A Smart Way to Beat Airline Carry-on Restrictions - Undercurrent, October 2009

Instead of figuring out how you’re going to fit all your stuff into the two height- and length-appropriate carry-ons you’re allotted for a flight, I’ve got two words for you: travel vest. I was at the airport recently when I saw a man walking toward me wearing one, its multiple pockets bulging with stuff. He had used them most efficiently, storing some magazines, a book, cell phone, iPod, DVD case, camera and even some snacks. It was astonishing how much he had. The gear he was carrying on him would have filled up a carry-on attaché case but he wisely placed his more important gear in a briefcase that served as his official carry-on.

A Smart Way to Beat Airline Carry-on Restrictions - Undercurrent, October 2009

European Shark Week, 10-18 October

European Shark Week, 10-18 October, is a unique opportunity for European Union citizens and shark advocates around the world to demonstrate their support for shark conservation and effect change.

Project AWARE Director, Suzanne Pleydell and Shark Alliance members present signatures in London

This year, Project AWARE Foundation and Shark Alliance Partners are going back to governments for follow-up action under the EU Shark Plan, most importantly, improvements to the finning ban and quotas of zero for especially threatened shark species.

Why Sign Your Support?
Europe houses some of the world’s largest shark fishing fleets. Strong plans of action here effect global species conservation.

• Sign the shark petition: English, French, German, Italian and Spanish
• Share this page with your family and friends.
• Download the paper version of the petition and collect signatures in your school, dive center,or place of work: English, French, German, Italian and Spanish
• Hold an event to help celebrate sharks. This could be a presentation, Kid’s activity such as an art contest, shark speciality course, or an information stand. Project AWARE looks forward to receiving your best stories and event photos.

Your voice counts. The European Shark Week 2008 saw the collection of more than 100,000 signatures on a Shark Plan petition for EU Fisheries Ministers. The Ministers have since issued a strong response that highlights the plight of sharks and calls for prompt strengthening of the EU finning ban. Indeed, the Ministers’ words reflect the concerns of a growing number of EU citizens expressed through European Shark Week.

Predator turned prey - Turning the Tide for Sharks
Most European shark populations are declining from overfishing. One-third are threatened with extinction. The EU ban on “finning”, slicing off a shark’s fins and discarding the body at sea, is among the world's weakest.

Hope lies with the new Shark Plan, adopted by the European Commission thanks in large part to support from many of you. The Plan sets the stage for vast improvements in EU shark policies, including the finning ban. Its success depends on collaboration and action by EU Fisheries Ministers and the European Commission. These fishery managers need encouragement from the European public to follow through on the Plan’s initiatives and truly safeguard sharks.

Project AWARE

PADI Diving Society’s Photo Contest Deadline Approaching

Each year, PADI Diving Society produces a limited-edition Society membership card for more than 175,000 Society members worldwide. In the past, PADI Offices have used photos from internal collections or invited renowned underwater photographers to provide images for each card. This year, the PADI Diving Society is inviting all novice and professional underwater photographers to participate in a photo contest: The winning image will be displayed on the 2010 Society membership card.

Participants can submit up to three photos^* showcasing their best underwater or dive lifestyle images and all entries must be received by 22 September 2009. Judges from PADI Offices and affiliated PADI Diving Society publications will pick the top images and open this select group for final public voting in October 2009. Look for opportunities to participate or vote at padi.com, the PADI Blog, MySpace or Facebook pages. The winner will be announced in November 2009 and will receive photo credit, a certificate of recognition, global exposure and bragging rights!

How to participate:
Submit up to three photos* of your best underwater or diving lifestyle photos as high resolution images minimum 300 dpi; in a horizontal digital image in proportion to 9.56 x 6.4cm or 3.75 x 2.5 inches.

How to Submit Your Entry:
1. Email all entries (maximum of three photographs) to your affiliated PADI Diving Society office with subject header: 2010 Society membership card entry. – Society office details below
2. Include your name, mailing address, contact number and Society membership number, if applicable.
3. All entries must be accompanied with a signed Photo Release document. – Available from your Society office


To find your local office- visit padidivingsociety.com and look for the 2010 PADI Diving Society membership card icon or link. Or find your office below!

