Come along to Taipa, an afternoon at the beach!

Those that enjoy the beaches and sea of Doubtless Bay may be interested to take part in a survey this summer looking at key issues that affect its health and vibrancy now and in the future.

All local people and community groups are invited on the afternoon of Saturday 1st November to the launch of the:

"Discussion Document towards a Community Marine Management Plan for the wider Doubtless Bay/Tokerau area".

There will be at least 10 speakers, each giving a short outline on the theme of what they see as "Our Living Sea Doubtless Bay". Speakers will cover fishing issues, underwater habitat, coastal revegetation and beach care, Maori customary fisheries, diving experiences here compared to elsewhere, water pollution problems and local childrens' experiences in marine reserves.

These views will help set the scene, as a vital part of the document is a questionnaire. The Doubtless Bay Marine Protection Group has produced this 10 page colour Discussion Document in order to continue community consultation towards coming up with an actual Marine Plan for the Bay.

This summer they aim to get 2000 questionnaires completed. Copies of the document and questionnaire will be available on the day, so all local people are encouraged to come along and get a copy for them and their local group.

The venue for the afternoon is Taipa Area School Cultural Centre/ Nga Whare Tokerua on Taipa Beach. The speakers begin at 1 pm followed by a free afternoon tea at 2.30 pm.

For those interested there are several outdoor activities from 3 pm to 4 pm, with an estuary and low tide walk, beach clean-up and sharing some history of the Taipa beach and surrounding area.

There will also be a range of related displays and resources to view for those more inclined to browse.

A barbecue from 4 pm onwards will be provided and children and adults are most welcome to come along at any time in the afternoon.

For further information check out:

www.livingseadoubtlessbay.org.nz

or contact:

John Kenderdine - 09 406 7774
Andre Kunz - 09 408 7077
Dwayne Walsh - 09 406 2129.

Please find the Discussion Document Launch poster attached:

Doubtless Bay Marine Discussion Document Launch poster.pdf

Just a quick reminder that it is AGM time again!

Thursday 23 October

From 5pm at the Environment Centre (to find us click here), there will be ‘happy hour' with refreshments, socialising and the application of gentle persuasion to potential nominees for places on the board.

At 6pm the formal business of the AGM will get underway and at 7pm everyone is invited to watch the movie "The 11th Hour".

To see the movie trailer on YouTube, click here.

Please find the electronic version of MPA News (Vol. 10, No. 4) attached as a PDF file:

MPA101.pdf

If the file does not appear, please right-click on the X to download.

TVNZ are interested in hearing about hard-working volunteers who have given a lot of effort towards conservation, for an upcoming television show.

If you can think of a well-deserving member of your community who has made a real difference to conservation in your area, and is a respected member of your community, I'm sure TVNZ would love to hear from you. The show would involve rewarding them for their efforts by spending time working on their property.

If you know of a keen volunteer from your neck of the woods, who you believe deserves a little 'extra', send TVNZ Researcher Jan-Marie Nicolai (jan-marie.nicolai@tvnz.co.nz) a few lines on who they are, why they're special, and a bit about their contribution to conservation and their community.

This is a great opportunity to give something back to some of those dedicated folk who do so much for our natural heritage.

Doubtless Bay Marine Protection Group
Te Roopu Whakahauora o Tokerau

MEETING -
7 pm Monday 20th October 2008
Taipa Area School - Science classroom.

Agenda:

• Organization for the launch on 1st Nov and jobs to do

• FNDC Conservation Fund funding received for "Land Management Practices" brochure - details at Ecocentre

• Contacts List 2008 - bring some copies for committee please

• Membership Forms completed for committee members - please bring your $15 sub along if you haven't already

• Financial summary of group to date

________________________________________
Directions to Science Class Room -

The room is the Northern most room in Taipa area school. The driveway is by the 60km sign as you are heading out of Taipa towards Kaitaia.
If you are heading north, the drive is 10 meters before the sign, and if you are heading south, it is after. The drive leads to the netball courts and gym but the science and math block is on the right as you enter the drive.
There is parking inside the drive and also on the road.

Anyone interested in learning to build an Organiponico raised garden bed is invited to a FREE 2 day workshop with Grant Stevens.

An Organiponico raised garden bed

14 to 15 October at Ahipara School, 10am to 3pm

16 to 17 October at Pukepoto School, 10am to 3pm

This is a FREE community course organised to support the development of the schools' gardens provided by ACE Funding through North Tec.

Participants are required to be over 16 years old, and wear covered/suitable shoes.

No need to register, just come along and get your hands dirty. 

Tea and coffee provided, but please bring your own lunch.

For more information give the Environment Centre a call on 09 408 1086 (we maybe out of the office, but please leave a message and we will contact you back).

Press release from the Ministry for the Environment:

Sustainable Management Fund

2009/10 FUNDING ROUND IS NOW OPEN

The Ministry for the Environment wants to work with you to help make a positive difference to the environment.

The Sustainable Management Fund (SMF) provides funding to support community groups, iwi/hapÅ«, businesses and local government in taking practical actions that produce long-term environmental benefits, as well as encouraging proactive partnerships and promoting community action.  

If you have a great idea for a practical community-driven environmental project that directly supports one or more of the Ministry's priorities we would like to know about it. 

