Palau Int'l News Announcement to Create Marine Mammal Sanctuary
Palau Announces New Marine Mammal Sanctuary at International Biodiversity Meeting in Japan
NAGOYA, Japan, Oct. 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Honorable Harry Fritz, Minister of the Environment, Natural Resources and Tourism of the Republic of Palau, announced the establishment of a sanctuary for marine mammals in the waters of Palau. The Sanctuary, which covers all of Palau's Exclusive Economic Zone (more than 600,000 square kilometers), was announced today during Ocean's Day, at the meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Nagoya, Japan. The Sanctuary covers all whales, dolphins, and dugongs. The Minister made the following statement:
"Biodiversity has always been integral to the Palauan culture. Our traditional identity, values, legends, and practices are intimately linked to our surroundings and to our relationships with living creatures. Conservation of biodiversity is ingrained in our daily approach to life and inherent in the meaning of our words. From ancient times to today we have conserved our biodiversity through the tools of "bul" or moratoria, and protection of critical areas. Global threats and their influence on our values have made us recognize the importance of partnering and engaging internationally, including with the Convention on Biological Diversity. Today, we continue to use our traditional practices of bul and protected areas, but we enhance those practices with new ideas and information, gleaned through our partnerships with others.
"At the global scale, we have provided a refuge for critical species, becoming one of the first countries in the world to declare and legislate our waters to become a Shark Sanctuary. Palau's dugongs are the most isolated and endangered population in the world. We also have at least 11 species of cetaceans in our waters, including a breeding population of Sperm Whales and possibly as many as 30 other species of whales and dolphins that utilize our EEZ. This sanctuary will promote sustainable whale-watching tourism, already a growing multi-million dollar global industry, as an economic opportunity for the people of Palau.
"The hunting of marine mammals, largely by foreign countries, in the 19th and particularly the 20th centuries has dramatically reduced populations in the Pacific Islands Region. The International Whaling Commission has recognized that there is clear scientific evidence that in the Pacific Islands region many of the great whale species remain severely depleted in numbers, due to the impacts of past whaling. It is a well-established scientific principle that to protect migratory species it is necessary to protect them not only in their feeding areas and migratory routes but also in their breeding grounds.
"Therefore, today, during this tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity, I am pleased to announce that President Johnson Toribiong of the Republic of Palau has now declared our country's EEZ a sanctuary for all marine mammals, including dugongs and all whales and dolphins. This will prohibit the deliberate hunting and harassment of any marine mammals. We urge other countries to join our efforts to protect whales, dolphins, and other marine mammals-for the sake of the species, as well as the future economic, social, and spiritual development of coastal peoples."
Note: Palau's declaration coincided with Nagoya Ocean's Day, a day where representatives from all sectors, including governments, international agencies, NGOs, science, and industry gathered to address the problems and contributing factors to ocean and coastal biodiversity loss.
SOURCE Government of Palau
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/palau-announces-new-marine-mammal-sanctuary-at-international-biodiversity-meeting-in-japan-105578848.html
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Island Nation Establishes Marine Mammal Sanctuary
SustainableBusiness.com News
The pacific island nation of Palau has declared all of its ocean territory a sanctuary for marine mammals. The Sanctuary, which covers all of Palau's Exclusive Economic Zone (more than 600,000 square kilometers) is home to at least 11 species of cetaceans, including a breeding population of sperm whales. The sanctuary also covers an endangered population of dugongs, which are similar to Florida's manatees.
Harry Fritz, Palau's Minister of the Environment, Natural Resources and Tourism of the Republic of Palau, announced the establishment of the sanctuary during Ocean's Day, at the UN's Biological Diversity conference in Nagoya, Japan.
"Biodiversity has always been integral to the Palauan culture. Our traditional identity, values, legends, and practices are intimately linked to our surroundings and to our relationships with living creatures. Conservation of biodiversity is ingrained in our daily approach to life and inherent in the meaning of our words. From ancient times to today we have conserved our biodiversity through the tools of "bul" or moratoria, and protection of critical areas. Global threats and their influence on our values have made us recognize the importance of partnering and engaging internationally, including with the Convention on Biological Diversity. Today, we continue to use our traditional practices of bul and protected areas, but we enhance those practices with new ideas and information, gleaned through our partnerships with others."
Palau was already one of the first countries in the world to declare and legislate its waters as a shark sanctuary in 2009.
Fritz said the sanctuary will promote sustainable whale-watching tourism, already a growing multi-million dollar global industry, as an economic opportunity for the people of Palau.
"The hunting of marine mammals, largely by foreign countries, in the 19th and particularly the 20th centuries has dramatically reduced populations in the Pacific Islands Region. The International Whaling Commission has recognized that there is clear scientific evidence that in the Pacific Islands region many of the great whale species remain severely depleted in numbers, due to the impacts of past whaling. It is a well-established scientific principle that to protect migratory species it is necessary to protect them not only in their feeding areas and migratory routes but also in their breeding grounds."