PADI Americas/ Sport Diver Readers:
Visit www.padi.com/societyphotocontest for details or email aja.smith@padi.com

PADI Asia Pacific/ Scuba Diver AustralAsia Readers:
Click here for more details or email padidivingsociety@padi.com.au

PADI International/ Sport Diver UK Readers:
email pds@padi.co.uk

*All entries must be accompanied by a signed photo release. Deadline is 22 September 2009.

Sea&Sea Announces Housing for Canon EOS DSLR

SEA&SEA announces the availability of the MDX-5D MKII DSLR housing for the 21.1MP Canon EOS 5D MKII.
The MDX-5D MKII is part of SEA&SEA's MDX housing series which is precisely crafted from solid block aluminum and designed for ultimate performance and ergonomics.

According to Sea&Sea marketing officials, this housing was designed exclusively for the Canon EOS. "The Canon EOS 5D is one of the most popular and in demand SLR cameras on the market today. It's a natural fit for us to create an underwater housing to meet this growing market demand. Sea&Sea customers have quickly discovered how functional our housing designs are and this new model is creating significant buzz in the industry."

Specific details about this product can be found here: New Sea&Sea Housing for Canon EOS

Among the products highlights are:

• Every detail of the housing is precision CNC machined. Ergonomically designed for ease of use. Manufactured from solid block aluminum alloy with all edges carefully polished.
• The housing is protected by a highly corrosion resistant anodized (black) coating. The coating provides the housing from environmental corrosion and abrasions.
• TTL strobe photography is possible when used with product SS-50118 YS Converter C (optional).
• Large A/R (anti-reflective) coated LCD rear display window for full viewing of camera display.
• Equipped with a 0.66x pick-up viewfinder standard. An interchangeable .8x viewfinder (optional) is also available.
• Both the main command dial and sub command dial are operable while holding the hand grips due to advanced ergonomic design.
• MDX-5D MKII: Part #SS-06149, MSRP: $3,695.00

For more information on the MDX housing products and new releases from SEA&SEA, please visit the seaandsea.com or contact your local authorized SEA&SEA retailer.

Sea&Sea Announces Housing for Canon EOS DSLR

Fiji one of the Top 5 Countries in CoralWatch

CALL TO ACTION :
Do you live, work or travel to the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico or Central Pacific?

Scientists from the Coral Reef Watch Program at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA) predict coral bleaching is likely in those areas. You can take action. The CoralWatch data you report may be more important then ever.

Top 5 Countries where data has been reported

1. Thailand
2. Fiji
3. Australia
4. Vietnam
5. Philippines

CoralWatch - Home

Ocean in Focus Conservation Photography Contest 2009: win a trip to Fiji

SeaWeb’s Marine Photobank and Project AWARE Foundation are teaming up to bring you the 2nd Annual Ocean in Focus Conservation Photography Contest. Ocean lovers worldwide-- submit your most compelling marine conservation images to this one-of-a-kind photo contest.

Grand Prize!

• Seven nights ocean-view accommodations at MATAVA, a premier eco-adventure resort in Fiji. Package includes 5 days 2 tank diving for two and 6 days unlimited shore diving for two as well as roundtrip airport transfers.
• Carbon Offsets through NativeEnergy from your home and car for one year plus carbon offset for one round-trip air flight.
• A DVD copy of A Sea Change, The journey of a man and his grandson to uncover the hard science of ocean acidification.

1st Prize (for each category)

• A sterling silver coral-inspired necklace from Hannah Garrison's AZU studios, originally designed for SeaWeb's Too Precious to Wear campaign.
• Carbon Offsets through NativeEnergy from your car for one year plus carbon offset for one round-trip air flight.
• A DVD copy of A Sea Change.

2nd Prize (for each category)

• A 24"x32" autographed photo print by Bob Talbot.
• Carbon Offsets through NativeEnergy from your car for one year.
• A DVD copy of A Sea Change.

Deadline:

August 27, 2009

Submission Guidelines and Categories >>
Rules >>
Prizes >>
Ocean in Focus Conservation Photography Contest 2009: win a trip to Fiji

International Cleanup Day 19 September 2009

Your data counts in the fight against marine debris. Contribute to the Global Marine Debris Index by organizing a cleanup for the largest underwater volunteer event of its kind.

Register online for International Cleanup Day to make your cleanups count!

