WWF - Coral Triangle stories from WWF

Salome Topo, Sustainable Livelihood Officer, WWF-Solomon Islands Programme, Gizo Field Office, Solomon Islands

2013-05-10

What is your background and what brought you to marine conservation?

I have a Bachelors of Arts, majoring in Economics, Management and Public Administration from the University of the South Pacific, Suva, in Fiji.

My main reason for following a business course is that I was interested to work in any related business sector. However, after my graduation from the University of the South Pacific I returned to the Solomon Islands. But because of ethnic tension--a conflict between Guadalcanal and Malaita, the two major Islands in the Solomon Islands--I decided not to live in Honiara but came back to Gizo instead, the headquarter of Western Province. There I looked for a job with NGOs, the Provincial Government and the private sector.

When I joined WWF as Sustainable Livelihood Officer, I learned about the main aims and objectives of the organization. I explored the marine conservation work that has been done here in the Western Province and was motivated to join because I learned that the majority of the population in the Solomon Islands depends on marine resources for survival. Thus, doing conservation work with the communities is saving lives in terms of food security for present and future generations, as most marine resources are diminishing. The only way to maintain and sustain endangered marine resources and species is to do conservation work with the people, and people must accept the programme both in principle and in terms of its practical implications.

In addition, WWF is an equal opportunity organization where there is strong teamwork. I really enjoy my work and learning a lot from the in-house training as well as attending other training outside the organization.

How easy or difficult is it to work in this field in the Solomon Islands?

About 80% of the people here in the Solomon Islands live near coastal areas and they depend entirely on the subsistence economy, where marine resources are vital for both food and income. The richness of the marine biodiversity in the Solomon Islands has compelled WWF to come and work here to conserve marine sites for food security.

Introducing the term "conservation" to Solomon Islanders seems difficult as most people own the land and sea, where they live close to natural resources. The natural resources are "part of them" -- they don't see any benefits in conserving natural resources as they consider that conservation would lead to No Take Zones.

So sometimes people ask the question "conservation for who?" Getting people to understand the benefits of conservation takes a long time because they own, and live with, their natural resources and conservation seems to be a disadvantage to their lives. However, the ongoing education and awareness programme is raising awareness within the Western Province.

Another difficulty is that as with any project in the community, people always have high expectations that they will receive cash. They always think of money to meet priority needs in the community. Environmental work may actually be the least priority in the community in some cases.

The aims and objectives of the project really need to match with the priorities of the community, and it is necessary to align the resource owners' mindset with the project aims before the project can be implemented.

Most communities here in the Solomon Islands are Melanesian, we have a common language, our cultures are slightly similar, and people are very friendly and kind so it is easy to interact with the community and consult with them. So when the community accepts us to work with them we always build strong links and good relationships, which makes our programme easier to accomplish. There is always understanding and compromise between the community and the organization when issues arise. We always solve them and make sure that we maintain our status with the community.

What are the main challenges in turtle conservation in your part of the world?

WWF Solomon Islands works closely with a community-based organization called Tetepare Descendants Association (TDA) for turtle conservation work. There are six turtle beaches that this local NGO works on. The main challenges we encountered while doing the turtle activities are as follows:

Turtles are one of the cultural foods in our society. For any big event such as weddings, turtles are always on the menu.
Poaching is the main challenge as most people eat turtle eggs and meat.
Lack of good and strong leadership in the islands, especially for conservation work.
The isolation of the islands makes fieldwork expensive when going to other turtle nesting sites, especially in Rendova and Hele Islands. As they are far from Tetepare where the turtle monitors are based , monitoring on the island is rare -- giving many opportunities for poachers to enter the conservation area.
Lack of communication in the field as there is no equipment to communicate with other turtle monitors.
Sometimes, there is lack of funding to sustain turtle work. Most people do not volunteer to do the job, so they need to have an incentive for their work in the field.

The Sea Turtle Symposium (STS) is the most important sea turtle meeting globally - how did it feel to participate?

The STS is the first global meeting that I have ever attended. I felt a little intimidated at first seeing so many turtle experts from over 80 countries. But when I actually attended the meeting, I felt that I had a great opportunity because it allowed me to connect with other turtle experts, practitioners and participants. Through sharing and networking, I gained a lot of knowledge from this meeting.

What are the key lessons from this meeting that you took back with you? How applicable are they to your work in the Pacific?
The key lessons that I have learned from all the presentations and discussions are that conserving endangered turtles is not an easy task as turtles travel to all parts of the world and most people eat turtle meat and eggs.

Turtles have value in many cultural beliefs and in some religions. In fact, turtle meat and egg consumption is seen across other parts of Asia as well. All of us must work together to make turtle conservation effective globally, and connect to each other in sharing information--at the international, national and provincial level, down to our communities.

Education and awareness programmes are an effective tool for people to learn the importance and the benefits of turtles, where the message is passed from one person to another. Thus, ongoing education and awareness programmes are vital for all of us doing turtle conservation work globally. We need to know the effective way of conserving turtles so that we can apply it in our own countries.

Climate change is another major issue that affects turtles nesting globally, and most turtle project sites are building hatcheries to assist in relocating the turtle eggs.

What was your presentation/poster about?

I participated in the "Brown Bag Day" which WWF-US organized on the last day of the STS meeting at the WWF-US office. The meeting was organized for WWF-US staff to hear about the turtle work in Malaysia, Indonesia and Solomon Islands.

My presentation was based on our turtle work at Tetepare Island, Western Province. I updated them on progress with the turtle work at 6 beaches and the challenges we have encountered, along with the benefits of the turtle work that we introduced to the communities.

What do you see as the main benefits for practitioners like yourself in the Coral Triangle to participate in such global events?

The main benefit of participating in the Sea Turtle Symposium was to connect with other practitioners, turtle experts, donors and others. I had the opportunity to meet with people who have the same concern about protecting turtles. By connecting with other groups globally, we can share our experience with turtle work and learn how others do turtle conservation in their area.

Also I have learned what other countries in the Coral Triangle, such as Malaysia and Indonesia, are doing in terms of turtle work.

Last but not the least, I would like to acknowledge and thank the following programmes and people for their funding support which enabled me to attend the 33rd Turtle Symposium in Baltimore: Dr Lida Pet Soede – WWF Coral Triangle Global Initiative, Catherine Plume and Cassie O'Connor (WWF US) and WMPO (WWF PNG and WWF Solomon Islands).

VIEWPOINT: What a Difference a Day Makes

2013-05-10

Almost a year ago, I was standing under a blazing sun on Kedonganan Beach, Bali, in the midst of the most unlikely of crowds: musicians, conservationists, students, dancers, ogo-ogos (traditional Balinese sculptures), tourists, government officials, capoeira dancers, and other folks from all walks of life.

Along with more than 11,000 people across the region, Kedonganan was the epicenter of the first Coral Triangle Day, a celebration of the natural gifts provided by oceans to people in the Coral Triangle. In some countries, these activities covered several days around June 9, ranging from government-led technical events to community beach clean ups, private sector initiatives with sustainable seafood, and many more.

With less than a month to go until the second Coral Triangle Day on June 9, I am still amazed and inspired that so many individuals from seemingly unrelated backgrounds could have come together on Coral Triangle Day. In fact, over the last 10 years, I have seen much growth in the engagement of people in the Coral Triangle for ocean conservation and sustainable fisheries.

This growth in public engagement is what the Coral Triangle Day hopes to build on--to create a critical mass of supporters ready to take action for their shared natural resources, complement the conservation work being conducted by NGOs and other partners, and hold governments to their commitments in ocean conservation for this region.

Through events like the Coral Triangle Day, we have the opportunity to bring marine issues relevant to this region to the forefront--even for just a day--and provide people, especially the youth, with good cause to celebrate and make their voices heard.

With individuals, organizations, and establishments coming together on one day and focusing their energies on a collective vision, we would be sending a loud and strong message to the world about the global significance of the Coral Triangle.

Today, in print and online media, thousands of young people, experts, celebrities, and professionals from the hospitality sector, share how they care about the oceans and what they do to help protect marine ecosystems and ocean wildlife. Also, in countries where new government leadership is in transition, ocean issues are finally entering candidates' campaigns as part of a growing awareness that green development is the right path towards a future for people, planet, and profit.

The momentum has indeed started and we hope that it keeps growing throughout the years as more and more people clamor for healthier oceans for present and future generations.

Most days of the year we should continue to work hard and try to speed up the protection of important parts of our seas and transform the way we fish and reduce the waste of seafood.

But June 9 is the day when we should all try to go out and sit down on a beach to look over the ocean and consider how it connects us all, and how beautiful that is.

Tracking Map Reveals Tuna Movements in the Coral Triangle Region

2013-05-01

Mindoro Occidental, Philippines – Data from pop-up satellite tags attached to adult yellowfin tuna show movements of this commercially-valuable species around Coral Triangle waters.

The movements of four mighty swimmers named Amihan, Badjao, Hagibis, and Buhawi, can now be followed via a species tracking map, that shows in color-coded coordinates, how far the fish have swam since being tagged off the western seaboard of Mindoro Occidental in the Philippines.

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"The data we have gathered so far reveal that tuna movements cover an impressive amount of nautical miles a day, travelling back and forth in a general north-south direction from where they were caught and released," says Dr. Jose Ingles, Tuna Strategy Leader of the WWF Coral Triangle Programme.

"While still preliminary, the results signify that to properly manage this yellowfin tuna stock, we need to consider similar or complimentary conservation measures along the geographic area of its movements."

