BIOT Vava II March 2019 Expedition
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BIOT Field Report
©2015 Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation. All Rights Reserved. Science Without Borders®. All research was completed under: British Indian Ocean Territory, The immigration Ordinance 2006, Permit for Visit. Dated 10th April, 2015, issued by Tom Moody, Administrator. This report was developed as one component of the Global Reef Expedition: BIOT research project. Citation: Global Reef Expedition: British Indian Ocean Territory. Field Report 19. Bruckner, A.W. (2015). Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation, Annapolis, MD. pp 36. The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation (KSLOF) was incorporated in California as a 501(c)(3), public benefit, Private Operating Foundation in September 2000. The Living Oceans Foundation is dedicated to providing science-based solutions to protect and restore ocean health. For more information, visit http://www.lof.org and https://www.facebook.com/livingoceansfoundation Twitter: https://twitter.com/LivingOceansFdn Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation 130 Severn Avenue Annapolis, MD, 21403, USA [email protected] Executive Director Philip G. Renaud Chief Scientist Andrew W. Bruckner, Ph.D. Images by Andrew Bruckner, unless noted. Maps completed by Alex Dempsey, Jeremy Kerr and Steve Saul Fish observations compiled by Georgia Coward and Badi Samaniego Front cover: Eagle Island. Photo by Ken Marks. Back cover: A shallow reef off Salomon Atoll. The reef is carpeted in leather corals and a bleached anemone, Heteractis magnifica, is visible in the fore ground. A school of giant trevally, Caranx ignobilis, pass over the reef. Photo by Phil Renaud. Executive Summary Between 7 March 2015 and 3 May 2015, the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation conducted two coral reef research missions as components of our Global Reef Expedition (GRE) program. -
Climate Change Impacts on Corals: BIOT and the Pitcairn Islands 1
Climate change impacts on corals: BIOT and the Pitcairn Islands 1 Climate change impacts on corals in the UK Overseas Territories of BIOT and the Pitcairn Islands 2 Climate change impacts on corals: BIOT and the Pitcairn Islands BIOT The British Indian Ocean Territory Changes in sea level and extreme (BIOT) consists of five atolls of low-lying weather events In BIOT, sea level is rising twice as fast as the global islands, including the largest atoll in average. Extreme sea levels appear related to El Niño the world, Great Chagos Bank, and a or La Niña events. When combined with bleaching and number of submerged atolls and banks. acidification sea level rise will reduce the effectiveness of reefs to perform as breakwaters. BIOT has experienced Diego Garcia is the only inhabited island. considerable shoreline erosion, which suggests loss of The BIOT Marine Protected Area (MPA) was designated breakwater effects from protective fringing reefs. in 2010. It covers the entire maritime zone and coastal waters, an approximate area of 640,000 km2. The Other human pressures marine environment is rich and diverse, attracting Rats have caused a crash of seabird populations, sea birds, sharks, cetaceans and sea turtles and with disrupting guano nutrient flows to the detriment of some extensive seagrass and coral reef habitats. It includes reef organisms including sponges and corals. Around the endangered Chagos brain coral (Ctenella chagius), an Diego Garcia, small scale fishing is allowed to residents endemic massive coral unique to BIOT. but illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is also known to occur, and there are concerns of pollution BIOT reefs have suffered extensive bleaching and mortality, and anchor damage within the lagoon. -
Important Bird Areas the British Indian Ocean Territory Peter Carr
Important Bird Areas The British Indian Ocean Territory Peter Carr Abstract The Chagos Archipelago, which has been known as the British Indian Ocean Territory since 1965, holds 18 species of breeding seabirds, many of them in internationally important numbers. The entire area, with the exception of Diego Garcia and its immediate surrounding waters, was designated a Marine Protected Area (MPA) in 2010, the largest MPA declared in the world so far. This UK Overseas Territory also hosts a Ramsar site based upon Diego Garcia, as well as ten Important Bird Areas (IBAs). Recent research has shown that a further two sites deserve IBA status. All of these sites have been designated IBAs for their breeding numbers or congregations of seabirds. There is a paucity of landbirds and no endemics. Human influence on the avian populations of the archipelago has been catastrophic. There is evidence of immense seabird colonies at one time but these had all disappeared by the late nineteenth century. Introduced Black Rats Rattus rattus continue to suppress numbers of breeding birds in most islands of the archipelago, while conversion of native forests to coconut Cocos nucifera plantations has deleteriously altered the terrestrial environment of most islands. There is evidence that a small recovery of breeding seabird numbers is taking place on some islands, though much more research is needed. Returning many of the islands to a rat-free, coconut- managed state, which could assist seabird recovery, is a matter of funding and political will, rather than a ‘green dream’. ying at the southern end of the Lakshadweep–Maldives– LChagos ridge and approxi- mately in the centre of the Indian Ocean, over 2,000 km from Africa, Indonesia and mainland Asia, are the five atolls of the Chagos Archipelago. -