Why not take the fundraising challenge! Pledge to raise AU$300 and receive 20 cleanup bags absolutely free. It’s as simple as having a cleanup day BBQ, auction or raffle to raise much needed funds to support Project AWARE’s ongoing conservation projects. To join the fundraising challenge email us today

South Korean divers combat marine debris and raise funds for underwater conservation on Earth Day
Project AWARE thanks Korean Dive Centres who joined forces to raise funds for conservation on Dive for Earth Day: Aqua Marine, Best Dive Masan, Blue Divers, Eco Scuba, Lucy Diver, NB Divers, Paran Bada, Scuba Friend , Top Sports. Fabulous prizes generously donated by the dive centres ensured the charity auction was a big success, raising more than AUD$1,400 to support aquatic conservation.

Photo Contest Turns Lenses Toward Ocean Conservation
Project AWARE Foundation and SeaWeb’s Marine Photobank Photo Contest seeks entries that show impacts on marine environments and inspire conservation actions. Photographers of all experience levels can vie for the Grand Prize: a diving vacation that includes a seven-night stay at Matava - Fiji’s Premier Eco-Adventure Resort. Entries welcome from June 8 2009 - August 27 2009

For more news and green diving tips check out the new Project AWARE Blog or become a Fan on Facebook

Surface Interval July/August 2009

DiveAlert Plus - Above & Below the Water Signaling!

DiveAlert Plus Surface and Sub-Surface Signaling Device The Newest Dimension in Scuba Diving Safety Responding to customer demand Ideations, Inc. has created the first true surface and sub-surface diver signaling device. Traditionally, SCUBA divers have relied on whistles as their only audible surface signaling device. But, if a diver is disabled and can’t blow into the whistle, the whistle makes no sound at all. Equally frustrating and dangerous, if a diver needs to attract the attention of someone who is too far away to hear the whistle, the whistle is of no help. Or, what would you do if you wanted the attention of your dive buddy, for whatever reason, and he was simply distracted and not paying attention to you at that very moment? Traditionally, you would be forced to swim up to him or her until you got their attention. In contrast, DiveAlert Plus enables divers at the mere touch of a button to generate a loud blast of sound on the surface that can be heard up to a mile away! Or, by switching the DiveAlert Plus diverter valve for Subsurface signaling the diver can now signal for his dive buddy’s attention underwater! Download a Product Flyer (.pdf format)

DiveAlert Plus - Above & Below the Water Signaling!

Facebook | Username

Starting NOW, you can choose a username for your Facebook account to easily direct friends, family, and coworkers to your profile.

To select your username, visit the link NOW:
http://www.facebook.com/username/

To learn more about usernames, visit the Help Center:
http://www.facebook.com/help.php?page=89

PADI Courses Meet Latest ISO Standards

Important international standards help maintain quality and consistency.

Two new ISO Standards have just been agreed for diving. ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is a global body with 161 member countries who aim to align their national business practices with those agreed in ISO standards for various fields.

Six ISO standards for diving have been in place for several years already, equating in the PADI system to PADI Scuba Diver, Open Water Diver, Divemaster, Assistant Instructor, Open Water Scuba Instructor and Dive Center/Resort. The two new standards equate to the PADI Discover Scuba Diving programme and Enriched Air Diver course.

These two new standards are designated as follows in the ISO system:

- Requirements for training programmes on enriched air nitrox (EAN) diving (ISO 11107)

- Requirements for introductory training programmes to scuba diving (ISO 11121)

When PADI members conduct an Enriched Air Diver course or run a Discover Scuba Diving program, they can also claim to meet the requirements of these ISO standards. This can be a major advantage when dealing with customers, travel operators and even local governments, as ISO is seen as an independent standard of quality.

For more details of ISO member countries, visit: http://www.iso.org/iso/about/iso_members.htm

####

About PADI:

PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) is the world’s largest recreational diving membership organisation. The membership includes dive businesses, resort facilities, academic institutions, instructor trainers, dive educators, divers, snorkelers and other watersports enthusiasts. Professional PADI Members (dive centres, resorts, educational facilities, instructors, assistant instructors and divemasters) teach the vast majority of the world’s recreational divers, issuing over 1,000,000 certifications each year. PADI Professionals make underwater exploration and adventure accessible to the public while maintaining the highest industry standards for dive training, safety and customer service.

