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Nine Baltic sea states all scored failing grades in an annual WWF evaluation of their performance in protecting and restoring the world?s most damaged sea.

The assessment, presented today at the Baltic Sea Festival, graded the countries on how well they are doing in six separate areas - biodiversity, fisheries, hazardous substances, marine transport and eutrophication - and on how they have succeeded in developing an integrated sea-use management system.

The best grade (an F for just 46 per cent) was received by Germany, followed by Denmark (41 per cent) and the worst were Poland (25 per cent) and Russia (26 per cent).

?It is a shame no country could be given a satisfactory total score,? said Lasse Gustavsson, CEO of WWF Sweden. ?The Baltic Sea is influenced by a multitude of human activities, regulated by a patchwork of international and national regulations and authorities.

?What the Baltic Sea needs now is political leadership that can look beyond national or sectoral interests and take an integrated approach to solving the problems.?

Behind the bad overall scores there were some rays of hope. Germany received an A on the biodiversity score for their protection of marine areas with around 40 per cent of the country?s sea areas protected.

Latvia and Lithuania have taken measures to combat illegal fishing of cod, partly by giving inspectors the mandate to impose sanctions on site. Estonia has a narrow lead in lowering the impact of hazardous substances.

Also at the festival WWF awarded Tarja Halonen, president of the Republic of Finland, with the Baltic Sea Leadership Award for ?her persistent efforts to unite groups and encourage cross-border discussions on the future of the Baltic Sea?.

Finland is the only country in the region that has developed a cross-sectoral marine policy and several other countries are now taking steps to review their marine management.

?We now have an opportunity in the area of sea-use management with two current processes on the European level,? said Vicki Lee Wallgren, programme manager for WWF?s Baltic Ecoregion Programme.

She said initiatives such as the EU?s Maritime Policy and the EU Baltic Sea Strategy meant that ?there is hope for the Baltic Sea?.

The poor state of the Baltic Sea environment has received attention this summer because of the extensive algal blooms caused by eutrophication and for recent scientific reports on the vast ?dead zones? on the sea bottom. Seven of the world?s 10 biggest dead zones, where nothing can survive due to lack of oxygen, are found in the Baltic Sea.

WWF has welcomed the initiative taken by a new group of countries in showing the way forward as the latest round of UN climate talks drew to a close in Accra, Ghana today.

Confirming trends observed at previous talks, Accra again demonstrated that the EU is losing its role as a climate leader to a range of developing countries and creative players such as Norway, Switzerland, Mexico, South Korea and India as well as the tiny Pacific island of Tuvalu.

By improving old proposals or fleshing out new ones, these countries are becoming reliable agents of progress. Together with big emerging economies they form the new engine of the talks, highlighted by South Korea?s pledge in Accra to set emission reduction targets and boost renewable energies.

While the mandate to agree a new global climate treaty by 2009 remains a gigantic challenge, Accra showed that overcoming the muddle of conflicting views and crafting an effective deal to tackle climate change is possible and depends on the political will to show leadership.

?Currently the glory in the global fight against climate change is reserved for those progressive governments which are getting the debate further down to the essentials,? says Kim Carstensen, Director WWF Global Climate Initiative.

?The cumbersome talks in Accra did not stop a first group of determined negotiators from working towards a critical shift in the debate, but a success at the next climate talks in Poznan is far from secured and we need to see more countries engage seriously in lifting the political ambitions.?

According to WWF governments managed to push their critical discussions closer to conclusions on some key issues: strategies are shaping up to reduce CO2 emissions from the destruction of forests, while talks about financing deep emission cuts and adaptation to climate impacts have gained clarity. However, other tracks of the complex negotiations failed to progress in Accra and are falling dangerously behind schedule.

?Smoke grenades thrown by backward parties and an overdose of procedural discussions have paralyzed the climate talks and overwhelmed negotiators for too long,? said Kathrin Gutmann, Policy Coordinator WWF Global Climate Initiative. ?In Accra we start seeing the first positive examples of constructive dialogue led by innovative parties, which should become a solid trend in Poznan in December.?


?The EU disappointed in Accra, just like it disappointed at previous talks in Bonn, expressing regret for coming to the negotiation table with empty hands,? said Diane McFadzien, Programme Coordinator WWF Global Climate Initiative. ?Poznan should be a home match for the Europeans and a perfect opportunity to live up to their full potential - in order to avoid matching Canada, Russia, Japan, Australia and the US in their lack of ambition.?