Dr. Susan Lieberman, director of international policy for the Pew Environment Group applauded Palau's action. "We call on other countries large and small to follow Palau's example," she said. "When whales, dolphins, sharks and other species are depleted, the entire ocean ecosystem suffers from the resulting gaps in the natural food chain. Sanctuaries such as this can play a significant role in stemming the drastic decline in ocean biodiversity."
http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/21304
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e360 digest
25 OCT 2010: ISLAND NATION WILL CREATE
EXTENSIVE MARINE MAMMAL SANCTUARY
The Pacific Island nation of Palau has announced the establishment of a 230,000-square-mile marine mammal sanctuary that will protect whales, dolphins, and the endangered dugong - a relative of the manatee - from hunting and fishing. Harry Fritz, Palau’s Minister of the Environment, Natural Resources and Tourism, announced the creation of the Mongolia-sized sanctuary at a meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity in Nagoya, Japan. He said that the sanctuary will protect as many as 30 species of whales and dolphins that either breed inside Palau’s 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) or travel through it. In addition to protecting the rare dugong, the sanctuary also will promote whale-watching tourism in Palau’s waters, Fritz said. Last year, Palau declared a sanctuary for sharks inside its EEZ in an effort to slow the booming global trade in shark fins, used in soups in China and Asia. The Convention on Biological Diversity has set a goal of preserving 10 percent of the world’s oceans as marine sanctuaries by 2012. Currently, only 1.17 percent of marine waters are protected, according to the Nature Conservancy.
http://e360.yale.edu/digest/island-nation-will-create--extensive-marine-mammal-sanctuary/2656/
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Palau declares marine mammal sanctuary
The Pacific Voyage Media Team
23 October Nagoya Japan - Palau joins other nations in declaring its water as sanctuary for marine mammals, covering whales, dolphins and dugongs. The island nation’s Harry Fritz, Minister of the Environment, Natural Resources and Tourism, announced the establishment of a sanctuary for marine mammals during Ocean’s Day, at the meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity here in Nagoya, Japan. The sanctuary covers all of Palau’s Exclusive Economic Zone spanning more than 600,000 square kilometers.
“Therefore, today, during the meeting of the Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity, I am pleased to announce that President Johnson Toribiong of the Republic of Palau has now declared our country’s EEZ a sanctuary for all marine mammals, including dugongs and all whales and dolphins. This will prohibit the deliberate hunting and harassment of any marine mammals,” Fritz announces.
The nation at the same time urged other countries to join the efforts to protect whales, dolphins, and other marine mammals.
“Biodiversity has always been integral to the Palauan culture. Our traditional identity, values, legends, and practices are intimately linked to our surroundings and to our relationships with living creatures. Conservation of biodiversity is ingrained in our daily approach to life and inherent in the meaning of our words. From ancient times to today we have conserved our biodiversity through the tools of “bul” or moratoria, and protection of critical areas. Global threats and their influence on our values have made us recognize the importance of partnering and engaging internationally, including with the Convention on Biological Diversity. Today, we continue to use our traditional practices of bul and protected areas, but we enhance those practices with new ideas and information, gleaned through our partnerships with others,” Fritz states.
In 2009, Palau President Johnson Toribiong the first announced the first ever shark sanctuary for the Planet. Fritz said today that other marine mammals or species are also endangered such as the dugongs and whales.
The country is rich in marine species and has an economy heavily reliant on tourism and fishing. Much of the tourist activity is centered on diving and snorkeling in tropical waters filled with coral reefs, marine life and World War II wrecks. With only one patrol boat at its disposal and Fritz said that Palau is looking for assistance and urging neighboring countries in patrolling and surveillance of its EEZ from illegal fishing of marine mammals.
“At the global scale, we have provided a refuge for critical species, becoming one of the first countries in the world to declare and legislate our waters to become a Shark Sanctuary. Palau’s dugongs are the most isolated and endangered population in the world. We also have at least 11 species of cetaceans in our waters, including a breeding population of Sperm Whales and possibly as many as 30 other species of whales and dolphins that utilize our EEZ,” Fritz says in the declaration.
Last Wednesday, Palau in partnership with the South Pacific Whales Research Consortium, Whaleology, and the Pew Environmental Group, announced that it is beginning to lay the groundwork for developing a sustainable whale-watching industry this was announced by Bilung Gloria Salli during a presentation Wednesday night on the importance of marine mammals in the region. Salii said the Pacific nation known for its rich and diverse marine mammals is in the process of completing a whale-watching feasibility study. Salii says that Palau can benefit from the marine mammal tourism citing whale and dolphin-watching alone already generates approximately $23 million USD each year in direct revenues worldwide.
The Nagoya’s Ocean’s Day is set aside where representatives from all sectors, including governments, international agencies, NGOs, science, and industry gathered to address the problems and contributing factors to ocean and coastal biodiversity loss.
http://bionesian.blogspot.com/2010/10/palau-declares-marine-mammal-sanctuary.html
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Palau Announces Mongolia-Sized Sanctuary for Marine Mammals
Jaymi Heimbuch
Science / Natural Sciences
October 26, 2010
The dugongs of Palau are one of the most endangered populations of the species, but thanks to the establishment of a new marine sanctuary, these animals along with whales and dolphins will be protected. The island nation declared over 230,000 square miles a marine mammal sanctuary -- that's a safe-zone roughly the size of Mongolia. According to Mongabay, Palau already declared a marine sanctuary for sharks, and now is adding marine mammals on to the species protected within its waters.
