Thursday, August 17, 2006
International Effort to Combat Med Oil Spill
Over 140 kilometres of Mediterranean coastline have been polluted after Israeli forces bombed a power station last month. Marine experts were unable to visit the worst affected areas while the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah continued, but Monday's ceasefire has allowed them to begin on-the-ground assessments.
Local environmental and conservation groups said that some of the oil had settled on the sea floor, threatening areas where tuna spawn.
They also voiced concern that slicks on beaches would prevent young green turtles, an endangered species, from reaching the sea after they had hatched.
An International Assistance Action Plan has been drawn up to deal with the oil spill. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) said the quantity of oil spilled in Lebanon is already comparable to the disaster caused in 1999 off the coast of France when the Erika tanker spilled an estimated 13,000 metric tonnes of oil into the Atlantic Ocean.
Whilst the damage at the moment is affecting Lebanon and Syria, the oil slick is moving towards Turkey. Greece and Cyprus are also threatened.
References and Sources for this Story:
UN News Centre
AKI
BBC News
Greenpeace
--
Subscribe to SCUBA News (ISSN 1476-8011) for more free news, articles, diving reports and marine life descriptions - http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/news.html
Local environmental and conservation groups said that some of the oil had settled on the sea floor, threatening areas where tuna spawn.
They also voiced concern that slicks on beaches would prevent young green turtles, an endangered species, from reaching the sea after they had hatched.
An International Assistance Action Plan has been drawn up to deal with the oil spill. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) said the quantity of oil spilled in Lebanon is already comparable to the disaster caused in 1999 off the coast of France when the Erika tanker spilled an estimated 13,000 metric tonnes of oil into the Atlantic Ocean.
Whilst the damage at the moment is affecting Lebanon and Syria, the oil slick is moving towards Turkey. Greece and Cyprus are also threatened.
References and Sources for this Story:
UN News Centre
AKI
BBC News
Greenpeace
--
Subscribe to SCUBA News (ISSN 1476-8011) for more free news, articles, diving reports and marine life descriptions - http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/news.html
Labels: environment
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Jellyfish Invasion of Mediterranean Beaches
If you are diving in the Med this summer watch out for the jellyfish. Huge swarms of the animals are invading coastal waters. Some Spanish beaches have been closed, but Sicily and North Africa are also reported to be badly affected.
Marine biologists blame hot dry weather for bringing jellyfish closer to the shore, and say overfishing may be increasing jellyfish numbers. At the same time, populations of jellyfish predators such as tuna and turtles are diminishing.
If you are stung wash the wound with sea water (not fresh) and apply an icepack inside a plastic bag.
References and Sources for this Story:
Oceana, The Independent, BBC News
--
Subscribe to SCUBA News (ISSN 1476-8011) for more free news, articles, diving reports and marine life descriptions - http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/news.html
Marine biologists blame hot dry weather for bringing jellyfish closer to the shore, and say overfishing may be increasing jellyfish numbers. At the same time, populations of jellyfish predators such as tuna and turtles are diminishing.
If you are stung wash the wound with sea water (not fresh) and apply an icepack inside a plastic bag.
References and Sources for this Story:
Oceana, The Independent, BBC News
--
Subscribe to SCUBA News (ISSN 1476-8011) for more free news, articles, diving reports and marine life descriptions - http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/news.html
Labels: sealife
SCUBA News 75 now online
The latest issue of SCUBA News (ISSN 1476-8011) is now freely available on-line. It includes Baja California, Honduras, Madagascar, Mauritius, coral reefs and all the diving news from around the world.
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/scubanews75.html
--
Subscribe to SCUBA News (ISSN 1476-8011) for more free news, articles, diving reports and marine life descriptions - http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/news.html
http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/scubanews75.html
--
Subscribe to SCUBA News (ISSN 1476-8011) for more free news, articles, diving reports and marine life descriptions - http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/news.html
Labels: SCUBA News
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Streamlined PADI training dismissed as 'madness'
Short diving courses are "madness", an expert has said as inquests were held into diver deaths in the South West of England.
Dr Philip Bryson, head of the Diving Diseases Research Centre in Plymouth, said modern diving courses allowed novices to do too much too quickly.
Dr Bryson, who specialises in diving accidents, said he was amazed beginners could be certified at advanced level after just eight dives.
(In fact PADI says nine dives are needed to get an advanced open water certificate.)
Dr Bryson continued "I have been in this business for 23 years and I do not think someone with 47 dives is an experienced diver. The diving community needs to be totally re-educated."