Encounters with Atolls and Reefs of the Indian and Southwest Pacific Oceans
Encounters with Atolls and Reefs of the Indian and Southwest Pacific Oceans Review by Geoff Walker To those who have not seen an Atoll, they may ask what it is, well, an Atoll is a circular-shaped coral reef, island, or series of islets, which surrounds a body of water called a lagoon. Sometimes, Atolls and lagoons encompass a central island. Channels between islets connect a lagoon to the open ocean or sea. They are best observed in tropical regions, particularly in the Indian Ocean as well as the central and south west Pacific Ocean. They come in all sizes, some are minute, whilst others are massive in area, thus providing large, safe, protected anchorages. Some are well renowned, whilst others have never been heard of, and are little more than a miniscule notation or “dot” on an Admiralty Chart. There is a tendency for Atolls to form into clusters or groups and they can be a serious hazard to surface navigation. Many have taken their toll on unwary mariners, and which bear the evidence by numerous shipwrecks; a few of which are captured in this account. The formation of an Atoll is a slow process that can take millions of years. It starts when an underwater volcano erupts, creating a buildup of lava on the seafloor. With the passage of time, and continued eruptions, the lava continues to build until it breaks through the ocean's surface and forms an island. With the passage of time, hard corals begin to build a limestone reef around the island. Once the outer reef is formed it is called a “Fringe Reef” and encircles the recently created island, just below the ocean surface. -
The Former Inhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago As an Indigenous People
Copy 1 of 1 FIRST DRAFT--DO NOT COPY--FOR COMMENTS ONLY NOT FOR CITATION OR OTHER USE Draft Report The Former Inhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago as an Indigenous People: Analyzing the Evidence David Vine, M.A. Ph.D. Program in Anthropology Graduate Center City University of New York 9 July 2003 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary 3 Le Résumé Exécutif 5 Geographic Glossary 7 1. Introduction 9 2. The Indigenous Peoples Concept: 15 Reviewing the Literature 3. Self-identification as an Indigenous 42 People Among the Ilois 4. Recognition as an Indigenous People and 50 as a Distinct Collectivity 5. Historical and Temporal Evidence 56 6. Evidence of Sociocultural Distinctiveness 65 7. Evidence of Non-dominance in Society 89 8. Discussion and Conclusion: Strong 93 Support for the Ilois as an Indigenous People Appendix A: A History of the Inhabitants of 100 the Chagos Archipelago Appendix B: Chagos Population Change 142 Works Consulted 144 Acknowledgements / Remerciements 157 FIRST DRAFT--DO NOT COPY--FOR COMMENTS ONLY NOT FOR CITATION OR OTHER USE 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Overview The former inhabitants of the Indian Ocean‟s Chagos Archipelago, known as Ilois or Chagossians, have been identified as an “indigenous people” by individuals inside and outside the group. To date no one has detailed systematically how and if this label fits these people who lived in Chagos until their forced removal from the archipelago between 1965 and 1973. This report reviews a large body of evidence about the Ilois, compares this evidence to contemporary understandings of the term indigenous peoples in international law, anthropology and related social sciences, and concludes that the evidence strongly suggests categorization of the Ilois as an indigenous people. -
Written Statement, Mauritius Submits As Follows
INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE LEGAL CONSEQUENCES OF THE SEPARATION OF THE CHAGOS ARCHIPELAGO FROM MAURITIUS IN 1965 (REQUEST FOR ADVISORY OPINION) Written Statement of the Republic of Mauritius VOLUME I 1 March 2018 Table of Contents CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................1 I. The involvement of the U.N. General Assembly .............7 II. The questions posed by the U.N. General Assembly .....11 III. Summary of Mauritius’ Written Statement ....................14 CHAPTER 2 GEOGRAPHY AND COLONIAL HISTORY .....................................23 I. Introduction ....................................................................23 II. Geography ......................................................................23 III. Early and colonial history ..............................................29 IV. The Chagos Archipelago has always been an integral part of the territory of Mauritius .......................34 A. Constitutional, legislative and administrative arrangements ..............................34 B. Economic, cultural and social links ....................39 C. Recognition of the Chagos Archipelago as an integral part of the territory of Mauritius ............................................................43 V. Conclusion ......................................................................53 CHAPTER 3 THE PROCESS OF DECOLONISATION AND THE DETACHMENT OF THE CHAGOS ARCHIPELAGO FROM MAURITIUS ...............................................................................55 -