Divenewswire

Sasalu Tawamudu Fiji - Sustainable Reef Resources

Sustainable Fijian Reef Resources Inc. (Sasalu Tawamudu) is a state-of-Georgia registered not-for-profit corporation with US IRS 501(c)3 status for tax deductible donations. It was founded by Dr. Bill Aalbersberg, the Director of Applied Sciences at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji, Dr. Kirk Bowman, a professor of international affairs at Georgia Tech, and Dr. Terry Snell, a biology professor at Georgia Tech. Aalbersberg, Bowman, and Snell are part of an international team of scientists and researchers who are funded by the Fogarty Center of the US National Institutes of Health to work on drug discovery, conservation, and sustainable economic development in Fiji. Sustainable Fijian Reef Resources is a culmination of part of that work and combines local knowledge from Fijian stakeholders, cutting edge science on reef health, market dynamics, local community activism, and internet marketing.

The Board of Directors all serve without any compensation of any kind. Due to generous support from the International Cooperative Biodiversity Group program of the Fogarty Center of the National Institutes of Health that supports our web page, all donations go directly to programs and partners in Fiji, such as the award-winning Fiji Locally Managed Marine Area Network (FLMMA).

Board of Directors of Sustainable Fijian Reef Resources, Inc.:

• Dr. Bill Aalbersberg, Ph.D. Professor and Director of the Institute of Applied Sciences at the University of the South Pacific in Suva, Fiji
• Dr. Kirk Bowman, Ph.D. Associate Professor in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
• Alison Graab. Former student body president of Georgia Tech and law student in environmental law.
• Dr. Mark Hay, Ph.D. Harry and Linda Teasely Chair in Environmental Biology at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
• Jon Wilcox. President of California Republic Bank.

Sustainable Fijian Reef Resources also utilizes an advisory council of prominent Fijians, representing environmental groups, stakeholders, tourism industry leaders, and political leaders.

Sasalu Tawamudu Fiji - Sustainable Reef Resources

Saving the Oceans One Text Message at a Time | Changemakers

How many times have you whipped out your cell phone and texted a message that could help save the planet? Probably never, right? Well branch out from all those lols and xoxos and send a text to FishPhone.

By Alison Craiglow Hockenberry

FishPhone provides instant information about how environmentally friendly (or not) a particular seafood species is. The next time you’re ordering dinner at a restaurant or shopping at the seafood counter, try this:

Text to 306-44 the word “fish” and then the name of the kind of fish you think you’d like to eat. For example type in “fish salmon” and find out in a few seconds whether it’s harvested responsibly and whether there are any contaminants or other health concerns.

What you’ll learn is that wild salmon from Alaska is among the best choices you can make if you care about the health of the world’s oceans; but farmed salmon carries significant environmental and health risks.

FishPhone was launched in 2007 by two conservationists at Blue Ocean Institute, Dane Klinger and Nick Hall who wanted to help consumers make more informed choices. The world’s supply of fish is being rapidly depleted due to overfishing and some species are on the brink of collapse. The oceans are, indeed, in peril.

But solutions abound. More and more fishing operations are harvesting fish in ways that don’t put so much pressure on the fish populations and that leave fewer pollutants in the water.

Blue Ocean boiled down the complicated details of the world’s fisheries and categorized species according to traffic-light colors. Green: okay. Yellow: some concerns. Red: stop and think about choosing something else. FishPhone even gives you a suggested alternative to the red species you had your eye on.

Hall says this puts power in the hands of consumers and also gets other people interested.

“It’s an innovative way to engage with other people who might not be aware of these issues: the waiter, the person behind the seafood counter,” Hall said. “It’s a nice way to start a discussion.”

Saving the Oceans One Text Message at a Time | Changemakers

History of Earth Day

By Charisse McAuliffe

The birth of the modern day environmental movement began on April 22, 1970 when a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin named Gaylord Nelson organized the first nationwide environmental protest. Little did he know at the time that for the next 39 years on April 22, environmentalists from around the world would come together to focus on Mother Earth as we celebrate Earth day.

In 1970 Americans, were using leaded gas in their sedans powered by V8 engines. Factories were exhausting absurd amounts of pollution into the air without any ramifications or even the fear of getting bad press, in fact air pollution was commonly accepted as the smell of prosperity.

This was all about to change.

