2008年12月25日 星期四

保護鯨豚 巴西提倡劃設保護區

保護鯨豚 巴西提倡劃設保護區
環境資訊電子報
本報2008年12月25日綜合外電報導,楊佳珊編譯,莫聞審校
http://e-info.org.tw/node/39928

巴西在南美洲東部、東北部的海岸線,共有約有8,000公里長。為了加強保護巴西領海內的所有鯨豚,該國總統魯拉上週(18日)簽訂一項聯邦法令,劃設「巴西鯨豚保護區」(Brazilian Whale and Dolphin Sanctuary),巴西駐國際捕鯨委員會(IWC)代表帕拉佐(José Truda Palazzo, Jr.)表示,「這項計畫向國際社群傳遞一個清楚又強而有力的訊息,讓全世界知道巴西對於鯨豚保護的決心,並加強推動『南大西洋鯨豚保護區』〈South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary〉行動,讓保護區遍及整個海域。」

帕拉佐表示,「巴西鯨豚保護區法令同時也是在倡導不具殺傷力的用途,並且和鄰國合作一起為鯨豚保育推行跨區域性行動。」

目前,巴西與智利等拉丁美洲國家組成一個「布宜諾斯艾利斯小組」,在國際捕鯨委員會中進行談判,來確保賞鯨活動納入合法的鯨豚管理方式之中,並且讓大部分海域只准許賞鯨這種非致命性的鯨豚利用方式。

智利在9月份間已頒布一項法令,宣佈將智利管轄水域劃設為鯨豚保護區,讓綿延在南美洲西岸、總長約5,500公里海岸線內的鯨豚受到保護。

巴西與智利的行動源於國際捕鯨委員會的努力。該委員會目前正試圖中止捕鯨和反捕鯨國家間長年以來的爭端,像是原住民社群的捕魚量、「以科學為目的進行捕鯨」的法令漏洞,以及設立保護區等等問題。因此,IWC並須協調各方歧見,在在鯨豚保育及捕鯨活動管理上,儘可能達成共識。

目前,國際捕鯨委員會未來行動小組分別在9月於美國佛州,以12月8-10日在英國劍橋,舉行第一次與第二次工作會議,會議主席同樣是由2007年之前擔任聯合國副祕書長一職的秘魯特使索托(Alvaro de Soto)所主持。

這一系列的協商會議均由國際捕鯨委員會6月智利聖地牙哥舉行的年度大會中授權。當時該項會議一致同意的程序包含兩項要點,其中一項是沒有觀察員出席的討論小組可隨時召開動腦會議,但會議結論不具決策性;第二則是由委員會召開的全體會議,觀察員可出席。

未來行動小組會議預計將在2009年3月間在羅馬召開一次國際會議,開放讓觀察員參加;在此會議之前,預計在2月間公告他們的討論成果。這些討論,都會在2009年6月間的全體會議中再進一步深化並作成決議。

【參考資料】ENS報導
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/dec2008/2008-12-18-01.asp

Brazil Declares Whale Sanctuary Along Entire Coast
BRASILIA, Brazil, December 18, 2008 (ENS) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva today signed a federal decree establishing the Brazilian Whale and Dolphin Sanctuary, reinforcing protection for all cetacean species in Brazilian jurisdictional waters. Brazilian waters stretch along the nation's 8,000 kilometer (5,000 mile) long coastline on the east and northeast coast of South America.

According to Brazilian Commissioner to the International Whaling Commission José Truda Palazzo, Jr., "the initiative sends a clear and powerful message to the international community in relation to Brazil's commitment towards whale conservation, and also reinforces our campaign for a South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary to be established in the entire oceanic basin."

In September, Chile enacted a law declaring Chilean jurisdictional waters to be a whale sanctuary, protecting the cetaceans all along its 5,500 km (3,400 mile) long shoreline on the west coast of South America.
Humpback whales off the coast of Brazil at Praia do forte, Bahia state (Photo by Nigel Addecott)

Currently, the International Whaling Commission is attempting to settle a years-long dispute between whaling and non-whaling countries which encompasses issues such as coastal quotas for traditional communities, the scientific whaling loophole, and the establishment of sanctuaries.

Together with other Latin American countries which make up the so-called Buenos Aires Group, Brazil is engaged in the negotiation to ensure that whalewatching is recognized as a legitimate whale management option and that large areas are set aside exclusively for this type of non-lethal use.