"Palau's dugongs are the most isolated and endangered population in the world. We also have at least 11 species of cetaceans in our waters, including a breeding population of Sperm Whales and possibly as many as 30 other species of whales and dolphins that utilize our EEZ. This sanctuary will promote sustainable whale-watching tourism, already a growing multi-million dollar global industry, as an economic opportunity for the people of Palau," said Harry Fritz, Palau's Minister of the Environment, Natural Resources and Tourism, to Mongabay.
The country is now calling on other nations to do the same and ramp up the area of ocean they protect. Right now, less than 2% of marine waters are protected, but as conservationist Sylvia Earle points out, these are hope spots that show just how important and productive they are to biodiversity and marine health.
http://www.treehugger.com/natural-sciences/palau-announces-mongolia-sized-sanctuary-for-marine-mammals.html
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Island nation announces Ukraine-sized sanctuary for whales and dolphins
Jeremy Hance
mongabay.com
October 24, 2010
Dolphins, whales, and dugongs will be safe from hunting in the waters surrounding the Pacific nation of Palau. At the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Nagoya, Japan, Palau's Minister of the Environment, Natural Resources and Tourism, Harry Fritz, announced the establishment of a marine mammal sanctuary covering over 230,000 square miles (600,000 square kilometers) of the nation's waters, an area the size of Ukraine.
"Palau's dugongs are the most isolated and endangered population in the world. We also have at least 11 species of cetaceans in our waters, including a breeding population of Sperm Whales and possibly as many as 30 other species of whales and dolphins that utilize our EEZ. This sanctuary will promote sustainable whale-watching tourism, already a growing multi-million dollar global industry, as an economic opportunity for the people of Palau," Fritz said in Nagoya.
Already, last year Palau declared its waters a sanctuary for sharks. Sharks have been decimated worldwide, with some species' population plunging by 99 percent, due to bycatch, overconsumption, and the shark-fin trade, whereby caught sharks' fins are cut off and the animals are thrown back into the water to die.
The dugong is listed as Vulnerable to extinction by the IUCN Red List. Photo by: Julien Willem. Although many populations of whales are rebounding after centuries of commercial whaling, some are still threatened by whaling by Iceland, Japan, and Norway, as well as pollution. Dolphins are often killed as bycatch and suffer from widespread marine pollution.
"Palau, which once supported the Japanese position on commercial whaling, now supports conserving marine mammals, along with sharks and other species. By aiding economic development through ecotourism, Palau recognizes the importance of keeping these species alive and thriving," Dr. Susan Lieberman, director of international policy for the Pew Environment Group, said in a statement, adding that "we call on other countries large and small to follow Palau's example."
Palau made its announcement on the Convention's Ocean Day where protective measures for the ocean were discussed by representatives. Under the convention nations have pledged to protect 10 percent of ocean waters by 2012, but according to a recent report by the Nature Conservancy only 1.17 percent of marine waters are protected.
http://news.mongabay.com/2010/1024-hance_mammal_sanctuary.html#a0DuM8bjycvqCGpI.99
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South Pacific Nation Creates Marine Sanctuary
November 1, 2010
By: Jena Tesse Fox
Some great news for the planet as a whole, and the South Pacific specifically: The island nation of Palau has declared all the waters within its Exclusive Economic Zone to be a marine mammal sanctuary for the protection of whales, dolphins and dugongs. Harry Fritz, Palau's minister of the environment, natural resources and tourism, announced the new 231,660-square-mile sanctuary on behalf of President Johnson Toribiong at a news conference Saturday during Oceans Day at the Convention on Biological Diversity meeting in Nagoya, Japan.
A close group of islands, Palau has at least 11 species of cetaceans in its waters, including a breeding population of sperm whales and as many as 30 other species of whales and dolphins. Palau's dugongs are the most isolated and endangered population in the world, Fritz said. "This sanctuary will promote sustainable whale-watching tourism, already a growing multi-million dollar global industry, as an economic opportunity for the people of Palau."
Much of Palau's economy comes from tourism and the country hosts Dolphins Pacific, the world's largest dolphin research facility and the Palau International Coral Reef Center, a modern aquarium and research facility specializing in tropical coral reefs. The region's underwater biodiversity includes over 1,500 species of fish and 700 species of coral and anemone.
"The hunting of marine mammals, largely by foreign countries, in the 19th and particularly the 20th centuries has dramatically reduced populations in the Pacific Islands Region," he said. "The International Whaling Commission has recognized that there is clear scientific evidence that in the Pacific Islands region many of the great whale species remain severely depleted in numbers, due to the impacts of past whaling."
Establishment of the sanctuary is intended to prohibit the deliberate hunting and harassment of any marine mammals. But Palau has only one patrol boat at its disposal to patrol waters that cover an area just a little smaller than the U.S. state of Texas. The boat is supplied by Australia and operated by the government of Palau. Fritz said that Palau is seeking assistance from neighboring countries in patrolling and surveillance of its EEZ for illegal taking of marine mammals.
"Palau's support for the conservation of marine species underscores this small island nation's tremendous commitment to protecting life in the oceans that surround it. Other countries should join Palau in safeguarding species in their waters," said Dr. Susan Lieberman, director of international policy for the Pew Environment Group, which has contributed a grant to fuel the patrol boat.
