seal the deal” and result in a fair, ambitious and equitable agreement, setting the world towards a path to avoid dangerous climate change. To this end, what many characterized as “intense negotiations” took place over the two weeks at the level of experts, Ministers and Heads of State. But it was not without controversy. Questions concerning transparency and process played out during the meeting. Differences emerged, inter alia, on whether work should be carried out in a smaller “friends of the chair” format as well as on a proposal by the Danish COP Presidency to table two texts reflecting the work done by the AWGs. Many parties rejected this idea, urging that only texts developed in the AWGs by parties should be used.

During the high-level segment, informal negotiations took place in a group consisting of major economies and representatives of regional groups. Late on Friday evening, these talks resulted in political agreement entitled the “Copenhagen Accord,” which was not based on the texts developed by either of the AWGs. Details of the agreement were widely reported by the media before the COP closing plenary. While most reports highlighted that Heads of State had been able to “seal the deal,” almost everyone participating in the negotiations openly admitted that it was “far from a perfect agreement.”

During the closing COP plenary, which lasted nearly 13 hours, long and what many characterized as “acrimonious” discussions ensued on the transparency of the process that had led to the conclusion of the Copenhagen Accord and on whether the COP should adopt it. Most negotiating groups supported its adoption as a COP decision in order to operationalize it as a step towards “a better” future agreement. Some developing countries, however, opposed the Accord reached during what they characterized as an “untransparent” and “undemocratic” negotiating process. During informal negotiations facilitated by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon during the night and early morning, parties agreed to adopt a COP decision whereby the COP “takes note” of the Copenhagen Accord, which was attached to the decision as an unofficial document. Parties also agreed to establish a procedure whereby countries supporting the Copenhagen Accord can accede to it.

Many recognized the historical significance of the Copenhagen Conference, highlighting its unprecedented success in bringing together the majority of the world’s leaders to consider climate change and listing mitigation actions pledged by developed and developing countries, as well as provisions on finance and technology. Most delegates, however, left Copenhagen disappointed at what they saw as a “weak agreement,” and questioning its practical implications given that the Copenhagen Accord had not been formally adopted as the outcome of the negotiations... Read the complete summary - http://www.iisd.ca/download/pdf/enb12459e.pdf

See also Decisions adoped by COP15 and CM5

See also Copenhagen Accord

U.S. COMMITS TO $100 BILLION CLIMATE MITIGATION
Pacific Islands Report - 18 December 2009
The United States says it will join other rich countries to raise US$110 billion annually to help poorer countries finance climate change issues by 2020. The announcement was made by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the Copenhagen talks on global warming. Hillary Clinton arrived in the Danish capital with money available. But the US Secretary of State said that any deal on financing for the developing world would have to include a system for ensuring pledges to cut carbon emissions are fulfilled...more

COP15 Copenhagen Pacific Team Blog
United Nations Climate Change Conference, Copenhagen, Denmark 7 Dec - 18 Dec 2009
Articles by the COP15 Pacific news team. Read all about COP15 here.

SAIPAN RESIDENTS WARY OF SHIP RECYCLING PLAN
Pacific Islands Report - 18 December 2009
In the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), a RECYCLING company wants to turn around the sluggish local economy through a ship disposal program at the Saipan seaport, dealing with the disposal of decommissioned vessels of the U.S. National Defense Reserve Fleet. Worldwide Salvage (WWS) Saipan, LLC told the Commonwealth Ports Authority in October that it plans to invest US$16 million to build a permanent dock for the project which will be turned over to the CNMI government in the future. But some residents said Saipan may be exposed to environmental hazards from the ships that will be brought in...more

