24
Apr 2009 - Geneva, Switzerland – A major
oil and gas consortium has agreed to suspend
planned seismic testing off Sakhalin Island
in the Russian Far East, a crucial feeding
area for the critically endangered Western
Gray whale.
The decision followed
a recommendation today by a major international
scientific panel to halt further oil and
gas development in and around the feeding
area of the Western Gray Whale.
During a meeting of
the Western Gray Whale Advisory Panel (WGWAP),
Sakhalin Energy - a partnership between
Shell, Gasprom and other shareholders -
agreed to cancel its proposed 2009 seismic
activities, despite having already put plans
in place for the work.
The WGWAP, convened
by the IUCN and comprising 11 eminent scientists,
met this week with representatives of Shell,
Sakhalin Energy, Russian government officials,
project lenders and environmental NGOs to
review the most recent science on the whales.
The Western Gray Whale
is one of the world’s most endangered whales,
with only 25 breeding females remaining.
The whale feeds only in the summer, and
its crucial primary feeding area is offshore
Piltun Bay at the north eastern part of
Sakhalin shelf.
New science presented
during this week’s meeting revealed a significant
decline in sightings and behaviour changes
of the whales in their primary feeding area
near Piltun Bay. Oil and gas exploration
activities in the area appear to have displaced
the whales to deeper areas offshore, making
it more difficult for whale calves to feed.
Since the Western Gray
Whale only feeds in the summertime, such
displacement could be devastating.
However, BP, Exxon,
Rosneft have ignored repeated calls to cooperate
with the panel, which again today called
on those companies to urgently follow the
example of Sakhalin Energy.
“WWF lauds the responsible
and forward looking approach taken by Sakhalin
Energy in heeding this call from the panel,”
said Aleksey Knizhnikov from WWF-Russia.
“The results seen today demonstrate that
collaborative science based initiatives
like this panel process can succeed – even
on issues as complex as oil and gas development”.
“However other major
operators in the area – including major
international giants BP and Exxon - have
completely ignored pleas to join the panel,
disregarded advice on how to mitigate the
impacts of their activities, and refused
to provide even basic information on what
their activities are in the region.”
“Today’s decision is
a victory for the Western Gray Whales, but
the struggle continues. BP, Exxon and Rosneft
must abandon their reckless plans that threaten
the western gray whales with extinction”
said Doug Norlen, from Pacific Environment,
an international NGO that has monitored
Sakhalin oil and gas projects for over a
decade.
+ More
Honest EU analysis points
to fisheries failure
22 Apr 2009 - Brussels,
Belgium – A “commendably honest” green paper
on reform of European fisheries policy shows
that radical reform of the policy and a
serious commitment from governments is needed
to save Europe’s fish stocks and create
a profitable fisheries sector, WWF said
today.
The Green paper on the
Reform of the EU Common Fisheries Policy
presented today by the European Commission
is the product of an exhaustive inquiry
into Europe’s failing fisheries management,
accused of allowing massive overfishing
and wastage to continue.
“The Commission have
produced an admirably honest critique of
a dysfunctional fisheries policy. EU countries
and the Commission have let the opportunity
of the 2002 reform slip away and failed
to deliver on what they signed up to,” said
Aaron McLoughlin, Head of European Marine
Programme at WWF.
“They have failed our
fisheries and failed our industry. But now
they can no longer preach an agenda of reform
and ignore their own words when hard choices
need to be made.”
At present in Europe,
nearly two thirds of fish stocks are in
decline – including some of the most popular
species like cod, plaice and sole.
Mediterranean Bluefin
tuna is probably the most visible example
of misguided fisheries policy and practice,
with a recent WWF analysis showing the population
of breeding tunas will disappear by 2012
if current mismanagement of the fishery
continues.
WWF believes that reform
to deliver a profitable and sustainable
fisheries for Europe is possible.
“Long term management
plans, that look ahead to future years'
catches, show how leaving more fish in the
sea today will increase profitability tomorrow,”
said McLoughlin.
“It is essential to
de-politicize the setting of annual quotas.
The successful fisheries of Alaska, New
Zealand and Norway, where long term management
plans for fish stocks are in place and the
capacity of the fleet has been reduced,
are good examples that could be replicated
in Europe.”
WWF urges European governments
and the Commission to craft a new policy
for European fisheries, and in the meanwhile,
act for implementing control and enforcement
to tackle illegal fishing and setting sustainable
quotas for bluefin tuna and all commercial
fish stocks in the North Sea and Baltic.
The Green paper opens
a consultation with all involved parties
that will last until 31 December 2009. Following
the consultation, the EU Commission will
present a proposal for a reformed policy
that should be finally adopted in 2012 and
enter into force in 2013.
Stefania Campogianni, Press Officer, WWF
European Policy Office
Aaron Mc Loughlin, Head of European Marine
Programme
WWF European Policy Office
