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Blue Economy Bulletin February 2019
PUBLICATION DATE:
Thursday, February 28, 2019
PUBLICATION TYPE:
Magazines and Newsletters
STATUS:
Only Available Online
DESCRIPTION:
Welcome to PEMSEA's first Blue Economy Bulletin for 2019. Top of our stories is an article on the economic value of wastewater as explained in the in-depth Indonesia, Philippines, and Viet Nam wastewater sector reports jointly published by PEMSEA and ARCOWA. The reports are timely and relevant given the region's focus on water quality, pollution reduction, and waste management. This month we also look at two integrated coastal management (ICM) examples featured in PEMSEA's 25th anniversary publication that showcase how cities build resilience to shocks and prepare to deal with climate change and other disasters.
As encouraging sustainability is a key plank in building a blue economy, it is important to understand the challenges faced by potential green investments in obtaining private financing. However, hope can be found in how dedicated climate financing is finding new avenues of cooperation, as the GCF and GEF announce a joint mission in Lao PDR. At a local level, a proper assessment of coastal areas is necessary to implement ICM solutions. CCRES has created 15 tools to assess fisheries management, business development, and other aspects of coastal management.
Seafood is one industry where achieving sustainability is essential, and innovative solutions appear to be thriving. Technology is helping, with acoustic sensors providing a novel method to detect blast fishing, while rapid DNA analysis may allow the species of fish parts to be identified within hours. The growing insect meal industry shows potential to become a reliable food supply for aquaculture. New research reveals better data about the state of Pacific shark populations, but also that microplastic pollution damages mussel populations, threatening their survival.
Follow the latest updates on blue economy and coastal sustainable development in East Asia on Facebook and Twitter. We welcome your feedback, so please let us know if there are other blue economy topics you would like to see in future newsletters and programs.
RELATED PUBLICATIONS
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The First Blue Carbon Technical Working Group meeting was held on February 25, 2025, online via video conference (Zoom). The meeting was chaired by the Technical Session Chair and Co-Chair of the East Asian Seas (EAS) Partnership Council (PC) and participated by PEMSEA country partner designated representatives from China and the Philippines; non-country partner representatives from the National Marine Hazard Mitigation Service (NMHMS), Ocean Policy Research Institute of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (OPRI-SPF), Conservation International (CI), Korean Maritime Institute (KMI); PNLC members, Xiamen University, University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute (UP-MSI); and other collaborators, such as the China Green Carbon Foundation and OceanPixel.
PEMSEA eBulletin - February 2025
Dear PEMSEA community,
As we step into a new month, we are thrilled to share some remarkable milestones and collaborative efforts that highlight PEMSEA’s ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability.
The month began with PEMSEA receiving recognition from the DENR-EMB for the strong collaboration particularly through the MOF/PEMSEA ODA Marine Plastics Project in the Philippines. In the Arafura and Timor Seas, representatives from Australia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Timor-Leste came together in Australia to tackle the ghost net crisis.
Discover how the IRBM Project is fostering transparency and accountability with its new Grievance Redress Mechanism, empowering voices to be heard. Learn more about the data-driven efforts in the Philippines and Timor-Leste, where beach monitoring is shaping policies to tackle marine plastics.
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About one hundred participants from:
- 21 PNLG member local governments;
- 5 PNLG Associate members;
- PNLC members;
- resource speakers and other invited experts,
- the PNLG Secretariat,
- the PNLC Secretariat, and
- the PRF attended the forum.
They are from eight countries, namely Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, RO Korea, Timor-Leste and Viet Nam.