MAPS REVEAL SECRET LIFE OF TURTLES AND MARINE HABITATS IN URGENT NEED OF PROTECTION

A series of conservation maps produced by WWF reveal for the first time the secret life of endangered turtles in the world’s most diverse marine region – the Coral Triangle.

The maps are the first to bring together the different life cycle movements, migration routes, foraging grounds, and nesting sites of green, hawksbill and leatherback turtles.

The maps were produced with the help of satellite tracking, and allow the identification and targeting of areas in urgent need of protection. They also highlight the inter-connectedness of marine habitats making a strong case for co-operation among Coral Triangle countries for the protection of shared marine resources in the region.

“We now have a better picture and more comprehensive understanding of where marine turtles feed, breed, and nest around the waters of the Coral Triangle,” said Matheus Halim, WWF Coral Triangle Turtle Strategy Leader.

Marine turtles play a crucial role in the delicate web of ocean life by maintaining the health of seagrass beds and coral reefs, which are home to other marine species such as shrimp, lobster, sharks, dugongs and innumerable reef fish.

The maps serve as a guideline for where to establish Marine Protected Areas. “The maps clearly identify which areas in this region need protection”, said Halim. “WWF is calling for the establishment of a network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) that encompass these locations as part of the new six nations Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) and for turtles to be made a priority under The Association of Southeast Asian Nations Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN).”

Apart from showing life cycle movements, the maps also indicate locations with high incidence of turtle bycatch in the region, value for identifying where fishing methods require modification.

The Coral Triangle, home to six of the seven known species of marine turtles in the world, stretches across six countries in Southeast Asia and the Pacific, covering the seas of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Timor Leste.

Marine turtles are listed on the World Conservation Union’s Red List of Threatened Species as either ‘Endangered’ or ‘Critically Endangered.’ This means they are among the most threatened animals on the planet and face the real risk of extinction.

The loss of nesting beaches and feeding habitats due to pollution and coastal development, the illegal trade and consumption of turtle eggs, meat, and other derivatives for commercial purposes, and the accidental catch (or ‘bycatch’) of turtles in fishing gears are just some of the many threats facing marine turtles. 

Marine habitats in the Coral Triangle important to commercially-valuable fish species are being lost or degraded at an unprecedented rate. The last decade alone has seen a drastic decline in fish stocks due to inadequate fisheries management and widespread overuse of marine and coastal resources.

Establishing a network of MPAs can help alleviate the stress on marine and coastal resources and help build the marine environment’s resilience against other threats such as coral bleaching, caused by climate change.

“MPAs offer a range of benefits for fisheries, people, and the marine environment by providing safe havens for endangered species to thrive and for depleted fish stocks to recover,” says Dr Lida Pet-Soede, WWF Coral Triangle Programme Leader. “MPAs provide services to local communities who depend on the sea and its resources. Protecting these critical marine habitats means protecting the food and livelihood of millions people in the Coral Triangle region and beyond.”

The maps were produced by WWF in collaboration with the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry, Directorate General of Forest Protection and Nature Conservation and other regional partners.

• The Coral Triangle is the most diverse marine region on the planet, matched in its importance to life on Earth only by the Amazon rainforest and the Congo basin. Defined by marine areas containing more than 500 species of reef-building coral, it covers around 6 million square kilometres of ocean across six countries in the Indo-Pacific – Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste.

• The Coral Triangle also directly sustains the lives of more than 120 million people and contains key spawning and nursery grounds for tuna, while healthy reef and coastal systems underpin a growing tourism sector. WWF is working with other NGOs, multilateral agencies and governments around the world to support conservation efforts in the Coral Triangle for the benefit of all.

• The Coral Triangle Initiative (CTI) on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food is a new six-nation initiative to secure the future of marine resources in the region. See www.cti-secretariat.net for more information.

• The Association of Southeast Asian Nations Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN) coordinates the regional response to illegal trade in protected species, which threatens biodiversity, endangers public health, and undermines economic wellbeing. See www.asean-wen.org for more information.

• For information on Coral Triangle go to: www.panda.org/coraltriangle

For further information:

Matheus Halim, WWF Coral Triangle Programme Turtle Strategy Leader, Tel: +62 21 576 1070 Email: mhalim@wwf.or.id

Lida Pet Soede, Leader, WWF Coral Triangle Programme Tel. +62 812 381 8742 Email: lpet@wallacea.wwf.or.id

Paolo P. Mangahas, Communications Manager, Tel: +60 3 7803 3772 Email: pmangahas@ywwf.org.my

DOWNLOAD MAPS & PICTURES

Maps can be downloaded from the WWF website here www.panda.org/coraltriangle/turtles

 

Who is the "State", "Crown"

By BAPA BOMOTENG

Some thoughts.

