Scarce crowd at DEIS expo
Tuesday, 15 December 2009 00:31
by Jennifer Naylor Gesick | Variety News Staff
THE government-sponsored Natural Resources Expo, which provided a forum for a public review of the draft environmental impact statement at Guam Premier Outlets in Tamuning, failed to draw interest from the public.
The expo, held at the vacant store next to Bestseller Books, sought to highlight and inform the public about the issues and concerns raised by the military impact report but it was a ghost town.
The Variety staff found only five people sitting and standing around the large vacant store space.
Despite the dismal showing all day, as observed by Variety, the Natural Resources Subcommittee of the Governor’s Civilian Military Task Force insisted the forum drew about 150 to 200 people. The figure was based not on a body count, rather by determining how many T-shirts were ultimately passed out by expo staff who were more often than not outside most of the day until the end of the event.
“We had a low turnout, but we hope to build on this,” said Elaina Todd, NOAA coral fellow and assistant coordinator for the expo.
Todd said she really did not think the numbers were low because of lack of interest. She said some people had a hard time finding the forum venue.
The expo took place inside the empty shop formerly occupied by the PC Outlet. At the front of the mall wing, expo organizers had placed large signs and colorful graphics, but most passersby simply ignored the event, according to an employee at the adjacent bookstore.
Even a temporary iceless skating rink setup to benefit habitat for Humanity within the same space failed to lure many interested residents into the expo space.
“The good thing is the people that did come stayed, because they were engaged. It was very interactive, and people were able to ask questions and have a really good dialogue with the presenters,” said Todd.
Some people interviewed by Variety expressed little interest in the military impact study. “They pay people lots of money to worry about it, so I am not going to,” said Janet Miranda, a resident of Chalan Pago.
“There is no point. They gave us an 11,000 page document which we cannot read. There is no point because it is a done deal,” said Filamore Palomo Alcon, owner of Guam Gallery of Art in Chamorro Village.
Todd promised to have a better venue for the next event in January. “This will give people a chance to see what the resource agencies are doing with the [draft study],” said Todd. “We learned from this one.”
She said the next event will have presentations and will be held in a better location.
Showing posts with label NOAA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NOAA. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Trench, reefs not enough protection: Guam can be hit by tsunamis as high as 19 feet, research says
Trench, reefs not enough protection: Guam can be hit by tsunamis as high as 19 feet, research says
By Laura Matthews • Pacific Daily News • December 11, 2009
The Mariana Trench and the reefs surrounding Guam aren't enough to protect the island if a tsunami should hit it.
And it could, according to Vasily V. Titov, director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Center for Tsunami Research.
Titov said an 8.5-magnitude earthquake is enough to trigger tsunami waves as high as 19 feet onshore.
"Samoa has answered that question very well; the reef is not a universal protector," Titov said, dispelling years of beliefs that the island's reef system could block the rushing waters from a tsunami.
This determination was made based on the findings from the NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory's research project, which started in 2004, and it was used to create tsunami inundation models for Guam. The researchers used the plate tectonics for Guam and its historical models, among other things, to develop the model. The project was funded by the Pacific Risk Management Ohana.
The full findings will be released before year's end, said Titov, who will leave the island Saturday.
"We can really say where the tsunami is going to be big," Titov said.
So far researchers have developed inundation models for Tumon Bay, Hagåtña, Apra Harbor, Pago Bay and Inarajan.
Should an 8.5 magnitude earthquake shake the island, the Tumon area could get waves as high as 19 feet, while Hagåtña could be washed by waves measuring 15 feet. Meanwhile, waves about 9 feet high could strike Apra Harbor.
The height of the waves will depend on the source of the earthquake. Currently, the researchers are eyeing the Mariana Trench and the Philippine Trench as potential sources.
"That the Mariana Trench can protect you from a tsunami is a misconception. What the trench does is that it straightens the front of the waves and shoots it to the closest coastline," Titov said.
While on the island he will meet with local scientists and technicians to show them how to use the new model, as well as garner more information to support the findings.
Little research exists on tsunami activities on Guam, but some tsunami waves have raced ashore in the past.
According to the data, in 1952 a tsunami generated in the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia caused little stimulation at Apra Harbor, and again at the same location in 1964 from the Great Alaska earthquake, Titov said.
Chip Guard, the warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service, said the model is a good tool for the island.
"This kind of model will give more specific guidelines that we can work from," Guard said.
Both Titov and Guard said the model must be coupled with public education to make it very effective.
By Laura Matthews • Pacific Daily News • December 11, 2009
The Mariana Trench and the reefs surrounding Guam aren't enough to protect the island if a tsunami should hit it.
And it could, according to Vasily V. Titov, director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Center for Tsunami Research.