WWF, in collaboration with the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), is conducting a tuna tagging project in Philippine waters to gather more data on the movements of yellowfin tuna.

"Through this activity, we hope to identify key spawning, feeding, and nursery grounds of this much sought-after species and make a case for governments to protect these sites," adds Dr. Ingles.

The Coral Triangle, which encompasses the seas of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor Leste, is a known tuna nursery and migratory path, producing about 30 per cent of the total global tuna catch.

The tuna industry is an economic driver in this part of the world, feeding millions of people and providing jobs and livelihood to thousands of fishers and their families who directly depend on ocean resources.

Increasing global demand for tuna, however, has driven the over extraction and illegal fishing of the species, causing an alarming decline in tuna stocks.

Yellowfin tuna are now classified as fully exploited.

"By tagging tuna, we hope to gather critical information that can help protect the species in specific sites during its most vulnerable life stages. Data collected will help inform management plans for a more sustainable tuna industry in this part of the world," adds Dr. Ingles.

A total of 16 pop-up satellite tags will be deployed on large adult yellowfin tuna (weighing more than 70 kg) throughout the duration of this activity.

Pop-up satellite tags, which are attached at the back of the tuna, collect vital data such as temperature, depth, and light intensity, and are programmed to automatically detach from the fish after three to six months when it floats to the surface and sends out information via satellite transmission and into a server.

Follow the movements of Amihan, Badjao, Hagibis, and Buhawi at http://wwfgap.org/tracker/tuna/manila/.

Follow the tuna tagging adventures of Dr. Ingles through this blog: wwf.panda.org/tunataggingblog/

ENDS
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Editors note:

The Coral Triangle—the nursery of the seas—is the world's center of marine life, encompassing around 6 million sq km of ocean across six countries in Asia-Pacific – Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste.
It is home to 76% of the world's known coral species, 37% of the world's coral reef fish species, and commercially-valuable species such as tuna, whales, dolphins, rays, sharks, including 6 of the world's 7 known species of marine turtles.
The Coral Triangle directly sustains the lives of more than 120 million people and contains key spawning and nursery grounds for tuna. Its reef and coastal systems also underpin a growing tourism sector.
WWF is working with governments, local communities, businesses, and consumers to promote sustainable development in this region. For information on Coral Triangle go to: www.panda.org/coraltriangle

For further information:

Paolo P. Mangahas, Communications Manager, WWF Coral Triangle Programme, Tel: +603 7803 3772, Email: pmangahas@wwf.org.my

New tuna fisheries improvements in the Coral Triangle region

2013-04-25

Pacific Islands – WWF applauds the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA) for achieving Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Chain of Custody Certification for their MSC Certified free-school skipjack fishery from the Western and Central Pacific.

"We are immensely proud of this positive development. After a long wait, consumers will finally be able to find an MSC certified tuna product from this part of the world out in the market," says Mark Schreffler, WWF Western Melanesia Program Office Fisheries Policy Officer.

"We are proud to note that 11 out of the 15 fishing vessels that received Chain of Custody Certification for harvesting, transporting, and selling MSC certified skipjack are from the Coral Triangle, particularly from Papua New Guinea and the Philippines."

"This sheds a whole new light to our fisheries improvements projects in the region and provides an impetus for more fishing companies here to follow suit and aim for MSC certification," adds Schreffler.

MSC is a global organization working with fisheries, seafood companies, scientists, conservation groups, and the public to promote the best environmental choice in seafood. It is the only credible ecolabel currently available for wild capture fisheries.

The MSC Chain of Custody Certification was announced recently at the European Tuna Conference in Brussels by Mr. Maurice Brownjohn, PNA Commercial Manager.

The PNA, which controls around 30 per cent of the world's tuna supply, is composed of the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu.

Tuna is a highly valuable natural resource in the region, which provides food and livelihood to millions of people, sustains economies, and maintains the ecological balance of fragile marine environments.

However, increasing demand from around the world for this commercially-valuable species is driving unsustainable tuna fishing, threatening vulnerable fish stocks.

"Now that there's a credible and verifiable traceability system in place for the MSC certified free- school skipjack fishery from the Pacific, consumers have a more sustainable choice to help alleviate pressure on other overexploited tuna species," says Schreffler.

Notes to the Editor:

The Coral Triangle—the nursery of the seas—is the world's center of marine life, encompassing around 6 million sq km of ocean across six countries in Asia-Pacific – Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste.
It is home to 76% of the world's known coral species, 37% of the world's coral reef fish species, and commercially-valuable species such as tuna, whales, dolphins, rays, sharks, including 6 of the world's 7 known species of marine turtles.
The Coral Triangle directly sustains the lives of more than 120 million people and contains key spawning and nursery grounds for tuna. Its reef and coastal systems also underpin a growing tourism sector. § WWF is working with governments, local communities, businesses, and consumers to promote sustainable development in this region. For information on Coral Triangle go to: www.panda.org/ coraltriangle

For further information:

Mark Schreffler, WWF Western Melanesia Program Office Fisheries Policy Officer, Email

EXPERT OPINION: Gunter Pauli, Author of "The Blue Economy: 10 Years, 100 Innovations, 100 Million Jobs"

2013-04-08

Gunter Pauli is the author of The Blue Economy: 10 Years, 100 Innovations, 100 Million Jobs, designer of new business models, and provider of solutions that use 'what is available'. Follow him on Twitter and read more about his groundbreaking initiatives on the Zero Emissions Research and Initiatives website. Gunter speaks to WWF about Blue Economy during the 3rd Coral Triangle Regional Business Summit in Bali, Indonesia.

You mention that change happens in the periphery -- can you elaborate on this?

In the centres of power, the changes that happen are marginal and incremental, mostly because of political reasons. This prevents bold changes from happening, and this is why innovative projects tend to happen at the periphery. It's in the periphery that you can do crazy things, and where other people will not notice what you are doing -- this is where there is no systemic resistance.

To illustrate, consider one of our projects in Latin America, where Paolo Lugari and his team of Las Gaviotas rehabilitated a remote, sparsely populated 8,000-ha savannah into the rainforest it once used to be. Scientists had warned us that the task would be impossible, but through perseverance, the forest and biodiversity were eventually brought back.

What are the key "ingredients" to make change happen?

It's really important to celebrate the inexperience of people, and not to rely on experts. This way you can really think out of the box. Another consideration is the need to bring a diversity of people together, along with their wisdom. Finally, don't try to plan everything at the beginning!

What are the main misconceptions about the Blue Economy?

The first one is that there is a guru. I am just a mouthpiece for the work being done by many people around the world. The Blue Economy is not a silver bullet. Rather, it presents the opportunity to take a closer look at society, and how our actions affect each other and the planet, and then make changes within ourselves. One thing we must all agree on is that we can do better, much better.

What is the greatest difficulty in promoting a Blue Economy?

People's desire for instant gratification. The issue is not to delay the gratification, but to make people wait a little longer to get more benefits. By benefits I don't mean the latest iPhone -- I'm talking about healthcare, energy, transportation, food, etc.

This calls on the importance of changing our own behaviour toward more well-being. For example, what did you have for breakfast? Perhaps orange juice or coffee, both of which have a very low pH (in other words, they are very acidic). The room where this interview is taking place is probably relatively acidic too, maybe pH 4. Through our daily actions and in our environment, we are basically acidifying our bodies, which increases our exposure to diseases such as cancer. So if you were to choose something healthier for your breakfast, what could you choose? Maybe papaya, avocado and green tea which are relatively low-acid.

Now look at corals. Corals have a pH of 8.2. These are systems from which life emerges and where no cancer thrives (including in fish). There is a whole symbolism about corals in the Coral Triangle which can be a lesson to the world, and this is why I am excited to work here.

Can you provide some examples of opportunities for businesses in the Coral Triangle?

Let's take the example of airlines. We need a better way to circulate the air in the plane cabin so that it is not too dry, which creates discomfort for passengers. In fact, this is one of the most sustainable solutions for airlines. Passengers and crew in planes are also exposed to cosmic radiation.

By giving people iodine supplements, we can decrease the risks resulting from this exposure -- and one place where iodine is found is in seaweed, which grows abundantly in Indonesia. This example also illustrates how we can make people think and react through something new and unusual.

We need to link people to the world -- to raise their awareness and to make connections. Here, this connects the airlines to saving the Coral Triangle

Why are such bold ideas not taking hold?

We need more visionary CEOs to introduce new ideas. We also need to get rid of supply chains, which only care about pricing considerations. Admittedly, it's really hard to get out of this system.

For example, I once assessed a tomato sauce factory for a leading consumer goods company, with the idea to recover and reuse the skins from the tomatoes that were crushed to make the sauce. But because of the way the supply chains were structured, it was impossible to implement.

However, there is evidence that it IS possible to do this. There are now eight factories in Brazil that make detergent out of orange skins. We need to get much more out of waste -- there are so many opportunities.

For example, on fishing boats fish could be filleted in at least three different ways to increase their value (right now, most of the fish coming out of Asia is "junk"). You don't need costly certification to achieve this. At the end of the day, we need to make the most out of our products that we already have instead of always trying to get more and more.

What are the common characteristics of the Blue Economy projects that have been successful?

Taking into account local wisdom, locating projects at the periphery (where there are no experts), and a combination of experience and age. In fact, our projects involve people from 18 to 75 years of age!

We need young people's impatience and older people's patience. We have given too much power to words and to who has the loudest voice. Some talented people express themselves differently (through art and dance for example), and we need to be mindful of the value of such expression.

