HUNTING FOR SOLUTIONS AND INSPIRING PEOPLE…. THIS IS OUR GOAL

The expedition has been completed but the work undertaken by the various projects we have had the pleasure to work with continues. Below we have detailed the  various projects and conservation efforts that we have the privilege of working with and we will have comments from the various projects detailing their efforts and the providing the links to their relevant web pages. We hope that this will bring together all the hard work that conservation projects are undertaking. Please feel free to contact each of the directly.

Moving Sushi The Marine Resource Expedition  - ANNUAL REPORT – ACTIVITIES IN WEST AFRICA:

READ THE PDF LINKED BELOW:

MRE ANNUAL REPORT NEW2

QUICK LINKS TO PROJECTS WE VISIT AND THE AMAZING PEOPLE WE MEET:

(Check under project profiles for further details, contact us if you need more)

WCS

WCS Congo

WCS Global Conservation

Marine Species Name Check

Albatross Task Force

WWF Namibia

WWF Senegal

NGO Oceanium in Senegal

Mauritania’s National Marine Park

South African Shark Conservancy

Mayumba National Park

Benin

Senegal Fisheries Commission

Our Moroccan friend Adil, not only a good surfer, but doing his part in marine resource awareness… keep the passion Adil…

Oceana an inspiring group doing great work, check them out here

ICCAT may not be protecting tuna, but read about their work here before we comment on our meeting with the general secretary

WWF in Norway actively challenged and committed to cleaning the oil spill which occured recently in Norway, read about there work here before we post our report

Friends of the Earth Norway

Mangroves for the future

Wildlife at risk, Vietnam

Lakshadweep Marine Conservation, india

Tree foundation, india

Oman marine protection programs

Watamu turtle watch, Kenya

Sea sense , Tanzania

Chumbe coral island park

WE WILL BE PROVIDING LINKS TO ALL OUR MEDIA RELEASED

(Complete list of media have a look at the sponsors page)

Beyond Blue Magazine for whom we write articles for
African Diver Magazine
Blog here as well
First ascent clothing sponsor (Keeping us comfortable underwater as well as on top)
Rhodes University Press
Proudly South African media release
Article written on the expedition when in Gabon
Moroccan TV channel we were aired on
News paper article on the expedition

South Africa

The South African Shark Conservancy

SASC (the South African Shark Conservancy) is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the conservation and sustainable utilization of elasmobranchs & other marine resources through research, education & the development of cooperative partnerships.  Our marine research laboratory and education centre, based in the Old Harbour Museum, Hermanus, provides a base from which exciting and innovative programs are conducted.  SASC research activities focus on increasing scientific understanding of commercially valuable shark species, simultaneously promoting understanding of the value of marine resources within fishing communities.  For more information, visit the SASC website (www.sharkconservancy.org).

Why the SASC, and how does this fit into the expedition?

The SASC has allowed Linda and I to join them and document just what it takes to set out on your own and start an organization based on ones love for the subject. With little funding and no salaries the SCAC still continues to do fantastic work and optimizes the positive side to marine conservation, of which this expedition is based. We hope to raise some issues with the SASC and you can follow all the discussions and comments on the ‘opinions page’.

NAMIBIA

New developments in marine resource management highlights Namibia’s passion and commitment to conserve its natural heritage. The development of a new Marine Protected Area, the initiation of the Albatross Task Force and aquaculture focus are amont the highlights we filmed and observed. Read about what Namibia is doing to challenge fisheries management and leave your comments….

Namibia a look at the Albatross Task Force and the new MPA development involving WWF

Namibia aquaculture a brief look based on our discussions with top researchers

Namibia fisheries Ministry doing a good job

ANGOLA

Angola, fish vs. oil, is based a a few lectures we attended regarding marine conservation within an oil producing nation. Angola was not a focus country for Moving Sushi, so our our discussion is based on what was presented to us by locals and political advisors to the fisheries ministry.

Angola fish vs oil my thoughts based on the expedition’s observations

CONGO

A beautiful country with great people. The Congo has numerous challenges, but WCS is taking them on head strong. Locals are getting involved and conservation with respect to challenging illegal Chinese fishing is receiving attention. We discovered a fantastic rotational fisheries program initiated by WCS… definitely something to consider.

Conkouati National Park and how WCS is making waves in conservation challenging illegal fishing… read about it here

GABON

Gabon and Myumba National Park PDF

Current research projects worth reading about

Education program done by Aimee Saunders in mayumba, Gabon- making a huge difference in marine awareness and education in Mayumba!!!
Green Butterfly Designs

BENIN

Benin fisheries observations and Nature Tropicale an inspirational NGO… read on

http://ntong-benin.ifrance.com/

Aquaculture potential in Benin

Benin and a sustainable aquaculture initiative…. read about CREDI here

Our friends in Benin working in great initiatives from marine conservation to solar energy for communities with often little help from government and international agencies. Truly great people doing great work… well done guys..