Titov said an 8.5-magnitude earthquake is enough to trigger tsunami waves as high as 19 feet onshore.
"Samoa has answered that question very well; the reef is not a universal protector," Titov said, dispelling years of beliefs that the island's reef system could block the rushing waters from a tsunami.
This determination was made based on the findings from the NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory's research project, which started in 2004, and it was used to create tsunami inundation models for Guam. The researchers used the plate tectonics for Guam and its historical models, among other things, to develop the model. The project was funded by the Pacific Risk Management Ohana.
The full findings will be released before year's end, said Titov, who will leave the island Saturday.
"We can really say where the tsunami is going to be big," Titov said.
So far researchers have developed inundation models for Tumon Bay, Hagåtña, Apra Harbor, Pago Bay and Inarajan.
Should an 8.5 magnitude earthquake shake the island, the Tumon area could get waves as high as 19 feet, while Hagåtña could be washed by waves measuring 15 feet. Meanwhile, waves about 9 feet high could strike Apra Harbor.
The height of the waves will depend on the source of the earthquake. Currently, the researchers are eyeing the Mariana Trench and the Philippine Trench as potential sources.
"That the Mariana Trench can protect you from a tsunami is a misconception. What the trench does is that it straightens the front of the waves and shoots it to the closest coastline," Titov said.
While on the island he will meet with local scientists and technicians to show them how to use the new model, as well as garner more information to support the findings.
Little research exists on tsunami activities on Guam, but some tsunami waves have raced ashore in the past.
According to the data, in 1952 a tsunami generated in the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia caused little stimulation at Apra Harbor, and again at the same location in 1964 from the Great Alaska earthquake, Titov said.
Chip Guard, the warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service, said the model is a good tool for the island.
"This kind of model will give more specific guidelines that we can work from," Guard said.
Both Titov and Guard said the model must be coupled with public education to make it very effective.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
GUAM FISHERIES WATCH - NOAA Chief Warns: Stop Overfishing Our Bluefin Tuna!
GUAM FISHERIES WATCH - NOAA Chief Warns: Stop Overfishing Our Bluefin Tuna!
Written by Jeff Marchesseault, Guam News Factor Staff Writer
Thursday, 12 November 2009 13:58
GUAM - Unless fishermen cease the illegal, unreported and unregulated overfishing of bluefin tuna, we aren't going to have any left to eat.
That's the word from U.S. Commerce Under Secretary and NOAA Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco as the international body that manages Atlantic bluefin meets this week in Brazil.
NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is a division of the U.S. Department of Commerce and is tasked with conserving and managing America's coastal and marine resources.
Although this week's meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) focuses on the species of bluefin tuna that inhabits the other great ocean, it can't be long before Pacific bluefin is back in the spotlight again.
According to Wikipedia:
Pacific Bluefin Tuna are overfished throughout the world. They are hooked on long lines or illegally netted where they swim, and many young bluefins are captured before they reproduce. Creating effective fishing policies for bluefin tuna is difficult because they are highly mobile and swim through the territorial waters of many different nations. Data about their movements and high levels of international cooperation are needed to ensure sustainable bluefin tuna populations.
Pacific bluefin tuna spawn in the Western Pacific between Okinawa and the Philippines and probably the Sea of Japan, then migrate over 6,000 nautical miles (11,000 km) to the Eastern Pacific, and eventually return to their birth waters to spawn again.
Here is the latest bluefin tuna news from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration:
United States Pushes For Strong Measures To Protect Bluefin Tuna
November 9, 2009 - Dr. Jane Lubchenco, under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator issued the following statement urging the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) to heed the scientific advice and adopt measures that will end overfishing in the Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean and put bluefin tuna on the path to recovery. The ICCAT is scheduled to meet this week in Brazil.
“As a member of ICCAT, the United States has a responsibility to work with other countries to end illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, and implement strong management measures that will end overfishing and help rebuild the stocks. “The status quo with respect to eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefin is neither sustainable nor acceptable.
Conservation of this species depends on science-based management and effective compliance with the rules on both sides of the ocean. “I believe that to be most effective, the long-term management of the species must be led by ICCAT. I urge ICCAT to do the right thing – follow the science and implement strong new measures to protect the bluefin. I look to ICCAT for strong and definitive action at this week’s meeting.”
Background: ICCAT, an international body of 47 nations and the European Community, is responsible for the management of Atlantic bluefin tuna. The United States has repeatedly urged ICCAT to heed the scientific advice and adopt measures that will end overfishing in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean and put bluefin tuna on the path to recovery. This includes measures setting responsible, science-based quotas, stronger enforcement of those quotas, and closures during spawning periods.