Palazzo says the Brazilian Whale Sanctuary decree also provides for the promotion of non-lethal uses and for cooperation with neighboring countries to develop regional initiatives for the conservation of cetaceans.

As part of its agreed process to arrive at a consensus solution to the main issues faced by the International Whaling Commission to enable it to best fulfil its role with respect to the conservation of whale stocks and the management of whaling, a second meeting of the Small Working Group on the Future of IWC was convened earlier this month.

The meeting took place in Cambridge, UK from December 8-10 and was again chaired by Ambassador Alvaro de Soto of Peru, an under-secretary general of the United Nations until 2007.
Humpback whale mother and calf off the coast of Brazil at Praia do forte, Bahia state (Photo by Nigel Addecott)

The first Small Working Group meeting was held in Florida in September, also chaired by de Soto.

The process, agreed by the IWC by consensus at its annual meeting in Santiago, Chile in June, is made up of two components - one or more small, non-decision-making meetings of the Small Working Group held without observers being present to allow the free exploration of ideas; and full meetings of the commission which are open to observers.

The Small Working Group will report to an intersessional meeting of the commission, which will be open to observers, scheduled to take place in Rome from March 9-11, 2009. The Small Working Group report will be available in February.

The earliest formal decisions can be taken on the IWC's future will be at the Annual Meeting in Madeira, Portugal in June 2009, which will be open to observers and the media.

"I was delighted with the discussions we had at this meeting," said the IWC Chair Dr. Bill Hogarth of the United States. "As I've said before, this is a vital process for the future of whale conservation and the management of human activities that can affect their status. All IWC members want healthy whale stocks, whatever disagreements may exist on how they should be used."

At IWC meetings over the past five years, South American countries including Brazil have repeatedly failed in their bids to establish a whale sanctuary in the southern Atlantic Ocean from the east coast of South America to the west coast of Africa.

2008年12月24日 星期三

「誰來關心媽祖魚」英文摺頁

各位支持媽祖魚聯盟的朋友,以下有媽祖魚保育聯盟設計的英文摺頁電子稿,歡迎推廣使用,
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http://picasaweb.google.com.tw/twSousa/EnglishBrochure




















福建省海域首次設立禁漁區保護中華白海豚

福建省海域首次設立禁漁區保護中華白海豚
2008-12-21 11:35:50
來源:新華網福建頻道─海峽導報
http://big5.xinhuanet.com/gate/big5/www.fj.xinhuanet.com/nnews/2008-12/21/content_15239555.htm

廈門9.253平方公裏的海域昨日起成為常年禁漁區,禁止一切捕撈、養殖和垂釣行為。這是福建省海域首設禁漁區。

根據省海洋與漁業局安排,廈門鐘宅、劉五店、澳頭、五通四點連線的同安灣口湖裏一側7.183平方公裏海域,五緣灣大橋以南五緣灣內2.07平方公裏海域為常年禁漁區,目的是保護活躍在這些海域的國家一級保護動物中華白海豚。(記者 黃耀文)

2008年12月12日 星期五

「誰來關心媽祖魚」中文摺頁

各位支持媽祖魚聯盟的朋友,下面有媽祖魚保育聯盟設計的摺頁電子稿,歡迎推廣使用,
讓媽祖魚保育議題讓更多人能知道,並請繼續支持我們。

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2008年12月11日 星期四

媽祖魚生存研究基金11月財務報告

媽祖魚生存研究基金專案損益表

2008/07/11~2008/11/30


項目 金額(NTD)
捐款收入 267,572
收入合計 267,572
   
海洋朝聖之旅報名費 15,000
印製白海豚摺頁DM,購台灣鯨類圖鑑 18,900
交通費.郵資.信用卡刷卡手續費等 6,467
支出合計 40,367


媽祖魚保育聯盟墊付 250,000
私人借貸 250,000
福爾摩莎鯨研究小組專案費用  
8/26 支付第一期款 500,000
11/28 支付第二期款部份 56,303
本期結餘 170,902


福爾摩莎鯨研究小組專案費用 1,200,000
已支付 (556,303)
尚須支付 643,697
9711月底止, 資金不足(含私人借貸) (722,795)

