SCS E-NEWSLETTER - JULY 2007

UNEP/GEF PROJECT ENTITLED REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND
 

1    INTRODUCTION

This is the online version of the July 2007 edition of the UNEP/GEF South China Sea Project e-mail newsletter. Please feel free to forward this newsletter to your colleagues and other interested parties. This newsletter can also be accessed via the South China Sea RSS feeds.

On Thursday 26th July 2007, the search engine “Google.com” ranked UNEPSCS.org in the top 10 of 49,700,000 results from a search on the “South China Sea”. So far during the month of July, our server has registered 97,546 hits on the site. Please help UNEPSCS.org maintain this high Google ranking by placing a link to http://www.unepscs.org on your website or blog.

2    WEBSITE INFORMATION FROM THE PCU

2.1   South China Sea Project Document Repository

The South China Sea Document Repository has been expanded to contain PDF versions of all project documents produced to date – a total of 1311 documents. The repository features RSS feeds that you can use to have documents of your choice delivered to your desktop or website as soon as they are published online. Please click here to access the new and improved repository.

Please follow the links below to access recent meeting reports and publications:

2.2    South China Sea Multi-Media Library

The Multi-Media Library has grown to contain 23 videos and TV news clips (3.5 hrs of footage in total) on project activities and demonstration sites. These videos can be streamed directly from UNEPSCS.org –  please click here to access the library.

2.3   Catalogue of Community Education and Public Awareness Materials

A vast range of community education and public awareness materials have been developed and compiled through the South China Sea Project. The PCU has recently developed an online catalogue of these materials which can be accessed by clicking here.

2.4   Photo Gallery

The South China Sea Project Photo Album has recently been updated with 1053 new photographs from regional meetings and activities at the projects suite of demonstration sites. Please click here to access the photo album.

2.5        Use of the Electronic Forums

Please click here to access the South China Sea Project E-Forum. Currently active forums include:

2.5        South China Sea Project on Google Earth

A Google Earth map of the South China Sea’s habitat demonstration sites has recently been added to the demonstration site index page of UNEPSCS.org. Please click here to access this tool. A similar map is used to display known fisheries refugia in the South China Sea on the Fisheries Refugia Information Portal. The PCU is also in the process of adding the South China Sea Project’s habitat demonstration sites to the “geographic web” layer of Google Earth – please keep your eyes open for the “SCS” logo when browsing Google Earth in the future.

3          RECENT MEETINGS

3.1        Ninth Meeting of the Regional Working Group on Fisheries

The Ninth Meeting of the Regional Working Group on Fisheries was convened on Phu Quoc Island in Viet Nam from 10th-13th July 2007. The main items of business considered by the group included: the outputs and outcomes of the “Regional Training Workshop on Larval Fish Identification and Fish Early Life History Science”; the syllabus and programme for a Regional Training Course on the Establishment and Management of Fisheries Refugia; and the finalisation of fisheries component inputs to the revised regional Strategic Action Programme.

The group strongly supported the idea of developing a fisheries refugia project proposal for the period 2009-2013, and felt that sufficient lead-time was available to enable them to include co-financing in their planned departmental recurrent budgets for 2009 onwards. The final report of the meeting will be available on UNEPSCS.org in coming weeks. Please visit the Fisheries Refugia Information Portal for information regarding the work of the Regional Working Group on Fisheries to establish a regional system of fisheries refugia in the South China Sea.

3.2        Sixth Meeting of the Regional Task Force on Legal Matters

The Sixth Meeting of the Regional Task Force on Legal Matters was convened in Sihanoukville, Cambodia from 25th-27th June 2007. Key items of discussion considered by the group included: the outcome of national consultations on alternative instruments and mechanisms for marine environmental cooperation in the South China Sea; consideration of the contents of the Strategic Action Programme regarding alternative regional instruments and environmental cooperation; and promotion of information exchange and networking among environmental legal experts in the South China Sea region. Please click here to access the report of the meeting. Please click here for further information regarding the work of the Regional Task Force on Legal Matters.

3.3        Eighth Meeting of the Regional Working Group on Coral Reefs

The 8th Meeting of the Regional Working Group on Coral Reefs was convened on Phu Quoc Island in Viet Nam from 4th-7th June 2007. The main items of business considered by the group included: the status of finalisation, adoption, and implementation of National Action Plans; the proposed South China Sea Regional Training Course on Management Models and Strategies for Coral Reef and Seagrass Ecosystems and associated National Echo-Seminars; the national and regional economic values of the goods and services of coral reefs in the South China Sea; and the coral reef component of the regional Strategic Action Programme. Click here to access the report of the meeting. Please click here for further information regarding the work of the Regional Working Group on Coral Reefs and the coral reef habitat demonstration sites.

3.4        Second Joint Meeting between the Management Teams of the Kampot and Phu Quoc Habitat Demonstration Sites

The Second Joint Meeting between the Management Teams of the Kampot and Phu Quoc Habitat Demonstration Sites was convened in Kampot, Cambodia from 26th-28th May 2007. The meeting was aimed at reviewing the implementation of actions agreed during the first joint meeting of the sites in 2006, and to enhance interactions between the Provinces of Kien Giang (Viet Nam) and Kampot (Cambodia) in the management of transboundary water areas. Main items of business included: a review of the status of activities and achievements of the two demonstration sites; development of a policy and framework for co-operation in managing the environment and resources of transboundary water areas of Cambodia and Viet Nam; and development of a joint GIS database. The report of the meeting can be accessed by clicking here.