The United States delegation to ICCAT travels to Brazil this week for the body’s annual meeting. This year, as in years past, the United States is seeking the strongest possible management for the conservation of Atlantic bluefin tuna. On October 14, the United States announced its support of Monaco’s proposal to list Atlantic bluefin tuna on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), to prohibit international trade of the species.
The final U.S. decision on whether to vote for Monaco’s proposal at the 2010 CITES Conference of Parties will take into account whether or not ICCAT adopts strong management and compliance measures at this week's meeting. For further background, please see October 14 release.
NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources.
Written by Jeff Marchesseault, Guam News Factor Staff Writer
Thursday, 12 November 2009 13:58
GUAM - Unless fishermen cease the illegal, unreported and unregulated overfishing of bluefin tuna, we aren't going to have any left to eat.
That's the word from U.S. Commerce Under Secretary and NOAA Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco as the international body that manages Atlantic bluefin meets this week in Brazil.
NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is a division of the U.S. Department of Commerce and is tasked with conserving and managing America's coastal and marine resources.
Although this week's meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) focuses on the species of bluefin tuna that inhabits the other great ocean, it can't be long before Pacific bluefin is back in the spotlight again.
According to Wikipedia:
Pacific Bluefin Tuna are overfished throughout the world. They are hooked on long lines or illegally netted where they swim, and many young bluefins are captured before they reproduce. Creating effective fishing policies for bluefin tuna is difficult because they are highly mobile and swim through the territorial waters of many different nations. Data about their movements and high levels of international cooperation are needed to ensure sustainable bluefin tuna populations.
Pacific bluefin tuna spawn in the Western Pacific between Okinawa and the Philippines and probably the Sea of Japan, then migrate over 6,000 nautical miles (11,000 km) to the Eastern Pacific, and eventually return to their birth waters to spawn again.
Here is the latest bluefin tuna news from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration:
United States Pushes For Strong Measures To Protect Bluefin Tuna
November 9, 2009 - Dr. Jane Lubchenco, under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator issued the following statement urging the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) to heed the scientific advice and adopt measures that will end overfishing in the Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean and put bluefin tuna on the path to recovery. The ICCAT is scheduled to meet this week in Brazil.
“As a member of ICCAT, the United States has a responsibility to work with other countries to end illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, and implement strong management measures that will end overfishing and help rebuild the stocks. “The status quo with respect to eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean bluefin is neither sustainable nor acceptable.
Conservation of this species depends on science-based management and effective compliance with the rules on both sides of the ocean. “I believe that to be most effective, the long-term management of the species must be led by ICCAT. I urge ICCAT to do the right thing – follow the science and implement strong new measures to protect the bluefin. I look to ICCAT for strong and definitive action at this week’s meeting.”
Background: ICCAT, an international body of 47 nations and the European Community, is responsible for the management of Atlantic bluefin tuna. The United States has repeatedly urged ICCAT to heed the scientific advice and adopt measures that will end overfishing in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean and put bluefin tuna on the path to recovery. This includes measures setting responsible, science-based quotas, stronger enforcement of those quotas, and closures during spawning periods.
The United States delegation to ICCAT travels to Brazil this week for the body’s annual meeting. This year, as in years past, the United States is seeking the strongest possible management for the conservation of Atlantic bluefin tuna. On October 14, the United States announced its support of Monaco’s proposal to list Atlantic bluefin tuna on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), to prohibit international trade of the species.
The final U.S. decision on whether to vote for Monaco’s proposal at the 2010 CITES Conference of Parties will take into account whether or not ICCAT adopts strong management and compliance measures at this week's meeting. For further background, please see October 14 release.
NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Navy eyes sonar operations in Marianas
Navy eyes sonar operations in Marianas
Thursday, October 22, 2009
NOAA's Fisheries Service is seeking comments now through Nov. 19 on its proposed rule to authorize impacts to marine mammals during Navy training exercises around the Mariana Islands. The NOAA proposal includes protective measures designed to minimize effects on marine mammals.
The Navy has requested an authorization under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, because the mid-frequency sound generated by tactical sonar, and the sound and pressure generated by detonating explosives, may affect the behavior of some marine mammals, or cause a temporary loss of their hearing sensitivity.
NOAA's Fisheries Service does not expect the exercises to result in serious injury or death to marine mammals, and is proposing the Navy use mitigation measures to avoid injury or death. However, exposure to sonar in certain circumstances has been associated with the stranding of some marine mammals, and some injury or death may still occur. Therefore, the proposed authorization allows for a small number of incidental injuries to marine mammals.
NOAA's Fisheries Service said it has made a preliminary determination that these effects “would have a negligible effect” on the species or stocks involved.
