(Note: There are several references and information about such U.S. agencies as the EPA in this update. It is not a pretty picture to those that don't believe the United Nations should rule the world. ACZISC - The Atlantic Coastal Zone Information Steering Committee http://www.dal.ca/aczisc/mandate )

December 16, 2003

From: Michael Butler, Dalhousie University

mbutler@Kilcom1.UCIS.Dal.Ca

Please feel free to circulate the ACZISC COASTAL UPDATE among your own networks. This and previous Updates are available at http://www.dal.ca/aczisc/new.  Please note that the inclusion of items in the Coastal Update does not imply endorsement by the member agencies of the ACZISC.

The ACZISC was formed in 1992 to help establish a coastal zone information infrastructure in Atlantic Canada as a precursor to integrated coastal management. The Committee is multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral with representation from eight federal departments, four Atlantic provincial governments, academia and the private sector. Please refer to the ACZISC website at http://www.dal.ca/aczisc  for details.

RECENT COASTAL AND OCEAN ACTIVITIES IN ATLANTIC CANADA

For recent information on coastal and ocean activities in Atlantic Canada, refer to the report of ACZISC Meeting #40 held in Halifax on 10-11 September 2003. The report is available at http://www.dal.ca/aczisc/docs

UPCOMING ACZISC MEETINGS

- 28-29 January 2004: ACZISC Meeting #41, Charlottetown, PEI [Prince Edward Island] - 19-20 May 2004: ACZISC Meeting #42, St. John's, NL [Newfoundland] - 15-16 September 2004: ACZISC Meeting #43, Fredericton, NB [New Brunswick] - 19-20 January 2005: ACZISC Meeting #44, Halifax, NS [Nova Scotia] For information, email the ACZISC Secretariat at leblancc@ca.inter.net

NEW BRUNSWICK ENVIRONMENTAL TRUST FUND

31 January is the deadline for submitting proposals to the NB Environmental Trust Fund. The Fund provides assistance for action-oriented projects with tangible, measurable results, aimed at protecting, preserving and enhancing the Province's natural environment. For information, access http://www.gnb.ca/0009/0373/0002/0001-e.html

REPORT ON STAKEHOLDER PERSPECTIVES ON OCEAN ZONING

The Ecology Action Centre has released a report entitled "Ocean Zoning: Perspectives on a New Vision for the Scotian Shelf and Gulf of Maine.

Key recommendations include:

ensuring that conservation is the driver for zoning;

involving stakeholders in the development and application of the zoning process;

and encouraging governments and all stakeholder groups to consider multi-sector zoning to promote conservation and uniform management decisions among different jurisdictions.

To obtain a copy, access http://www.ecologyaction.ca/EAC_WEB_1/MIC2/EACOceanZoningReport.pdf

CONSULTATION ON THE PROPOSED GULLY MARINE PROTECTED AREA

The Minister of Fisheries and Oceans has announced the pre-publication of the proposed Regulations for The Gully Marine Protected Area (MPA). The proposed Regulations and supporting Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement (RIAS) are available for public review. A 30-day public comment period is now underway, and written comments can be submitted to DFO by 6 January 2004. For information, access the DFO News Release at http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/media/newsrel/2003/hq-ac116_e.htm;  the Regulations at http://canadagazette.gc.ca/partI/2003/20031206/html/regle1-e.html;  and a Backgrounder at http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/media/backgrou/2003/hq-ac116b_e.htm

AMENDMENTS TO NOVA SCOTIA'S ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT REGULATIONS

Proposed amendments to Nova Scotia's Environmental Assessment Regulations have been released for public comment. The proposed regulatory changes are intended to add efficiency to the assessment process, introduce innovation and implement some aspects of Nova Scotia's Energy Strategy. The public comment period ends on 19 January 2004. The draft regulations and an explanatory brochure are available at http://www.gov.ns.ca/enla/ess/ea/new.htm

CALL FOR PAPERS - 6TH BAY OF FUNDY WORKSHOP

2 April 2004 is the deadline for submitting abstracts for the "6th Bay of Fundy Workshop" that will be held from 29 September - 2 October 2004 in Cornwallis, Nova Scotia. The workshop theme "The Changing Bay of Fundy ~ Beyond 400 Years" encourages the exploration of the ecological and social changes that may take place in the region during the next hundred years. For information, access http://www.bofep.org/2004_invitation.htm

CALL FOR PAPERS - COASTAL ZONE CANADA 2004

16 January 2004 is the deadline for submitting abstracts to "CZC 2004", scheduled for 27-30 June 2004 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. CZC 2004 will focus on the increasingly complex challenges associated with understanding, maintaining, managing, and governing coastal ecosystems. The overall theme of the Conference is "All Within One Ocean: Co-operation in Sustainable Coastal and Ocean Management." Sub-themes include: Challenges, Strategies, Tools, and Managing Shared Waters. For information, access http://www.czca-azcc.org/index2.htm

BEDFORD INSTITUTE OF OCEANOGRAPHY: 40th ANNIVERSARY

The 2002 BIO Annual Report celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Institute with articles on its history, scientific research and resource management initiatives. This special edition, published in November 2003, is dedicated to the "four Bills", the early Directors of the Institute, whose vision shaped the direction of Oceanography in Canada from the 1950s to the 1970s. To obtain a copy of the Report, email geddesd@mar.dfo-mpo.gc.ca.