Climate change to hit trade sectors of small and vulnerable states hardest, says study
Islands Business - 17 December 2009
Small and vulnerable developing countries will see their trade sectors badly hit by the effects of climate change, a new study says. The study; Trade, Climate Change and Sustainable Development: Key Issues for Small States, Least Developed Countries and Vulnerable Economies, was conducted by the Commonwealth Secretariat and the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD). It notes that these countries are most vulnerable to the impact of climate change, and this will adversely affect their key trade sectors, including agriculture, fisheries, forestry and tourism...more

PIMRIS Newsletter (2009, Vol. 21, no. 3-4 July-December)
Contents of the issue include: · Samoan Tsunami: September 29, 2009. By Edward Lovell ; · 14th PIMRIS Steering Committee Meeting. By Maria Kalenchits ; · ODIN-PIMRIS E-Repository Training ; ·IODE Training Course on Digital Asset Management. By Eddie Marahare ; IODE Training Course on Website Development through the eyes of participant ; · ASFA – Aquatic Science and Fisheries Abstracts ; · News from the Region ; · New Publications ; · Conference Notices ... download

EUR 10 million for climate change project
SPC - 15 December 2009
The German Government will commit another 10 million euros to climate change programmes in Pacific countries, it was announced in Copenhagen, Denmark. This is in addition to the current 4.2 million euro programme being implemented under the SPC/GTZ Pacific-German Regional Programme on Adaptation to Climate Change in the Pacific Island Region. The project is currently operating in three countries – Fiji, Tonga and Vanuatu. While the finer details are still being worked out, the commitment is to intensify existing efforts and enable the implementation of national policy programmes through such mechanisms as forestry inventories, consultation and capacity building programmes. The announcement was made at a meeting between officials from the Governments of Fiji and Vanuatu and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) together with officials from the German Technical Cooperation agency (GTZ). It was initially conveyed by the German Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development to Pacific leaders in Berlin a few days ago. Present at the Berlin meeting were the Presidents of Kiribati, Micronesia, Palau and the Marshall Islands, the Prime Ministers of Samoa, Tuvalu and Vanuatu, and the Deputy Prime Minister of Tonga.

Carterets story on DVD [Papua New Guinea]
The National -15 December 2009
A VIDEO documentary on the plight of the first world’s climate change and environment refugees of the Carteret Islands in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville will be shown in Copenhagen, Denmark, by the Papua New Guinea delegation to the climate talks. The 30-minute DVD documentary, showing the impact of global warming and sea-level rise that had displaced about 2,000 islanders, will be shown at the United Nations Framework Convention of Climate Change this week. The documentary produced by Kundu 2 television services of the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), features flooding of sea waters into the villages, eroding of sea walls and sinking of smaller atolls due to sea-levels rising and global warming...more

Carbon trade project ready to kick off [Papua New Guinea]
The National - 14 December 2009
THE Piasigit Ozone Carbon and Environmental Sustainability project in Morobe province, one of the Government’s pilot carbon trade project, has completed an official submission for registration in the carbon trade. The project is a comprehensive rural development initiative that centres on environmental sustainability and would be facilitated under the Reducing Emissions through Deforestation and Degradation programme (REDD) set by the United Nations. The project was initiated in by the Yandu clan of Lalang village, Hube in Finschhafen, which owns 300,000ha of forests in the Cromwell Range. Last Friday, Morobe Governor Luther Wenge signed an endorsement letter to complete one of the final components of the project submission at Crane Street and Cassowary Road....more

Pacific Islands proposals on sharks and swordfish adopted at WCPFC
Islands Business - 14 December 2009
Proposals from Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) members on sharks and swordfish were adopted at the 6th Regular Session of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) meeting last week. Pacific Island countries are the custodians of the last remaining healthy tuna stocks in the world and manage a marine area of 30 million square kilometres, supported with technical advice and services from the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA). FFA members participate at the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission along with other fishing nations (such as Asian nations, EU and US) to set rules for fishing in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean. FFA members finalised a process first begun in 2006 to put in place limits to the catch on swordfish...more

