By Rick Morris

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On the 23rd of October, more than 1500 representatives to the UN Environment came together in Manila, Philippines to conduct the 12th Conference of the Parties. COP 12, the twelfth Conference of the Parties, is an UN-sponsored conference organized by the Convention of Migratory Species, or CMS, as it is known. This landmark event, which takes place every three years, was established to set regulations and policy to maintain species sustainability around the world. 

            In Plenary sessions, working groups, and side events, the case is presented for what is needed and what is being done to promote sustainability.  This first short film introduces some of the key players, the scene, and the message of this critical conference on the sustainability of all migratory species. Part trade show and part science conference, all for sustainability of the planet. In the future more shorts will be edited from extensive interviews and content provided by the parties. 

Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/embed/bUHd4ywok2E

Subsequent work on more films has yielded this followup piece that introduces two great women who who represent Ocean Care, a Switzerland-based NGO that deals with underwater noise pollution, the overfishing of aquatic wild meat, and marine debris. Microplastics have already worked their way into every level of the marine food chain, and Ocean Care works to educate people about the facts as well as what they can do personally to reduce the amount of plastic they release into the marine environment. Watch more here: https://player.vimeo.com/video/257361725  

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Republished from National Marine Mammal Foundation

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Extinction of the vaquita, the world’s most endangered marine mammal, is imminent without the immediate elimination of illegal fishing and removal of deadly gillnets from the vaquitas’ environment. Despite the heroic efforts of the Mexican government to protect vaquitas, the animals are continuing to die at an alarming rate in illegal gillnets. Fewer than 30 vaquitas remain. Between 1997 and 2008, unsustainable deaths in gillnets caused vaquitas to decline from around 600 to 250. Since 2011, the resumption of illegal fishing for a large endangered fish (the totoaba) increased the decline to 34% a year, resulting in only 60 vaquitas remaining in December 2015. The swim bladders of totoaba fetch large sums of money in Hong Kong and Chinese black markets. In response to the alarming rate of decline, the Mexican government instituted a two-year gillnet ban throughout the vaquita’s range (2015-2017), increased enforcement with the Mexican Navy, and compensated fishers affected by the two-year gillnet ban ($72 million). Despite these substantial government actions, illegal fishing continues and will likely result in the extinction of vaquitas in the next few years.

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The Mexican government has determined that emergency action is needed to temporarily remove some of the remaining animals from their threatening environment and create a safe haven for them in the northern Gulf of California. An emergency conservation plan has been developed by an international team of experts, with field recovery operations set to begin in May 2017. Catching and caring for vaquitas may prove impossible, but unless we try, the species will likely vanish.

The emergency action plan has been adopted by Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (SEMARNAT, Mexico) on the recommendation of their international recovery team, the Comité Internacional para la Recuperación de la Vaquita (CIRVA). The plan will be implemented in parallel with ongoing efforts to end illegal fishing and remove the threat of gillnets in the Upper Gulf of California. Under SEMARNAT’s leadership, the Consortium for Vaquita Conservation, Protection, and Recovery (VaquitaCPR) was established to develop and implement the emergency plan, with participating organizations from Mexico, Europe, and the U.S.

The Government of Mexico has strongly supported vaquita conservation with over $100 million spent to date and plans to commit funds in 2017 for this critical step. Officials estimate the plan will cost more than $3 million in 2017 and will rely on a variety of funding sources, including donations from the public, private organizations, and non-profit groups. There is an urgent need for immediate funding to avoid delaying field efforts. A time delay could jeopardize any chance of rescuing the vaquita from extinction. Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with offers of support.

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Given the dire situation, CIRVA recommended that immediate attempts be made to place some vaquitas into a temporary sanctuary. The eventual goal is to return these animals into a gillnet-free environment. Catching and housing vaquitas will be difficult, and may even prove impossible if the species is not suitable for such conservation actions. However, the species will likely vanish without an attempt at human intervention.