Care for the Coasts - Winner of the Coral Triangle Youth Essay Writing Competition on Blue Economy

2013-03-26

By Liane Stella Candelario, University of the Philippines

It's mid-afternoon and the sun is set high in the sky. Tropical heat waves assault the coast line and the multitudes of tourist are abuzz with new-found energy. Everybody carries their own jubilation – away from the freezing winter of their local climate, or their hectic job in the urban cities, or for finally grabbing the vacation that they've yearned and saved for months beforehand. Welcome to the Coral Triangle – the Asia-Pacific region that boasts of picturesque coasts and soulful ambiance. Where nature becomes a driving force of economic growth, tourists are of the millions in annual reports, and the locals are converted into agents of an ever-booming tourism industry.

I know this, not just because I came from the Philippine archipelago, but because I also live in Panay Island in the Western Visayas Region. And it so happens that on its northern-most tip, the said island is also the home of one of the world's most famous beach – Boracay.

Condé Nast, along with thousands of other tourist getaway catalogues, praises Boracay for its crystal-clear blue waters, powdery-fine white sands, and dream-like sunrise and sunsets. From the German photographer who first discovered and divulged its beauty to the world, it comes as an understatement to say that much has changed within its coastal periphery. From a mere home to indigenous people, Boracay underwent a massive transformation to generate a Blue Economy that keeps churning out billions in annual revenue along with the continuous high investments in tourism infrastructure and human capital outlay.

So now the question becomes, how did this happen? In line with this development, one should ask if the Blue Economy transformation in Boracay and in other beaches in the Coral Triangle is geared in the right direction. And if so, how do we, with the help of businesses, achieve these goals?

I can still recall the old photo of Boracay taken by my father back in the 80s. The only thing tall and wide to be seen along its white-sand coast was the line of coconut trees that the Atis (the indigenous people in the island) harvested as a source of copra, which they traded for other goods in the main island town center. A decade later, I was born in the 90s and the initial wave of backpackers from Europe arrived, catapulting Boracay into a beach hotspot through what is known in marketing terms as word-of-mouth promotion. Another decade later, we hit the new millennium and I can recall every summer of my childhood spent on the island. My uncle and aunt, both locals, started a laundry business to cater to the fast explosion of hotels. Business, truly, was doing more than good. Yet another decade later, at the present time, Boracay has secured itself as a world-class beach hotspot to rival Malibu or even Hawaii. Along with it, the Coral Triangle region, has earned its nickname as the "honeymooner's region" because its beaches would always be a prime destination for newly-weds wanting to spend the first days of their marriage in a place resembling paradise.

But the picture isn't always as perfect as it seems. Because the Coral Triangle is a region of promise, everybody suddenly wants to hop onto the gold rush. Businesses have been rapidly put-up to provide the demand for accommodation, travel, and other forms of tourism goods and services. Even locals have been eager for this all-too-sudden boost in foreign currencies. Most of these businesses have eventually succeeded and are still in continuous operation because of high demand. But because the industry comes with the trade-off of stretching nature to its environmental limits, the question of a sustainable, environmental-friendly business model for coastal regions is now beckoning urgency.

Clearly, there is simply no other way to go than developing the new Blue Economy model.

The main crux of the Blue Economy model is relatively straightforward – to preserve the coastal environment while promoting and safeguarding businesses to support the local tourism industry as well as the livelihoods that depend on it. Of course, businesses aren't the only stakeholders in this debate, there are also government units and the local community that should enrich the tourism industry as well as lobby for environmental preservation. The reason for focusing on businesses therefore should be addressed. There would be two reasons for this: first, in the rule of profit-maximization, businesses should always ensure that the source of their trade continues to exist, in this case, it is the coastal environment that attracts tourism; second, business motives and actions have a direct, tangible environmental impact, be it in construction or waste management, which earns them the responsibility of being at the forefront of forwarding the Blue Economy.

Given those reasons, how then should businesses proceed with the Blue Economy movement?

The first step towards a progressive Blue Economy is centralization and collective action from the business sector. To put it simply, one business cannot do it alone. In the rule of ecology, one change in the system can create a disruption in the chain reaction. For the system to remain stable, every link in the chain must cooperate in attaining the balance. It defeats the purpose, for example, if one hotel inland abides by sustainable, green practices and another hotel near the coast has leaking pipes in its drainage system that ends up seeping black, foul liquid to the shore. One wrong move from an irresponsible establishment can end up tarnishing the reputation of an entire island. And if there's one thing about tourism, it's an industry that's mainly based on the power of recommendation. Especially in this age of high level social media usage, tourism can gain a rapid boom or bust just by social perception.

For a Blue Economy to work, it is therefore important for businesses within a coastal district or island to create a centralized organization. Developed urban cities, for example, form their own business clubs to promote growth and stability within their industry as well as to protect their own profits and business interests. More than that, a coalition, in political terms, leads to stronger policy formation as well as lobbying power to the government when it comes to tourism legislation. Certainly, a lot of things can be achieved more easily and efficiently by means of consolidation.

Business centralization is also important because it can pave the way for improved coastal environmental planning. The state of the environment within these areas has greatly suffered not mainly because of the occurrence of businesses, but because of the occurrence of mushroom businesses. Akin to the sprouting of mushrooms, the boom of tourism has seen the rapid creation of unregulated and uncoordinated businesses haphazardly created everywhere. Once all the coast lots were bought, businessmen who came late into the picture sought mountainsides, hills, forests, cliffs and all kinds of areas that can be accessed by engineering equipment. It doesn't come as a surprise to say that the ecology has degraded. Not only has the green areas thinned, the rare animal species in these rich tropical regions have also declined in population, which has even led to slower forest regeneration.

But that's not the greatest problem; such unsustainable development has also burdened the island capacity and contributed to its slow decline in sea levels. Why is this inherently important? A lot of islands in the Coral Triangle have risen above water thousands of years ago because of atoll formation–landmass comprised of accumulated coral and sea debris. Especially for small islands, the capacity of their landmass isn't infinite. The answer isn't over-building or land reclamation (because again, this disrupts the island ecology); it simply is the respect for the island capacity lest the environmental structure goes past its limits and eventually collapses. Think of having numerous gadgets and only having two sockets in your room. Sure, you can extend the number of plugged-in gadgets by using extension cords, but keep adding more extension cords in the two-socket system and eventually the socket voltage capacity reaches its maximum and explodes, leaving all your fine gadgets burnt and useless. The analogy extends to why environmental island limits should be respected, so that return of investment and profit-maximization can be attained for a longer period of time.

A strong cooperation with the local government should also be attained in order to create a sound geographic plan within the coastal region. A whole island system isn't a business district alone. People don't travel across the globe to a tropical region just to stay in a hotel. Of course they want to see nature in all its many forms. Given that premise, this coastal system from business hubs, to transportation, as well as infrastructure planning, should be accessible and attractive for tourists as well. Nothing turns off tourists more than a hassle and an inconvenient stay. Simply put, they're paying for peace and relaxation, not for additional stress! In Boracay for example, ferry boats transporting tourists from Caticlan to Boracay used to dock at the beach front because that's where most hotels are. It may be good for people who want to directly access their hotels, but you can just imagine how it annoyed regular tourists swimming in the beach front who suddenly have to evade an approaching ferry boat. The solution was to create a jetty port that centralized the boat transportation in and out the island. In turn, this also improved the inland transportation system creating jobs for many locals who would drive cars or other tourist vehicles to and from hotels. On top of that, we now have a beach front that is ferry-boat-free and can be enjoyed fully for swimming and other water activities. In short, centralization creates a win-win situation for businesses, tourist, and locals, and improves efficiency.

Beyond business centralization, internal responsibility should be enforced and followed by independent businesses. At the forefront of this is proper waste management. The influx of thousands, even millions of tourists yearly contributes to a burgeoning waste problem that should be treated carefully. The local government may be responsible for waste collection and dumping or recycling, but the frontline of proper waste management falls in the hands of businesses that bear the biggest waste percentage in contrast to that of local residents. Segregation and a ban on plastic burning is already a protocol in the modern century. But there are other things that should be called too, such as reduction of food waste by careful planning of food servicing as well as reduction in the use of plastics by switching to eco-friendly paper bags. The drainage and liquid waste management should also be given attention. Especially in establishments near the shoreline, a damaged pipe or an irresponsible dumping of liquid waste (in the form of soap or other chemicals) can and will easily seep through the shore and into the water especially during high tide. Polluted water isn't only unattractive, it's also unhealthy and bad for tourism. Algae bloom reaches high levels along the coast Boracay during peak seasons because of the amount of organically-rich liquid that seeps through the shore, which eventually feeds the algae bloom along the coastline. Locals and Boracay fanatics would find the algae bloom commonplace. But for some first-time and peevish tourists, they find swimming in the slimy, greenish, floating stuff unappealing. Clearly, having a secure drainage system as well as being responsible in liquid waste can benefit everyone in achieving coastal cleanliness.

Next is to promote environmentally-friendly practices among tourists. While businesses practice responsible methods in line with the Blue Economy, there should also be a movement that motivates tourists to hold their end of the environmental bargain. Littering can be easily solved if every establishment had a trash disposal can within their vicinity. Establishment systems that conserve electricity while not in use (e.g., light, air conditioning, etc.) can also be enforced. Beyond waste and energy policies, it's also important to promote government-endorsed policies that help preserve the environment. Tourists in Boracay for example are fond of bottling white sand as a take-home souvenir, or collecting rare seashells and other sea-creatures that are environmentally protected. Businesses should enforce a ban against these as a means of promoting responsible tourism that celebrates the beauty of nature without tampering or stealing from it.