SENEGAL

Senegal fisheries are under strain, but there is good work going on to conserve Senegals natural heritage… read about WWF, Oceanium and NOAA fisheries observer programs

CSRP a great initiative… read more about it here

OCENIUM SENEGAL-
www.oceanium.org

An incredible mangrove initiative – planting over 6 million mangroves

MOROCCO

Read more about our discussions with the Fisheries Ministry and what we learned about Moroccan fisheries

Read more about Adil and surfglobe and his efforts to educate kids regarding marine conservation

SPAIN

Oceana, the largest NGO working solely for the preservation of the ocean is undertaking incredible initiatives challenging to only public perception towards marine resource conservation, but challenges policy creation and fisheries management as well.

According to Oceana, “WE ARE INTERESTED IN RESULTS. To achieve real benefits for the oceans, Oceana conducts focused, strategic campaigns. Each campaign has a specific timeframe and objective that will make a significant difference to the oceans. Each campaign combines scientific, legal, policy and advocacy approaches to reach its goal. Saving the oceans may take decades, but in each of our campaigns we aim to accomplish an important milestone in that effort within two to five years”.

OCEANA HOME PAGE
OCEANA TV REVIEWS ON MARINE ISSUES, follow this link
Article to EU fisheries commission on shark regulatory measures… read it here

ICCAT (International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna).

The Marine Resource Expedition was fortunate to interview general secretariat of ICCAT regarding the positive side to tuna resource management. ICCAT has come under heavy pressure from conservation organizations regarding the management of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna stocks. Despite international scientists suggesting a catch size of as close to zero as possible, Greenpeace scientific body suggests 8000 tons per annum as the upper limit of harvest, the EU and Japan motioned for 13500 tons, which was granted. This is a dramatic drecease from the 19500 tons which was set last year, but the value according to the international scientific and conservation community is still to high, suggesting the imminent collapse of the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Stocks.

After the interview, it was clear that Mr. Meski was truly inspired to save ABT stocks, but the problems with successful management are related to the very design of the decision making structure, i.e. consensus voting, which enables the EU and Japan to influence harvesting quotas and policy decisions. It seems the very structure of ICCAT is designed to fail based on financial benefits towards industry and government policy makers alike.

ICCAT WEBSITE HAVE A LOOK AND FORM YOUR OWN OPINIONS

MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS FROM ICCAT FOR 2009, have they worked according to plan…

NORWAY (PROJECTS AND RELATED LITERATURE)

Norway represents the worlds most efficiently managed fishery, the government participation is incredible, the locals knowledge of the ocesan and its resources is exceptional and tis has contributed to forming a platform for individuals and NGO’s to launch excellent and dedicated marine conservation initiatives. Floow the likns below to some of the projects we visited and were impressed by:

WWF NORWAY

wwf oil spill pdf

wwf_highlights_2008_191208_komprimert

oil spill norway REDUCED

Friends of the Earth NGO

Friends of the Earth video clip of the oil spill

Oil Spill Norway video clip

Friends of the Earth Norway

Marine Research Institute

AFRICAN DIVER ARTICLE

Marine Research Institute

Discussion on fisheries from interesting perspectives, and links to related literature.

Implementation of Resource Conservation fisheries Norway 2008 Gezelius

JAPAN PROJECTS

Japan was an interesting country for us to visit. Surrounded in negative press towards the acquisition and utilization of global marine resources there are individuals trying to make a difference in Japan by working with the people. Those individual have an incredibly tough task given the general ignorance of the public towards the state of marine resources. Japan has good initiatives and fantastically motivated and inspired individuals working hard to change the issues surrounding poor marine resource management and public awareness, check out their websites and read what is going on.

GREENPEACE JAPAN

Greenpeace whaling have a look here…

Greenpeace press releases

International Fund for Animal Welfare, JAPAN (IFAW)

International Fund for Animal Welfare

Brief look at JWCS (Japanese Wildlife Conservation Society)

We were dissapointed they they would not like to do an interview with us, in fact when we tried to ask them about great work tracking the illegal turtle trade from Indonesia to Japan, the doors were closed, what a pity!!!

Japan Wildlife Conservation Society
Illegal turtle tracking

WWF Japan – look at coral conservation

WWF Japan home page

Coral transplantation program – the initiative

Note on Reef transplanting… more to come

CHINA

China was a complicated country for us to gather images. Despite all the complexities we visited two groups of people working incredibly hard on marine resource management, through mangroves and awareness campaigns etc. Also we learned of an individual taking up the challenge of restoring a piece of river bank with his own money time and effort for the betterment of the community. His passion is infectious and courageous given the lack of support offered to him from the government and community alike. China a massive country with a hunger for natural resources has impacted natural ecosystems negatively on a global scale, and despite the lack of government support towards conservation, locals and individuals have taken up the challenge and are doing exceptional work, to which we were grateful to have been involved in.

