The only specialised marine publication in Oceania that focuses on the maritime industry, from super yachts to small craft to large commercial ships, including coastal shipping, tugs, tow boats, barges, ferries, tourist, sport-fishing craft
Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/131029
WATERFRONT BUSINESS In brief… Manatees killed by red tide Close to 200 manatees have been killed by red tide off Florida's west coast in the United States in March. Red tide is an algae that turns the surrounding water red when in high concentrations and is eaten along with seagrass by the manatees. The manatee population of Florida's migratory waters were hit by the particularly long lasting red tide. Veterinarian Martine DeWit says it will probably be the worst die-off in history, with this year's red tide already more destructive than that of 1996, which left 151 manatees dead. The number of manatee deaths is likely to increase, as the algae will remain in the waters for two months after the red tide has receded. Success story for small NZ based marine business A humanitarian organisation is using the 5.7m long x 4.8m wide Pontoonz barge to tow down the rivers of Cambodia detecting unexploded mines and ordinances. The Pontoonz system was selected due to the fact that the pods are 7mm thick plastic, the beams are timber and the bolts and fixings used are fibreglass, meaning they are totally non metallic and do not inferere with the metal detector. Pontoon Marine Systems are based in New Zealand and this past 12 months have exported orders to Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and Australia. The barge was designed for assembly by the customer and Pontoonz exported the kitset consisting of the pods, the predrilled 4.8m H4 150mm x 50mm timber beams, and polyethylene keel insert strips. The fibreglass bolts and fixings were sourced from the United States. 48 Professional Skipper May/June 2013 Signs of change for shark finning laws NEW ZEALAND LAW currently allows sharks to be killed, finned and dumped at sea but New Zealand's support for new international laws to protect sharks has been applauded by the New Zealand Shark Alliance. "New Zealand's proactive stance at Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora hopefully means the Government is starting to see why we have to protect sharks from extinction," says Forest and Bird Marine Conservation Advocate and NZSA spokesperson Katrina Subedar. It is hoped that the CITES meeting in Bangkok, Thailand will approve several new measures to better protect sharks. CITES agreements however do not override member countries' domestic fisheries laws. But if the measures are adopted, hammerhead, porbeagle and oceanic whitetip sharks, as well as manta rays, would all be listed under CITES' "Appendix II," affording them greater protection against the international trade in fins, meat and gill rakers. Species are listed under "Appendix II" if they are at risk of extinction. Outside of New Zealand's Exclusive Economic Zone in the South Pacific, New Zealand vessels are required to land shark carcasses with fins naturally attached, while in New Zealand waters vessels can just fin and dump carcasses. Shark populations are falling fast across the globe, with losses of up to 86 percent in some locations. TOKELAU GOVERNMENT SEEKS TO PROTECT FISHERIES TOKELAU EARNS OVER $5 million a year from fishing activities in its Exclusive Economic Zone, five times more than three years ago. This rise appears to be the result of a successful working partnership with New Zealand to improve the management of Tokelau's EEZ fisheries. The Government of Tokelau is concerned that management of its economically valuable natural resource could be undermined by illegal fishing. The protection of this sustainable revenue source is critical to the future of Tokelau. Tokelau has been working with New Zealand to increase the penalties for illegal fishing in Tokelau's EEZ. The current penalties were set over 35 years ago and it is hoped that a new more stringent penalty regime will be in place before the end of 2013. Tokelau is also working collaboratively with other Pacific Island Countries. Under the Niue Treaty and the Te Vaka Toa arrangement Tokelau works with other Pacific Island countries on fisheries law enforcement activities. Tokelau shares a satellite-based vessel monitoring system with other Pacific Island countries and works closely with New Zealand Defence Forces in aerial and surface surveillance activities. The vessel monitoring and surveillance activities of Tokelau are coordinated out of the Department of Economic Development, Natural Resources and Environment fisheries division office on Fakaofo.