One way to do environmental promotion in a positive light is by actively supporting and even funding Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) or other local environment-friendly organizations. Coastal clean-ups can be easily done by organizing a group of tourist and local volunteers. Same goes for underwater clean-ups among diving enthusiasts. I've seen a lot of these in action and not only does this achieve a direct environmental gain, it also promotes awareness as well as create a good reputation and impression for businesses that are environmentally-friendly.

Last but not the least, it is also crucial for a Blue Economy to practice what is known as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) where businesses are working alongside the local community. No man is an island; businesses cannot operate an island or a coastal region alone. It also has to share the right as well as the responsibility to the government and most especially to the local community, to strengthen and unify its efforts to preserve the environment and secure the continuity of the tourism industry. Local communities, especially those indigenous to the island, should be maintained. They are the first eco-guardians of the island, and with their cooperation, businesses can ensure that there will always be people who will look out for the environment because it is their primary stake to conserve their only remaining habitat during their lifetime and for the next generations to come.

The Blue Economy model therefore, isn't just plain economics of profit-maximization and working with the forces of supply and demand. It's an economy with an environmental heart that can healthily pump life to a coastal system if it's maintained and monitored carefully. Pollution should be minimized, island changes should be centralized for better planning, and all stakeholders especially the local community should be taken into account. Such is the challenge that is faced by businesses in the Blue Economy. With the right initiative, it could and should be done. The future of the Coral Triangle is counting on it.

Coral Triangle Example in Asia Leadership Program

2013-03-26

WWF Coral Triangle Program Leader Dr. Lida Pet-Soede stressed the importance of strong leadership, initiative and vision in utilising partnership, and scaling up good practices in ensuring the sustainability of natural resources in the Coral Triangle region.

Illustrating the Manado Ocean Declaration as an example of high level commitment and intergovernmental cooperation, Pet-Soede said such a move from heads of states drew attention on the serious issues and threats of coastal and marine environments.

"The Manado Ocean Declaration stressed the need for national and regional actions for proper management of coastal and marine ecosystems," she said addressing almost 50 selected officials from the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) developing member countries (DMCs) during the Sustainable Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries session last 14 February.

"In particular, it highlighted the effects of climate change that buffer coastal communities from extreme weather events and tried to address these concerns by exploring on new approaches that marries sustainability with economic development."

Pet-Soede said that since the forming of the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF), more innovative solutions have come up like engaging private sectors in the solutions market. She provided the example where the commitment by a company like Walmart, one of the world's largest retailers that houses roughly 60,000 suppliers, to sourcing sustainable seafood, has impacted several fisheries in the Coral Triangle to move onto a fisheries improvement path towards sustainable fisheries and Marine Stewardship Council certification.

"At that time, Walmart pledged to source all of their fresh and frozen wild caught seafood from Marine Stewardship Council-certified fisheries," she said. "This is a significant step to influencing its suppliers globally."

She further stated that interesting and positive things are happening in the Coral Triangle region like improving sustainable fisheries and advancing programmes in the tourism sector. However, she noted that strong will and leadership is at the core to sustain the momentum of these exciting changes—a challenge she posed to governments.

"The government has an important role to play in implementing best practices in environmental management, in access to capital, and in playing goodwill to operate profitably to sustain food and livelihoods, as well as the marine diversity in this important region, to secure our shared future for the next generation," she concluded.

The Asia Leadership Programme on Sustainable Development (SD) and Climate Change (CC) was held last 2-17 February in Delhi, India. It aimed at providing a platform for extensive knowledge sharing and dialogue among Development Member Countries' (DMCs) policy makers, ADB and knowledge-based partners; as well as developing capacity in DMCs to integrate SD and CC priorities into policies, strategies, and programs for economic and social development.

Private Sector Commits to 'Blue Economy' for the Coral Triangle

2013-03-26

Bali, Indonesia – A number of business and industry leaders committed to implementing programs that will contribute to building a Blue Economy for the Coral Triangle region during the 3rd Coral Triangle Regional Business Forum.

Companies from the seafood, tourism, shipping, manufacturing, and telecommunications sectors were among the several key business players in the region that were recognized for their environmentally-responsible business practices.

"More and more businesses are beginning to recognize that economic growth at the expense of the environment is a thing of the past," says Dr. Lida Pet-Soede, WWF Coral Triangle Global Initiative Program Leader.
"The examples we've seen in this year's forum, and the past forums for that matter, are proof that profit and sustainability can and should come together—and this is in essence what a Blue Economy is all about," added Pet-Soede.

The Blue Economy concept—a marine-specific interpretation of the more widely-known Green Economy—took center stage during the forum, where distinguished speakers including Shanti Poesposoetjipto, President Commissioner of PT Samudera Indonesia, Aditya Utama Surono, Director of Sustainability of Anova Asia, Florendo Maranan, Executive Director of the Bank of the Philippine Islands Foundation, and Handry Satriago, CEO of General Electric Indonesia gave notable examples of business initiatives that allowed for profit growth, while ensuring the welfare of the natural resources and local communities.

Keynote speaker Prof. Dr. Gunter Pauli, initiator and author of The Blue Economy, first introduced the Blue Economy concept in 2004, which encourages people to manage resources efficiently through innovations and technologies that create zero waste products.

One of the innovative commitments recognized at the forum was the public-private partnership between the Solomon Islands Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources and Solomon Islands Telecom for their Mobile Inshore Fisheries Data Collection Platform. This will be the first-ever consolidated way of gathering inshore fisheries data, which will wirelessly link mobile devices used by inshore fishers and fish vendors to a central server housed and managed in the Ministry.

"Many inspiring initiatives from a number of business sectors already exist in the Coral Triangle. They all need to be scaled up and replicated in other parts of the region," says Dr. Pet-Soede.

"This will entail strong leadership and the right enabling conditions from governments, backed-up by a consumer segment clamoring for responsibly-sourced products and services," adds Dr. Pet-Soede.

"We have a long way to go but through platforms such as the Coral Triangle Regional Business Forum, we can expect only great and bigger things to come."

The 3rd Coral Triangle Regional Business Forum was hosted this year by the Indonesian Government and organized by the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security, the Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, WWF, the Coral Triangle Centre, and Indonesian Chamber of Commerce (KADIN), with the support of USAID.

Visit www.ctirbf2013.com.

For more information contact:

Mr. Hasrul Kokoh: hasrul_kokoh@yahoo.co.id
Ms. Dewi Satriani: dsatriani@wwf.or.id
Mr. Paolo Mangahas: pmangahas@wwf.org.my

Coral Triangle Youth and Journalist Writing Competition help create buzz on Blue Economy

2013-03-22

Bali, Indonesia – As a lead up to the 3rd Coral Triangle Regional Business Forum (24-26 March 2013), the organizers conducted a region-wide writing competition aimed at university students and practicing journalists in the Coral Triangle.

The organizers received more than 20 essays for the youth division and 16 published articles for the journalist division, each one providing innovative ideas and solutions on how to implement a Blue Economy for the Coral Triangle region.

"We are extremely pleased with the high turnout of this writing competition and the eagerness of students and journalists to share their views on what a Blue Economy is and what it means for a globally-significant marine region such as the Coral Triangle," says Dr. Lida Pet-Soede, WWF Coral Triangle Program Leader.

Carrying the theme A Marriage of Profit and Sustainability, the Coral Triangle Regional Business Forum's discussions this year centered on how to build a thriving Blue Economy in the region by applying new economic business models that are both economically profitable and environmentally sustainable.

The winner for the youth division is Ms. Liane Stella Candelario from the University of the Philippines for her essay Care for the Coasts – An essay on Blue Economy for the Coral Triangle Region.

Ms. Khalidah Nizma Fritz from Media Indonesia Newspaper won grand prize for the journalist division for her article Semangat Ekonomi Biru Para Pemikir Muda (The Blue Economy Spirit of Youth Think Tank), while Mr. Aries Munandar, also from Media Indonesia Newspaper, won both the first runner-up and second runner-up awards for his articles Ancaman Eksploitasi Di Hutan Payau (The Threat in Mangroves) and Fokus Nusantara: Ketika Solar Datang Dua Minggu Sekali (Achipelago Focus: When Solar Came Just Once in Two Weeks).

"Written pieces such as these will surely help create much needed debate on Blue Economy and we are happy to have started such discussions on this relatively new but very important concept," added Dr. Pet-Soede.

Prof. Dr. Gunter Pauli, author of Blue Economy: 10 Years 100 Innovations 100 Million Jobs, first introduced the Blue Economy concept in 2004, which encourages people to manage resources efficiently through innovations and technologies that create zero waste products.

Prof. Pauli was also a keynote speaker at the forum.

The writing competitions started in December 2012 and were open up to mid-March 2013. They were promoted through posters, electronic flyers, social media, and direct mailers to media, journalists, journalist associations, and universities around the region.

Panel of judges for the youth division was composed of: Prof. Dr. Gunter Pauli; Rili Djohani, Executive Director of the Coral Triangle Center; Dr. Hendra Yusran Siry, Secretary for Coordination and External Affairs of the Interim-Regional Secretariat the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF); and Paolo Mangahas, Communications Manager of the WWF Coral Triangle Program.

