Marine and Coastal Cross-Cutting Workshop
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Millennium Assessment update: Marine and Coastal Cross-Cutting workshop by Jackie Alder his April, the Sea Around Us Tproject hosted the Millennium Assessment’s (MA) Marine and Coastal Cross-Cutting Workshop. The workshop was the third in a series of five, designed to ensure that all facets of the MA include specific components such as marine A raven dancer greets Richard Dugdale (left) and Andrew Bakun (right) to the systems throughout. workshop. Photo by J. Alder Several coordinating and lead authors (LA) for myself participated in the from a wide range of the various chapters in the workshop and will continue expertise (and not all of MA reports attended this to contribute to the writing them of the ‘wet’ sort), was meeting to provide a of both chapters as well as smaller than the previous different perspective and furthering the scenarios two workshops, we made to help clarify questions work. significant progress on the and issues related to areas The previous two cross- writing of the marine and outside of the expertise of cutting workshops were on coastal chapters of the the marine and coastal human health issues and planned conditions and participants. biodiversity. This workshop trends report, Daniel Pauly of the Sea was the first to focus on strengthened and Around Us project is specific ecosystems – the expanded the coverage of coordinating lead author marine realm and coasts. the other chapters, and (CLA) for the Marine Despite the earth surface tuned the work of the chapter and Tundi Agardy, being 70% marine, the scenarios and responses a private consultant based world’s oceans and coasts working groups. The in Washington D.C. is the are often forgotten in global addition of experts from CLA for the Coastal chapter. studies. The results of this other fields provided a Several members of the workshop, however, will different perspective to Sea Around Us project are ensure that this does not marine and coastal issues, also involved in the MA: happen in the MA. which will further Villy Christensen, Deng While the group of over strengthen the marine and Palomares, Reg Watson and 20 dedicated researchers, coastal work. Many of the Continued on page 2 - MA The Sea Around Us Project Newsletter Issue 16 – March/April 2003 Sea Around Us Sea Around Us March/April 2003 Page 2 MA - Continued from page 1 participants who did not have a marine background commented on how much they had learned and how they now have a better appreciation of marine and coastal issues. The workshop was launched The at the First Nations House of evening’s Learning with welcoming entertainment remarks from the University of provided British Columbia’s Michael Goldberg, Director of Participants at the MA Marine and Coastal Crosscutting Workshop with members of visitors with International Affairs and Dick the Lax Kaien Tsimshian Dancers. a glimpse of Carson, Pacific Regional Manager the of Ocean Policy, Department of with a dinner of traditional (see Sea Around Us Issue 14: importance Fisheries and Oceans. The aboriginal food and The Lax www.saup.fisheries.ubc.ca/ Kaien Tsimshian Dancers. The of the coast Longhouse venue, combined Newsletters/newsletter.htm). with BC’s rich history of fishing evening’s entertainment Because of the limited and offshore and the spiritual values of BC’s provided visitors with a glimpse knowledge of marine systems resources to First Nations, provided an of the importance of the coast combined with even less aboriginals inspiring start to the workshop, and offshore resources to knowledge of the impacts of in British especially since the MA has been aboriginals in British Columbia some of the proposed and set the scene for a Columbia working hard to ensure that initiatives for such systems, the aboriginal needs are recognized productive week. scenarios breakout group came and included. The first day of The workshop then moved to to a consensus that any of these the workshop was concluded St John’s College for the scenarios will have considerable remainder of the week and much uncertainty about how marine work was accomplished. The systems will behave. But under current drafts of the three major all four scenarios, it was agreed, reports on ‘Conditions and fish landings would not The Sea Around Us project newsletter is Trends’, ‘Scenarios’ and increase above what they published at the Fisher- ‘Responses’ were reviewed in currently are. ies Centre, University detail, including The crosscutting workshop of British Colum- recommendations on also made substantial progress bia. Six issues of incorporating important marine in defining marine and coastal this newsletter are and coastal aspects. The group concepts and clarifying a published annu- reviewing the Scenarios report number of terms that are used ally, included with found it quite a challenge to in the MA. The MA authors from the Fisheries Cen- determine the likely events that outside