美國國家海洋暨大氣總署規範船速保護鯨魚

美國國家海洋暨大氣總署規範船速保護鯨魚

國際環境資訊發報台
CIEREnv 2008-12-09 14:37:58
http://blog.yam.com/CIEREnv/article/18726449

生態保育_20081208_Medill Reports

經過環保團體5年來的努力,美國國家海洋暨大氣總署(Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA)將要求長度65英呎以上的船隻,進入美國東岸主要港口20海浬範圍內以後,必須將船速降至10節以內,避免北大西洋露脊鯨(North Atlantic Right Whales)遭受傷害。高度瀕危的北大西洋露脊鯨,經常因不小心游進大型船隻之間而受傷死亡,NOAA官員表示,目前北大西洋露脊鯨總數僅存3、400 隻,而與船隻碰撞是其主要威脅,因此為了恢復鯨群數量,將開始強制執行這項規定。環保團體雖然讚許這項進步,但對於該規定有5年期限表示遺憾。環保團體表示,要用5年證明措施有效並不容易,因為往往被發現的鯨魚屍體數量並非實際的死亡數量,所以很有可能發生被找到的屍體增加,但實際死亡數量減少的情況。

http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/washington/news.aspx?id=109551

Ships must slow for slow-moving whales

WASHINGTON—North Atlantic Right Whales are among the most endangered whales in the world, and many times they are killed after swimming into large ships. Starting Tuesday, NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will require ships 65 feet or longer to slow their speed. They must stay below ten knots within 20 nautical miles of key ports along the United States east coast.

“It’s a highly endangered species,” said Greg Silber, the coordinator for recovery activities for endangered large whale species at NOAA. “There are about three or four hundred individuals total in the entire population. Collisions with vessels is the major threat and we really need to address this in order for this population to recover.”

After a five-year push from environmental organizations, the regulation was approved in October and will now be enforced.

Although many environmental groups appreciate the move to protect the species, they aren’t completely content. “It’s long overdue,” said Sharon Young, the marine issues field director for the Humane Society of the United States. “The biggest disappointment in this rule is that it contains a five-year, what’s called a sun-down clause, which basically expires in five years.” Five years from now in 2013, the regulation will only continue if there is proof that it is effective.

But Young says that proving effectiveness is difficult. The number of whales’ bodies found may not be the complete number of whales actually killed.

“If we found four whales’ bodies in the last five years, we might have actually had 15 whales killed, we just didn’t find most of them. Whereas in the next five years, we might actually find five dead whales even though only seven of the animals actually died,” said Young who said the rule might ultimately result in a 50 percent reduction in whale deaths. “So even though the actual number of bodies found went up, it might make it look as though the rules might not have been effective when they could actually be pretty effective.”

NOAA said it is still in the process of setting up the standards for measuring the effectiveness of the regulation.

保育團體呼籲嚴格約束船隻 減少海洋噪音

保育團體呼籲嚴格約束船隻 減少海洋噪音

國際環境資訊發報台
http://blog.yam.com/CIEREnv/article/18585686
CIEREnv 2008-12-05 14:22:56
生態保育_20081203_UNEP

許多野生動物保育團體,在目前羅馬的移棲物種公約會議(Convention on Migratory Species conference)中指出,全球海洋生物正面臨船隻增加、地震調查與軍事聲納等多重噪音來源的威脅,而全球暖化更可能加劇這些問題。根據聯合國跨政府氣候變遷小組(IPCC)表示,海水酸度持續增加,而酸化的海水吸收低頻聲音的能力會減弱,致海洋中的噪音問題變得更加嚴重;研究人員指出,相較於工業革命之前,海水的吸收能力下降了10%。有鑑於二氧化碳濃度升高課題日趨嚴峻,保育團體呼籲各界對地震、石油或天然氣探勘船採取更嚴格的規範,而海軍也應盡量減少使用聲納。

http://www.unep.org/Documents.Multilingual/Default.asp?DocumentID=553&ArticleID=6007&l=en

Governments and Wildlife Groups Take Soundings on Noise Pollution and Ship Strike Threats to Whales and Dolphins

Rising Levels of Greenhouse Gases May Aggravate Rising Tide of Noise from Ships, Oil Exploration and Military Sonar

Rome/Bonn/Nairobi, 3 December 2008 - The world's oceans and seas are becoming noisier as a result of increases in vessels; a rise in seismic surveys and because of the new generation of military sonars , an alliance of wildlife groups said today.

