Commonwealth Marine Economies Programme News - October 2017

Thank you for subscribing to the CME Programme news bulletin. The Commonwealth Marine Economies (CME) Programme was announced by the British Prime Minister in 2015 to help the most vulnerable Small Island Developing States (SIDS) make the most of their natural maritime resources, to enable sustainable economic growth and alleviate poverty. Led by the FCO, the Programme is delivered by a partnership of UK government marine expertise: the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO), the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) and the National Oceanography Centre (NOC). Further information is available via the website. CME Programme at #OurOcean Speaking at #OurOcean Conference, in Malta, Environment Minister, Thérèse Coffey, paid tribute to the Commonwealth Marine Economies Programme's success in enabling small island states to better understand and make the most of their maritime assets and marine economies.   Year 1 delivery: St Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada In support of programme output 3 'Decreasing Pollution and Improving Human Health. Completed habitat maps were delivered to the St Vincent and the Grenadines government ministries in late September by Dr Judith Wolf (NOC) and Alex Callaway (Cefas). The maps were an output of survey work undertaken in the first year of the CME Programme by UKHO, Cefas and NOC and will greatly increase knowledge of the island state's marine environments. These will now be disseminated to government, industry and societal groups across the islands to help inform sustainable blue development of the country's marine resources. The Year 1 maps were also delivered to Grenada ministries for state-wide dissemination. Year 2 delivery: Guyana visit - start of a 3-month survey In support of programme output 1 'Marine Data Collection for Environmental Resilience, and Safe and Efficient Trade'. In early October, the UKHO's International Hydrographic Programme Manager, David Parker met with key stakeholders in Guyana to brief them on current CME Programme survey plans. These plans are aimed at improving the efficiency and safety of seaborne trade in Guyana, helping expand its capacity for trading internationally. The programme will also help the Guyanese government comply with international maritime obligations, and build local hydrographic survey capabilities in years to come. Key stakeholders included the Hon. Joseph Harmon (Minister of State), Hon. David Patterson (Minister of Public Infrastructure), Greg Quinn (British High Commissioner for Guyana), the Guyana Maritime Administration, the Shipping Association of Guyana, the Land and Survey Department, and the Coastguard. The survey with two survey vessels using modern tools and techniques is now underway and is planned to run for over three months. This information will be used to update old navigational charts and publications, and will include independently verified post-dredging depths, as well as navigational aids (such as lights and buoyage). All stakeholders were extremely positive and supportive about the survey activity and the benefits it will bring to Guyana. Going forward, they have committed to improving hydrographic activity, coordination and the supply of Maritime Safety Information and hydrographic updates to the UKHO. Picture shows: The larger survey vessel in Guyana, being prepared to run 24 hours a day for up to a week at a time. CME Programme representing the UK in the Pacific Michelle Devlin (Cefas) represented the UK at the 2017 SPREP Pacific Environment Forum Agenda in late September. Topics discussed at the forum included Pacific Partnerships, the continuing role of SPREP as a regional manager for environmental protection and the strengthening of regional scientific linkages and cooperation. Research priorities focused on climate change, marine litter, water quality, human health issues and habitat mapping and auditing. CME Programme work delivered in Year 1 and underway for Year 2 will help Pacific SIDS to meet the challenges identified and to deliver science outcomes into the gaps around the research priorities. The CME Programme provides a unique opportunity for the UK to showcase its full range of research abilities and to work closely with Pacific partners towards real solutions to the many environmental issues facing Pacific communities and ecological systems. Climate change was also the focus of a workshop hosted by Dr Bryony Townhill and Paul Buckley (Cefas). The two-day event on 30 and 31 August in Samoa kicked off the process of identifying priority topics and experts to inform the Climate Change Report Card for the Pacific region. CME Programme will be working with key regional organisations including South Pacific Council, University of South Pacific and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP). The Report Card will take the form and content of similar work developed with Caribbean partners earlier this year. This is in support of programme output 2 'Monitoring and Risk Assessment to Increase Climate Change Resilience'. Beach Litter Monitoring Training in Vanuatu and Solomon Islands In support of programme output 3 'Decreasing Pollution and Improving Human Health'. The CME Programme successfully rolled out a first sampling survey for marine litter in the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. Cefas' marine litter expert, Thomas Maes, organised beach litter monitoring training together with local government officials, students and youngsters at both SIDS. These beach litter surveys will allow them to identify trends and sources of marine litter. Microplastic surveys were also conducted at both SIDS, these surveys target microplastics at the water surface and in sediments. This information will be crucial to develop future measures and actions to tackle the issue. While in Vanuatu, Thomas Maes contributed to an interview on the local radio and gave a lecture about marine litter at undergraduate students of the University of the South Pacific.  Survey Planning of Tongan Waters In support of programme output 1 'Marine Data Collection for Environmental Resilience, and Safe and Efficient Trade'. In Late September, the UKHO's Head of International Programmes and Training, Sam Harper, visited key stakeholders in Tonga to discuss proposed hydrographic survey plans. The Kingdom of Tonga is made up of over 170 islands, and recent studies in the region have shown that the domestic shipping routes, in and out of the Capital Nuku'alofa, have not been systematically surveyed for many years. In the interests of safer navigation, protection of the marine environment and developing Tonga's maritime economy further, New Zealand's Pacific Regional Navigation Initiative (PRNI) is focused on redressing this situation. Under the PRNI, a programme of survey work is planned that will see a comprehensive data collection campaign. Collaborating through the CME Programme, the UKHO plans to conduct urgent surveys to allow the Primary Charting Authority, Land Information New Zealand, to update the navigational charts. Key stakeholders included the Marine and Ports Division welcomed the plans, and work now continues to refine the project before formal authorisation is granted. Photo shows: UKHO and Land Information New Zealand meet with officials from the Marine and Ports Division, Tonga.   This email was sent using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: National Oceanography Centre · Waterfront Campus · European Way · Southampton · SO14 3ZH · United Kingdom