ESA satellite above the ocean
Image courtesy of the European Space Agency

 

We are pleased to announce that applications are now accepted for a Training Course on Accessing and working with state-of-the-art satellite data for marine applications, to be held at the University of the Philippines Visayas from 25-26 November 2018.

 

 

PEMSEA Executive Director Aimee Gonzales feels plastic pollution is a critical issue
Ocean plastic presents an enormous challenge in Asia. According to research by the Ocean Conservancy, a 45% improvement in plastic leakage is possible by improving waste management and recycling in China, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Thailand.

 

(PEMSEA / Ysabel Victoriano)

 

There are plenty of fish in the sea – but not for long, if we continue to fish unsustainably.

 

The Letter of Cooperation was signed by ACB’s Executive Director Theresa Mundita S. Lim (left) and PEMSEA’s Executive Director Aimee Gonzales (right).

 

Last Tuesday, 4 September 2018, PEMSEA and the ASEAN Center for Biodiversity (ACB) forged anew their decade-old partnership through the signing of the two parties' Letter of Cooperation (LoC). This took place during the second leg of the ASEAN Biodiversity Heroes Regional Forum held at Dusit Thani Hotel, Makati City, Philippines.

 

Photo courtesy of DENR

 

With only 80 days to go before the East Asian Seas (EAS) Congress 2018, a few booths remain up for grabs at the 2018 EAS Congress Environmental Exhibition to be held at the Iloilo Convention Center, Iloilo City, Philippines from 27-29 November 2018.

 

 

MANILA, PHILIPPINES—Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) is glad to welcome five trainees from China, Indonesia, and Lao PDR to the PEMSEA Resource Facility (PRF) in Manila, Philippines. This is part of PEMSEA’S Traineeship Programme, which supports capacity and knowledge building regarding integrated coastal management (ICM) in the region.

 

The trainees are:

 

 

 

Palabuharantu Bay

 

The Indian Ocean holds an important place in the culture of Java, with its fierce waves often attributed to the sea goddess Nyai Lara Kidul. Queen of the sea to the south of Java, Nyai Lara Kidul is the guardian of an area of the Sukabumi Regency in West Java named in her honor, Palabuhanratu (Queen’s harbor). In their own act of guardianship, the people of the Sukabumi Regency established the Ciletuh-Palabuhanratu Geopark, a conservation area managed on the principles of protection, education, and sustainable development.

 

 

Effective management of wastewater remains a persistent problem in East Asia, with discharge of untreated wastewater from domestic, industrial and agricultural sources a common occurrence. Across Asia, a majority of sewage still finds its way to rivers, lakes and coastal zones and oceans without any treatment. The impacts on freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities have been significant, including hypoxia, loss of fisheries productivity and biodiversity, and damage to human health.