The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has deeply affected sectors related to the ocean, with shipping disrupted by port closures and a drop in demand; fisheries disrupted by a lack of transportation options and market shrinkage and; tourism likely to see significant long-term drop as incoming travel in many cases drops by over 99%. The current situation however, has heightened awareness of the link between human health and ocean health, and provides opportunities for environmental actions and advocacy.

 

 

Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) recently held a virtual signing ceremony that formalized the entry of the Institute for Global Environmental Studies (IGES) in Japan and the Coastal and Ocean Marine Institute (COMI) based in Xiamen University as its new regional centers of excellence; and the formal acceptance of the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA) as a non-country partner.

 

Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) mourns the passing of Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain. She was a great person and a significant force in the drive to put the ocean on the political agenda globally. A true friend and supporter of PEMSEA and the adoption and implementation of integrated coastal management. She will be missed.

 

Letter from the International Coastal and Ocean Organization (Secretariat of the Global Ocean Forum) Board of Directors

 

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that aims to facilitate cooperation and strengthen collaboration between the two parties via the free use of mutually agreed knowledge products, experience and good practices in relation to their respective programs.

 

 

MANILA, PHILIPPINES—Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) is working on two initiatives that aim to support ongoing efforts to rehabilitate Manila Bay. The projects are focused on pollution reduction and solid waste management (SWM) in the province of Cavite, where the Imus River is an important tributary of Manila Bay.

 

 

PEMSEA welcomes Ms. Karen See to the PEMSEA Resource Foundation (PRF), where she will serve as the PRF Secretariat Coordinator effective 26 October 2020.

 

A national forum to conclude the implementation of the GEF/UNDP/PEMSEA Scaling Up SDS-SEA Project was held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on 2 September. The implementation of the project was initiated in 2015 through the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement between and among the coastal Provincial Governments of Kampot, Kep, Koh Kong, and Preah Sihanouk, the Ministry of Environment, and the PEMSEA Resource Facility.

 

Biofouling, the attachment of living organisms to artificial surfaces, is a seemingly innocuous process that nonetheless threatens the health of the world’s oceans. The organisms can travel attached to shipping hulls and other equipment, thus entering new environments around the world as invasive species.

 

These invasive species can wreak havoc in the areas of environmental health, ecosystem services, fishing and aquaculture. Biofouling can also damage the equipment it accumulates on, reducing the efficiency of shipping and contributing to climate change.

 

Guimaras Province (located southeast of Panay Island and northwest of Negros Island) has developed the Guimaras Coastal Strategy 2020 as part of its long-term vision of becoming the agri-ecotourism capital of the Western Visayas in the Philippines. Adopted via Resolution No. 160, the Guimaras Coastal Strategy builds on the province’s adoption of Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) as a key approach towards achieving sustainable development of its coastal and marine areas and resources.