The Republic of Palau lies in the Pacific Ocean, approximately 500 miles east of the Philippines and 2,000 miles south of Tokyo. The islands were seized by Japanese ships during World War I and governed by Japan until 1947 when the islands passed formally to the United States under United Nations auspices as part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.
Emerging from trusteeship in 1994, Palau is one of the world's youngest and smallest sovereign states. About 70 percent of Palau’s population of approximately 21,000 residents, live on the island of Koror. Until now, Palau has voted with Japan in favor of commercial whaling at the annual meetings of the International Whaling Commission and the establishment of its marine mammal sanctuary is viewed as a signal that Japan may no longer be able to count on Palau's vote for whaling.
Asked whether the new marine mammal sanctuary will affect Palau's relationship with Japan, Fritz said Palau is now making its position known and that it will be "understood by friends."
More than 1,500 whales are hunted and killed each year for their meat, most of them by Japan. This occurs despite a global moratorium on commercial whaling since 1986 and the establishment of the Southern Ocean as an international whale sanctuary in 1994.
Palau, in partnership with the South Pacific Whales Research Consortium, Whaleology, and the Pew Environment Group, announced last week that it is beginning to lay the groundwork for a sustainable whale-watching industry. During a presentation Wednesday night on the importance of marine mammals in the region, the Queen of Koror Bilung Gloria Salii said Palau is in the process of completing a whale-watching feasibility study.
At the event, entitled, "The Role of Marine Reserves and Wildlife Sanctuaries in Conserving Large Pelagic Species," hosted by the Pew Environment Group, Salii said whale and dolphin-watching alone already generates approximately $23 million each year in direct revenues worldwide.
Lieberman, who represented Pew at the presentation last week, said, "Palau, which once supported the Japanese position on commercial whaling, now supports conserving marine mammals, along with sharks and other species. By aiding economic development through ecotourism, Palau recognizes the importance of keeping these species alive and thriving."
http://www.travelagentcentral.com/south-pacific/south-pacific-nation-creates-marine-sanctuary-24538
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Green Matters: Good Environmental News from Palau
by CATHARINE FLEURY on NOVEMBER 9, 2010
Every now and then an environmental story slips into the news stream that is as unexpected as it is pleasant-like a dollar bill on the sidewalk or a favorite tee-shirt rediscovered in your bottom drawer. Recently that story came in the form of a stunning announcement from the South Pacific: The island nation of Palau declared the waters within its Exclusive Economic Zone a marine mammal sanctuary. The move will offer whales, dolphins, and dugongs a safe haven roughly the size of Mongolia.
Palau’s minister of the environment delivered the news on October 23 during a meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity in Nagoya, Japan. It was an ironic setting, given that Palau has consisted voted alongside Japan in favor of commercial whaling. At least until now.
The announcement was well received in environmental circles, of course, but beyond the green blogosphere, word of Palau’s great deed didn’t seem to travel too far. Maybe it was because we were too caught up in pre-election fervor or too giddy about Ski Season 2010 (the day after Palau’s declaration, it started dumping in the Tetons and Colorado fired up its first lifts). Or maybe it was because Palau is just so…far.
Whatever the reason, you might be interested to know that this new marine mammal sanctuary is big-bigger, even, than the marine sanctuary that George W. Bush famously declared northwest of Hawaii back in 2006. That one measured about 140,000 square miles; this one tops out at 231,660. It’s also teeming with cetaceans. Palau is home to as many as 30 species of whales and dolphins, and one of the most isolated populations of dugongs in the world.
In fact, the more you learn about this tiny country (pop. 21,000), the wilder the numbers become: 1,500 species of fish, 700 species of coral and anemone, a 100 percent chance of seeing a shark during a dive.
“Every dive in Palau, I guarantee you can see one or two sharks - but I’ll bet you can see 10 to 20.” says Francis Toribiong, a Palau native and 62-year-old diving legend. “They come close to about three feet away from your mask.”
Toribiong founded Palau’s first dive center in 1972 and has since discovered virtually every major dive site in the country. It was he who found Blue Corner - one of the most famous dive sites in the world - and led the crew of The Living Sea, Greg MacGillivray’s 1995 IMAX hit, to some of the film’s greatest underwater moments. I’d wager that if it weren’t for Toribiong’s intrepid spirit, Palau might not have become the ecotourism hot spot that it is today.
And that’s another thing about feel-good environmental stories: They have an uncanny way of leading you to the world’s coolest adventure personalities. You just have to pay attention.
http://www.adventure-journal.com/2010/11/green-matters-good-environmental-news-from-palau/
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Palau Creates Marine Mammal Sanctuary
23 October 2010: Palau’s Minister of the Environment, Natural Resources and Tourism, Harry Fritz, announced the creation of a marine sanctuary for whales, dolphins and dugongs during Oceans Day, held on 23 October 2010, on the sidelines of the 10th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 10) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Nagoya, Japan.