REPUBLIC of MAURITIUS V. UNITED KINGDOM OF
ARBITRATION UNDER ANNEX VII OF THE 1982 UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE LAW OF THE SEA REPUBLIC OF MAURITIUS v. UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND REPLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF MAURITIUS VOLUME I 18 November 2013 TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1:! INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................1! (a)! The UK’s argument on self-determination ......................................................2! (b)! Documents disclosed by the UK in the English judicial review proceedings ..................................................................................................2! (c)! UK silences ......................................................................................................5! (d)! The nature and purpose of the “MPA” ............................................................6! (e)! Recognition of Mauritius’ Rights ....................................................................7! I.! The Structure of the Reply ............................................................................................8! (a)! The Factual Chapters of the Reply ..................................................................8! (b)! The Legal Chapters of the Reply .....................................................................9! CHAPTER 2:! HISTORICAL AND FACTUAL BACKGROUND ..............................13! I.! Introduction .................................................................................................................13! II.! The Chagos Archipelago has -
Durham E-Theses
Durham E-Theses A study of the taxonomy and distribution of hermatypic corals of the chagos archipelago, Indian Ocean Dinesen, Zena D. How to cite: Dinesen, Zena D. (1976) A study of the taxonomy and distribution of hermatypic corals of the chagos archipelago, Indian Ocean, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/9226/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 A STUDY OF THE TAXONOMY AND DISTRIBUTION OF HERMATYPIC CORALS OF THE CHAGOS ARCHIPELAGO, INDIAN OCEAN being a thesis submitted for the degree of Master of Science of the University of Durham by Zena D. Dinesen B.Sc. (Sussex> • January 1976 All the ffeld work for this study was carried out by members of the JoInt ServIces ExpedItIons to' 'Egmont In 1972 and to Danger Island and other Islands of the Chagos Bank In 1975. -
Chagos Archipelago Vava II Expedition, March 20-April 1, 2016
Scientific Report: Chagos Archipalgoc Vava II Expedition - Leg 1 Chagos Archipelago Vava II Expedition, March 20-April 1, 2016 Expedition Report T B Letessier1,2, N Esteban3, P Carr1, C Head4, R Schallert5, M Nicoll1 1 Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London. 2Centre for Marine Futures, Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia. 3Department of Bioscience, Swansea University. 4Ocean Conservation and Research Group, University of Oxford 5MBARI , Stanford University 1 Scientific Report: Chagos Archipalgoc Vava II Expedition - Leg 1 Acknowledgements This expedition was made possible through support from the Bertarelli Foundation, for which we are grateful. The research was made possible thanks to permits and logistical support from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. We are grateful for the thorough logistical assistance provided by the British Indian Ocean Territory Administration, the Brit Rep office, and environmental officer Helen Stevens. We thank the captain, chief engineer, and crew of the Vava and Vava II for excellent support in our scientific activities. How to cite this report: Letessier T B, Esteban N, Carr P, Schallert R, Head C, Nicoll M (2016). Chagos Archipelago Consortium Vava II Expedition – Leg 1. March 20st to 1st of April Scientific Report to The Bertarelli Foundation and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. 2 Scientific Report: Chagos Archipalgoc Vava II Expedition - Leg 1 Executive summary ........................................................................................................................... -
United Kingdom GENERAL INFORMATION OBJECTIVE I