They are concerned that the cacophony of sounds pervading the once seas are intensifying threats to marine mammals who use sound, sometimes over great distances, to communicate, forage for food and find mates.

The groups, attending a the United Nations Environment Programme's Convention on Migratory Species conference in Rome, are urging governments and industry to adopt quieter engines for ships, tighter rules on the use of seismic surveys in oil and gas exploration and new, less intrusive sonar technologies by navies.

The news comes amid new concerns that rising levels of carbon dioxide (C02), the result of the burning of fossil fuels, may be aggravating noise levels from increased human activities.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), established by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organisation, warned in its latest report of growing acidity or 'acidification' of seas and oceans.

The IPCC flagged concern over the impacts of falling PH levels (increasing acidity) on coral-reef building creatures and on plankton at the base of the marine food chain.

Researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in the United States are also suggesting that increasing ocean acidity may be making the marine environment noisier.

Indeed the changing chemistry of seawater may mean that currently it is 10 per cent less absorbent of 'low' frequency sound than it was prior to the Industrial Revolution.

Unless emissions of greenhouse gases are cut - a key issue on the table this week in Poznan, Poland at the UN climate convention meeting - acidity levels in the seas and oceans could reach a point by 2050 where noise from ships to seismic guns is travelling 70 per cent further.

Mark Simmonds Science Director of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, who is attending the UNEP Convention on Migratory Species meeting, said: "Underwater, man-made noise, is already triggering a kind of acoustic fog and a cacophony of sound in many parts of the world seas and oceans.

"In addition there is now evidence linking loud underwater noises with some major strandings of marine mammals, especially deep diving beaked whales. However, it also appears that other species may also be affected and this year has for example witnessed two major stranding events in Madagascar and the United Kingdom which are still being investigated," he added

"Now we confronted with cutting-edge evidence that fossil fuel burning and the build-up of C02 may pose a new and even 'louder' threat unless urgent action is taken to cut emissions over the coming years and decades. There clearly needs to be a comprehensive and joined-up response to noise pollution in the underwater world,"he added.

The European Community and its member states have submitted a draft resolution to the 9th Conference of the Parties to the UNEP-CMS this week on marine noise. ( READ FULL STORY)

海水酸化影響聲音傳導 衝擊海洋生物溝通

海水酸化影響聲音傳導 衝擊海洋生物溝通

國際環境資訊發報台
CIEREnv 2008-10-14 20:15:11
http://blog.yam.com/CIEREnv/article/17726455
水質保護_20081006_Tehran Times

石油與煤炭燃燒時產生的二氧化碳,不只加劇陸地上的空氣污染,也可能形成海裡的噪音污染。根據美國加州蒙特瑞灣水族研究學會的最新研究指出,過去10年來石化燃料產生大量的二氧化碳,其中約有40%為海洋所吸收,因此造成海水酸度增加,使人類在海中製造出的中、低頻聲音更不易為海水吸收,因而得以傳導得更遠。此波段的聲音主要由工業活動或船隻所產生,正好也是鯨魚、海豚等海洋生物用以搜尋食物或溝通的頻率,此外,近年來人類產生的噪音與日俱增,都將對海洋生物的溝通造成影響。


http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=179327

Pollution makes oceans noisier

The ocean may soon begin to sound more like New York City to dolphins and whales.

As carbon dioxide levels rise and make the world's oceans warmer and more acidic, the increasing amounts of the gas could also make the seas noisier, especially in the soprano range, a new study suggests.

The increased burning of fossils fuels such as coal and oil in the last few decades has injected more and more carbon dioxide into the Earth's atmosphere. The oceans absorb a large chunk of this extra carbon dioxide (about 40 percent).

The more carbon dioxide that water absorbs, the more acidic it becomes; this is why sodas, with their carbon dioxide bubbles, are acidic. This change in seawater chemistry alters the way sound moves through the ocean, allowing it to propagate farther, particularly for sounds two and a half octaves above ""middle C,"" said researcher Keith Hester of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in California.