While Dr. Victor Nikijuluw, Executive Secretary of the National Coordinating Committee of the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF), Dr. Lida Pet Soede, Leader of the WWF Coral Triangle Program, and Dewi Satriani, Marine Communications Manager of WWF-Indonesia made up the panel of judges for the journalist division.

Winning entry for the youth division can be found here.

The 3rd Coral Triangle Regional Business Forum was held on 25 March 2013 at the Grand Hyatt, Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia.

For more information:

Mr. Hasrul Kokoh: hasrul_kokoh@yahoo.co.id
Ms. Dewi Satriani: dsatriani@wwf.or.id
Ms. Parama Dewi: parama_dewi@hotmail.com

Indonesia to host 3rd Coral Triangle Regional Business Forum

2013-03-18

Bali, Indonesia – The Government of Indonesia is hosting this year's Coral Triangle Regional Business Forum on March 24-26, 2013 in Bali, Indonesia.

Business leaders and high-level representatives from the seafood, airline, tourism, retail, manufacturing, shipping, and extractive industries from around Asia-Pacific and other parts of the globe will come together to discuss innovative business solutions on how to responsibly utilize the Coral Triangle's rich marine resources for long-term economic growth and environmental sustainability.

"Indonesia is proud to host this forum and welcomes it as an effective regional platform to help safeguard the long-term profitability of businesses, the sustainability of this region's finite marine resources, and the wellbeing of the millions of people who directly depend on the Coral Triangle for food and livelihood," says H.E. Mr. Sharif Cicip Sutarjo, Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Indonesia.

Carrying the theme, A Marriage of Profit and Sustainability, the forum aims to help build a Blue Economy for the Coral Triangle region by driving public-private partnerships that are both economically profitable and environmentally sustainable.

"Indonesia has great interest in implementing a Blue Economy to help accelerate business growth, while safeguarding social and environmental welfare in the process," adds Minister Sutarjo.

Mr. Gunter Pauli, Initiator and Author of Blue Economy will be a Keynote Speaker during the opening plenary.

Since its inception, the forum has seen fishing companies, seafood retailers, and travel and tourism operators in the Coral Triangle publicly announce concrete steps to reduce their impact on the marine environment by adopting more responsible business practices.

The event has likewise opened a number of business opportunities that address increasing market demand for environmentally-sustainable products and services, while focusing on the Coral Triangle's rich but highly threatened marine resources.

The Coral Triangle is the most biologically-diverse marine region on the planet, covering the seas of six countries in Asia-Pacific: Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor Leste.

However, the region is under serious threat from over-exploitation and environmental degradation.

Manila, Philippines hosted the first Regional Business Forum in 2010, followed by Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2011.

The forum is being organized this year by the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security, WWF, the Coral Triangle Centre, and Indonesian Chamber of Commerce (KADIN).

It will be held from 24-26 March at the Grand Hyatt, Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia. To register for the event, visit www.ctirbf2013.com.

For more information:

Mr. Hasrul Kokoh: hasrul_kokoh@yahoo.co.id
Ms. Dewi Satriani: dsatriani@wwf.or.id
Ms. Parama Dewi: parama_dewi@hotmail.com

Visit Coral Triangle Regional Business Forum's Facebook page for regular updates.

EXPERT OPINION: Stuart Campbell, Wildlife Conservation Society's Indonesian Marine Conservation Program

2013-03-07

What got you into marine conservation?

When working in my first job as a Research Assistant at a local University in Melbourne, I realized academia was not a path I wanted to take. I started to volunteer for local NGOs and assisted them in contemporary issues related to setting up some of the first marine protected areas along the Victorian coast in Australia. I then completed a Masters in Environmental Science to learn more about the range of legal, policy and economic issues surrounding conservation management. After that I landed my first job with government in Australia and have worked now in marine conservation in Melbourne, Cambridge (UK), Cairns and Indonesia for the past 23 years.

In 2004 I moved from a government job in marine conservation and protection in Australia, to lead the Wildlife Conservation Society's Indonesian Marine Conservation Program. It has certainly been a positive move, I'm still learning and hopefully I bring some experience to help advance marine conservation in Indonesia, an important neighbor of Australia.

After almost a decade working on (and for) Indonesia's reefs, can you describe - in your experience - the conservation approaches that have been the most successful in improving local management practices in a durable way?

I have always approached conservation from the viewpoint that we must facilitate collaborative management between civil society and governments. Building bridges, strengthening trust, and capacities has been fundamental for our program to achieve improvements of marine ecosystem health and boost marine resources. Allowing real decisions to be made by civil society can be difficult, as sometimes there are compromises with conservation principles.

Enforcement of law is extremely important as well. When enforcement is weak, it is even more crucial that civil society is fully involved in the design and implementation of management rules, as communities are often well placed to assist in surveillance of illegal activities. This can take time as policy and law development at national and provincial levels has to be coupled by investments in communities and businesses at the local level.

For example, after 10 years of working in Karimunjawa National Park (KNP) in Java, we are just starting to observe measurable improvements in reef fish biomass that will ultimately allow people to have access to fish for food and income into the future. This would never have happened without active community and business involvement in the changes to regulations.

Active collaboration between governments and communities, not merely consultation, allows trust and common understanding of the importance of these regulations to grow. In the past national and provincial planning and policy processes were not coupled with local initiatives to build collaborative management. I think times are changing as society realizes that co-management really works, and the success and progress in Karimunjawa shows the benefits of this approach.

How has your programme evolved over the years, and what factors have influenced these changes?

The WCS Indonesia Program has evolved in many ways over the past 8 years. Initially we assisted the Karimunjawa National Park Authority to design a new zoning and management plan for its marine resources. After this we assisted with implementation of adaptive management and monitoring programs, as well as livelihood and education programs. We have leveraged this knowledge and experience to expand the program.

Our expansion has been gradual but strategic as we have identified areas both of national conservation need, and where we believe our approach to co-management has a good chance of success. Now we have additional targeted programs in Aceh, North Sulawesi and Lombok that couple government priorities in marine conservation management with local needs.

Our key goal is to build capacity and strong collaborative management structures with communities, traditional management institutions and local governments. Our program has had to recruit experienced people to deal with changes in our approaches, and we continually seek training opportunities for our existing staff to improve their ability to deliver the range of varied programs. We outsource work where we can, to be more efficient in capturing expertise we do not have.

Our team also gained invaluable experience by working at the coalface in a consistent way over many years, with governments and communities. The program has always had a consistent monitoring program based on simple methods but rigorous science. Consequently we have a very extensive knowledge of the ecological and social improvements resulting from the management interventions we have employed.

Involvement in the Coral Triangle Initiative has also has a positive influence by allowing us to have a more integrated and collaborative approach with other international and local organizations.

WCS's conservation work relies on both Indonesian and foreign experts. Can you talk about the process of building capacity within your team, including research writing skills for publishing?

Over the past 8 years, we have slowly doubled the core WCS marine team which now consists of around 20 Indonesian nationals and myself. We are proud that some staff have gained experience in WCS and now work in important roles in other organizations. Because we commonly outsource work, at any one time 40 or more Indonesian nationals could be working with and for WCS.

We have been able to build the capacity of the team members slowly and consistently over time, by encouraging staff to complete international and national postgraduate degrees. Seven staff have or are currently completing such programs related to WCS site-based and species conservation work. Most of staff have had opportunities to manage programs related to policy development, marine park zoning, management planning and outreach at our sites. This has enabled a great amount of learning on the job.

At times we recruit new expertise and our staff had been involved in many training opportunities with international organizations and presented work at numerous national and international conferences. Our staff have published papers in proceedings of these conferences with help from co-authors. This experience has been invaluable to improving English and Indonesian writing skills. Improvement in writing capacity also occurs with assistance, training and publication of required technical reports for every workshop, survey or project we conduct. We have published in house over 100 technical reports/communications in both English and Indonesian, and the team works closely with me and other scientists to publish our work in both these reports and peer-reviewed literature.

WCS is one of the leading international NGOs working on marine conservation issues in Indonesia. How would you describe the process of effectively and efficiently integrating your programme into a landscape where there are so many other initiatives?

Early on we identified where our niches lay and we have worked towards developing strong co-management approaches to improve marine conservation in Indonesia. With 10 years experience in coupling national/provincial planning approaches with building stakeholder and community capacity, we believe our program has a unique approach.

Indonesia is a large and varied country, especially due to the extent and isolation of groups of islands. We place much emphasis on working with traditional/local management systems to build strong community governance, and leveraging success from one place to another.

The WCS terrestrial program has also enabled us to build connectivity in conservation management and improved governance across seascapes and landscapes. We have applied co-management approaches in sustainable financing, enforcement, tourism enterprises, mariculture projects, traditional management, and most importantly the successful adoption of regulations that have improved marine ecosystem health.

Our simple but rigorous scientific monitoring methodologies have been applied consistently within all our seascapes to test achievement of explicit conservation targets and social outcomes. Hence we are able to demonstrate success or failure in a transparent manner, and learn from our achievements and mistakes. I think 'truth based on scientific principles' is important and eventually it becomes a commodity with which we can be judged.

A considerable amount of scientific material is published on the Coral Triangle, from authors within and outside the region. As a field scientist and head of programme, how would you characterize these publications in terms of their relevance and applicability in your field?

I think they are all good, if not excellent. I am all for the conservation community sharing their work in this manner. I'm impressed with the amount of work that has come out in the past 2 or 3 years by those inside and outside the CT, on CT issues.