COASTAL ZONES RESEARCH INSTITUTE NEWSLETTER

The October 2003 edition of Technology Alert, the bi-annual newsletter of the Coastal Zones Research Institute is available at http://www.umcs.ca/Institut/ta002.pdf  (English version) and http://www.umcs.ca/Institut/at002.pdf  (French version). The Institute's main objective is to foster sustainable development of the resources found in coastal zones, mainly in eastern New Brunswick and the Atlantic Provinces. To subscribe, email Dr. Mauricio Gonzalez at gonzalez@umcs.ca

GEOBASE LAUNCHED BY NATURAL RESOURCES CANADA

The GeoBase Portal provides access to geospatial data at no cost to users and with no restrictions on its use. The new portal is intended to ensure the provision of common, up-to-date and maintained sets of quality geospatial data for all of Canada. It offers access to six pre-determined sets of data: national road network (NRN) data; Canadian digital elevation data (CDED); geographical names of Canada; administrative boundaries; Canadian geodetic network data; and Landsat-7 orthoimage data. GeoBase is available at http://www.geobase.ca/

COLLABORATIVE PILOT PROJECT ON CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION

GeoConnections has joined the Open GIS Consortium Inc and other US sponsors to participate in a pilot project aimed at increasing the interoperability of symbology used by emergency response personnel in multiple federal and national departments in both countries. For information, access http://www.opengis.org/initiatives/?iid=87.  GeoConnections would like to work with Canadian organizations and private-sector firms that intend to respond to the Request for Quotations (RFQ). For details, email Jennifer Sokol, Project Advisor for Disaster Management, at Jennifer.sokol@nrcan.gc.ca.

NATIONAL WATERSHED STEWARDSHIP REPORT

The final Canadian National Watershed Stewardship Policy Discussion report is now available at http://www.leps.bc.ca/website/NWS.htm.  The Report presents policy recommendations and suggested actions to strengthen watershed stewardship programs and activities.

Since watershed stewardship includes all human activities on the landscape, the recommendations are strongly linked to numerous national policies and strategies that are being developed across federal departments, particularly those associated with Canada's Stewardship Agenda.

CANADA'S FISHERY STATISTICS IN 2002

Primary fisheries production reached a record $2.8 billion: commercial marine $2.1 billion, aquaculture $639.0 million, and commercial freshwater $78.1 million. The Canadian fisheries industry provided 59,192 direct jobs in 2002. Indirect, industry-related jobs numbered in the tens of thousands. Aquaculture also provided 14,000 direct and indirect jobs to rural and coastal communities. Canada is the fifth largest exporter of fish and seafood products in the world. For the fifth consecutive year, fish and seafood exports in Canada increased, reaching a record high of $4.7 billion in 2002 - up from $4.2 billion in 2001. For information, access http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/media/backgrou/2003/hq-ac115a_e.htm

CANADA'S CLIMATE IS CHANGING

A report entitled "Climate, Nature People: Indicators of Canada's Changing Climate" describes changes to Canada's climate during the 20th century and reviews trends and implications for twelve climate change indicators. Temperature, precipitation, and other trends identified in the report suggest that climate in many regions of Canada is changing. The report can be accessed at http://www.ccme.ca/initiatives/climate.html?category_id=33

AQUANET CALL FOR PROPOSALS IN AQUACULTURE RESEARCH

AquaNet has issued a Call for Proposals in aquaculture research for 2004-2006. The deadline for submission of proposals is 30 January 2004. For detailed information on the four interdisciplinary research questions, the submission process, AquaNet policies and procedures and the selection criteria, access the AquaNet website at http://www.aquanet.ca/English/research/cfp.php

US EPA SCIENCE INVENTORY LAUNCHED FOR PUBLIC USE

The EPA Science Inventory is a searchable, Agency-wide database of more than 4,000 scientific and technical work products. Database records provide such information as project descriptions (abstracts), contacts for additional information and electronic links to final reports and related research. Users can conduct keyword searches or can search within nine cross-cutting science topics. The Science Inventory is available at http://www.epa.gov/si

PRELIMINARY RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE US OCEAN MANAGEMENT TASK FORCE

The US Ocean Management Task Force has released Preliminary Recommendations; these are available on the Ocean Management Initiative website at http://www.state.ma.us/czm/oceanmgtinitiative.htm.  15 January 2004 is the deadline for submitting written public comment on the Preliminary Recommendations via email at oceanmgtinitiative@state.ma.us

MODIS: NEAR REAL-TIME IMAGERY

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) is a 36-band spectroradiometer measuring visible and infrared radiation. Derived data products include: vegetation, land surface cover, ocean chlorophyll fluorescence, cloud and aerosol properties, fire occurrence, snow cover, and sea ice cover. MODIS near real-time imagery is available online at http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/realtime/