 The Member for North Fly must be commended for the introduction of the Bill to  repeal the "State" to Resources Owners..

I fully support this Cause.  It has great spiritual implication in breaking down the great imperial oppression. of the colonial "covenants" signed in blood in the corridors of London (Kings/Queens) and European empires.

 Political will must be prayed for so that break  through comes.  So we see real wealth transfer...This is a spiritual fight against principalities and powers that rule the mid-airs and kingdoms.  These are ancient rulers.  they have to bow down..

 

Ps Bapa

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++=====

 I support the issue now before the Parliament for the "Resources ownership" and the legal transfer from the strong wicket Colonial "State" which refers to the British Crown and its Empire days. 

The days when land and assets including oil, gold, gas was locked up by imperilists and "discovereiers", who claimed it for the "Crown" or the "King/Queen" of the Eurpoean empires in the last 200-300 years. 

 "State" is an age old colonial terminology that was written by clever and greedy who built the European Empires and kingdoms to possess, imprison and steal from inhabitants of the colonies.Since the British empire days, the "Crown", the "State" under British Laws, passed to PNG through the Australian law system, which PNG adopted has been engrained in the legal system, denying the basic rights to property, especially the land and its resources.  

The colonization process brought the colonies and nations into subjection and bondage, being denied their rights.  Thus ownership of any thing under six feet belongs to the "State". 

 This includes the our Seas and the vast Ocean bed.Who is the "State"?  Who is the "Crown"? 

Our lawyers can tell us all about this in details.  From a laymen's view, we have all along been doped to think this nation and its people, the resources are governed by the Papua New Guinean leaders. 

 We are not. 

The "State", represented by the Governor Generals Office, a puppet of the British empire, who have interest over all our resources and our mother land. 

So they can dictate who comes in at what terms and steal our resources. 

They own 90-95 and dig up every thing and leave us all buried in our vomit with alcohol and cheap services for a season. 

After 30 plus years of Independence our schools have good to worse, our health services have crumble to decay, our roads are riddled with pot holes all over the nation, our air-strips have closed down, our agriculture stations have had culivation of weed and grass. 

 And here we are talking about a Billion Dollar LNG project.

The "State", if it were "by the people for the people", our politicians would hear the pleas of our grass roots people now.  Futhermore they built the land law with  "99 years land lease agreement" to tie the land to the colonial masters, until all the land owners are dead and gone. 

By then, they declare its "Sate" property. 

The question again.

Who is the "State"? 

They got the prime land  under the 99 years land lease.

This is a strategic amendment the leaders of the nation will debate and do the right thing by voting for repealing the word "State" and repalcing it with resource owners. 

History needs to be re-written, so our future generation will honour and love us for.  Other-wise the blood of our future generations will be on the hands of our leaders and Law makers today.  Our grand sons and daughters of tomorrow will look back and curse the bones of the leaders of today, if the ultimate transfer and repealing of the words "State" is not repealed.

 Bapa Bomoteng

Concerned Citizen

Samoa probes Papua New Guinea minister's transactions

Property financing came from offshore company

 

By Savea Sano Malifa

 

APIA, Samoa (Samoa Observer, July 26, 2009) – The Central Bank of Samoa (CBS) has instigated an inquiry into the local real estate financial transactions involving the Papua New Guinea Minister of Forests, Belden Namah.

In confirming this on Friday, CBS Governor Leasi Papali’i T. Scanlan said his office has advised the Attorney General’s Office to look into launching an investigation into whether money laundering had been involved in the transactions.

"After all," Leasi said, "we have to protect Samoa’s integrity."

He told the Samoa Observer they made their decision following the receipt of the relevant reports from the bank through which the funds involved in the transactions had been channeled.

"Normally under the Money Laundering Prevention Act 2007, all money remittances of over $30,000 should be reported to us by the banks," Leasi explained. "These remittances are listed in what is known as the banks’ Suspicious Transaction Report (STR), and if they are new clients we ask more questions. I can now confirm that from the STR reports the funds were not from individuals but were from a company offshore. We have now asked the local bank involved to go back to the people they’d received the funds from and find out if they were laundered funds or not. "The onus is on the bank to find out (the details.)"

Leasi said the CBS was undertaking its "due diligence" responsibilities and it expected all local banks to undertake theirs.

"If there is suspicion arising from any banking transaction," he said, "we advise the Attorney General’s Office to look further into (the matter). After all, we have to protect Samoa’s integrity."

On 15 July, the Samoa Observer reported that Mr Namah was involved in the purchases of certain real estate properties around Apia amounting to about 5 million tala [US$1.9 million]

He had apparently helped in the negotiations for the purchase of properties including:

• Chan Chui Co Ltd on Taufusi Road for more than 2 million tala
• A two-storey home at Papaloloa for 1.49 million tala
• A Vaitele property for 1.8 million tala.