CHINA MANGROVE CONSERVATION PROJECT CMCN…. Take a look

mangroves resized

Further Managrment and__ re-plant____ in Fugong_Dec 19_ 2009

Further Management and New____ Action__ of Mangrove Reforestation_Nov 5-7_ 2009

Further Management and New Action of Mangrove Reforestation

WWF YELLOW SEA ECO-REGION PROJECT

WWF CHINA PROJECT

VIETNAM

Vietnam is a unique, friendly nation where the possibility of change towards effective marine conservation is possible. Unfortunately we struggled to find conservation initiatives that have challenged the marine dilemma in Vietnam, but WAR and the incredible crew that runs and facilitates its programs are inspiring and making a difference towards animal welfare. WAR was born out of a passion and meeting the folks involved that was immediately evident. WAR is looking at initiating a series of short documentaries regarding marine conservation issues, hoping to attract the interest of locals to get involved in marine resource management. The idea is excellent and we look forward to contributing any which way we can. Read up and support WAR, they really are a breath of fresh air in an incredible nation struggling to manage there natural heritage.

WAR – WILDLIFE AT RISK – A FANTASTIC INITIATIVE RUN BY EXCELLENT AND ENTHUSIASTIC PEOPLE

INDIA

India was an incredible experience where both Linda and I learned and gained insight into projects that are humanitarian based. We were inspired by all the projects we visited, and were humbled by the enthusiasm, energy and sense of urgency by which the projects are run and managed. Often with odds stacked against the wall it is incredible what individuals have achieved and the barriers that they have overcome. Take a moment and have a look though their projects, you will not be disappointed by what you read.

Lakshadweep marine conservation project – brilliant

Bombay Natural History Society- Facilitators of Lakshadweep conservation success
DAKSHIN FOUNDATION – excellent initiative in science and marine conservation

TREE FOUNDATION – BRILLIANT INITIATIVE RUN BY AN EXCEPTIONAL PERSON
Tree (READ ABOUT THE TREE FOUNDATION HERE – IT IS EXCELLENT)
turtle conservation India (Reading on turtle conservation in India)
THE FIRST SATELLITE TAGED TURTLES IN SOUTHERN INDIA – CONDUCTED BY THE TREE FOUNDATION – TRACK THE TURTLES HERE

OMAN:

Oman is a country of unique beauty, it is where the baron hot desert sand unfold into towering jugged mountains that tower over the sea. The staggering heat makes a plunge into the warm waters a welcome gift, but the true hidden treasure of Oman is what lie beneath. The baron lands explode into a plethora of life, colour and wonder. The reefs are rich in fish, the deep water echos the songs of whales and dolphins as the sun sets over the Arabian horizon. Oman has a small population but they are amongst the friendliest people we have met on the expedition thus far. Unlike the rest of the world, Oman is a new Sultanate, only 40 years old. There is a wealth of interest in the marine environment, at present driven particularly by expats, but expats willing to leave a legacy in the ability of local Omanies to manage there own fisheries successfully. The government is pro marine conservation, but politics are slow as is the case world wide, despite this we met humbling individuals, dedicated to their work and passionate about the marine environment. We will be writing an article on Oman shortly but here is a link to have a look through in the mean time:
ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIETY OF OMAN

(The technical arm of EOS is Rob Baldwin and his team from FIVE OCEANS ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES). Rob has published incredible books on marine life, cetaceans etc of Oman, they are excellent publications and well worth the investment. We were grateful to Rob for a fantastic interview on Oman’s marine resources and the whale/dolphin and turtle data collecting work they are undertaking. Although Five Oceans Environmental Services is a consulting firm, Rob and his team dedicate hours of personal time, money and effort in bringing the great marine life of Oman to the public eye.

We also spent much time with Dr. Henderson and the shark research team from thew Sultan Quboos University, in Muscat. The exceptional efforts in sampling sharks that are severely depleted has been the challenge of the team, and they are doing exceptional work.

Link to a newspaper article on their work)

ARTICLE ON SHARKS IN OMAN

Dareen a PhD student working under Dr. Henderson has taken the challenge in creating her own NGO looking at studies of shark populations in Kuwait. Questions as to the stock of sharks have to be answered, i.e. to put it bluntly, are the sharks in Oman the same as the ones in Kuwait. Asimilar study was conducted in Namibia, resulting in the understanding that the sharks (Zambizi’s) in Angola were of the same stock as in Namibia. This information has profound effects of successful shark management.
DAREEN’S FACEBOOK PAGE LINK FOR THE NGO – CHECK IT OUT AND GIVE HER YOUR SUPPORT

We will be publishing Dareen’s story in the next edition of Beyond Blue Magazine:

PICTURE COURTESY OF DAREEN ALMOJIL

KENYA

Watamu turtle watch: an inspiring bunch of Kenyans working to protect green turtles along the coastline of Watamu. probably the only working NGO that kenya can be proud of!!
Watamu Turtle Watch

TANZANIA

Sea sense : An amazingly small team in Dar Es Salaam that is currently the only group working incredibly hard to tackle the problem of marine conservation in tanzania.

Sea Sense website

Chumbe Coral Island Park: an example of the amazing things that private investment can do when they take to heart the concept of ‘eco-friendly’ hotels. An inspiration on how to manage a marine environment, provide  opportunities for the community.
Chumbe Island Coral Park