Giving evidence at the inquests of three divers who died off the coasts of Cornwall and Devon, he singled out the American company PADI, the world's biggest diving training organisation, for particular criticism. He said its methods had forced others to streamline their training programmes.
Traditionally British training agencies, such as the British Sub-Aqua Club, have offered much more rigorous basic training than PADI to prepare their divers for what can be demanding British diving conditions. People who have learnt to dive on Mediterranean or Red Sea holidays are often not adequately prepared for British diving with its tides, currents and cooler conditions.
The coroner, Nigel Meadows, concluded "Diving is a wonderful hobby and it would be wrong for me to discourage it but divers need to be responsible to themselves and to others."
Sources: BBC News, Times Online
--
Subscribe to SCUBA News (ISSN 1476-8011) for more free news, articles, diving reports and marine life descriptions - http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/news.html
Dr Philip Bryson, head of the Diving Diseases Research Centre in Plymouth, said modern diving courses allowed novices to do too much too quickly.
Dr Bryson, who specialises in diving accidents, said he was amazed beginners could be certified at advanced level after just eight dives.
(In fact PADI says nine dives are needed to get an advanced open water certificate.)
Dr Bryson continued "I have been in this business for 23 years and I do not think someone with 47 dives is an experienced diver. The diving community needs to be totally re-educated."
Giving evidence at the inquests of three divers who died off the coasts of Cornwall and Devon, he singled out the American company PADI, the world's biggest diving training organisation, for particular criticism. He said its methods had forced others to streamline their training programmes.
Traditionally British training agencies, such as the British Sub-Aqua Club, have offered much more rigorous basic training than PADI to prepare their divers for what can be demanding British diving conditions. People who have learnt to dive on Mediterranean or Red Sea holidays are often not adequately prepared for British diving with its tides, currents and cooler conditions.
The coroner, Nigel Meadows, concluded "Diving is a wonderful hobby and it would be wrong for me to discourage it but divers need to be responsible to themselves and to others."
Sources: BBC News, Times Online
--
Subscribe to SCUBA News (ISSN 1476-8011) for more free news, articles, diving reports and marine life descriptions - http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/news.html
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Sipadan Development Scaled Back
The contract for the controversial RM4.5 million (£650 000, US$1.2 million) clubhouse project on Sipadan, Malaysia, has been terminated. However, a smaller, "environmental-friendly" development will be allowed. The Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman has also ordered a management revamp of Sabah Parks, the state government agency that oversees Sipadan, and he will be in charge.
The contractor which undertook the Sipadan project came under severe criticism when a barge ran aground on 14 May, serverly damaging coral reefs.
Musa halted work on the project but later said that the Cabinet had decided to allow it to continue, but scaled down and using environmentally friendly materials.
Outraged by the damage on corals, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi rebuked Musa on July 27 for defying his advice not to build a clubhouse on the island. "I was very angry with Musa. I told him not to build it. I said so many corals are dying and he promised that he would look into the project."
Musa now says the new development concept would involve only the building of toilets and a small rest area for divers. "We will come up with a new development concept that is environmental-friendly and suits the eco-system. We will announce it two or three months from now" he says.
Sources: Malaysian National News Agency, The Star
More on Diving Sipadan:
- Sipadan Dive Sites
- Diving Trip to Sipadan
- Sipadan Dive Operators
- Sipadan Prints
--
Subscribe to SCUBA News (ISSN 1476-8011) for more free news, articles, diving reports and marine life descriptions - http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/news.html
The contractor which undertook the Sipadan project came under severe criticism when a barge ran aground on 14 May, serverly damaging coral reefs.
Musa halted work on the project but later said that the Cabinet had decided to allow it to continue, but scaled down and using environmentally friendly materials.
Outraged by the damage on corals, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi rebuked Musa on July 27 for defying his advice not to build a clubhouse on the island. "I was very angry with Musa. I told him not to build it. I said so many corals are dying and he promised that he would look into the project."
Musa now says the new development concept would involve only the building of toilets and a small rest area for divers. "We will come up with a new development concept that is environmental-friendly and suits the eco-system. We will announce it two or three months from now" he says.
Sources: Malaysian National News Agency, The Star
More on Diving Sipadan:
- Sipadan Dive Sites
- Diving Trip to Sipadan
- Sipadan Dive Operators
- Sipadan Prints
--
Subscribe to SCUBA News (ISSN 1476-8011) for more free news, articles, diving reports and marine life descriptions - http://www.scubatravel.co.uk/news.html
Labels: environment, SCUBA Travel