On that fateful day 39 years ago, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, on college campuses and in auditoriums to make their voices be heard that they wanted a healthier environment. In the past there were different groups that fought separately against things like oil spills and toxic dumps, loss of wilderness and extinction problems, but on this one day they all united and the light bulb turned on for them. Working together and in support of one another’s causes would be the key to making the level of change that was needed occur.

On that day a rare political alignment was achieved, both Republicans and Democrats were in support of the same issues. Business tycoons and labor unions agreed with one another, US citizens both rich and poor, city dwellers and farmers recognized the issues with the environment as being larger than their differences, and choose to work together. This led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and in turn the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species acts.

In the years to follow Senator Nelson would be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his role as the founder of Earth day.

It was in 1990 when a group of environmental leaders enlisted Denis Hayes, one of the original organizers of the 1970 protest, to take the Earth day mission to the global stage. April 22, 1990 resulted in a monumental shift for the world. On that day there were over 200 million people mobilized in 141 countries. People across the globe woke up to the realization that we all may battle in war and we may differ in religious views, and not speak the same languages, but we all have one crucial thing in common, we have but one planet we all call home. After that specific Earth day celebration in 1990, the concept of recycling became an activity that households and businesses around the world would come to do adopt and accept as status quo. This event also helped pave the way for the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.

Ten years later and with the approach of the millennium, Hayes decided to spearhead the next monumental campaign. Earth Day 2000 would focus on global warming and clean energy. That April 22, the world awoke to festivities similar to the original Earth Day in 1970, combined with the international grass root effort of the 1990 event and now the power of the Internet to assist them in linking activist all over the planet. That year there were over 5,000 environmental groups around the world participating, reaching out to hundreds of millions of people throughout 184 countries.

Earth Day 2000 sent the message clearly to the powers that be, two things; global warming could no longer be ignored, and decisive action for clean energy would have to be pushed to the forefront.

Today the fight for a cleaner, more sustainable global environment continues. This is a battle that each of us wage every day. We are fighting it when we drag our filled recycling bins to our curbsides, and when we give our neighbors a ride to work. When we bring our own mug into the coffee shop, or we choose to pick up the piece of trash left behind on the sidewalk by someone before us. We have come a long way in the last 39 years, but yet there is still much work to be done.

On April 22nd, 2009, we took time to come together, celebrate what we have accomplished and educate about what still needs to be done. We must empower and motivate everyone from our next generations to rouge nations with the gift of consciousness and hope for the future.

GenGreenLife: History of Earth Day

Dive For Earth Day

Make a world of difference this Earth Day, 22 April 2009

Earth is a water planet and the planet needs our help. Why? Climate change is a major threat with increased ocean temperatures and ocean acidification impacting fragile underwater environments. Dive for Earth Day is an extraordinary opportunity to take action and help address the underwater issues that concern you most.

How can you help?

Individual Divers and Water Enthusiasts:
Volunteer today! Search for Dive for Earth Day events near you and choose from hundreds of conservation activities that put aquatic issues on the Earth Day map.

Dive Professionals and Organisations:
Coordinate an event! Organise a coral reef monitoring project, underwater cleanup, AWARE Kids event or AWARE Fish ID Specialty Course. Register online to receive free resources to help make your day a success.

About Dive for Earth Day
Earth Day raises environmental awareness on a global scale. Since the 30th anniversary of Earth Day in 2000, Project AWARE has helped divers focus attention on aquatic environments for this annual event. Thousands of diver volunteers in more than 115 countries have helped protect underwater environments and educate local communities for Project AWARE’s Dive for Earth Day. Read more about Project AWARE’s Dive for Earth Day initiatives around the world and share your news with the Project AWARE community.

Make Every Day Earth Day

There are many simple, low-cost things you can do each day and each time you dive to lower your impact on the environment. Begin by following Project AWARE’s Ten Ways a Diver Can Protect the Underwater Environment or check out our Tips to Keep Waters Debris Free.

Dive For Earth Day

Dive For Earth Day

Make a world of difference this Earth Day, 22 April 2009

Earth is a water planet and the planet needs our help. Why? Climate change is a major threat with increased ocean temperatures and ocean acidification impacting fragile underwater environments. Dive for Earth Day is an extraordinary opportunity to take action and help address the underwater issues that concern you most.

How can you help?

Individual Divers and Water Enthusiasts:
Volunteer today! Search for Dive for Earth Day events near you and choose from hundreds of conservation activities that put aquatic issues on the Earth Day map.