17% OF EU FISHERIES PRODUCTION FROM AQUACULTURE IN 2001

A recent issue of the European Commission's 'Statistics in focus' reports that in 2001 (the latest year for which complete data are available) the EU-15 Member States produced 1.3 million tonnes of fishery products from aquaculture, that is 17% of the total fisheries production from capture fisheries and aquaculture. For additional details, access http://europa.eu.int/comm/eurostat/Public/datashop/print-catalogue/EN?catalogue=Eurostat&product=

KS-NN-03-034-__-N-EN

FINDING SOLUTIONS TO MARINE DEBRIS

A report entitled "Finding Solutions: Derelict Fishing Gear and Other Marine Debris in Northern Australia" contains options to combat the critical problem of marine debris in northern Australian waters. It incorporates a comprehensive summary of existing knowledge of sources, magnitude and impacts of marine debris; details existing activities and identifies information gaps; and provides a set of options for the prevention and management of the problem. The report is available at http://www.oceans.gov.au/pdf/marine_debris_report.pdf.

CONFERENCE AND WORKSHOP PROCEEDINGS

- The proceedings of the "8th Canadian Workshop on Harmful Marine Algae," held on 28-30 May 2003 in Moncton, New Brunswick, have been published as a Technical Report of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. The proceedings are available at http://www.glf.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/sci-sci/cwhma-atcamn/index-e.html.

- The proceedings of an international workshop on Ecosystem Based Management (EBM) held on 20 June 2003 in Cairns, Australia are now available at http://www.oceans.gov.au/ebm.jsp.  The theme of the Workshop was "Beyond biodiversity - Sustainable conservation and development of the oceans using EBM".

- The proceedings of CoastGIS, the 5th International Symposium on GIS and Computer Cartography for Coastal Zone Management, held on 16-18 October 2003 in Genova, Italy are available at http://www.gisig.it/coastgis/.  The theme of the Symposium was "Integrating Information in Coastal Zone Management".

DEADLINES

- 19 December 2003 is the deadline for submitting abstracts to the 2004 AMRS Conference, "Operational Oceanography and Remote Sensing", scheduled for 16-19 March 2004 in London, UK. The session themes are: Maritime Security; Ice Services; Disaster Prevention and Management; Emerging Sensors and Platforms; and Future Requirements. For information, access http://www.waterobserver.org/event-2004-03/.  Sessions will be held in conjunction with Oceanology London 2004.

- 31 December 2003 is the deadline for submitting abstracts to the "13th International Conference on Aquatic Invasive Species" scheduled for 19-23 September 2004 in Ennis, County Clare, Ireland. For information, access http://www.aquatic-invasive-species-conference.org

- 31 January 2004 is the deadline for submitting abstracts to the "International Conference on Coastal Infrastructure Development" scheduled for 22-24 November 2004 in Hong Kong. For information, access http://www.hkie.org.hk/html/events/hkieevent/coastal2004/index.asp.

- 31 March 2004 is the deadline for submissions to Volume 19 of the Ocean Yearbook. Topics considered for publication are: Issues and Prospects; Living Resources of the Ocean; Non-living Ocean Resources; Transportation and Communications; Environment; Coastal Management; Military Activities; Regional Developments; Training and Education; and Literature Review. Contact information and guidelines are available at http://as01.ucis.dal.ca/wag/template/uploads/law/oybguidelines.pdf.

UPCOMING CONFERENCES AND OTHER EVENTS

- 17-18 December 2003: "Workshop on the Status, Trends and Conservation of Eelgrass in Atlantic Canada," Sackville, New Brunswick. For information, email Dr. Alan Hanson, Wetland and Waterfowl Ecologist, Canadian Wildlife Service at al.hanson@ec.gc.ca

- 4-8 January 2004: "Ocean Research Interactive Observatory Network Workshop," San Juan, Puerto Rico. For information, access http://www.orionprogram.org

- 6-8 January 2004: "Northeast Coastal Indicators Workshop", Durham, New Hampshire. For information, access http://www.gulfofmaine.org/nciw/

- 8-10 January 2004: "Canadian Conference for Fisheries Research," St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. For information, access http://www.phys.ocean.dal.ca/ccffr/

- 29-30 January 2004: "Water for a Sustainable and Secure Future", the 4th National Conference on Science, Policy and the Environment, Washington, DC. For information, access http://www.ncseonline.org/NCSEconference/2004conference/

- 4 February 2004: "OTANS AGM - Offshore/Onshore Technologies Association of Nova Scotia", Halifax, Nova Scotia. For information, access http://www.otans.com/events/default.asp

- 4-7 February 2004: "Sustainable Communities National Conference and Trade Show", organized by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Ottawa, Ontario. For information, access http://kn.fcm.ca/ev.php

- 15-20 February 2004: "2004 Ocean Research Conference", Honolulu, Hawaii. For information, access http://www.aslo.org/honolulu2004/index.html

- 20-21 February 2004: "11th Annual Conference of the Fishermen and Scientists Research Society", Halifax, Nova Scotia. For information, access http://www.fsrs.ns.ca/events/ac2004.html

- For a more complete list of upcoming conferences and workshops, access http://www.dal.ca/aczisc/conf

The ACZISC Secretariat

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