of the marine and tre’s newsletter would play out for the four coastal chapters highlighted a FishBytes. Subscriptions scenarios that have been number of concepts that they are free of charge. proposed by the MA’s Scenarios were not familiar with. Terms Our mailing address is: UBC Fisheries Cen- Working Group. The scenarios such as ‘production’ or ‘harvest’ tre, 2204 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Co- have previously been described Continued on page 3 - MA lumbia, Canada, V6T 1Z4. Our fax number is (604) 822-8934, and our email address is he Sea Around Us project is a Fisheries Centre partner- [email protected]. All queries (in- ship with the Pew Charitable Trusts of Philadelphia, cluding reprint requests), subscription re- USA. The Trusts support nonprofit activities in the areas of quests, and address changes should be ad- T culture, education, the environment, health and human serv- dressed to Robyn Forrest, Sea Around Us ices, public policy and religion. Based in Philadelphia, the Trusts Newsletter Editor. make strategic investments to help organisations and citizens The Sea Around Us website may be found develop practical solutions to difficult problems. In 2000, with at saup.fisheries.ubc.ca and contains up-to- approximately $4.8 billion in assets, the Trusts committed over date information on the project. $235 million to 302 nonprofit organisations. Page 3 Sea Around Us March/April 2003 MA - Continued from page 2 how they should be presented. The Sea Around Us project is are used extensively in the Some of the MA workshop pleased that, through hosting terrestrial realm to define the participants took advantage of the workshop, it could make a output of cultivated systems. In the weather and spent a few significant contribution to the the marine sector, they do not hours on Wednesday afternoon progress of the Millennium have the same meaning. touring the Fraser Inlet and Assessment. The workshop Gathering marine and coastal coast. It was a beautiful allowed us to make a major experts from different areas afternoon: the weather, sun and leap forward in making sure allowed identification of a marine wildlife cooperated so that marine and coastal systems The Sea range of datasets that will be that participants were given a are considered throughout the Around Us useful for other researchers glimpse of the coast of MA. It also highlighted the fact project is participating in this MA as well Vancouver - a mix of industry, that there is considerably more pleased that as for providing baseline data recreation, urban and port work to be done to make sure it could for subsequent MAs. development. Within this that decision-makers in the The workshop also provided seascape they saw a real false public and private sectors, the make a the CLAs with the opportunity killer whale, seals and a wide major end-users of the MA, significant to meet with colleagues who variety of sea birds and waders. have the most up-to-date and contribution are contributing to the marine Participants from the United best advice available to ensure to the and coastal chapters and to States were thrilled to see bald the sustainability of oceans and progress of highlight information gaps and eagles, their national bird, in coasts. No doubt the Sea approaches to fill those gaps as such numbers while others Around Us through its part- the well as to reach a consensus on were amazed that such wildlife icipation in the MA has much to Millennium what are the major issues and could be seen so close to a city. contribute to this end! Assessment In a Perfect Ocean: The Sea Around Us now available in paperback Long-term readers of this newsletter may remember a story published in May/June 2001 (Sea Around Us, Issue 9, p. 3), where scientific writer Jay Maclean is described as working feverishly through the night, during a Sea Around Us workshop in Nanaimo, to finish the first draft of In a Perfect Ocean: The State of Fisheries and Ecosystems in the North Atlantic Ocean. Those who have been waiting ever since for the book’s publication will be glad to know that it has just been published by Island Press. In a Perfect Ocean, by Daniel Pauly and Jay Maclean, presents the first comprehensive empirical assessment of the status of ecosystems in the North Atlantic ocean. Drawing on the results of the work of the Sea Around Us project, the book provides a picture of an ocean whose ecology has been dramatically altered by fishing. In addition to presenting some of the many maps and graphs produced by members of the Sea Around Us, including Reg Watson, Villy Christensen, Rashid Sumaila, Kristin Kaschner and Dirk Zeller, the book provides a snapshot of the past health of the North Atlantic and compares it to its present status; presents scientific assessments based on the key criteria of fisheries catches, biomass and trophic level; discusses the factors that have led to the current situation; and discusses the policy options available for halting the decline.