You may apply for a minimum of $10,000 and up to a maximum of $200,000 per financial year, for projects that start on 1 July 2009.  There is no limit to the number of applications you may submit.

Applicants who can clearly demonstrate the successful completion of another project using public funding may apply to the SMF for funding for up to three years.

Only practical community-driven environmental projects that directly support one or more of the Ministry's priorities outlined below will be eligible for funding:

• encouraging sustainable households
• sustainable land and water management
• supporting sustainable business practices
• meeting the challenges of climate change.

Click here for a list of SMF projects approved in the 2008/2009 funding round

If you wish to speak to an Adviser in the funding team please call 04 439 7400 or email: funds@mfe.govt.nz

Please note: 
The SMF is regularly oversubscribed.  For example last year, 130 applicants requested $21m over three years against available funding of $3.84m. 

All applications will be assessed against the SMF funding criteria and objectives, the Ministry's key priorities for the 2009 financial year, and their merit compared with other applications. 

Please ensure your project fits these requirements before submitting an application.

WHO CAN APPLY

The Ministry welcomes applications from community groups, iwi/hapÅ«, businesses and local government who are legally registered New Zealand entities.  To be considered for funding you must be able to answer yes to the following:

• Your organisation is a legally registered New Zealand entity such as an incorporated society or charitable trust, registered New Zealand business or local government authority.  Funding is not available to individuals or non-legal entities.
• Your application will demonstrate adequate capability to deliver a successful project through:
  • strong project management and technical skills
  • access to necessary resources to successfully complete the project (such as office space, internet access, email, telephone and staff skills and experience).
  • Your application is able to demonstrate strong support and involvement from other organisations.
• Your application encourages and promotes practical community action for the environment.
• Your application is strictly for the period commencing 1 July 2009. This means that the SMF will not cover any expenses incurred before this date. 
• Your application directly supports one or more of the Ministry's priorities outlined above.

NEXT STEPS

Applications are to be completed with reference to the SMF Guidance for Applicants (for projects commencing 1 July 2009) ("the guide")

HOW TO APPLY

KEY DATES

These dates are indicative only and may be subject to change.

Tips for writing a good application

When applying for funding, a well presented application, which strongly aligns with the funding criteria and is written in a way that is clear and concise, will stand the best chance of success. Tips for writing a good application to the SMF fund provides information to ensure you get the best out of your application.

Resources to help you plan your project

The following on-line resources may be useful when applying for funding, seeking further support or helping you plan your project. 

Funding from other Government departments

The following table lists other funding resources available from other government departments.

Contact Us

Projects and Partnerships
Ministry for the Environment
Environment House
23 Kate Sheppard Place
PO Box 10-362
Wellington 6143

Tel (04) 439 7400
Email funds@mfe.govt.nz

The world's fishing fleets are losing billions of dollars each year through depleted stocks and poor management, according to a UN report.

The World Bank and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) calculate the losses at $50bn per year.

Half the world's fishing fleet could be scrapped with no change in catch.

The report was launched at World Bank headquarters in New York and has been debated here at the World Conservation Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

Entitled The Sunken Billions: Economic Justification for Fisheries Reform, it argues that reforming the way fisheries are managed could restore stocks and build profits.

"There are two reasons why we are experiencing the huge loss," said Rolf Willman, a senior fisheries planning officer at FAO and one of the report's authors.

"No take zones" have been shown to improve fish stocks and biodiversity Fishing ban brings seas to life

"One is that global fish stocks are much lower than they could be, so it is harder to catch the amount of fish that we could.

"If stocks were higher we could catch the same amount at lower cost.

"The second reason is that where fishing is poorly regulated, we have much greater harvesting capacity than we need," he told BBC News.

In fact, he said, the world's fleets could catch the same amount of fish with half the capacity, which would increase profits as well as putting less pressure on fragile stocks.

The UN agency puts the current value of the global fisheries industry at about $80bn per year.

Net loss

Nearly one-third of the world's fisheries are severely depleted, and there have been several high-profile examples of complete collapse, such as the Grand Banks cod stocks off Canada's eastern coast.

A recent study estimated that if current trends continued, there would be no commercially viable marine fisheries left within half a century.

Sustainable fisheries require political will to replace incentives for overfishing with incentives for responsible stewardship Kieran Kelleher, World Bank fisheries team leader

All this may be bad news for fish, but it is also bad news for fishermen, says the report.

Fleets are spending ever more effort, but catches are not rising - they have been roughly stable at about 80 million tonnes annually for a decade.

And it is not becoming any more profitable. There is less to catch, the fish available are generally of lower economic value, and costs are rising.

Other academics have pointed the finger at subsidies that they say drive the irrational expansion of fleets.

A 2006 study put the extent of subsidies globally at about $30bn.

The new report identifies some countries where good management is conserving stocks and leading to a profitable industry, including Iceland, New Zealand and parts of Australia and the US - but even here, improvements could be made, it concludes.

The challenge now, it says, is to spread reforms into other fisheries where overcapacity is fast depleting stocks.

"Sustainable fisheries require political will to replace incentives for overfishing with incentives for responsible stewardship," said Kieran Kelleher, the World Bank's fisheries team leader.

"It is not just about boats and fish. This report provides decision-makers with the economic arguments for the reforms needed."

By Richard Black
Environment correspondent, BBC News website, Barcelona

Richard.Black-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk