GCCA Communications Coordinator Vacancy

As the GCCA roles out the 2010 communications strategy we are seeking to hire a Communications Coordinator for the campaign. We are asking that you circulate this role through your offices and amongst your networks and are inviting applications by Friday 25th June 2010.

If you have any questions surrounding the role please contact Manish Joshi (manish.joshi@tcktcktck.org).

What are the new government's policies on climate change and how do they match up up to the global challenges of the next five years?

Last week a discussion was held at the Frontline Club in association in with Communications INC that looked at the coalition government's policies and the challenges that lie ahead during the new parliament's fixed term.

Listen to the discussion here:

http://frontlineclub.com/events/2010/06/climate-change-the-next-five-years.html

Looking ahead to key events such as Rio 2012 and the 2015 Millennium Goals we examined the coalition government's policies and approach to climate change and asked if it met the scale of the challenges that lie ahead. What role do NGOs and journalists need to play holding the coalition to account?

Are more natural disasters around the world likely as a result of climate change and if so what role will NGOs need to play as the world begins to change? What challenges will the media face as they are confronted with human tragedy as a result of climate change?

With Mark Maslin, director of the Environment Institute, UCL, a leading climatologist with particular expertise in past global and regional climatic change; John Vidal, the Guardian's environment editor; Matthew Spencer, director of Green Alliance and Fiona Harvey, The Financial Times environment correspondent.

Chaired by Lawrence McGinty, health and science editor ITV news.

European Fish Week 5-13 June

Global fish stocks are in decline; in Europe over 80 percent are overfished and a third are outside safe limits. The European Union and its member states have failed to manage fisheries responsibly on our behalf. As part of European Fish Week June 5-13, OCEAN2012 has launched a petition calling on Maria Damanaki, Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries to put environmental sustainability at the heart of European fisheries policy.

http://www.ocean2012.eu/OCEAN2012

Watch the animation:

Transforming European Fisheries from OCEAN2012 on Vimeo.

UN Fish Stocks Agreement Review Conference Review

The United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement (FSA) Review Conference is considered to be the most important legally binding global instrument for the conservation and management of fishery resources since the 1982 adoption of the Convention on the Law of the Sea. It establishes a comprehensive legal regime for the conservation and sustainable use of global fish stocks. During the last week of May Parties met to resume the last review of 2006, and consider progress made in the implementation of the FSA and subsequent recommendations since 2006.

At the conference The Pew Environment Group presented two key studies exposing failures and weaknesses in the international management of fisheries. The Port State Performance report found that port States and regional fisheries management organisations (RFMOs) were ineffective at preventing illegal fishing vessel activities, concluding that a system with much more transparency, accountability and global coordination was essential in the fight against IUU fishing. For more information on the report go to http://www.portstateperformance.org.

The Failing the High Seas report, the first to quantitatively access the performance of RFMOs, found that two-thirds of the commercial fish stocks under RFMO management are either severely depleted or overfished. Results show that RFMOs are not meeting best practice standards and are failing to halt declines. For more information please visit: http://www.seaaroundus.org/researcher/dpauly/PDF/2010/JournalArticles/FailingTheHighSea.pdf

What remains to be seen is how much actual impact recommendations to and even by the FSA review conference will have on our high seas fisheries.

To read what the journalists have to say, please visit:
Science: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/328/5983/1235
Mark Kniver: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/science_and_environment/10131041.stm
Bryan Walsh: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1991172,00.html
AP: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h7WTZu7c35S6dhJtTdU4UmIqqazQD9FTGGCG0

Happy World Oceans Day!

World Oceans day (June 8th) saw 40 senior Members of Parliament from 15 key fishing nations and regions, including Japan, US, Europe, Canada, Indonesia, Mexico and Brazil agreed a Global Marine Recovery Strategy on world fisheries intended to reverse the decline of global fisheries.

Initiated by the Global Legislators Organisation for a Balanced Environment (GLOBE), the legislators were advised by the world’s leading scientific and policy experts, lead by IPSO's Alex Rogers, who presented a bleak outlook for fishery stocks if immediate political action was not taken.

The legislators pledged to advance the strategy through their respective parliaments with the following priority actions:

• Mandate the UN to review and monitor RFMO performance based on existing benchmark standards for RFMOs in the UNFSA.
• Support the development of a multilateral and enforceable agreement on fishing subsidy reform within the World Trade Organisation.
• Require all fishing and reefer vessels to carry unique identification, such as IMO numbers.
• Hold non-compliant states accountable using the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea.
• Adopt modern MPA network targets to propel the creation of marine reserves and networks globally.
• Investigate a new Global Framework Agreement for Marine Spatial Planning in areas beyond national jurisdiction.