Marine Life

Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000: WWF and partners celebrate Coral Triangle Day on June 9 - WWF - News on marine environment issues
WWF and its partners are celebrating the first-ever Coral Triangle Day on June 9 at several locations around the Coral Triangle region to highlight the importance of marine conservation and to raise awareness on this global center of marine biodiversity.

An interpretation of World Oceans Day in this part of the world, the Coral Triangle Day brings together individuals, organizations, and establishments from different parts of the region on one special day to celebrate the beauty and uniqueness of this region and to promote the importance of oceans through varied activities including: beach clean-ups; sustainable seafood dinners; educational exhibitions; marine-themed bazaars; and beach parties.

“WWF, along with its partners are encouraging everyone to do one special thing, no matter how small, that will contribute to saving the Coral Triangle and let the world know how we care about it by sharing it on the Coral Triangle online platform www.thecoraltriangle.com/day,” says Dr Lida Pet-Soede, WWF Coral Triangle Programme Leader.

The Coral Triangle is a six million square-kilometer ocean expanse that contains the highest number of reef building corals on the planet. Its spectacular coral reefs systems are home to thousands of whales, dolphins, rays, sharks, and six of the world’s seven species of marine turtles.

Spanning across six countries in Asia and the Pacific including Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Timor Leste and Solomon Islands, the Coral Triangle is also a nursery ground for highly valuable tuna species and much sought-after reef fish species. It directly sustains the lives of more than 120 million people who heavily depend on marine resources for food and income.

However, coastal development, destructive fishing, overfishing, unsustainable tourism, the illegal harvest and trade of endangered species, and climate change, among many others, are taking a heavy toll on this fragile marine ecosystem.

The Coral Triangle Day, envisioned to be an annual, open-sourced event, hopes to empower individuals to take specific action to help protect and conserve this globally-significant marine ecoregion.

“This unprecedented event aims to build a critical mass of supporters for the Coral Triangle on different levels of society by using a fun and exciting way for people in this part of the world to learn more about the significance of oceans,” adds Pet-Soede.

Individuals, organizations, and establishments celebrating the Coral Triangle Day are encouraged to post their videos or photos on www.thecoraltriangle.com/day to show the world what they are doing for the oceans during this day and to help create a truly regional community of Coral Triangle supporters.

For more information on the Coral Triangle, visit www.thecoraltriangle.com. For more information on the Coral Triangle Day, visit www.thecoraltriangle.com/day

For further information:
Paolo P. Mangahas, Communications Manager, WWF Coral Triangle Programme, +603 7803 3772, pmangahas@wwf.org.my
Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0000: Sanctuary boundaries need to extend south to protect last 55 Maui’s dolphins - WWF - News on marine environment issues
Wellington, New Zealand – WWF-New Zealand is calling on the Department of Conservation to help protect the world’s remaining Maui’s dolphins by extending the boundary of the Marine Mammal Sanctuary further south and suspending all current mining and seismic activity in their habitat.

The Department of Conservation’s call for submissions on its interim proposal to extend the West Coast North Island Marine Mammal Sanctuary close today, 27 April.

Milena Palka, WWF-New Zealand Marine Advocate, said: “The number one threat to the survival of our Maui’s dolphins is fishing with nets. However with the population so perilously low, all other human threats including boat strike, seismic surveys and seabed mining (for minerals such as iron sands) need to be removed from their habitat to give these dolphins a fighting chance at survival. Extending the current sanctuary boundaries and imposing a suspension on these activities until they can be adequately assessed is crucial.”

Maui’s dolphins, and their South Island relative Hector’s, are the smallest and rarest marine dolphins in the world. Last month, DOC released a new official population estimate revealing there are likely just 55 Maui’s over the age of one.[1] The previous official estimate from 2006 was 111 individuals. The species is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN.

In response to the Maui’s decline, Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson and Primary Industries Minister David Carter have proposed added interim protection measures while a full review of the threats is undertaken.

WWF-New Zealand has responded to DOC’s proposal for interim extension of the West Coast North Island (WCNI) Marine Mammal Sanctuary, including an extension on the seismic survey regulations within the sanctuary, by urging a more precautionary approach. In a submission, the global conservation organisation argues that the sanctuary boundary must be further extended along the entire coast from Maunganui Bluff (near Dargaville) to Hawera in Taranaki, to cover all harbours and waters out to 100 meters deep.

WWF is also calling on the corridor that links the top of the South Island from Farewell Spit to Harewa to be protected, to allow Hector’s and Maui’s dolphins to connect. New biopsy data reveals that there is evidence of Hector’s travelling north to coexist with Maui’s. This opens up the possibility of future breeding and replenishment of the dangerously low Maui’s population.

This marine corridor is currently totally unprotected, despite evidence the dolphins are found in this area. A Hector’s dolphin was reported killed in a commercial set net off the coast of Taranaki in January this year, and subsequently identified by Ministry of Fisheries officials as a Maui’s.

“The proposed interim protection measures are inadequate to stop the extinction of the Maui’s”, said Milena Palka. “For Maui’s dolphins to survive, they need complete protection across their entire range. With as few as 55 individuals left, there can be no room for error.”

For more information please contact

Rosa Argent, Communications Manager, WWF-New Zealand: +64 4 471 4292, rargent@wwf.org.nz