3.5        Eighth Meeting of the Regional Working Group on Seagrass

The 8th Meeting of the Regional Working Group on Seagrass was convened in Sihanoukville, Cambodia from 21st-24th May 2007. The final report of the meeting can be accessed by clicking here. Please click here for further information regarding the work of the Regional Working Group on Seagrass and the seagrass habitat demonstration sites.

3.6        Eighth Meeting of the Regional Working Group on Wetlands

The 8th Meeting of the Regional Working Group on Wetlands was convened in Shantou, China from 8th-11th May 2007. This meeting was featured on TV news in China and a video clip of this news item can be accessed by clicking here. Participants visited the Shantou Wetland Demonstration Site on the final day of the meeting and a series of recent videos from the Shantou Wetland Demonstration Site are now available online in the multi-media library. The final report of this meeting can be accessed by clicking here. Please click here for further information regarding the work of the Regional Working Group on Wetlands.

3.7        Eighth Meeting of the Regional Working Group on Mangroves

The 8th Meeting of the Regional Working Group on Mangroves was convened in Koh Kong, Cambodia from 19th-22nd April 2007. Participants visited the Peam Krasop Mangrove/Wetland Demonstration Site – please click here for more information about this meeting. The final report of this meeting can be accessed by clicking here. Please click here for further information regarding the work of the Regional Working Group on Mangroves and the mangrove habitat demonstration sites.

3.8        Sixth and Seventh Meetings of the Regional Task Force on Economic Valuation

The 6th and 7th Meetings of the Regional Task Force on Economic Valuation were convened in Batam, Indonesia and Beihai, China from 22nd-25th January and 12th-15th March 2007, respectively. During these meetings the task force: reviewed and amended the regional empirical dataset relating to the values of the goods and services derived from habitats bordering the South China Sea; developed regionally applicable “Total Economic Values” for coastal ecosystem goods and services of the South China Sea; and conducted a cost-benefit analysis of the proposed actions under the revised regional Strategic Action Programme for the South China. Please click here to access the meeting reports of the Regional Task Force on Economic Valuation.

4          UPCOMING MEETINGS

The Eighth Meeting of the Regional Working Group on Land-Based Pollution will be convened in Masinloc, Philippines from 6th-9th August 2007. Important items of business for consideration by the group include: consideration of the status of substantive outputs including publication of National Reports for national and regional dissemination; finalisation, adoption and implementation of National Action Plans; update of the regional Meta and GIS databases and efficient use of the project website; review of progress and achievement of the pilot activities; preparation of technical elements of ToR to develop the carrying capacity of the South China Sea with respect to heavy metals; finalisation of inputs from the Regional Working Group on Land-based Pollution to the revised SAP and preparation for the Third Regional Scientific Conference and Mayors’ Roundtable. Please contact Dr. Vo Si Tuan (copied to Ms. Saranya Rojananuangnit and Mr. Christopher Paterson) for further details regarding this meeting.

5          SOUTH CHINA SEA TRAINING PROGRAMME

5.1        Training Course Nominees and Workshop Dates

Members of the project network are encouraged to visit the Training Portal of UNEPSCS.org to access up-to-date information regarding the status of the South China Sea Training Programme. Members can also contact Mr. Christopher Paterson of the PCU by telephone (662 288 1116), e-mail (patersonc@un.org), or online through the project website at all times for information regarding aspects of the training programme. Full details for upcoming workshops can be accessed by clicking here.

With regard to the nomination of individuals to participate in the Regional Training Workshops, members are reminded that the Project’s National Technical Focal Points (NTFPs) have nominated 3 to 4 persons from their respective countries for each of the Regional Training Workshops. The lists of nominees for each course are included in the training portal and are also available for download in PDF format – please click here.

5.2        Regional Training Workshop on Larval Fish Identification and Fish Early Life History Science

The Regional Training Workshop on Larval Fish Identification and Fish Early Life History Science was convened at the SEAFDEC Training Department from 16th-31st May 2007. This activity was aimed at building regional capacity for the processing and identification of fish egg and larvae samples collected during regular research cruises of M.V. SEAFDEC 2. It is anticipated that this will lead to improvements in the scientific basis for the identification of sites for inclusion in the regional system of fisheries refugia in the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand. Please click here to access a complete repository of outputs from this regional training workshop, including all training documents, presentations, recommended readings, a 15 min video of the training event, and a catalogue of larval fish images developed during the workshop. 

5.3        Regional Training Workshop on the Sustainable Use of Mangrove Ecosystems

The UNEP/GEF South China Sea Project’s Regional Training Workshop on the Sustainable Use of Mangrove Ecosystems was successfully convened from 25th April – 9th May 2007. This training workshop was organised by USAINS of the Universiti Sains Malaysia, and was led by the regional mangrove experts Drs. Ong Jin Eong and Gong Wooi Khoon. Resources persons included inter alia the Director of the South China Sea Project, Dr. John C. Pernetta, the regional mangrove experts, Professor Sanit Aksomkoae and Dr. Nguyen Hoang Tri, and SEAFDEC’s Dr. Jurgene Primavera. A total of 20 individuals from countries bordering the South China Sea participated in the workshop. Click here for more information about this workshop. Workshop materials are currently being prepared for loading to the project website, and will be available for download from UNEPSCS.org in coming weeks.