Under the authorization, the Navy would have to follow mitigation measures to minimize effects on marine mammals, including:
-establishing marine mammal safety zones around each vessel using sonar;
-using Navy observers to shut down sonar operations if marine mammals are seen within designated safety zones;
-using exclusion zones to ensure that explosives are not detonated when animals are detected within a certain distance;
-implementing a stranding response plan that includes a training shutdown provision in certain circumstances, and allows for the Navy to contribute in-kind services to NOAA's Fisheries Service if the agency has to conduct a stranding response and investigation.
“These measures should minimize the potential for injury or death, and significantly reduce the number of marine mammals exposed to levels of sound likely to cause temporary loss of hearing,” NOAA said in a statement.
Additionally, the proposed rule would require the Navy and NOAA's Fisheries Service to meet yearly to discuss new science, Navy research and development, and Navy monitoring results to see if changes to mitigation or monitoring measures are needed.
NOAA's Fisheries Service and the Navy use independent, experienced vessel-based marine mammal observers (as well as Navy watchstanders), and passive acoustic monitoring to help better understand how marine mammals respond to various levels of sound and to assess the effectiveness of mitigation measures.
The Navy has been conducting training exercises, including the use of mid-frequency sonar, in the Mariana Islands for more than 60 years. Exercises range from large, 10-day long joint multi-strike group exercises using multiple surface vessels, submarines and aircraft, to multi-hour exercises designed to target specific skills or weapons systems, such as missile tracking. Some exercises involve explosives.
NOAA's Fisheries Service will accept comments on the application and proposed authorization through November 19. Comments should be addressed to:
Michael Payne, Chief of the Permits, Conservation, and Education Division
Office of Protected Resources, NMFS
1315 East West Highway
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Electronic public comments may be submitted via the Federal eRulemaking Portal http://www.regulations.gov using the identifier 0648-AW91. (NOAA)
Thursday, October 22, 2009
NOAA's Fisheries Service is seeking comments now through Nov. 19 on its proposed rule to authorize impacts to marine mammals during Navy training exercises around the Mariana Islands. The NOAA proposal includes protective measures designed to minimize effects on marine mammals.
The Navy has requested an authorization under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, because the mid-frequency sound generated by tactical sonar, and the sound and pressure generated by detonating explosives, may affect the behavior of some marine mammals, or cause a temporary loss of their hearing sensitivity.
NOAA's Fisheries Service does not expect the exercises to result in serious injury or death to marine mammals, and is proposing the Navy use mitigation measures to avoid injury or death. However, exposure to sonar in certain circumstances has been associated with the stranding of some marine mammals, and some injury or death may still occur. Therefore, the proposed authorization allows for a small number of incidental injuries to marine mammals.
NOAA's Fisheries Service said it has made a preliminary determination that these effects “would have a negligible effect” on the species or stocks involved.
Under the authorization, the Navy would have to follow mitigation measures to minimize effects on marine mammals, including:
-establishing marine mammal safety zones around each vessel using sonar;
-using Navy observers to shut down sonar operations if marine mammals are seen within designated safety zones;
-using exclusion zones to ensure that explosives are not detonated when animals are detected within a certain distance;
-implementing a stranding response plan that includes a training shutdown provision in certain circumstances, and allows for the Navy to contribute in-kind services to NOAA's Fisheries Service if the agency has to conduct a stranding response and investigation.
“These measures should minimize the potential for injury or death, and significantly reduce the number of marine mammals exposed to levels of sound likely to cause temporary loss of hearing,” NOAA said in a statement.
Additionally, the proposed rule would require the Navy and NOAA's Fisheries Service to meet yearly to discuss new science, Navy research and development, and Navy monitoring results to see if changes to mitigation or monitoring measures are needed.
NOAA's Fisheries Service and the Navy use independent, experienced vessel-based marine mammal observers (as well as Navy watchstanders), and passive acoustic monitoring to help better understand how marine mammals respond to various levels of sound and to assess the effectiveness of mitigation measures.
The Navy has been conducting training exercises, including the use of mid-frequency sonar, in the Mariana Islands for more than 60 years. Exercises range from large, 10-day long joint multi-strike group exercises using multiple surface vessels, submarines and aircraft, to multi-hour exercises designed to target specific skills or weapons systems, such as missile tracking. Some exercises involve explosives.
NOAA's Fisheries Service will accept comments on the application and proposed authorization through November 19. Comments should be addressed to:
Michael Payne, Chief of the Permits, Conservation, and Education Division
Office of Protected Resources, NMFS
1315 East West Highway
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Electronic public comments may be submitted via the Federal eRulemaking Portal http://www.regulations.gov using the identifier 0648-AW91. (NOAA)
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