Toyama, Japan — As requested by the member states at the recently convened 15th NOWPAP Intergovernmental Meeting (IGM) in Moscow, the Regional Coordinating Unit (RCU) of NOWPAP has started consultations with the Regional Activity Centres on the development of the NOWPAP Medium-term Strategy in order to enhance NOWPAP implementation.

 

Toyama, Japan — The UNEP Year Book 2011 - Emerging Issues in Our Changing Global Environment - was launched recently. It is the 8th edition of the UNEP flagship report which examines global emerging issues and provides the latest environmental science.

 

Nairobi, Kenya — NOWPAP officers attended the 7th Meeting of the Regional Scientific and Technical Panel and Project Steering Committee for the UNDP/GEF Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem (YSLME) Project in PR China and the meeting of the Coordinators of UNEP-administered Regional Seas Conventions and Action Plans in Nairobi, Kenya.

 

NOWPAP at the YSLME Meeting

 

Koh Rong Samloem, Preah Sihanouk Province, Cambodia — A hands-on training course organized by the Regional Fisheries Livelihoods Programme for South and Southeast Asia (RFLP) has helped raise awareness and understanding amongst Cambodian government, marine police and navy personnel of the importance of fisheries resource management.

 

Beijing, PR China — PEMSEA's transformation into a self-sustaining international organization was a major topic of discussion during the recently concluded Executive Committee meeting in Beijing, PR China.

 

Quezon City, Philippines — As a signatory to the Putrajaya Declaration and the Haikou Partnership Agreement, the Philippines has committed to develop and adopt a national coastal and ocean policy and contribute to the target of scaling up ICM to cover 20 percent of the region's coastline. These two objectives have been adopted by PEMSEA participating governments as two measurable milestones in implementing the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia over the next 5 years.

 

Quezon City, Philippines — PEMSEA welcomes its new librarian, Mr. Michael Villanueva. Michael is responsible for the maintenance and update of the PEMSEA's library databases, as well as the management of the library’s collection of books and periodicals. Michael also provides current awareness services for the PEMSEA Resource Facility.

 

Quezon City, Philippines — PEMSEA released a new issue of Tropical Coasts that expounds on the challenges and good practices in water supply and management. The new issue features the discussions held during the International Conference on Sustainable Coastal and Ocean Development during the East Asian Seas Congress in Manila, Philippines, on 23-27 November 2009.

 

Orion, Bataan, Philippines — On a normal day, these fishers are offshore making a living, today they are shaping their future.

 

"This is our primary source of livelihood. If we do not take care of it, there might be a time when we will have nothing to eat," says Mr. Laudico Perez, SUGPO President.

 

Chonburi, Thailand — East Asia's and probably the world’s first provincial-level oil spill contingency plans were recently launched in Thailand’s Chonburi province and in the two Vietnamese southern provinces of Tra Vinh and Ben Tre. Professor Raphael P.M. Lotilla, PEMSEA Executive Director, emphasized their significance since 80 percent of oil spills are classified as small (below 7 tons) and require localized response while major oil spills almost always require the involvement of local governments.