EPA releases 2008 Guam Toxics Release Inventory numbers
EPA - 12 December 2009
Eight facilities in Guam reported an eight percent increase in toxic chemicals released into the air, land and water in 2008 when compared to 2007, according to new data released today by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Overall at 53, Guam ranks among one of the lowest of 56 states and territories in total releases. While the island's water and land releases have increased since 2007, underground injection, off-site transfers, and air releases have decreased. The largest increase was of on-site land releases of 1,048 pounds, largely due to increased releases reported by Andersen Air Force Base in Yigo...more

New report of interest: “Rapid Appraisal of the Bioenergy-Food Security Nexus in Pacific Island Countries”
FAO - 11 December 2009
During the first quarter of 2009, FAO commissioned a scoping exercise on opportunities and constraints for bioenergy development in the 14 Pacific Island Countries. The study did not only look at cassava and coconut-based biofuels, which are the two main target crops for biofuel production in the Region, but also evaluate other alternative bioenergy sources. With regards the potential impact of biofuel development on food security, the question is to identify effects on both farmers' income and on rural poor food security...read the report - http://www.faopacific.ws/Portals/167/publications/Reports/Report for SAP RL ED Final.pdf

JAPAN TO PROVIDE SOLAR ENERGY IN FSM
Pacific Islands Report - 11 December 2009
A signing ceremony was held at the Federated States of Micronesia (Yap, Chuuk, Kosrae, and Pohnpei) Department of Foreign Affairs by the FSM Government and Japan Government in respect to the Clean Energy by Solar Photovoltaic Project from the Government of Japan that was pledged under the Cool Earth Partnership during the Palm 5 Summit in May of 2009. This project is also a joint effort for the two governments' commitment to the reduction of greenhouse gases under climate change initiatives...more

PNG takes stance to protect forest [Papua New Guinea]
Post Courier - 10 December 2009
The Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare will lead a large delegation of PNG officials to present the position paper on PNG’s stand on REDD at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Copenhagen next week. While PNG is expected to continue making substantive political contributions to the negotiations on Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD), sectors of the PNG community are doubtful that these contributions are in the interest of landowners. As co-chair of the Coalition for Rainforest Nations (CfRN), PNG has been lobbying for inclusion of REDD in the second commitment period for the Kyoto climate agreement. PNG is pushing for a REDD implementation based on a national approach favouring financing from carbon markets. At this stage, the chance of achieving effective agreements on emissions reductions at Copenhagen is looking unlikely...more

Protected Areas – a natural solution to climate change crisis
Islands Business - 9 December 2009
Protected areas offer a cost effective solution to the impacts of climate change, according to a report just released by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The book, ‘Natural Solutions: protected areas helping to cope with climate change’ for the first time articulates clearly how protected areas contribute significantly to reducing the impacts of climate change, says Lord Nicholas Stern, who wrote the foreword of the report. In the Pacific, a number of Pacific Island countries have taken a lead role in protecting their marine resources. This work is spearheaded by the international environment conservation group, Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF)...more

New book of interest: Natural Solutions: protected areas helping people cope with climate change [IUCN]
December 2009
Protected areas play a major role in reducing climate changing carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere. Fifteen percent of the world’s terrestrial carbon stock - 312 Gigatonnes - are stored in protected areas around the world. In Canada, over 4 billion tons of carbon dioxide is sequestered in 39 national parks, estimated to be worth $39-87 billion in carbon credits. In the Brazilian Amazon, protected lands are expected to prevent 670,000 km² of deforestation by 2050, representing 8 billion tons of avoided carbon emissions. Protected areas also serve as natural buffers against climate impacts and other disasters, providing space for floodwaters to disperse, stabilizing soil against landslides and blocking storm surges. It has been estimated that coastal wetlands in the United States provide $23.2 billion a year in protection against flooding from hurricanes. And protected areas can keep natural resources healthy and productive so they can withstand the impacts of climate change and continue to provide the food, clean water, shelter and income communities rely upon for survival. Thirty three of the world’s 100 largest cities derive their drinking water from catchments within forest protected areas... Download the book - http://cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/natural_solutions.pdf