The pH of a liquid is gauged on a scale of about -1 to 14, where 7 is neutral. Anything above that is basic (for example, household bleach has a pH of about 13), anything below is acidic (lemon juice has a pH of about 2). The standard pH of ocean water is about 8.3, or slightly basic/alkaline.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates that the pH of ocean waters has decreased by about 0.02 units per decade over the last 20 years. The most conservative projections of the IPCC suggest that the pH of seawater could drop by a total of 0.3 units by 2050.

Not only does this increasing acidity threaten the ocean food chain by hampering the formation of shells and corals, it could also affect the communication of marine mammals by changing the way sound travels through the seawater. Essentially, the more acidic seawater gets, the farther sound travels in it. Sending sound farther

While the interactions causing this phenomenon aren't completely understood, chemists do know that seawater of different pHs absorbs specific frequencies differently. The more acidic that seawater is, the less low- and mid-frequency sound that it absorbs, letting those frequencies travel farther. With sounds traveling farther, the level of noise in the ocean will increase, Hester and his colleagues found in their study, detailed in the Oct. 1 issue of the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

Hester's calculations predict that the change in chemistry will have the greatest effect on sounds below about 3,000 cycles per second (or about two and a half octaves above ""middle C"" on the piano).

This range includes most of the frequencies that marine mammals, such as whales, use to communicate to find food and mates, as well as many of the underwater sounds generated by industrial activity and ships. (This human-generated noise has also increased in recent years, with evidence that it is affecting marine mammal communication.)

2008年12月10日 星期三

歡迎訂閱RSS(Atom)新聞

各位支持媽祖魚聯盟的朋友,我們的部落閣也可以訂閱RSS(Atom)新聞了,訂閱我們的RSS,隨時有最新消息送到您的手中。還有其他的新聞訊息組可供訂閱,請詳參首頁的右側邊條。希望你會喜歡我們的服務。

秘書處 敬上

2008年12月9日 星期二

《海洋噪音:降低音量》

國際野生動物保護組織 (IFAW) 在研討會中提出一篇名為《海洋噪音:降低音量 (Ocean Noise: Turn it Down)的報告,越來越多的船艦、油氣探勘震波、鄰海建築與遊憩、新式軍用聲納等,使得海洋日趨嘈雜。該組織警告,以聲音作為溝通媒介、搜索食物以及尋找伴侶的海洋哺乳動物會因此受到更大的威脅。

按圖閱覽報告

海底噪音加劇 鯨魚海豚遭殃

海底噪音加劇 鯨魚海豚遭殃

BBC 中文網
http://news.bbc.co.uk/chinese/trad/hi/newsid_7760000/newsid_7764000/7764020.stm
2008年12月03日 格林尼治標準時間23:07發表

在意大利羅馬開會的野生動物保護專家們說,世界的海洋噪音正在越來越多地壓制鯨魚和海豚用來相互溝通和導航的叫聲。科學家們指出,海底噪音加劇使海洋動物變得不知所措、無法找到伴侶或食物,它們的行為也發生年變化。他們說,商用航運的增多、新型軍事聲納系統的採用、以及海床天然氣勘探等都加劇了海底噪音。

專家們還說,他們現在發現氣候變化也加劇了海底噪音。二氧化碳排放量的增高加快了海洋變酸的速度,使人為噪音在海底傳播更遠。他們建議減少海底噪音的措施包括給船隻安裝噪音更小的引擎。其他措施還包括改變航運路線,減低船隻運行速度以及禁止在瀕危動物棲息海域進行測試和使用聲納儀。鯨魚和海豚保護協會的西蒙德形容海洋噪音像是一個巨大的雞尾酒會,每個人說話時都必須提高嗓音,直到大家誰都聽不見對方。這些專家是在聯合國舉辦的一次有關遷徙動物的大會上發出這些警告的。

野生動物遷徙物種保護公約》的100個簽約國的代表參加了這次會議,他們將考慮公布一項要求簽約國減少噪音污染的決議。

海洋酸化、噪音 鯨魚日子難熬

海洋酸化、噪音 鯨魚日子難熬

環境資訊中心
http://e-info.org.tw/node/39543

摘譯自2008年12月3日ENS義大利,羅馬報導;葉松剛編譯;蔡麗伶、禾引審校

白鯨;圖片來源:Jenny Spadafora由野生生物團體組成的聯盟12月3日表示,越來越多的船艦、油氣探勘震波、鄰海建築與遊憩、新式軍用聲納等,使得海洋日趨嘈雜。聯盟警告,以聲音作為溝通媒介、搜索食物以及尋找伴侶的海洋哺乳動物會因此受到更大的威脅。