For further information please see press release here

Alternative fishing technology has been shown to save turtles while not affecting fish catches, according to a report released by WWF and the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC).

The report demonstrates how changing from the classic J hook to circular hooks, providing adequate training and tools to release turtles accidentally hooked and enhancing sustainable fishing practices, can dramatically reduce incidental catch (bycatch) of marine turtles without impacting fishing activity.

?The results keep demonstrating that changing to circular hooks is the right choice, since it favours turtle conservation without having an impact on the economy of artisanal fisheries," said Moises Mug, Coordinator of the WWF Bycatch Initiative for the Eastern Pacific. "Together with fishermen we are building a culture for sustainable fishing practices that will guarantee fish stocks in the long term.?

The report - Bycatch Initiative: Eastern Pacific Program, A Vehicle Towards Sustainable Fisheries - is a comprehensive analysis of data collected during four years of work in eight different countries in the Eastern Pacific - Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.

?Our goal is to reduce the incidental catch of marine turtles from the long-line fishing operations without affecting the fisheries activity which is a main source of food and income for local communities,? explained Martin Hall, Principal Researcher for the IATTC.

Data gathered showed an overall significant trend of bycatch reduction, with a reduction of up to 89 per cent in the marine turtle bycatch per thousand hooks. Ninety-five per cent of all turtles caught in long-line fishing were recovered alive, while circle hooks performed as well as J hooks in the catch rates of tuna, billfishes and sharks fishery.

?This programme is going beyond an initial focus of saving sea turtles from bycatch, and is creating the groundwork toward sustainable artisanal long-line fishing in the eastern Pacific,? said Amanda Nickson, Global Leader of WWF?s Bycatch Initiative.

?By working co-operatively, collecting data and learning how to improve practices, this programme is living proof that conservation and industry can work together for sustainability.?

For further information please see the press release, here

An aerial survey by government scientists in Alaska?s Chukchi Sea this week found at least nine polar bears swimming in open water ? with one at least 60 miles from shore ? raising concern among wildlife experts about their survival.

Geoff York, the polar bear coordinator for WWF's Arctic Programme, said that when polar bears swim so far from land, they could have difficulty making it safely to shore and are at risk of drowning, particularly if a storm arises. 

?To find so many polar bears at sea at one time is extremely worrisome because it could be an indication that as the sea ice on which they live and hunt continues to melt, many more bears may be out there facing similar risk,? he said.

?As climate change continues to dramatically disrupt the Arctic, polar bears and their cubs are being forced to swim longer distances to find food and habitat.?

Scientists say the Arctic is changing more rapidly and acutely than anywhere on the planet, noting that 2007 witnessed the lowest sea ice coverage in recorded history.

Satellite images indicate that ice was absent in most of the region where the bears were found on August 16, 2008, and some experts predict this year?s sea ice loss could meet or exceed the record set last year.
 
The discovery of the nine bears at sea came as the US Minerals Management Service was conducting marine surveys in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas in advance of potential offshore oil development.
 
In May, the US Department of Interior listed polar bears as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, with Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne cited the strong body of science pointing to the significant loss of Arctic sea ice habitat as the primary reason for protecting the bear with federal legislation.

However, the state of Alaska has opposed the listing and has sued the federal government over its decision to list the bear.

Professor Richard Steiner of the University of Alaska?s Marine Advisory Program said: ?While these bears are swimming around in an ice-free coastal Arctic Ocean, the only thing the State of Alaska is doing is suing the federal government trying to overturn the listing of polar bears. 

?The bottom line here is that polar bears need sea ice, sea ice is decaying, and the bears are in very serious trouble.  For any people who are still non-believers in global warming and the impacts it is having in the Arctic, this should answer their doubts once and for all.?

Managers and stakeholders in freshwater systems need to stop talking about adaptation to climate change and start doing it, WWF told the World Water Week symposium in Stockholm today.

The global conservation group presented a series of case studies from four continents showing that measures to improving the health of stressed water systems now would improve their ability to cope with projected climate impacts in the future.

"There are no regrets to many of the actions we can take now," said WWF freshwater researcher Jamie Pittock. "We are talking about improving river management and restoring the flood holding and drought proofing services of flood plains and wetlands, all of which can be shown to have short term economic, social and environmental pay-offs.

"The fact that they help climate-proof our river basins now is an added benefit."