The sanctuary covers all of Palau’s Exclusive Economic Zone - more than 600,000 square kilometers - where “the deliberate hunting and harrassment of any marine mammals” is prohibited, said Fritz. The sanctuary complements a shark sanctuary created by Palau in 2009. [SPREP press release]
http://www.sidsnet.org/news/palau-creates-marine-mammal-sanctuary
NAGOYA, Japan, Oct. 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Honorable Harry Fritz, Minister of the Environment, Natural Resources and Tourism of the Republic of Palau, announced the establishment of a sanctuary for marine mammals in the waters of Palau. The Sanctuary, which covers all of Palau's Exclusive Economic Zone (more than 600,000 square kilometers), was announced today during Ocean's Day, at the meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Nagoya, Japan. The Sanctuary covers all whales, dolphins, and dugongs. The Minister made the following statement:
"Biodiversity has always been integral to the Palauan culture. Our traditional identity, values, legends, and practices are intimately linked to our surroundings and to our relationships with living creatures. Conservation of biodiversity is ingrained in our daily approach to life and inherent in the meaning of our words. From ancient times to today we have conserved our biodiversity through the tools of "bul" or moratoria, and protection of critical areas. Global threats and their influence on our values have made us recognize the importance of partnering and engaging internationally, including with the Convention on Biological Diversity. Today, we continue to use our traditional practices of bul and protected areas, but we enhance those practices with new ideas and information, gleaned through our partnerships with others.
"At the global scale, we have provided a refuge for critical species, becoming one of the first countries in the world to declare and legislate our waters to become a Shark Sanctuary. Palau's dugongs are the most isolated and endangered population in the world. We also have at least 11 species of cetaceans in our waters, including a breeding population of Sperm Whales and possibly as many as 30 other species of whales and dolphins that utilize our EEZ. This sanctuary will promote sustainable whale-watching tourism, already a growing multi-million dollar global industry, as an economic opportunity for the people of Palau.
"The hunting of marine mammals, largely by foreign countries, in the 19th and particularly the 20th centuries has dramatically reduced populations in the Pacific Islands Region. The International Whaling Commission has recognized that there is clear scientific evidence that in the Pacific Islands region many of the great whale species remain severely depleted in numbers, due to the impacts of past whaling. It is a well-established scientific principle that to protect migratory species it is necessary to protect them not only in their feeding areas and migratory routes but also in their breeding grounds.
"Therefore, today, during this tenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity, I am pleased to announce that President Johnson Toribiong of the Republic of Palau has now declared our country's EEZ a sanctuary for all marine mammals, including dugongs and all whales and dolphins. This will prohibit the deliberate hunting and harassment of any marine mammals. We urge other countries to join our efforts to protect whales, dolphins, and other marine mammals-for the sake of the species, as well as the future economic, social, and spiritual development of coastal peoples."
Note: Palau's declaration coincided with Nagoya Ocean's Day, a day where representatives from all sectors, including governments, international agencies, NGOs, science, and industry gathered to address the problems and contributing factors to ocean and coastal biodiversity loss.
SOURCE Government of Palau
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/palau-announces-new-marine-mammal-sanctuary-at-international-biodiversity-meeting-in-japan-105578848.html
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Island Nation Establishes Marine Mammal Sanctuary
SustainableBusiness.com News
The pacific island nation of Palau has declared all of its ocean territory a sanctuary for marine mammals. The Sanctuary, which covers all of Palau's Exclusive Economic Zone (more than 600,000 square kilometers) is home to at least 11 species of cetaceans, including a breeding population of sperm whales. The sanctuary also covers an endangered population of dugongs, which are similar to Florida's manatees.
Harry Fritz, Palau's Minister of the Environment, Natural Resources and Tourism of the Republic of Palau, announced the establishment of the sanctuary during Ocean's Day, at the UN's Biological Diversity conference in Nagoya, Japan.
"Biodiversity has always been integral to the Palauan culture. Our traditional identity, values, legends, and practices are intimately linked to our surroundings and to our relationships with living creatures. Conservation of biodiversity is ingrained in our daily approach to life and inherent in the meaning of our words. From ancient times to today we have conserved our biodiversity through the tools of "bul" or moratoria, and protection of critical areas. Global threats and their influence on our values have made us recognize the importance of partnering and engaging internationally, including with the Convention on Biological Diversity. Today, we continue to use our traditional practices of bul and protected areas, but we enhance those practices with new ideas and information, gleaned through our partnerships with others."
Palau was already one of the first countries in the world to declare and legislate its waters as a shark sanctuary in 2009.
Fritz said the sanctuary will promote sustainable whale-watching tourism, already a growing multi-million dollar global industry, as an economic opportunity for the people of Palau.
"The hunting of marine mammals, largely by foreign countries, in the 19th and particularly the 20th centuries has dramatically reduced populations in the Pacific Islands Region. The International Whaling Commission has recognized that there is clear scientific evidence that in the Pacific Islands region many of the great whale species remain severely depleted in numbers, due to the impacts of past whaling. It is a well-established scientific principle that to protect migratory species it is necessary to protect them not only in their feeding areas and migratory routes but also in their breeding grounds."