該聯盟出席了在羅馬由聯合國環境規劃署(UNEP)舉辦的遷徙物種研討會(CMS),於會中呼籲政府與企業應為船隻安裝更安靜的引擎,進行震波探勘時應採用更嚴謹的規範,並讓海軍利用更新、低干擾的聲納技術。

國際野生動物保護組織(IFAW) 在研討會中提出一篇名為〈海洋噪音:降低音量〉(Ocean Noise: Turn it Down)的報告,內容指出噪音增加的程度導致藍鯨能夠溝通的距離減少了90%。根據報告的估算,過去40年間,行駛在太平洋的船隻所製造的噪音每十年就會倍增。全球航運船隊的數量繼1965至2003年間成長一倍之後,預計將在2025年再增加一倍。在震波探勘中使用的空氣槍會產生巨大聲響,音量高峰值達到259分貝,每10秒就產生一次,過程長達數月之久,傳播距離超過3000公里。報告中指出世界上有超過90艘的震波探勘船,其中有1/4終年運行。此外,全球估計有300座海軍用聲納系統,產生超過235分貝壓力音波。如此巨大的聲響,比一般認為對人類安全的145分貝還要強十億倍以上。野生生物團體的律師法蘭克(Veronica Frank)表示:「我們需要大規模的行動,其中包含一項規範:超大型油輪以下,所有船隻的製造商與業主應該與國際間有能力的團體進行合作,將噪音減量方法一開始就列入船艦的設計與運作之中。」

海洋越來越嘈雜的消息也伴隨著新的隱憂:溫室氣體二氧化碳的增加,可能使得水面下的噪音程度更為嚴重。美國蒙特利灣水族研究中心的研究人員在10月份發表的報告中指出,海洋酸度的增加將使海洋環境更吵雜。由跨政府氣候變遷委員會(IPCC)提出的保育計畫內容表示,到2050年時,海水中的化學性質可能會增加0.3個pH值。2008年10月1發刊的《地球物理研究通訊》(Geophysical Research Letters)中,蒙特利灣的赫斯特(Keith Hester)與同事估計,到了2050年海洋酸度的改變可能會讓聲音在水面下傳播的距離再增加70%。赫斯特與他的團隊表示,海水越酸,中低頻音被吸收的量越少。海水化學性質的改變也許意謂著,今日海水吸收低頻音的能力比工業革命之前減少了10%。

大翅鯨;圖片來源:NOAA赫斯特還表示,除非減少溫室氣體的排放-這同時是本周在波蘭波茲南(Poznan)舉辦年度聯合國氣候會議的重要議題-海洋酸度的提升將會增加海中的背景音量,同時可能對海洋哺乳動物的行為造成影響。

鯨豚保育協會(WDCS)科學部門主任西蒙(Mark Simmonds)在羅馬舉行的遷徙物種研討會(CMS)中表示:「全世界許多海洋的水面下,人類製造的噪音已產生了一種聽覺瘴霧與不和諧的聲響。」

西門表示現在有越來越多的證據,證明水面下巨大聲響與一些海洋哺乳動物的集體擱淺有關,尤其是深潛的喙鯨。當鯨豚受到巨響驚嚇,牠們會表現出不尋常的潛水行為,罹患與人類潛水員相似的潛水夫病。

Noisy, Acid Oceans Increasingly Harmful to Whales
ROME, Italy, December 3, 2008 (ENS)

Oceans and seas are becoming noisier with more vessels, increased seismic surveys for oil and gas, off-shore construction and recreation, and a new generation of military sonars, an alliance of wildlife groups said today. They warn that the cacophony is intensifying threats to marine mammals that use sound to communicate, forage for food and find mates.

The groups, attending the United Nations Environment Programme's Convention on Migratory Species conference in Rome, are urging governments and industry to adopt quieter engines for ships, tighter rules on the use of seismic surveys, and new, less intrusive sonar technologies by navies.

At the conference, the International Fund for Animal Welfare issued a report, "Ocean Noise: Turn it Down," showing that the distance over which blue whales can communicate is down by 90 percent as a result of intensified noise levels.