According to the previous owner of the Papaloloa property Mrs Freda Andrews, Mr Namah came with his partner to her home. "She fell in love with the house and they bought it." She said when Mr Namah came to their home they knew nothing about him.

"We don’t know anything about him," she said. "The partner fell in love with the house and they bought it."

Although the buyers gave a "10 per cent deposit" her husband was "so persistent" that soon afterwards they were paid in full.

"We’ve got our money," she said, which they had since used to "renovate" another property they owned.

As for the cost of "more than $2 million" for Chan Chui Co Ltd, this was confirmed by Mr Namah’s lawyer in Samoa, Papali’i Tologata Siaki Tuala, during a phone interview.

But the owner of the Vaitele property, Mr Ray Bancroft, was not happy when he was asked for a comment then. He said he had been given a deposit of $200,000 and was promised the rest of the money would be paid by a certain time.

However when the Observer talked to him before the story was published, the balance had still not been paid. At that time, Mr Bancroft was not impressed, saying he had put his furniture in the sale out of trust.

"The furniture alone is worth $100, 000," he revealed. "If I’d known there was to be a problem, I would have put the house back on the market."

Mr Bancroft said he had made it clear to Mr Namah he wanted to sell the property, which was why he had allowed his furniture to be part of the sale.

Asked for a comment at that time, Papali’i said Mr Bancroft had nothing to worry about.

"(The deal) will be finalised as soon as possible," he said.

He also assured Mr Bancroft his client "is just waiting for all the funds to arrive."

Besides, he said the agreement allowed Mr Bancroft "to keep most of the $200, 00 deposit" if the deal fell through.

Later when the story about Mr Namah’s alleged transactions was published in the Samoa Observer, it was picked up by PNG’s The National newspaper which also published it. Mr Namah later told parliament that the reporters "should go back to school."

The National’s story reported that Mr Namah’s lawyer Papali’i threatened to sue the Samoa Observer over the report.

"Mr Namah’s association with these property investments has been with and through his local partner and as the contact for his business partner abroad."

Later on 16 July 2009, Papali’i sent a letter to Samoa Observer’s editor in chief threatening to sue the paper.

The letter also asked to "publish an immediate correction and apology to Mr Namah …"

That letter in full is in letters to the editor section with this newspaper’s response.

 

Samoa Observer: www.samoaobserver.ws/

Copyright © 2009 Samoa Observer. All Rights Reserved

 

 

 

An untitled poem

By MICHELLE

 

Not so long ago

We had it all;

Didn't we?

 

You carried my smile

You had my love

In the palm of your hand;

Our hearts were one.

 

In a rush of blood;

Like a stroke of a paintbrush

the colours of the rainbow

From brightness and vibrance of love

dwarted

To the pales of pain

Echos of despair

 

I now read between the lines

So much is said, without an utter.

Your eyes; look distant

Your body language,

Tone of your voice

Your hands are hard and cold

I breathe heavy, shunned and wounded.

 

I can't undo the damage caused

But I know for sure

I want you even though I betrayed you.

Do tell me, your heart is still mine

Soothe me with your tender touch

Make sense of my madness.

I am sure, I found out

You are the one I want.

 

 

If I could

I'd make it alright

And I'd never hurt you

By hurting you, the one I love

I tore down my sanctuary

I fell apart at the seam.

Apap wows them to Jiwaka land

Apap ‘talking’ to his master Palme Pinge

Like the storybook Long John Silver and his parrot Captain Flint…Palme Pinge and Apap

Apap spreads his wings as his sign of saying “hello” to visitors to his Wahgi Valley abode

In Robert Louis Stevenson's story Treasure Island, the one-legged pirate Long John Silver had a parrot which cried "Pieces of eight".
The parrot's name was Captain Flint.
Like Captain Flint, a 21-year-old white cockatoo named Apap (uncle) is a big hit with visitors to his home at Purigona base camp in the Wahgi Valley of the new Jiwaka province.
Apap happily walks around saying “hello” to everyone and flapping his wings as his sign of shaking hands.
According to Apap’s ‘parents’, agriculture officers Palme and Angela Pinge, the bird was part of a bride price payment in Nov 1988 and was given to them.
Apap has since become like a child to them and lives, eats and talks with the family at their picturesque countryside home in the great Wahgi Valley.
“He was part of a bride price payment from Gumine in the Simbu province,” Mr Pinge told me.
“He was given to us in Nov 1988.
“He’s been with us for 21 years now.”
During a meeting of coffee extension officers at his place, Apap happily walked around saying “hello”, flapping his wings and being the true host.
According to Wikipedia, the white cockatoo can live up to, and perhaps beyond, 80 years in age, meaning life has just begun for Apap at a time when the new Jiwaka province is about to be formed.