New book of interest: Partners with nature: How healthy ecosystems are helping the world’s most vulnerable adapt to climate change.[Birdlife International]
December 2009
Climate change impacts including drought, crop failure, flooding, sea-level rise,
and extreme weather events are already being felt across the world, with the
poorest people and vulnerable ecosystems hit hardest. The effects of climate
change will almost certainly persist for centuries, and depending on the level of
mitigation achieved, will be of increasing severity. Adaptation is necessary to
cope with present and future impacts.

Ever-increasing evidence suggests that healthy, bio-diverse environments play a
vital role in maintaining and increasing resilience to climate change, and in
reducing climate-related risk and vulnerability.1,5,6–9 Biodiversity, ecosystems
and the functions and services they provide, such as water, food, soil protection,
clean air, disaster risk reduction and carbon capture, underpin the Earth’s life
support system and our sustainable development. This is particularly critical to
many of the world’s 2.7 billion poor people, who depend on natural resources
most directly for their livelihood and survival.

This report includes 14 case studies from different countries around the world.
They provide compelling evidence of the roles that ecosystems play in climate
change adaptation through protecting the natural resource base, providing
alternative livelihood options, and maintaining resilience to future climate
change. BirdLife International’s experience shows that supporting the
application of local knowledge and community engagement and action can build
the resilience of natural and societal systems, delivering locally appropriate
solutions to help communities, countries and economies adapt to the challenges
of climate change. For the most vulnerable people in particular, an ecosystem
approach to adaptation will often be the first line of defence against the impacts
of climate change. Includes case studies from Samoa and Palau... download - http://www.birdlife.org/climate_change/pdfs/Ecosystemsandadaption.pdf

ENVIRONMENT: OUR CENTURY’S CHALLENGE, OUR PACIFIC RESPONSE
Islands Business - December 2009
Climate change is a serious threat to our Pacific region
It is an issue with enormous environmental, social and ethical impacts for the people of the Pacific region. Although our region contributes only 0.03% of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions, our countries are amongst the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
The Pacific region is taking action as responsible members of the international community. For example, we are playing our part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) is currently working on a renewable energy project to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in 11 Pacific islands countries by 33% by the year 2015. This project is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Countries are also working on various adaptation projects to adapt to the impacts of climate change...more

VIEWPOINT: STEAMSHIPS’ APPROACH TO ENVIRONMENT
Islands Business - December 2009
We live in a dramatically changing world. For decades, scientists and environmentalists have been issuing dire warnings of disaster if we do not mend our ways and face up to the looming challenges of global warming, climate change and the reckless squandering of our natural resources, particularly energy and water. It is only in comparatively recent times that we have (rather reluctantly) begun to heed those warnings...more

Pacific Update, an e-newsletter focusing on NIWA's work around the Pacific Rim
NIWA 6 December 2009
NIWA has launched a new newsletter to highlight the work it is doing in the Pacific. Articles in the first issue include: Improving hydrological monitoring in Pacific nations ; Rescuing Pacific Island climate data ; The 29 September 2009 tsunami in Wallis & Futuna ; Kiribati - adapting to climate change ; Upgrading Fiji's climate monitoring network. Read the full newsletter at www.niwa.co.nz/pu

Pacific plea on migration ahead of climate talks
AFP - 5 December 2009
Pacific island nations at risk of being swamped by rising sea levels must have a say in the mass migration of their people, an independent think tank has warned ahead of global talks on climate change. Rising seas, coastal erosion and rapid population growth have already forced the relocation of some island communities, the Pacific Institute of Public Policy said. "Climate change adaption also needs to facilitate choice migration," the institute's Derek Brien said ahead of the UN climate conference opening in Copenhagen on Monday. "And that will require a shift in prevailing attitudes to the subject, as well as ensuring current and future generations of Pacific islanders have access to international standards of education to compete on the global stage"...more ... read the briefing paper