Ship noise in the Pacific Ocean has doubled every decade over the past 40 years and the global shipping fleet is expected to double in size by 2025, after doubling between 1965 and 2003, the report calculates.

Airguns used in seismic surveys generate "colossal" sounds peaking at up to 259 decibels and can be repeated every 10 seconds for months. These sounds travelled more than 3,000 km from the source. There are 90 seismic survey ships in the world, the report states, and a quarter of them are in use on any given day.

In addition, there are an estimated 300 naval sonar systems worldwide able to generate pressure sound waves of more than 235 decibels. Pings this loud are over one billion times more intense than the 145 decibel upper limit deemed safe for humans.

Veronica Frank, an attorney with the wildlife group, said, "We are calling for wide-ranging action, including a requirement that builders and owners of all vessels, from super-tankers down, working with the competent international body, factor noise reduction measures into vessels' design and operation at the outset."

The news of noisier oceans is emerging alongside new concerns that rising levels of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide may be aggravating underwater noise levels.

Researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in the United States published a study in October showing that rising ocean acidity can make the marine environment noisier.

Conservative projections by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change suggest that by 2050 the chemistry of seawater could increase in acidity by 0.3 pH units.

In the October 1, 2008 issue of "Geophysical Research Letters," Monterey Bay's Keith Hester and his co-authors calculate that by 2050 this change in ocean acidity would allow sounds to travel up to 70 percent farther underwater.

The more acidic the seawater, the less low-frequency and mid-frequency sound it absorbs, said Hester and his team. The changing chemistry of seawater may mean that currently it is 10 percent less absorbent of low frequency sound than it was prior to the Industrial Revolution.

Unless greenhouse gases emissions are cut - the key issue this week in Poznan, Poland at the annual UN climate conference - the rising ocean acid level will increase the amount of background noise in the oceans and could affect the behavior of marine mammals, said Hester.

Mark Simmonds, science director of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, who is attending the Convention on Migratory Species meeting in Rome, said, "Underwater, man-made noise, is already triggering a kind of acoustic fog and a cacophony of sound in many parts of the world seas and oceans."
There is now evidence linking loud underwater noises with some major strandings of marine mammals, especially deep diving beaked whales, Simmonds said.

When cetaceans are startled by loud noise, they exhibit unusual diving behavior and suffer something similar to a human diver getting the bends, he said.

全文及圖片詳見:http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/dec2008/2008-12-03-03.asp

2008年12月5日 星期五

廈門將白海豚主要活動區域設定為常年禁漁區

廈門將白海豚主要活動區域設定為常年禁漁區
2008年12月03日 17:52 來源:新華網 余瑛瑞
http://big5.ce.cn/xwzx/gnsz/gdxw/200812/03/t20081203_17574548.shtml

記者從廈門市海洋與漁業局獲悉,廈門將中華白海豚主要活動區域近10平方公里設定為常年禁漁區,12月20日開始執行。

為有效保護海域生態環境和珍稀海洋物種,減少海域安全隱患,福建省海洋與漁業局近日正式發佈了《福建省海洋與漁業局關於在廈門市五緣灣大橋以南五緣灣內海域等特定海域設置禁漁區的通告》,將鐘宅、劉五店、澳頭、五通四點連線的同安灣口湖裏一側海域7.183平方公里和五緣灣大橋以南五緣灣內海域2.07平方公里設置為禁漁區,面積總計為9.235平方公里。設定禁漁區面積內禁止一切捕撈和養殖行為。

廈門市海洋與漁業局局長藺海清在接受記者採訪時說,這是廈門首次設置常年禁漁區,主要因為這裡是國家一級保護動物中華白海豚主要活動區域,近期內多次發現大量白海豚頻繁出現,在其活動頻繁區禁止捕撈,可消除其生活環境的影響和危害。另外,同安灣口及五緣灣海域主要功能是航運和旅遊用海,劃定禁漁區,有利於規範管理,遏制非法捕魚,保護海洋動物,同時還可對有限的海域進行合理規劃利用。

藺海清說,近年來廈門市不斷加強漁民轉產上岸工作,並採取了給予補助金、解決就業難等一系列行之有效的措施,湖裏區、同安區、海滄區已決定全區漁船轉產上岸,全市的定置網漁船基本清退上岸。