The best little coffee shop in Papua New Guinea

CIC officers Bob Kora (left) and Fabian Api enjoy premium Kongo coffee at Chuave, Simbu province

Shopkeeper Moses Mori works the espresso machine at the Kongo Coffee Shop

Highly quality coffee and other goods on sale at the least-expected place along the Highlands Highway

Evening at Chuave, Simbu province, on Wednesday, July 22.
It’s freezing cold after the descent of Daulo Pass bordering Eastern Highlands and Simbu provinces.
The driver, Coffee Industry Corporation extension services manager Fabian Api, suggests that we stop for a cup of coffee.
And it wasn’t the normal, cheap, instant coffee you can buy anywhere along the Highlands Highway but high quality coffee you can find in the best coffee shops in the world such as Starbucks.
An espresso machine offers you cappuccino and latte that would put major international hotels in Port Moresby to shame.
All served in high quality plastic cups a’la Starbucks.
Other products at this unique shop include high grade Kongo Coffee, mobile phones, top-ups, souvenir videos and cups, hard-boiled eggs and freshly-baked scones.
All this somewhere along the Highlands Highway, in the least-expected place.
Welcome to the Kongo Coffee Shop, Chuave.
Mr Api, CIC officer Bob Kora and I enjoy premium Kongo coffee and hot scones alfresco on this cool July evening.
“We opened in April last year,” shopkeeper Moses Mori tells me.
“We sell Elimbari, Karimui, Mt Wilhelm and Simbu brands of coffee.
“We have a lot of customers and business is very good.
“We have a lot of customers, including expatriates.
“We’re open 24 hours a day.
“A medium cup sells for K2 and a large cup sells for K3.
“There was a customer from Germany, who couldn’t believe the taste of our coffee.
“He said, ‘this is the best coffee in the world’.”
And I couldn’t agree more!

Poor infrastructure plagues Obura-Wonenara

Coffee Industry Corporation extension manager Fabian Api (left) talks with Obura-Wonenara coffee growers near Kassam Pass last Saturday

Obura-Wonenara coffee growers at Kassam last Saturday

The age-old problem of lack of infrastructure development in the Obura-Wonenara area of Eastern Highlands province continues to plague its coffee growers.
Local leaders, farmers and Coffee Industry Corporation extension officers raised this concern at Kassam in EHP last Saturday to discuss CIC’s new District by District Coffee Rehabilitation Programme.
Obura-Wonenara is one of the coffee troves of Papua New Guinea, however, much of this never gets to market and exported because of poor to nil infrastructure.
It is located north-west of Kainantu and shares political boundaries with Markham, Aseki and Menyamya areas of Morobe province.
Obura-Wonenara covers three local level governments: Tairora-Gadsup, Yelia and Lamari.
Of the three LLGs, Yelia and Lamari are inaccessible by road, being only reachable by air.
Their coffee is airfreighted by Missionary Aviation Fellowship, Summer Institute of Linguistics, Seventh Day Adventist Aviation and New Tribes Aviation, however, this only represents a drop in the ocean for Obura-Wonenara’s coffee production.
As a result, CIC’s new rehabilitation programme is only being focused on Tairora-Gadsup while Yelia and Lamari will have to wait to see their day in the sun.
But even the people of Tairora-Gadsup have problems, according to Anio Koi, a farmer from Abiara village.
“Our concern is that the government must back up our grower aspirations,” he said.
“We have major infrastructure problems such as roads and bridges.
“Coffee can’t come out to market.
“Coffee can stay up to one year or more before being brought to market.
“This root of the problem is no roads.”
Tairora-Gadsup LLG president Maria Seiya and CIC extension officer Anton Nigiramu concurred.
“One LLG is only accessible by air,” Mrs Seiya said.
“One LLG has problems with roads.
“One LLG is alright.”
Mr Nigiramu reported that the rehabilitation programme was picking up momentum despite being initially focused on Tairora-Gadsup.
“The major problem here is that people can’t access markets because of poor infrastructure.”
“They are only accessible by air.
“Their produce comes through MAF and other third-level airlines.”
There is, however, a silver lining to the dark cloud.
“Our Obura-Wonenara MP, John Boito, is trying to fix up the deteriorating infrastructure,” Mr Nigiramu said.
“Most coffee production comes from Marawaka.
“There is also a lot of production in Tairora-Gadsup.
“If we can penetrate Lamari and Yelia LLGs, our production will shoot up.
“We are linking up with district administration, division of primary industry staff, church groups and others in the area.”