Dr. Susan Lieberman, director of international policy for the Pew Environment Group applauded Palau's action. "We call on other countries large and small to follow Palau's example," she said. "When whales, dolphins, sharks and other species are depleted, the entire ocean ecosystem suffers from the resulting gaps in the natural food chain. Sanctuaries such as this can play a significant role in stemming the drastic decline in ocean biodiversity."
http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/21304
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e360 digest
25 OCT 2010: ISLAND NATION WILL CREATE
EXTENSIVE MARINE MAMMAL SANCTUARY
The Pacific Island nation of Palau has announced the establishment of a 230,000-square-mile marine mammal sanctuary that will protect whales, dolphins, and the endangered dugong - a relative of the manatee - from hunting and fishing. Harry Fritz, Palau’s Minister of the Environment, Natural Resources and Tourism, announced the creation of the Mongolia-sized sanctuary at a meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity in Nagoya, Japan. He said that the sanctuary will protect as many as 30 species of whales and dolphins that either breed inside Palau’s 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) or travel through it. In addition to protecting the rare dugong, the sanctuary also will promote whale-watching tourism in Palau’s waters, Fritz said. Last year, Palau declared a sanctuary for sharks inside its EEZ in an effort to slow the booming global trade in shark fins, used in soups in China and Asia. The Convention on Biological Diversity has set a goal of preserving 10 percent of the world’s oceans as marine sanctuaries by 2012. Currently, only 1.17 percent of marine waters are protected, according to the Nature Conservancy.
http://e360.yale.edu/digest/island-nation-will-create--extensive-marine-mammal-sanctuary/2656/
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Palau declares marine mammal sanctuary
The Pacific Voyage Media Team
23 October Nagoya Japan - Palau joins other nations in declaring its water as sanctuary for marine mammals, covering whales, dolphins and dugongs. The island nation’s Harry Fritz, Minister of the Environment, Natural Resources and Tourism, announced the establishment of a sanctuary for marine mammals during Ocean’s Day, at the meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity here in Nagoya, Japan. The sanctuary covers all of Palau’s Exclusive Economic Zone spanning more than 600,000 square kilometers.
“Therefore, today, during the meeting of the Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity, I am pleased to announce that President Johnson Toribiong of the Republic of Palau has now declared our country’s EEZ a sanctuary for all marine mammals, including dugongs and all whales and dolphins. This will prohibit the deliberate hunting and harassment of any marine mammals,” Fritz announces.
The nation at the same time urged other countries to join the efforts to protect whales, dolphins, and other marine mammals.
“Biodiversity has always been integral to the Palauan culture. Our traditional identity, values, legends, and practices are intimately linked to our surroundings and to our relationships with living creatures. Conservation of biodiversity is ingrained in our daily approach to life and inherent in the meaning of our words. From ancient times to today we have conserved our biodiversity through the tools of “bul” or moratoria, and protection of critical areas. Global threats and their influence on our values have made us recognize the importance of partnering and engaging internationally, including with the Convention on Biological Diversity. Today, we continue to use our traditional practices of bul and protected areas, but we enhance those practices with new ideas and information, gleaned through our partnerships with others,” Fritz states.
In 2009, Palau President Johnson Toribiong the first announced the first ever shark sanctuary for the Planet. Fritz said today that other marine mammals or species are also endangered such as the dugongs and whales.
The country is rich in marine species and has an economy heavily reliant on tourism and fishing. Much of the tourist activity is centered on diving and snorkeling in tropical waters filled with coral reefs, marine life and World War II wrecks. With only one patrol boat at its disposal and Fritz said that Palau is looking for assistance and urging neighboring countries in patrolling and surveillance of its EEZ from illegal fishing of marine mammals.
“At the global scale, we have provided a refuge for critical species, becoming one of the first countries in the world to declare and legislate our waters to become a Shark Sanctuary. Palau’s dugongs are the most isolated and endangered population in the world. We also have at least 11 species of cetaceans in our waters, including a breeding population of Sperm Whales and possibly as many as 30 other species of whales and dolphins that utilize our EEZ,” Fritz says in the declaration.
Last Wednesday, Palau in partnership with the South Pacific Whales Research Consortium, Whaleology, and the Pew Environmental Group, announced that it is beginning to lay the groundwork for developing a sustainable whale-watching industry this was announced by Bilung Gloria Salli during a presentation Wednesday night on the importance of marine mammals in the region. Salii said the Pacific nation known for its rich and diverse marine mammals is in the process of completing a whale-watching feasibility study. Salii says that Palau can benefit from the marine mammal tourism citing whale and dolphin-watching alone already generates approximately $23 million USD each year in direct revenues worldwide.
The Nagoya’s Ocean’s Day is set aside where representatives from all sectors, including governments, international agencies, NGOs, science, and industry gathered to address the problems and contributing factors to ocean and coastal biodiversity loss.
http://bionesian.blogspot.com/2010/10/palau-declares-marine-mammal-sanctuary.html
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Palau Announces Mongolia-Sized Sanctuary for Marine Mammals
Jaymi Heimbuch
Science / Natural Sciences
October 26, 2010
The dugongs of Palau are one of the most endangered populations of the species, but thanks to the establishment of a new marine sanctuary, these animals along with whales and dolphins will be protected. The island nation declared over 230,000 square miles a marine mammal sanctuary -- that's a safe-zone roughly the size of Mongolia. According to Mongabay, Palau already declared a marine sanctuary for sharks, and now is adding marine mammals on to the species protected within its waters.