Dive Professionals and Organisations:
Coordinate an event! Organise a coral reef monitoring project, underwater cleanup, AWARE Kids event or AWARE Fish ID Specialty Course. Register online to receive free resources to help make your day a success.

About Dive for Earth Day
Earth Day raises environmental awareness on a global scale. Since the 30th anniversary of Earth Day in 2000, Project AWARE has helped divers focus attention on aquatic environments for this annual event. Thousands of diver volunteers in more than 115 countries have helped protect underwater environments and educate local communities for Project AWARE’s Dive for Earth Day. Read more about Project AWARE’s Dive for Earth Day initiatives around the world and share your news with the Project AWARE community.

Make Every Day Earth Day

There are many simple, low-cost things you can do each day and each time you dive to lower your impact on the environment. Begin by following Project AWARE’s Ten Ways a Diver Can Protect the Underwater Environment or check out our Tips to Keep Waters Debris Free.

Dive For Earth Day

Marine Life of Fiji and Tonga: A Video Identification Guide - The Great Fiji Butterflyfish Count 2008

Created for divers, snorkelers, aquarists and all marine enthusiasts, this "V.I.D" (Video ID) Guide covers the incredible marine biodiversity of this fantastic corner of the South Pacific.

It's an comprehensive identification guide to 1272 animal and plant species -- except that instead of being a book full of pictures, it's a video with gorgeous real-life footage of each species, and each of the 1739 video clips is labeled with the common and scientific names of each species.

"This is a powerful, practical resource. Something everyone who loves the sea can benefit from." Andrew Wiens, Scuba Diving magazine

This "V.I.D." Guide (Video ID) covers the incredible marine biodiversity of this fantastic corner of the South Pacific. The Marine Life of Fiji & Tonga is a comprehensive identification guide to 1272 animal and plant species — except that instead of being a book full of pictures, it's a video with gorgeous real-life footage of each species, and each of the 1739 video clips is labelled with the common and scientific names of each species.

Beautifully filmed and visually engaging, Marine Life of Fiji & Tonga contains pretty much every species you are likely to see, catch or hear about when counting butterflyfish in this part of the world. Three years and more than 3000 dives in the making, this is both an essential tool and exotic entertainment.

• 77 intuitive and easy-to-navigate DVD chapters
• 3.5 hours of gorgeous underwater footage
• 1739 video clips
• 1272 different species, including over 800 species of fish!
• common names and scientific names
• juveniles, males, females — plus endemic species and local colour variations
• video allows you to study behaviour: how species swim, feed, court, fight, clean, hunt
• tight macro shots show fine details, markings and texture normally impossible to see
• soothing ambient music by award-winning composer Bjorn Lynne
• filmed with utmost care and respect for the underwater environment
• downloadable checklist to keep a record of the species you've seen yourself (PDF format)

The package includes 2 DVD videos that you can play on your TV or computer plus a 14-page reference booklet with line drawings, descriptions and helpful information.

Disc One: FISH including sharks, lionfish, gobies, angelfish, ghost pipefish, rays, eels, butterflyfish, dragonets, seahorses, barracudas, parrotfish...

Disc Two: EVERYTHING ELSE including whales, nudibranchs, corals, octopus, crustaceans, sponges, jellyfish, sea stars, sea snakes, cuttlefish...

Buy your copy from Josh and Liz here at Underseas Productions!

Josh Jensen & Liz Harlin from Underseas Productions has allowed us to show the Butterflyfish Section here for the Great Fiji Butterflyfish Count 2008. THANKS JOSH & LIZ!

Marine Life of Fiji and Tonga: A Video Identification Guide - The Great Fiji Butterflyfish Count 2008

In Memory of an Ocean Champion and Fearless Friend Vasemaca Rarabici

In Memory of an Ocean Champion and Fearless Friend

Vasemaca Rarabici

Fiji Program Associate, Asia Pacific Program, SeaWeb

May 17, 1975 – December 30, 2008

Va Rarabici with her daughter, Annie. Suva, Fiji, April 2008. Betty Oala, SeaWeb

Vasemaca Rarabici joined SeaWeb in early 2007 after a successful career as a journalist in Fiji, where she worked for the three local daily newspapers and rose to the rank of deputy editor of the Fiji Sun and later the Sunday editor of the Fiji Times. At SeaWeb, Va discovered a powerful outlet for her love of her islands and for her well-honed communication skills. Indeed, despite a prolonged illness, Va’s passion and dedication helped build a foundation for SeaWeb’s success in the Asia Pacific for years to come.