One of the hardest tasks is to present conservation management work within a regional or global context that is interesting and has relevance to others. The recent buildup of publications will be the 'time capsule' that future generations will have most access to in terms of learning what really went on. They present in the most testable way what we know of the achievements and failures of our approaches. They also test ideas and present alternative ideas to current theories in conservation management.

Although some papers may appear to state the obvious, in reality nothing is that obvious when dealing with complex sets of ecological and sociological interactions. Some of the papers provide fascinating narratives which challenge our way of thinking. One publication I read referred to how communities employed the used of dynamite fishing essentially for sport. They did not use dynamite extensively but they enjoyed using it and even suggested setting up 'dynamite use' zones.

This is definitely not something I would condone, but provoking our assumptions and ideals can foster new and emergent ideas. Publishing and reading helps you think deeply and critically about what you do. For instance I continually read and learn from papers from the USAID funded Coral Reef Management Program in Sulawesi from 1998 to 2004. These papers are a great source for me and my team as we build on that body of work with the communities in Sulawesi.

Malaysian National Workshop on Ecosystems Based Approach to Fisheries Management

2013-03-07

Some 60 fisheries officials, academicians and stakeholders were in Putrajaya from February 19 and 20th for the National Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM) Workshop organised by Department of Fisheries Malaysia in collaboration with WWF-Malaysia.

The workshop aimed to provide a platform for the Steering Committee and Technical Working Groups to decide the direction towards sustainable fisheries in Malaysia. Specific objectives that were met from this workshop include:

The introduction and adoption of relevant EAFM principles as the guiding principles for EAFM in Malaysia
Drafting of the vision and mission for the EAFM Steering Committee that will encapsulate the vision for EAFM Malaysia.
Drafting a roadmap for the purpose of developing a National EAFM Framework.

The last day of the workshop marked the development of an EAFM Vision which was unanimously agreed by the participants. The vision entails: "By 2030, fisheries and ecosystems will be sustainably managed for the present and future generations." It is hoped that this workshop will provide further impetus for the formulation of the EAFM Framework for Malaysia.

Swimming with Tuna in the Coral Triangle?

2013-03-07

In efforts to find innovative solutions to the region's escalating tuna fishing problems, WWF has produced a video, which showcases the novel idea of using Fish Aggregating Devices or FADs—floating objects at sea used by fishers to attract large schools of fish, including tuna—for ecotourism.

Turning FADs to TADs—Tourist Aggregating Devices—is one of the several solutions that came out of a Tuna Think Tank Workshop conducted by WWF in 2010, where experts from varied fields of study came together to generate new approaches to reform tuna fisheries management in the Coral Triangle region.

Watch the video here: https://vimeo.com/50659133.

"This is just one of many interesting ideas that came out of the workshop, which fisheries managers can perhaps start thinking about or learn from to help ease pressure on heavily-fished tuna resources. Such ideas may work in certain areas under the right conditions," says Dr. Jose Ingles, WWF Coral Triangle Program Strategy Leader.

FADs are mostly man-made structures placed at sea as anchored or floating devices designed to attract schools of fish, allowing fishers to find their catch in more predicable ways, without the expensive overhead costs associated with searching vast areas for fish.

However, the wide use of FADs throughout the Coral Triangle in small and large-scale commercial fisheries has placed tremendous stress on the region's already dwindling tuna resources.

"The use of FADs has increasingly become a serious issue in the Coral Triangle because it also attracts juvenile yellowfin and bigeye tunas, mainly through their association with schools of skipjack," says Dr. Jose Ingles.

The Coral Triangle, which encompasses the seas of six countries in the Asia-Pacific region, is a known tuna nursery area and migratory path.

Bigeye and yellowfin tuna, two of the key species found in the Coral Triangle region, are now fully exploited.

"Turning FADs to TADs could be a way to reduce the fishing mortality of juvenile tunas by diverting fishing intensity around FADs to local tourism, while maintaining income for communities without compromising fish stocks," says Dr. Ingles.

"Diving around these FADs may also help educate people on how the ocean ecosystem functions and can help raise awareness on issues surrounding tunas and FADs," adds Dr. Ingles

While there are no exact figures on the number of FADs being used in the region, their use in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines are estimated to be in the tens of thousands.

"While we recognize that it will certainly take a lot more than this to address the juvenile tuna catching issue around FADs, it's always important for fisheries managers and local communities to explore out-of-the-box ideas to help alleviate such problems," says Dr. Ingles.

Watch the From FADs to TADs video here: https://vimeo.com/50659133

For more information on WWF's work around tuna, visit: www.panda.org/coraltriangle/tuna

ENDS
-----------------
Editors note:

The Coral Triangle—the nursery of the seas—is the world's center of marine life, encompassing around 6 million sq km of ocean across six countries in Asia-Pacific – Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste.
It is home to 76% of the world's known coral species, 37% of the world's coral reef fish species, and commercially-valuable species such as tuna, whales, dolphins, rays, sharks, including 6 of the world's 7 known species of marine turtles.
Tuna caught in the Coral Triangle makes for about 30 per cent of the total global tuna catch, contributing as much as 35 per cent to the total tuna catch coming from the Western Central Pacific Ocean, which accounts for more than half the world's tuna production.
The Coral Triangle directly sustains the lives of more than 120 million people and contains key spawning and nursery grounds for tuna. Its reef and coastal systems also underpin a growing tourism sector.
WWF is working with governments, local communities, businesses, and consumers to promote sustainable development in this region. For information on Coral Triangle go to: www.panda.org/coraltriangle

For further information:

Paolo P. Mangahas, Communications Manager, WWF Coral Triangle Programme, Tel: +603 7803 3772, Email: pmangahas@wwf.org.my

"Sustainable Overfishing" in Mindoro

2013-02-20

Tuna fishing using handline is often branded as sustainable. But is it really?

In Mindoro, this certainly is not the case.

Let me explain.

I have had the liberty of being at sea on board tuna handline boats, big and small, on many occasions. Fishing is done primarily at night, mainly drifting but to a lesser extent, also during daytime anchored around Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs).

Normally, each fisher brings 6 reels of fishing lines, 3 to 4 of which he uses, and the rest he sets aside as backup. Between 8 to 10 pm, each fisher deploys 1 to 2 hooks and hauls them every 5 to 15 minutes.

As soon as sufficient baits (20 to 30 per fisher) have been collected, the full fishing operation commences, starting around midnight. Each fisher deploys between 3 to 5 hooks at a time, with soak time ranging from 5 to 15 minutes.

To count the number of hooks deployed each night per fisher, I simply counted the number of drop stones they used. Dropstones are rocks (~1-2 kg) where baited hooks are tied to bring the hooks to the desired fishing depth.

On average, each fisher deploys between 30 to 40 hooks in one night on a catchless operation. If any fish (tuna or marlin) takes the bait, this number of hooks deployed is reduced to 22 to 30 hooks, as fishing operation is halted to facilitate hauling of the catch.

During daytime, fishers will deploy lines another 10 to 15 times, bringing it to an average of 47 hooks per fisher for every 24-hour fishing operation.

Now translate this to the whole fishery off Mindoro with an average of 1,700 fishers (about 60% of the total) going out to fish every day, and you have a total of 79,900 hooks deployed per night!

Or, computed with 240 annual fishing days, the number of hooks deployed by the fishery is 19.2 million hooks per year!

This is equivalent to 6,392 longline boats deploying 3,000 hooks each night!Going back to my earlier question; when can the use of handline be justified as "sustainable"?

The answer is - only when its numbers are regulated to conform to a fishing level that leaves enough tuna to replenish stocks.

Currently, handline fishing in Mindoro is not. It is in the oxymoron state of "sustainable overfishing."

Posted by Jose Ingles (Jingles)

EXPERT OPINION: Tinho Pereira Goncalves

2013-02-08

What pushed you to get involved in the aquaculture sector?

The most important reason for me to be involved in aquaculture is because this sector gives me knowledge about how we can develop fish farming that is environment-friendly, sustainable, and can produce healthy fish that has economic value.

What are the highlights of your experience working in Berau?

The most interesting experience I got during my assignment in Berau was that I obtained knowledge about grouper fish farming using Floating Net Cage and Fixed Net Cage systems, which are environment-friendly and do not cause any pollution during the farming process.

What skills/lessons have you gained which you think can be applied in Timor Leste?

During my internship I learned about grouper fish farming with Floating Net Cage and Fixed Net Cage systems, and coastal area monitoring both inside and outside the farming area in order to maintain the environment.

What is your assessment of the aquaculture sector in Timor Leste?

What I want to implement in Timor Leste is fish farming using environment-friendly Floating-net Cage and Fixed-net Cage systems that generates high economic value. The aquaculture sector in Timor Leste is currently developed by government institutions as well as international NGOs related to fish farming, and the area is very suitable for fish with high economic value.

What needs to be done so that it can grow sustainably? Can it?

To develop fish farming, it is important to pay attention to the farming area. It must be suitable for fish farming and may not be polluted by domestic waste, or other activities that destroy corals or other marine ecosystems.

What are your plans for the near future?

My plan in the near future is to develop environment-friendly aquaculture and in the long term, I will try to develop aquaculture by using Floating Net Cages and Fixed Net Cages based on my experience in Berau.

VIEWPOINT: Are we gathering the right data (or how to stop searching for more when the answers are right in front of us)

2013-02-08

Summary

We will never have perfect knowledge to manage marine resources → calls for relying on precautionary approach
Dealing with lack of data requires basing decisions on the best available science, and taking into account gaps in our understanding to make decisions.
Lack of good data has been used as an excuse for non-intervention, even when there is an obvious problem, or to support detrimental solutions.
So we need to consider another approach -- focusing on monitoring people's activities instead, which are more practical to be acted upon by decision-makers. Some ideas are presented on how to do this.