Launching the new WWF report Water for life: Lessons for climate change adaptation from better management of rivers for people and nature at World Water Week, Mr Pittock said climate adaptation strategies that neglected freshwater systems were asking for trouble.

"Setting biofuel targets without considering where the water to grow biomass crops will come from is a recipe for a worsening water crisis in many regions and freshwater systems less able to cope with extreme weather events," Mr Pittock said.

"More dams for hydropower is a recipe for even more fragmented rivers that will inhibit freshwater species - the food for millions - adapting to climate impacts by migrating up or down river systems."

WWF field studies show that work already begun on opening up Danube River floodplains and wetlands and reconnecting lakes to the river is improving fishing and drinking water availability, bringing back birds and reducing vulnerability to floods.

"Restoration of the 37 sites that make up the Lower Danube Green Corridor is estimated to cost ?183 million, compared to damages of ?396 million from the 2005 flood and likely earnings of ?85.6 million per year," Mr Pittock said. "This is adaptation to climate impacts even if it is not planned or labeled as adaptation."

Perrenial flows in Tanzania's Great Ruaha River stopped in 1993 after years of declining rainfall and increasing water extractions, putting at risk important hydropower generation and tourism and reducing livelihoods for low income upstream and downstream communities.

The establishment of local water users associations and their work in restoring catchments, rescheduling diversions by major agricultural enterprises and the shutting off of illegal diversions resulted in year round river flows to the important Ihefu wetlands beginning again in 2004, with improved water security and livelihood opportunities to local communities.

Restoration of silted-up and abandoned water tanks used from around 1200 years ago to collect monsoon waters in a tributary area of India's Godavari River is lifting depleted groundwater levels, bringing dried out wells back into service and improving soil fertility and crop yields for disadvantaged farmers. Scaling up the project to cover all tanks in the area would cost $US 635 million to store about the same amount of water as a projected dam project costing $US 4 billion with significant adverse social and environmental impacts.

"This is adaptation that involves and respects the needs of local communities and people and provides immediate benefits, Mr Pittock said.

And in China's central Yangtse, WWF began working with local communities in 2002 to reconnect lakes and wetlands to absorb flood flows and counter sever pollution linked with increased heat and droughts.

Other benefits have been an increased variety and quantity of fish and improved access to safe water for communities.

"Our studies show that it is often a disaster that leads to the river restoration activities that will increase resilience to climate impacts," Mr Pittock said. "It would make more sense to avoid or reduce the impact of disaster by restoring and strengthening our river systems now.

WWF also released an overview on climate change adaptation for freshwater systems, as a guide to planners and managers.

The author of the guide, Dr John Matthews, said "Uncertainty is no reason for not acting on climate change impacts on vital water systems. We are certain there will be significant impacts even if we can't put as many decimal points on them as we would like to."


Notes:
? Adapting Water to a Changing Climate: An Overview by Dr John Matthews & Dr. Tom Le Quesne.

? Water for life: Lessons for Climate change adaptation from better management of rivers for people and nature by Jamie Pittock.


For further information:
Jamie Pittock ? Mob: +61 407 265 131, e-mail: jpittock@wwf.org.au

Dr John Matthews ? Tel: +1 202 203 8957, e-mail: john.matthews@wwfus.org

Phil Dickie ? Mob: +41 79 703 1952, e-mail: pdickie@wwfint.org


About WWF
WWF, the global conservation organization, is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations. WWF has a global network active in over 100 countries with almost 5 million supporters.

WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

You've found the website of Dave Johnston. You can reach me at: Duke University Marine Laboratory 135 Duke Marine Lab Rd. Beaufort, NC 28516 252 504 7593 On these pages you'll find information about work, family, friends and other things that may interest you. Use the links at right if you need further details regarding my [...]

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It was definitely a good week. This morning I got word from the editorial staff at the IWC office that our manuscript about odontocetes in American Samoa is accepted for publication in the Journal of Cetacean Research and Management. This is great news as it will provide a good baseline for future studies as well [...]

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By comparing Neolithic cod with contemporary cod, researchers have discovered that the species has evolved over a relatively short period due to overexploitation by humans. According to a paper published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, contemporary cod attain adulthood earlier and are generally smaller than their ancestors.

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The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), the Panama-based branch of the Smithsonian Institution, will offset its carbon dioxide emissions by working with an indigenous community to conserve forests and reforest degraded lands with native tree species. The agreement was announced Sunday, August 17, 2008.

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