United Kingdom GENERAL INFORMATION Agency or institution primarily responsible for the preparation of this report: UK Government Department - Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Other agencies, institutions, or NGOs that have provided input: UK Government Department - Foreign and Commonwealth Office UK Government Statutory Advisers - Joint Nature Conservation Committee Swansea University Designated Focal Point: Ms. Stacey Hughes Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs International Biodiversity Sub-Programme Zone 1/15 Temple Quay House 2 The Square Temple Quay Bristol BS1 6EB BS1 6EB United Kingdom Tel: (+44 117) 372 3598 Fax: (+44 117) 372 3632 Email: [email protected] cc: [email protected] Memorandum signed: 27 March 2002 Effective Date: 1 June 2002 This report was last updated: 29 May 2014 OBJECTIVE I. REDUCE DIRECT AND INDIRECT CAUSES OF MARINE TURTLE MORTALITY 1.1 Introduction to marine turtle populations and habitats, challenges and conservation efforts. [INF] The British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), administered by the British Indian Ocean Territory Administration, comprises the 67 islands of the Chagos Archipelago. The land area is about 4788 ha, with a total coastline of about 226 km (Mortimer 2007). Below the territorial seas lies approx. 204,000km2 of coral reefs (to 60 m depth). The reefs of the Chagos probably represent some of the most pristine and best protected in the Indian Ocean, primarily due to their history and continuing isolation, but also supported by current management measures. The Chagos Archipelago hosts significant populations of nesting Eretmochelys imbricata (hawksbill turtles - CR) and Chelonia mydas (green turtles - EN), with both species nesting on all five atolls (Mortimer & Day, 1999). -
Feasibility Study for the Resettlement of the British Indian Ocean Territory
Feasibility study for the resettlement of the British Indian Ocean Territory Volume I 31st January 2015 Currency Equivalents Currency Unit = Sterling Pound (£) Exchange Rates (1 October 2014) £ 1 = US$ 1.6203 £ 1 = € 1.2866 Source: Bank of England Fiscal Year 1st April – 31st March Abbreviations and Acronyms APCC Asian and Pacific Coconut Community BIOT British Indian Ocean Territory BIOTA BIOT Administration BMFC British/Mauritius Fisheries Commission BSFC British/Seychelles Fisheries Commission CB Capacity Building CCT Chagos Conservation Trust CDA Coconut Development Authority (Sri Lanka) CPI Consumer Price Index DFID Department for International Development EC European Commission ECCB East Caribbean Central Bank EDF European Development Fund EEZ Economic Exclusion Zone EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EIB European Investment Bank EPPZ Environment Protection and Preservation Zone EU European Union FAO Food and Agriculture Organisation FCMZ Fisheries Conservation and Management Zone FCNO Filtered Coconut Oil FCO Foreign and Commonwealth Office FIRR Financial Internal Rate of Return FPO Fisheries Protection Officer FPV Fisheries Protection Vessel GDP Gross Domestic Product GRT Gross Register Tonnage GST Goods and Services Tax HR Human Resources IATA International Air Transport Association ICAO International Civil Aviation Organization ICCPR International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights IOTC Indian Ocean Tuna Commission IPCC International Panel on Climate Change IUU Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated KPI Key Performance Indicator -
Preliminary Information
Republic of Mauritius United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea Preliminary Information Submitted by the Republic of Mauritius Concerning the Extended Continental Shelf in the Chagos Archipelago Region Pursuant to the Decision Contained in SPLOS/183 PRELIMINARY INFORMATION MCS-PI-DOC MAY 2009 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea Preliminary Information Submitted by the Republic of Mauritius Concerning the Extended Continental Shelf in the Chagos Archipelago Region Pursuant to the Decision Contained in SPLOS/183 MAY 2009 MCS-PI-DOC PREFACE This Preliminary Information document was prepared by the following Ministries and Statutory Corporations of the Government of the Republic of Mauritius: Prime Minister’s Office Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration & International Trade Attorney-General’s Office Ministry of Housing and Lands Mauritius Oceanography Institute The following persons have acted and/or will act as advisers to the Government of the Republic of Mauritius in the preparation of the Submission by the Republic of Mauritius concerning the extended continental shelf in the Chagos Archipelago Region: Mr Joshua Brien, Legal Adviser, London Mr Ian Brownlie CBE QC, Barrister, Blackstone Chambers, London Mr Harald Brekke, Member of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf Prof. Karl Hinz, former Member of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf Dr Andre Chan Chim Yuk, former Member of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf __________________________________________________________________ Preliminary Information Submitted by the Republic of Mauritius concerning the Extended Continental Shelf in the Chagos Archipelago Region MCS-PI-DOC Page 2 of 12 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.