We will never have perfect knowledge to optimally manage the marine resources that we are exploiting for our needs. This is not unique to the marine environment, but challenges are high due to the complexity of marine ecosystems and the difficulties of working in this type of environment. It also does not help that it's hard to look deep beneath the water surface. Moreover, as my conservation science colleagues tell me, there appear to be fewer resources devoted to marine research, compared with other ecosystems.

Given this, the precautionary approach should be central to our work. In fact, this approach has been incorporated into most UN biodiversity-related processes, including Rio, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and the Code of Conduct on Responsible Fisheries, to name some very significant to the marine realm.
While the way this principle is reflected varies in these and other forums, the approach generally encompasses two key elements:

the need to base any decisions on the best available science; and
the need to take into account the gaps in our understanding as we make decisions.

When absence of good data leads to the wrong decisions—or none

Over the past decade, unfortunately, I have experienced cases where lack of good data or the disagreement on the best method to use, were used as excuses not to act upon clear signs of locally declining fish stocks and deteriorating marine ecosystem health. I also experienced cases where the same argument—lack of proper data—was used to in fact support decisions that generated short-term benefits for a selected group of people or investors.

So it appears to me that both key elements can be interpreted to support either action or inaction regardless of their outcomes for the sustainability of the resource, and yet allow decision makers to make excuses that they applied the precautionary approach. This is not very useful to many of us working to sustain the health of the marine environment, support food security and livelihoods, or biodiversity.

If marine science and data gathering are to provide arguments for decision-makers on the objectives of sustainable use, then these should target fields where such data directly guide management decisions, and within the area that the respective decision maker can affect.

Shifting our focus on monitoring people's activities

Having a good idea about the state of the ecosystem and drivers that change that state is essential for predicting the probable effects of interventions that the decision maker can deploy. But from my experience, information on an ecosystem's condition is not sufficiently linked directly to patterns in human action that impact that ecosystem's condition.

As most people today agree that management of natural resources is mostly management of people's activities, I challenge the focus of data collection of ecosystem conditions and instead propose that we shift focus to monitoring people's activities.

It is certainly helpful for decision-makers to see for themselves what is happening below the surface of the water. However, they don't need to have a solid understanding of coral reef ecology to understand how destructive practices such as bomb fishing wreak havoc. In fact, those human practices are already prohibited by law, so one should not have to come up repeatedly with explanations and illustrations of what it does to a coral reef.

There are more such "no-brainers" that many of us know about. And many of these boil down to very basic "truths", several of which we apply in our everyday life at home. When you have used the last bit of sugar, you have to make an effort to go buy some more in the store. Or for urgent sugar cravings, go across to your neighbor with a cup, hoping your last noisy party did not upset him too much and your relation is solid enough for borrowing sugar. When you shuffle around your new tomato plants without much attention, you will cut their roots and have no tomatoes at harvest time. If you are saving for a pension after you retire, you will probably keep track of your monthly bank statements and keep an eye on your average spending, and even write some of it down. So why can't we seem to act upon some of these similar "truths" when we exploit the oceans resources?

How to approach 'people monitoring'

If I would monitor and collect data on anything, I would monitor human behaviors that pose an immediate danger to the health of the ecosystem and using disturbing observations to underpin discussion of those simple "truths". Focusing limited resources to monitor changes in direct threats to the ecosystem makes good sense in the short term, especially when decision makers have limited control of the governance over the full structure and functioning of the ecosystem. But I should also be careful not to propose expensive methods.

New technology for data collection and analysis is available through remote sensing, on-vessel automated data loggers, and even mobile phones used by fishers to upload observations straight into a database for analysis. These exciting developments show great promise in reducing time to help governments and communities to act and make decisions. There is also important progress on the "packaging" of information suitable to the needs of different decision-maker such as:

Translating material (e.g. from national language to local or indigenous language and vise versa);
Making materials easy to understand, by removing unnecessary scientific jargon; and
Organizing and focusing information to match questions in front of the decision-maker.

Staying realistic

There will remain gaps, uncertainties, and errors in our information and understanding, so the precautionary approach continues to be critical. As monitoring would shift to identify and track unsustainable activities, to stay "on the safe side", we should be stronger in promoting interventions that make it easier to manage human activities.

There are two important roles that fully protected reserves can play in this context:

They can provide a baseline, against which effects of management around the reserve can be measured; and
They provide a buffer against mistakes or non-compliance with management aroudn the reserves.

There is still a need to know who is using the ecosystem outside of the reserves. Registration and licensing cannot be exempted for any resource user, regardless how small scale they are or how limited their utilization of the resources.

Gathering sound ecosystem data is an expensive and time-intensive process that requires solid skills if we are to have accurate data. Can we afford to keep on minutely documenting environmental degradation while the human actions that are causing this trend are staring us in the face, and too often are going unaddressed?

REACTION: Philippines' Deadliest Catch

2013-02-08

by Dr Jose Ingles, WWF Coral Triangle Strategy Leader

Typhoon BOPHA hit Mindanao in the southern Philippines last December 4, leaving in its wake over 1,000 people dead and 800 others still missing (NDRRMC report, December 22). It is considered the second deadliest typhoon on record since 1947. Of the missing, about 218 were crewmembers of two group seining fleets catching tuna. These consisted of two catcher boats and about 18 support vessels such as carriers, scout boats, and light boats. The vessels were operating east of the country's EEZ, some 200 km offshore.

Why were these vessels on the path of a Category 5 super typhoon? Most, if not all of the country's domestic purse seine fishing fleet are very old and decrepit and will not pass the international maritime safety standard set by International Maritime Organization (IMO). Outdated policies from the 1960s and 70s are mainly to blame—one that incentivizes importation and use of ships for fishing that should have otherwise been destined for recycling. There is also a law that provides a waiver for use of these decrepit vessels to operate as long as it is used in fishing and within Philippine waters.

Another policy provides exemption of the fishing crew members from the requirements of the maritime agency to have a certificate of formal training on navigation and seamanship. These are gross violations of the IMO rules of which the Philippines is a signatory. These twin policies creates a fishing flotilla of floating coffins where vessels are manned by untrained crew members that in case of accident, both the vessels and its crew members cannot claim any insurance or damages. The bureaucratic hurdles in the processing and the horrendous cost of the registration of new vessels by the maritime agency are also to blame—another disincentive to modernize the country's fishing fleets.

The size and condition of these fishing vessels were not equipped to operate in the EEZ. The unproductive near-shore fishing grounds have pushed them to fish outside the limits of their safety operations. Early warning systems for storms are announced with the formation of an active low-pressure area (LPA). These are precursors of storms. But since these vessels have been out for weeks with only a radio link as their form of communication, there was no way for them to determine the exact location, direction, and speed of the oncoming weather disturbance.

Packing sustained winds of 140 knots (259 km/hr) and traveling at a speed 27 km per hour, typhoon Bopha's speed was probably more than twice the cruising speed of the fishing vessels. The vessels couldn't have outran the storm, and its decrepit condition couldn't have withstood the gale force winds and waves.

It's about time that two agencies, the Maritime Agency (MARINA) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) pull their acts together: review and repeal policies and to replace it with those that modernize fishing fleets. These two agencies that are concerned with the fate of fishers need to agree to a common set of rules that ensure the safety of lives and property.

It's the only way we can eliminate most fishing vessels' moniker: widow makers.

WWF follows tuna in the Coral Triangle

2013-02-06

Mindoro Occidental, Philippines – WWF, in collaboration with the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), has embarked on a tuna tagging project in Coral Triangle waters to gather more data on the movements of yellowfin tuna and to identify key spawning, feeding, and nursery grounds of this commercially-valuable species.

This tagging activity is being conducted in different areas in the country, starting in one of WWF's Fishery Improvement Project sites 100 kilometers off the western seaboard of Mindoro Occidental—an area identified by fishers as a site where yellowfin tunas can be found.

"Very little is known about the natural habits of this valuable open water species in the Philippines, which proves the need to invest more on research," says Dr. Jose Ingles, Tuna Strategy Leader of the WWF Coral Triangle Programme.

"Through this tagging activity, we hope to get a better understanding of the behavior of tunas—where and how long they stay in a particular water column, where they feed, and where they stay during their reproductive phase," added Dr. Ingles.

Data collected will provide critical information that can help protect the species in specific sites during its most vulnerable life stages.

"Knowing where these critical tuna habitats are will help inform management plans for a more sustainable tuna industry in this part of the world and help make a stronger case for implementing and enforcing more Marine Protected Areas that provide countless benefits to millions of people."

The Coral Triangle, which encompasses the seas of six countries in the Asia-Pacific region, is a known tuna nursery area and migratory path.

Tuna caught in the Coral Triangle makes for about 30 per cent of the total global tuna catch, contributing as much as 35 per cent to the total tuna catch coming from the Western Central Pacific Ocean, which accounts for more than half the world's tuna production.

Tuna is a multi-million dollar industry in this part of the world, feeding millions of people, providing jobs and livelihood, and sustaining economies in this region.

However, this industry is scrambling to supply growing international demand for tuna, putting more pressure on already heavily fished tuna stocks in the Western and Central and Indian oceans of the Coral Triangle region.