Solar power project launched [Papua New Guinea]
Post Courier - 4 December 2009
Papua New Guineans can now afford solar power to bring brighter, cheaper, safer and cleaner light and power into their homes. The solar power loans project, launched yesterday, allows grassroots Papua New Guineans to buy solar power kits for their homes through flexible, low interest loans with no bank fees at ANZ or Nationwide Microbank. The project, an initiative of the World Bank, was developed to improve livelihoods and increase the use of renewable energy within PNG...more

NZ scientists learn lessons from Samoa tsunami
Pacific Scoop - 4 December 2009
A team of NZ scientists say the results of their field work after the Samoa Tsunami are of interest internationally and here in New Zealand. NZ scientists learn lessons from Samoa tsunami ...more

12th Micronesian Chief Executives Summit Focuses on Environmental Issues
Pacific News Centre - 3 December 2009
The summit which features the chief executives of the CNMI, FSM, Republic of Palau and the Republic of the Marshall Islands is focusing on various issues that are important to and shared by islands in our region. Governor Felix Camacho says the Micronesian Chief Executive Summit is all about unity and brotherhood. He adds that this summit show that various island nations both realize and recognize the importance of working together. Much of the focus of the conference is on the what's called the Micronesian challenge. Republic of Palau president Johnson Toribiong explains that the Micronesian challenge is a movement throughout Micronesia that focuses on how to best preserve the natural environment while conserving and preserving the islands' scarce natural resources. Toribiong says all of the islands in this region must strive to protect the environment because in the long run it's the environment that will sustain the islands. One of the major environmental concerns of the islands is rising sea levels a phenomenon that most scientists have attributed to global warming. Toribiong says Micronesian islands are the most vulnerable to climate change. In fact he says that various low lying islands in Palau have have already felt the effects of climate change. Rising sea levels have caused saltwater to infiltrate taro patches. Taro is a staple starch that the islands in Micronesia rely on as a major food source. It's the Micronesian equivalent of the potato...more

U.S. Proposes Climate Fund for Poor Nations
Islands Business - 3 December 2009
The United States has proposed a new global fund that would direct billions of dollars to help poor countries prepare for climate disasters and adjust to low-carbon economies. The fund would likely operate under the World Bank, U.S. Treasury officials said, and would be the main vehicle to deliver emissions reduction and adaptation measures throughout the world. William Pizer, deputy assistant secretary for environment and energy at the U.S. Treasury Department, explained that the fund would contribute to a spectrum of projects from “building a solar park or creating a financial vehicle to support investments in energy efficiency to creating an insurance mechanism for disasters or crops.” The world's poorest countries also are among the most vulnerable to climate change and will be disproportionately affected by harsher droughts, rising sea levels and fiercer storms, scientists say. The World Bank estimates it will cost $75 billion to $100 billion annually for developing nations to accommodate a world that is warmer by 2 degrees Celsius. Part of the global climate deal that nations are negotiating in U.N.-sponsored talks in Copenhagen next week involves the promise of substantial funding to help defray those costs.

Articles of note - a selection of recent academic literature

Compiled by Peter Murgatroyd . Articles marked with an * are available from the SPREP IRC or via OARE [Online Access to Research in the Environment].