An emergency conservation action plan was developed by key marine mammal experts around the world to locate, catch, and house vaquitas in the Gulf of California, with the ultimate goal to return the animals to a gillnet-free environment. Each of these objectives has unique challenges and inherent risks, many of which represent procedures that to date have only been attempted with a limited number of porpoises of other species. To address these challenges and mitigate risk, the Consortium for Vaquita Conservation, Protection, and Recovery (VaquitaCPR) was assembled to implement a stepwise plan, comprising an international, interdisciplinary team with experts on all aspects of the proposed work. Further, an expert advisory group has been established to provide guidance and input at critical stages throughout the implementation of the plan. Details of the plan are based on the best available science on vaquitas and other porpoise species and take into consideration the IUCN Species Survival Commission’s Guidelines on the Use of Ex situ Management for Species Conservation. If successful, the proposed path has the potential to protect some of the remaining vaquitas while the necessary removal of gillnets from the animal's home range is accomplished.

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WWF 

ONLY 30 VAQUITA PORPOISES ARE LEFT IN THE WORLD. PLEASE HELP US SAVE THEM. Your contribution will directly support the emergency conservation action plan by rapidly mobilizing field operations for an expertly coordinated and urgent attempt to save the vaquita from extinction. http://www.nmmf.org/vaquitacpr.html

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By Alisa Preston

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Image by Ron DeVries

Rockfish Divers is pleased to share that Mission Blue and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) announced their approval in March 2017 of an official New Hope Spot: Saanich Inlet and the Southern Gulf Islands. Hope Spots are special places that are critical to the health of the ocean. Rockfish Divers submitted the original application in early 2015 based on our Rockfish Divers Marine Science Foundation that includes baseline monitoring for various marine creatures and plants throughout the area in order to track changes taking place underwater over time. In the application we acknowledged there are many initiatives in our community to promote education, awareness and conservation of this area of ecological significance. We believe that all of these efforts played a role in the acceptance of this Hope Spot.

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Image by Santiago Manzano

This Hope Spot is bordered by Vancouver Island, the mainland of North America, and the USA/Canada Border. It extends as far north as Gabriola Island, east as far as Saturna Island, south as far as D'Arcy Island and includes the Goldstream estuary that feeds Saanich Inlet. The Goldstream River is the only major tributary feeding the Saanich Inlet and sees thousands of salmon returning each year through the Southern Gulf Islands. Saanich Inlet and the Southern Gulf Islands are featured in the latest news release from Mission Blue that speaks to how rich the area is with diverse creatures and plants unique to this part of the world. The news release also highlights issues such as overfishing, heavy marine traffic, and urban development that impact the natural balance of the area.

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We are very proud of this achievement and the opportunity to bring further international attention to Saanich Inlet and the Southern Gulf Islands, but we know there is more that can be done to promote environmental stewardship to protect the marine biodiversity. Adam Olsen, a member of the Tsartlip First Nation and recent Deputy Leader of the BC Green Party has shared:

“The Saanich Inlet is a very special place. It has been home to my ancestors for countless generations, and I grew up fishing and playing in the Inlet. We have a great deal of work to get it back to the biodiversity and productivity it was once known for but through the incredible efforts of local residents, it is on the comeback. With another generation of heavy industry proposed for the Saanich Inlet we must reaffirm our commitment to a better future rather than chasing 20th-century industries.

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Image by Santiago Manzano

The Mission Blue Hope Spot designation is another step toward embracing the opportunities created by life-sustaining ecosystems that surround us. I am very excited about the opportunity provided by this designation for our home and I look forward to taking advantage of the economic, social and environmental benefits it provides us!”

Rockfish Divers has created a short video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DwSRts7R5Y

Should you have any questions about the new Hope Spot, or some of the events coming up with Rockfish Divers, do not hesitate to contact Alisa Preston, Director of the Rockfish Divers Marine Science Foundation by email or phone (778-977-3474).

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Ocean Geographic Explorer (OGX) is a diving adventure resource with a special focus on marine photography and ocean conservation. Our content is divided up into six primary categories: Travel, Sea Science,  Equipment, Photography &Video, Conservation, and Lifestyle. We endeavor be a portal for people with all levels of interest in the marine environment  to learn about and become part of a community of like-minded ocean lovers who enjoy sharing their knowledge of and experiences in our fascinating ocean world.

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