"Palau's dugongs are the most isolated and endangered population in the world. We also have at least 11 species of cetaceans in our waters, including a breeding population of Sperm Whales and possibly as many as 30 other species of whales and dolphins that utilize our EEZ. This sanctuary will promote sustainable whale-watching tourism, already a growing multi-million dollar global industry, as an economic opportunity for the people of Palau," said Harry Fritz, Palau's Minister of the Environment, Natural Resources and Tourism, to Mongabay.
The country is now calling on other nations to do the same and ramp up the area of ocean they protect. Right now, less than 2% of marine waters are protected, but as conservationist Sylvia Earle points out, these are hope spots that show just how important and productive they are to biodiversity and marine health.
http://www.treehugger.com/natural-sciences/palau-announces-mongolia-sized-sanctuary-for-marine-mammals.html
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Island nation announces Ukraine-sized sanctuary for whales and dolphins
Jeremy Hance
mongabay.com
October 24, 2010
Dolphins, whales, and dugongs will be safe from hunting in the waters surrounding the Pacific nation of Palau. At the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Nagoya, Japan, Palau's Minister of the Environment, Natural Resources and Tourism, Harry Fritz, announced the establishment of a marine mammal sanctuary covering over 230,000 square miles (600,000 square kilometers) of the nation's waters, an area the size of Ukraine.
"Palau's dugongs are the most isolated and endangered population in the world. We also have at least 11 species of cetaceans in our waters, including a breeding population of Sperm Whales and possibly as many as 30 other species of whales and dolphins that utilize our EEZ. This sanctuary will promote sustainable whale-watching tourism, already a growing multi-million dollar global industry, as an economic opportunity for the people of Palau," Fritz said in Nagoya.
Already, last year Palau declared its waters a sanctuary for sharks. Sharks have been decimated worldwide, with some species' population plunging by 99 percent, due to bycatch, overconsumption, and the shark-fin trade, whereby caught sharks' fins are cut off and the animals are thrown back into the water to die.
The dugong is listed as Vulnerable to extinction by the IUCN Red List. Photo by: Julien Willem. Although many populations of whales are rebounding after centuries of commercial whaling, some are still threatened by whaling by Iceland, Japan, and Norway, as well as pollution. Dolphins are often killed as bycatch and suffer from widespread marine pollution.
"Palau, which once supported the Japanese position on commercial whaling, now supports conserving marine mammals, along with sharks and other species. By aiding economic development through ecotourism, Palau recognizes the importance of keeping these species alive and thriving," Dr. Susan Lieberman, director of international policy for the Pew Environment Group, said in a statement, adding that "we call on other countries large and small to follow Palau's example."
Palau made its announcement on the Convention's Ocean Day where protective measures for the ocean were discussed by representatives. Under the convention nations have pledged to protect 10 percent of ocean waters by 2012, but according to a recent report by the Nature Conservancy only 1.17 percent of marine waters are protected.
http://news.mongabay.com/2010/1024-hance_mammal_sanctuary.html#a0DuM8bjycvqCGpI.99
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South Pacific Nation Creates Marine Sanctuary
November 1, 2010
By: Jena Tesse Fox
Some great news for the planet as a whole, and the South Pacific specifically: The island nation of Palau has declared all the waters within its Exclusive Economic Zone to be a marine mammal sanctuary for the protection of whales, dolphins and dugongs. Harry Fritz, Palau's minister of the environment, natural resources and tourism, announced the new 231,660-square-mile sanctuary on behalf of President Johnson Toribiong at a news conference Saturday during Oceans Day at the Convention on Biological Diversity meeting in Nagoya, Japan.
A close group of islands, Palau has at least 11 species of cetaceans in its waters, including a breeding population of sperm whales and as many as 30 other species of whales and dolphins. Palau's dugongs are the most isolated and endangered population in the world, Fritz said. "This sanctuary will promote sustainable whale-watching tourism, already a growing multi-million dollar global industry, as an economic opportunity for the people of Palau."
Much of Palau's economy comes from tourism and the country hosts Dolphins Pacific, the world's largest dolphin research facility and the Palau International Coral Reef Center, a modern aquarium and research facility specializing in tropical coral reefs. The region's underwater biodiversity includes over 1,500 species of fish and 700 species of coral and anemone.
"The hunting of marine mammals, largely by foreign countries, in the 19th and particularly the 20th centuries has dramatically reduced populations in the Pacific Islands Region," he said. "The International Whaling Commission has recognized that there is clear scientific evidence that in the Pacific Islands region many of the great whale species remain severely depleted in numbers, due to the impacts of past whaling."
Establishment of the sanctuary is intended to prohibit the deliberate hunting and harassment of any marine mammals. But Palau has only one patrol boat at its disposal to patrol waters that cover an area just a little smaller than the U.S. state of Texas. The boat is supplied by Australia and operated by the government of Palau. Fritz said that Palau is seeking assistance from neighboring countries in patrolling and surveillance of its EEZ for illegal taking of marine mammals.
"Palau's support for the conservation of marine species underscores this small island nation's tremendous commitment to protecting life in the oceans that surround it. Other countries should join Palau in safeguarding species in their waters," said Dr. Susan Lieberman, director of international policy for the Pew Environment Group, which has contributed a grant to fuel the patrol boat.