- January 2010

Designing Climate-Smart Conservation: Guidance and Case Studies / HANSEN, LARA; HOFFMAN, JENNIFER; DREWS, CARLOS; MIELBRECHT, ERIC. Conservation Biology; Feb2010, Vol. 24 Issue 1, p63-69, 7p *

Management of freshwater lenses on small Pacific islands / Ian White; Tony Falkland. Hydrogeology Journal, Feb2010, Vol. 18 Issue 1, p227-246, 20p*

Reef finfishing pressure risk model for Pacific Island countries and territories / Kronen, M.; Magron, F.; McArdle, B.; Vunisea, A.. Fisheries Research, Jan2010, Vol. 101 Issue 1/2, p1-10, 10p*

Tracing the Origins of Iguanid Lizards and Boine Snakes of the Pacific / Noonan, Brice P.; Sites Jr., Jack W.. American Naturalist, Jan2010, Vol. 175 Issue 1, p61-72, 12p*

Biological performance of Diclidophlebia smithi (Hemiptera: Psyllidae), a potential biocontrol agent for the invasive weed Miconia calvescens / de Morais, Elisangela Gomes Fidelis; Picanço, Marcelo Coutinho; Barreto, Robert Weingart; Silva, Nilson Rodrigues; Campos, Mateus Ribeiro. Biocontrol Science & Technology, Jan2010, Vol. 20 Issue 1, p107-116, 10p*

Framework for integrating indigenous and scientific knowledge for disaster risk reduction / Mercer, Jessica; Kelman, Ilan; Taranis, Lorin; Suchet-Pearson, Sandie. Disasters, Jan2010, Vol. 34 Issue 1, p214-239, 26p*

Drivers of lowland rain forest community assembly, species diversity and forest structure on islands in the tropical South Pacific / Keppel, Gunnar; Buckley, Yvonne M.; Possingham, Hugh P.. Journal of Ecology, Jan2010, Vol. 98 Issue 1, p87-95, 9p*

Potential Distribution of the Alien Invasive Brown Tree Snake, Boiga irregularis (Reptilia: Colubridae) / Rödder, Dennis; Lötters, Stefan. Pacific Science, Jan2010, Vol. 64 Issue 1, p11-22, 12p, 5 maps*

- December 2009

The importance of ecosystem-based management for conserving aquatic migratory pathways on tropical high islands: a case study from Fiji / AARON P. JENKINSa,, STACY D. JUPITERb, INGRID QAUQAUb and JAMES ATHERTON. AQUATIC CONSERVATION: MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS (2009) DOI: 10.1002/aqc *

Comparison of Outcomes of Permanently Closed and Periodically Harvested Coral Reef Reserves / BARTLETT, C. Y.; MANUA, C.; CINNER, J.; SUTTON, S.; JIMMY, R.; SOUTH, R.; NILSSON, J.; RAINA, J.. Conservation Biology, Dec2009, Vol. 23 Issue 6, p1475-1484, 10p*

Climate Change, Coral Reef Ecosystems, and Management Options for Marine Protected Areas / Keller, Brian D.; Gleason, Daniel F.; McLeod, Elizabeth; Woodley, Christa M.; Airamé, Satie; Causey, Billy D.; Friedlander, Alan M.; Grober-Dunsmore, Rikki; Johnson, Johanna E.; Miller, Steven L.; Steneck, Robert S.. Environmental Management, Dec2009, Vol. 44 Issue 6, p1069-1088, 20p, 3 charts*

Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission / Aqorau, Transform. International Journal of Marine & Coastal Law, Dec2009, Vol. 24 Issue 4, p737-746, 10p, 1 chart

A Simple Graphical Technique for Conditional Long Range Forecasting of Below-Average Rainfall Periods in the Tuvalu Islands, Western Pacific / Bardsley, W. E.; Vavae, H.. Natural Resources Research, Dec2009, Vol. 18 Issue 4, p277-283, 7p*

Adapting water resources to climate change in Kiribati: the importance of cultural values and meanings / Kuruppu, Natasha. Environmental Science & Policy, Nov2009, Vol. 12 Issue 7, p799-809, 11p

Affects of World War II Still Felt in Chuuk. Oil Spill Intelligence Report, 10/15/2009, Vol. 32 Issue 43, p3-4, 2p*