Some tuna species such as the much sought-after bigeye and yellowfin tunas are now fully exploited, and signs of overfishing are occurring in the country.

A total of 16 pop-up satellite tags will be deployed on large adult yellowfin tunas (weighing more than 70 kg) throughout the duration of this activity.

Pop-up satellite tags, which are attached at the back of the tunas, collect vital data such as temperature, depth, and light intensity, and are programmed to automatically detach from the fish after three to six months when it floats to the surface and sends out information via satellite transmission and into a server.

Follow the tuna tagging adventures of Dr. Ingles through this blog: wwf.panda.org/tunataggingblog/

This tuna tagging activity is supported by the Postcode Lottery Project Oceans, Turing Foundation, the Crown Family Foundation, and by Edeka Group from Germany.

ENDS
-----------------
Editors note:

The Coral Triangle—the nursery of the seas—is the world's center of marine life, encompassing around 6 million sq km of ocean across six countries in Asia-Pacific – Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste.
It is home to 76% of the world's known coral species, 37% of the world's coral reef fish species, and commercially-valuable species such as tuna, whales, dolphins, rays, sharks, including 6 of the world's 7 known species of marine turtles.
The Coral Triangle directly sustains the lives of more than 120 million people and contains key spawning and nursery grounds for tuna. Its reef and coastal systems also underpin a growing tourism sector.
WWF is working with governments, local communities, businesses, and consumers to promote sustainable development in this region. For information on Coral Triangle go to: www.panda.org/coraltriangle

For further information:

Paolo P. Mangahas, Communications Manager, WWF Coral Triangle Programme, Tel: +603 7803 3772, Email: pmangahas@wwf.org.my

Intergovernmental cooperation crucial for sustainable seafood in the Coral Triangle

2013-02-04

Bangkok, Thailand – WWF commends the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) for taking a lead role in convening a crucial intergovernmental meeting between the six governments of the Coral Triangle, to discuss regional cooperation for managing the live reef food fish trade—one of the most lucrative and yet environmentally-problematic industries in the region.

"We applaud this positive move of governments to institutionally come together to tackle common issues critical to the live fish trade in the Coral Triangle region, but we are especially buoyed by the decision of the meeting delegates to pursue the establishment of a regional intergovernmental forum to improve the management of the live reef fish trade," said Dr. Geoffrey Muldoon, WWF Coral Triangle Global Initiative Strategy Leader.

The trade in live reef food fish in the Coral Triangle represents one of the biggest threats to coastal and marine environments, characterized by overfishing and illegal fishing practices and unsustainable mariculture that largely remain unaddressed on a regional scale.

"Having worked closely with Coral Triangle countries, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and other industry stakeholders over the last 3 years to promote the need for a regional forum, WWF is delighted to see the governments of the Coral Triangle embrace this initiative idea and agree to move forward," added Dr. Muldoon.

"The establishment of this intergovernmental forum comes at a time when we see even more alarming issues coming out in the trade," said Dr. Chumnarn Pongsri, Secretary General of SEAFDEC.

"Coral Triangle governments should use this forum to demonstrate their collective commitment to improve the management of the trade, and to stabilize the welfare of their shared ecosystems and resources for the benefit of the millions of people who depend on these for food and livelihood," added Dr. Chumnarn.

The Coral Triangle, encompassing the seas of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor Leste, is one of the richest marine ecosystems on the planet, containing 37 per cent of the world's coral reef fish species.

Reef fish are a highly valuable resource whose unsustainable trade is driven by a persistently rising demand for seafood, mainly in Hong Kong, mainland China. High value species such as Humphead wrasse is sold for as much as HK$250 per kilo in Hong Kong and more than US$500 per kilo in Beijing and Shanghai. The trade has been estimated to be worth around USD 800 million.

"It's also crucial that through this regional forum, Coral Triangle governments reach out to their counterparts in market countries such as China and Hong Kong to gain their support in helping close the loop on illegal trade and tackle the issues in a whole-of-supply chain approach," added Dr. Muldoon.

APEC leaders last year reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing cooperation to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and associated trade, improving capture fisheries management and sustainable aquaculture practices, and facilitating sustainable, open and fair trade in products of fisheries and aquaculture.

"This intergovernmental forum on live reef fish food trade presents itself as an effective platform to bring government commitments in this region to life" concluded Dr. Muldoon.

ENDS
-----------------
Editors note:

The Coral Triangle—the nursery of the seas—is the world's center of marine life, encompassing around 6 million sq km of ocean across six countries in Asia-Pacific – Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste.
It is home to 76% of the world's known coral species, 37% of the world's coral reef fish species, and commercially-valuable species such as tuna, whales, dolphins, rays, sharks, including 6 of the world's 7 known species of marine turtles.
The Coral Triangle directly sustains the lives of more than 120 million people and contains key spawning and nursery grounds for tuna. Its reef and coastal systems also underpin a growing tourism sector.
WWF is working with governments, local communities, businesses, and consumers to promote sustainable development in this region. For information on Coral Triangle go to: www.panda.org/coraltriangle

For further information:

Paolo Mangahas, Communications Manager, WWF Coral Triangle Global Initiative, Email: pmangahas@wwf.org.my

Geoffrey Muldoon, Strategy Leader, WWF Coral Triangle Global Initiative, Email: Geoffrey.muldoon@wwf.panda.org

EXPERT OPINION: Douglas Seifert, World Editor, Water Column, Dive Magazine

2013-01-11

What brought you to underwater photography and to writing about the oceans?

I have been in the ocean the majority of my life, since learning to swim in the ocean, at the age of two. As a child growing up in the state of Florida, I swam and snorkeled afternoons and weekends away. Eventually I learned to scuba dive and at one point was given a camera as a Christmas gift from my parents. Some magazine publishers at a magazine called Ocean Realm saw images of sperm whales I had made and asked me to write the story to go with it. The result was a 9000 word article about sperm whales and a request for more stories and images.

A year later, the publisher of DIVE Magazine in the UK asked me to write and photograph for the magazine and I have been affiliated with them the past 17 years. I currently am listed on the Masthead as "World Editor" and I produce a regular 10 - 14 page feature entitled "Water Column." The magazine is available free online through the Apple App Store.

What are the most notable changes you have observed in the sites you have dived over the past 20 years?

There are a lot less fish. There are few or none of the apex predators, such as sharks, groupers and snappers. In many places throughout Indonesia, the devastation caused by dynamite fishing has obliterated coral gardens and turned them into silt-covered rubble fields devoid of life. The same desolation can be seen throughout the Caribbean though there the culprits are overfishing and runoff from agriculture and mismanaged development rather than blast fishing.

It is heart-breaking. It is completely unnecessary. An example of people squandering their resources instead of managing them. Appalling.

Underwater photography keeps pushing the limits in terms of what is possible to capture - what do you think is the next frontier?

We are limited only by what we do or do not encounter. As animals become extirpated it becomes harder and harder to find them and photograph them. But so long as there is life in the sea, there will be photographers and filmmakers attracted to the most fascinating biosphere in existence.

The challenge isn't so much to capture imagery or sequences of rare animals and phenomenon, the challenge is to present it in an appealing manner for an attention-challenged public. People tend to jump around without concentrating or bothering to get the whole story. People seem to know very little about a great many things now, but very little in depth understanding of anything. It is a challenge to the artist, the image maker, the writer.

Although the educated public is bombarded with appeals to save reefs, sharks, turtles etc. the underwater world remains mostly out of sight and sadly out of mind for most people. How can publications such as DIVE Magazine instill a greater large-scale respect and stewardship of the seas?

All we can do is try. The more beautiful imagery from the natural world that can be brought into the lives of people increasingly divorced from nature the better. It is important for people to be informed there is a life beyond the internet, social media, celebrity worship and modern technology. There is the world of nature and it has endured before man and will continue on after man. It is older and more complex and more beautiful than any trifle of the human imagination and to take it for granted can be done only at one's peril.

If we lose our fascination with nature, if we lose our love of all living things, then we lose our humanity. I look at the role of a photojournalist as similar to the Town Crier seanding a strong warning.

What are the top unmissable diving sites in the Coral Triangle in your opinion and what makes them unique?

The Coral Triangle, particularly the area comprising Raja Ampat, contains the best of what coral reefs have to offer in the world, period. The Coral Triangle also contains different environments, such as mangroves, soft bottom environments, seamounts that provide a congregating locale for unique animal species, particularly invertebrates.

According to scientists, the reasons for the Coral Triangle's tremendous number of species has to do with many factors, including geographical isolation over long periods of time, the right conditions for corals and invertebrates to thrive in terms of water temperature, amount of sunlight and weather patterns, as well as the important role of strong and sweeping currents bringing nutrients and transporting larvae across a broad expanse of ocean.

So-called muck areas, such as Dinah's Beach in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea; Ambon Harbour and Lembeh Strait in Indonesia; the blue water mangroves of Misool, Raja Ampat; Tatawa Besar and other sites in Komodo National Park; the reefs of Daram and Bitbitem Islands in the Misool Eco Resort Marine Protected Area are spectacularly beautiful and filled with a wondrous variety of species from pygmy seahorses to two species of manta rays; the seafan covered walls of dive sites in the Solomons Islands; the mola mola cleaning station of Crystal Bay, bali, Indonesia; the Liberty shipwreck in Tulumben, Bali, Indonesia; the list really is endless and expanding.

Again, its the richness in species and diversity of life forms that make the Coral Triangle so unique and so appealing. My wife and I spend six weeks to several months a year exploring the Coral Triangle for these reasons.