The Republic of Palau lies in the Pacific Ocean, approximately 500 miles east of the Philippines and 2,000 miles south of Tokyo. The islands were seized by Japanese ships during World War I and governed by Japan until 1947 when the islands passed formally to the United States under United Nations auspices as part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.
Emerging from trusteeship in 1994, Palau is one of the world's youngest and smallest sovereign states. About 70 percent of Palau’s population of approximately 21,000 residents, live on the island of Koror. Until now, Palau has voted with Japan in favor of commercial whaling at the annual meetings of the International Whaling Commission and the establishment of its marine mammal sanctuary is viewed as a signal that Japan may no longer be able to count on Palau's vote for whaling.
Asked whether the new marine mammal sanctuary will affect Palau's relationship with Japan, Fritz said Palau is now making its position known and that it will be "understood by friends."
More than 1,500 whales are hunted and killed each year for their meat, most of them by Japan. This occurs despite a global moratorium on commercial whaling since 1986 and the establishment of the Southern Ocean as an international whale sanctuary in 1994.
Palau, in partnership with the South Pacific Whales Research Consortium, Whaleology, and the Pew Environment Group, announced last week that it is beginning to lay the groundwork for a sustainable whale-watching industry. During a presentation Wednesday night on the importance of marine mammals in the region, the Queen of Koror Bilung Gloria Salii said Palau is in the process of completing a whale-watching feasibility study.
At the event, entitled, "The Role of Marine Reserves and Wildlife Sanctuaries in Conserving Large Pelagic Species," hosted by the Pew Environment Group, Salii said whale and dolphin-watching alone already generates approximately $23 million each year in direct revenues worldwide.
Lieberman, who represented Pew at the presentation last week, said, "Palau, which once supported the Japanese position on commercial whaling, now supports conserving marine mammals, along with sharks and other species. By aiding economic development through ecotourism, Palau recognizes the importance of keeping these species alive and thriving."
http://www.travelagentcentral.com/south-pacific/south-pacific-nation-creates-marine-sanctuary-24538
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Green Matters: Good Environmental News from Palau
by CATHARINE FLEURY on NOVEMBER 9, 2010
Every now and then an environmental story slips into the news stream that is as unexpected as it is pleasant-like a dollar bill on the sidewalk or a favorite tee-shirt rediscovered in your bottom drawer. Recently that story came in the form of a stunning announcement from the South Pacific: The island nation of Palau declared the waters within its Exclusive Economic Zone a marine mammal sanctuary. The move will offer whales, dolphins, and dugongs a safe haven roughly the size of Mongolia.
Palau’s minister of the environment delivered the news on October 23 during a meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity in Nagoya, Japan. It was an ironic setting, given that Palau has consisted voted alongside Japan in favor of commercial whaling. At least until now.
The announcement was well received in environmental circles, of course, but beyond the green blogosphere, word of Palau’s great deed didn’t seem to travel too far. Maybe it was because we were too caught up in pre-election fervor or too giddy about Ski Season 2010 (the day after Palau’s declaration, it started dumping in the Tetons and Colorado fired up its first lifts). Or maybe it was because Palau is just so…far.
Whatever the reason, you might be interested to know that this new marine mammal sanctuary is big-bigger, even, than the marine sanctuary that George W. Bush famously declared northwest of Hawaii back in 2006. That one measured about 140,000 square miles; this one tops out at 231,660. It’s also teeming with cetaceans. Palau is home to as many as 30 species of whales and dolphins, and one of the most isolated populations of dugongs in the world.
In fact, the more you learn about this tiny country (pop. 21,000), the wilder the numbers become: 1,500 species of fish, 700 species of coral and anemone, a 100 percent chance of seeing a shark during a dive.
“Every dive in Palau, I guarantee you can see one or two sharks - but I’ll bet you can see 10 to 20.” says Francis Toribiong, a Palau native and 62-year-old diving legend. “They come close to about three feet away from your mask.”
Toribiong founded Palau’s first dive center in 1972 and has since discovered virtually every major dive site in the country. It was he who found Blue Corner - one of the most famous dive sites in the world - and led the crew of The Living Sea, Greg MacGillivray’s 1995 IMAX hit, to some of the film’s greatest underwater moments. I’d wager that if it weren’t for Toribiong’s intrepid spirit, Palau might not have become the ecotourism hot spot that it is today.
And that’s another thing about feel-good environmental stories: They have an uncanny way of leading you to the world’s coolest adventure personalities. You just have to pay attention.
http://www.adventure-journal.com/2010/11/green-matters-good-environmental-news-from-palau/
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Palau Creates Marine Mammal Sanctuary
23 October 2010: Palau’s Minister of the Environment, Natural Resources and Tourism, Harry Fritz, announced the creation of a marine sanctuary for whales, dolphins and dugongs during Oceans Day, held on 23 October 2010, on the sidelines of the 10th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 10) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Nagoya, Japan.
The sanctuary covers all of Palau’s Exclusive Economic Zone - more than 600,000 square kilometers - where “the deliberate hunting and harrassment of any marine mammals” is prohibited, said Fritz. The sanctuary complements a shark sanctuary created by Palau in 2009. [SPREP press release]
http://www.sidsnet.org/news/palau-creates-marine-mammal-sanctuary