For those who knew her, Va’s powerful personality and energy were inescapable. Va was a force of nature­–a bright, laughing, creative, determined force. And that laugh was loud, wonderfully loud, and infectious. Even if you got used to it, it still caught you off guard with its abundance of energy and joy. Indeed, Va was a rare person: intense yet lighthearted, focused yet free-spirited, she inspired the people around her and held our Asia Pacific team together.

Va accomplished much. As the heartfelt messages from our partners in Fiji illustrate (some comments enclosed below), people deeply appreciated her work and her efforts. With Va’s guidance, community leaders, scientists and government officials in Fiji have become stalwart spokespeople for the oceans and for protecting Pacific places and traditions. While SeaWeb as an organization is skilled in communications, we were not experts in the culture of Fiji. When our Asia Pacific Program first began, Va’s understanding of what would resonate in her home islands and her many strong relationships in the communities made this program successful.Truly, Va has helped elevate the discussion of ocean issues in Fiji at a phenomenal pace. We have never seen as much media coverage of ocean issues in Fiji as we do today.

Read full tribute page for Va here: SeaWeb - Ocean Voices

Sharks And Diving Tank Problems

Sing this song in your cubicle at work

Fiji’s Tourism industry has been largely unaffected by the recent flooding

20th of January 2009

PRESS RELEASE

Tourism Fiji in collaboration with key industry partners including the Fiji Islands Hotel and Tourism Association (FIHTA), Society of Fiji Travel Associates (SOFTA) and Air Pacific confirmed that the necessary infrastructure, facilities and equipment to operate Fiji’s Tourism industry has been largely unaffected by the recent flooding with only minor damage reported by member Hotels, Resorts, Transport, Transfer and Cruise Operators, and International and Domestic airlines.

The industry is unified in its efforts and working hard to reassure visitor’s considering travel to Fiji to take advantage of Fiji’s tropical climate, excellent deals and of course to enjoy Fiji’s biggest asset – it’s warm, friendly people.

Key strategies to lure visitors to our shores include wide ranging familiarization visits commencing early next week to key tourism areas by prominent Travel Wholesalers, Travel Agents and Trade Press to demonstrate first hand the experiences Fiji has to offer. This will be followed up by great value holiday deals initially in the key source markets of Australia and New Zealand driven by Tourism Fiji and its partners.

In a meeting with the Minister for Tourism on Monday, the Minister reinforced his support for the industry and assured stakeholders that Government will facilitate road upgrading and other necessary infrastructure works to key Tourism areas as a priority. Government recognizes the resilience of the Tourism industry, its ability to quickly facilitate economic recovery, and its widespread importance to the local community.

The private sector continues to invest heavily in the industry with new hotel developments coming on line this year and new routes being opened up by Air Pacific.

Fiji’s Tourism Industry offers a wide range of Holiday experiences for local and international tourists, and support to Fiji’s tourism industry is critical to generate important foreign exchange enabling assistance to areas that have sustained damage by flooding.

The Tourism industry acknowledges and thanks the support offered by Government and global industry partners and will continue to cooperate closely with key stakeholders to achieve targeted visitor arrivals. The industry also realizes the importance of working with the media and seeks their support in the recovery process.

For further information please contact:

Mr Josefa Tuamoto
Chief Executive Officer
Tourism Fiji
Phone: 6722433

Fiji’s Tourism industry has been largely unaffected by the recent flooding

2009 - Year Of The Shark

THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE SHARK
… was inspired by the finding that at the current rate, common shark species will be extinct
in 10 to 15 years. In large regions, species that were once numerous have fallen to 1% of
their original numbers. Studies of open ocean sharks estimate 80 to 90% of heavily fished
species are gone. Yet these intelligent animals, also called the “Wolves of the Sea” are still
fished intensively, and finned for “shark fin soup.” The oceans have evolved over hundreds of
millions of years with sharks as apex predators, so their loss will destroy oceanic health.

HELP SPREAD THE WORD:
SAVE SHARKS FROM EXTINCTION

2009 - Year Of The Shark