Bequest Values for Marine Resources: How Important for Indigenous Communities in Less-Developed Economies? / O'Garra, Tanya. Environmental & Resource Economics, Oct2009, Vol. 44 Issue 2, p179-202, 24p, 8 charts, 2 graphs, 1 map*

Designing a resilient network of marine protected areas for Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea / Green, Alison; Smith, Scott E.; Lipsett-Moore, Geoff; Groves, Craig; Peterson, Nate; Sheppard, Stu; Lokani, Paul; Hamilton, Richard; Almany, Jeanine; Aitsi, Joseph; Bualia, Leo. Oryx, Oct2009, Vol. 43 Issue 4, p488-498, 11p, 3 charts, 5 graphs*

Samoan tsunami: impacts to seagrass and coral / Posa Skelton . Seagrasswatch Magazine Dec 2009 Issue 39 p.12 *

- November 2009

Introduction: Archaeology and Historical Ecology in the Pacific Basin / Scott M. Fitzpatrick and Michiko Intoh. Pacific Science Oct 2009 : Volume 63 Issue 4 pg(s) 463–464*

Volcanism and Historical Ecology on the Willaumez Peninsula, Papua New Guinea / Robin Torrence, Vince Neall, and W. E. Boyd. Pacific Science Oct 2009 : Volume 63 Issue 4
pg(s) 507–535*

Historical Ecology in Kiribati: Linking Past with Present / Frank R. Thomas. Pacific Science Oct 2009 : Volume 63 Issue 4 pg(s) 567–600*

Revisiting Rapa Nui (Easter Island) “Ecocide” / Terry L. Hunt and Carl P. Lipo. Pacific Science Oct 2009 : Volume 63 Issue 4 pg(s) 601–616*

A Long-Term Perspective on Biodiversity and Marine Resource Exploitation in Fiji's Lau Group / Sharyn Jones. Pacific Science Oct 2009 : Volume 63 Issue 4 pg(s) 617–648*

Impact of Human Colonization on the Landscape: A View from the Western Pacific / Glenn R. Summerhayes, Matthew Leavesley, and Andy Fairbairn. Pacific Science Oct 2009 : Volume 63 Issue 4 pg(s) 725–745*

Epilogue: Changing Archaeological Perspectives upon Historical Ecology in the Pacific Islands
Atholl Anderson. Pacific Science Oct 2009 : Volume 63 Issue 4 pg(s) 747–757*

Disturbance and the rising tide: the challenge of biodiversity management on low-island ecosystems / Ross, Michael S., Joseph J. O’Brien, R. Glenn Ford, Keqi Zhang and Anne Morkill.Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 2009 7(9): 471-478. doi:10.1890/070221*

Benthic foraminifera records of complex anthropogenic environmental changes combined with geochemical data in a tropical bay of New Caledonia (SW Pacific) / Debenay, Jean-Pierre and Jean-Michel Fernandez. 2009 Marine Pollution Bulletin 59(8-12): 311-322. oi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2009.09.014 *

* see also Latest news from the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme [SPREP]

** more PEIN Resources:

Browse the Pacific Environment Information Network [PEIN] Virtual Environment Libraries:
American Samoa , Cook Islands , Federated States of Micronesia , Fiji , French Polynesia , Guam , Kiribati , Marshall Islands , Nauru , New Caledonia , Niue , Northern Mariana Islands , Palau , Papua New Guinea , Samoa , Solomon Islands , Tokelau , Tonga , Tuvalu , Vanuatu , Wallis and Futuna ... NEW NEW NEW

Pacific Environment Databases and Recommended Internet Resources Directory

Pacific Environment Information Network [PEIN] Country Profiles Directory

Pacific Environment Information Network [PEIN] Regional Frameworks and Strategies

DirectoryPacific Environment Information Network [PEIN]

Directory of Pacific Environment Videos on YouTube

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Compiled by Peter Murgatroyd. Last updated 8 February 2010.

© SPREP