An article about the state of activities during the International Year of the Reef (IYOR):

INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVES

It is getting increasingly difficult to summarise all the IYOR activities underway without missing something out - each week sees a new country or organisation taking part. The time was clearly ripe for an International Year of the Reef, and there is no doubt that public awareness will have been raised and an enormous educational need fulfilled. Including the 17 countries of the Pacific who are jointly working on a Pacific Year of the Reef campaign (see below), there are now some 50 nations and territories taking part. The lack of a central secretariat to handle information requests and answer queries is an increasing obstacle, but Bob Ginsburg in Miami, Paul Holthus at IUCN, Sue Wells at WWF International and Stephen Colwell at the Coral Reef Alliance are keeping things moving, if slowly at times. We hope you will all bear with us if requests are not met instantly. IYOR is now offficially the publicity arm of ICRI for 1997, and there is a close linkage between the two initiatives. The next issue of Reef Encounter will provide an update of ICRI activities, the secretariat of which is now in Australia. Results of research and survey activities being carried out under the banner of IYOR will be summarised in the next issue of Reef Encounter, and will be a focus of the next ISRS meeting at Fiji. Reef Check, a major international IYOR activity, is described on p. xx . An IYOR coral reef pack has been prepared and limited numbers are available on demand from Paul Holthus at IUCN. These contain:

• information on global programmes such as ICRI, ReefBase (the coral reef database distributed by ICLARM), the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network; · a list of educational resources from around the world relevant to reef conservation;
• an update of IYOR activities underway or being planned (also sent out on the IYOR-listserver);
• Action Sheets for different reef 'sukeholders' (NGOs, diving industry, fishing communities, schools and teachers etc) with suggestions for how they can participate;
• a list of handbooks and guidelines for coral reef management.

Feature articles and special reef issues of magazines are appearing in numerous countries and IYOR has been promoted at major dive shows in USA, Germany and elsewhere and at travel and tourism shows in the UK. A series of 52 coral reef story ideas is being syndicated through major international media channels, through a joint initiative of IUCN and the US Qept of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The text for this Media Outreach Proposal can be found at the following URL: http://coral.aoml.noaa.gov/bulls/52final.html. Story ideas are still needed. Contact: Matt Stout, NOAA, Tel. (202) 482 6090; Fax (202) 482-3154; e-mail: mstout~rdc.noaa.gov or Paul Holthus (see below). IYOR has a World-Wide Web Home Page at the following URL: http://www.coral.org and there are a number of national or NGO-specific IYOR web sites. An IYOR Listserver has been set up to publicize IYOR activities, share information or ask questions about IYOR. Please do not use the list for personal communications or promoting commercial ventures.

• To Subscribe: send e-mail to majordomo@reef.aoml.noaa.gov with the following message (only!) in the body of the text: subscribe iyor-list
• To Un-Subscribe: send e-mail to majordomo@reef.aoml.noaa.gov with the following message (only!) in the body of the text: unsubscribe iyor-list "Your Name" <your_address@your.domain'
• To Post a Comment or Announcement: send e-mail to iyor list@reef.aoml.noaa.gov. The message will be circulated to all members of the list. The members may respond to you directly, or post their comments to the list for all to read. Please carefully consider the purpose of iyor-list before posting a message: this is a forum comprised of conservation groups, scientists, aquariums, government agencies and others interested in sharing ideas about IYOR.
• To see a list of the functions and services available from the list-server, send an e-mail message to majordomo@reef.aoml.noaa.gov, with the following message (only!) in the body of the texc help

One word of caution - a great deal of IYOR activity is taking place in cyberspace. The cynical might be tempted to suggest that more is taking place there than on the reefs themselves! Please don't forget that some people are not fully linked up to the Internet (and do not have regular or easy access to the Web), and others do not even have e-mail. There is still a place for faxes and hard copy. If you know of people that may be missing out on IYOR information, please print-out and send them information as you receive it. Some of the most important people that we hope IYOR will benefit may still be unaware of the campaign. And don't forget that publicity is only as useful as the changes that it causes in people's behaviour - it needs to be accompanied by clear messages about the changes that are needed if coral reefs are to survive. For general information about IYOR, contact one of the following:

Robert Ginsburg, University of Miami/RSMAS,4600 Rickenbacker Cswy., Miami, FL 33149, USA. Fax 305-361-4094; Tel 305-361-4875. E-mail: rginsburg@rsmas.miami.edu

Sue Wells, WWF-lntemational, Ave du Mont Blanc, 1196 Gland, Switzerland. Fax: (41) 22-364-S829; Tel: (41) 22-364-9545; e mail: swells@wwfnet.org

Paul Holthus, IUCN, rue de Mauvemey,1196 Ghnd, Switzerhnd. Tel: (41) 22-9990251; Fax (41) 22-999-0025; e-mail: pfh@hq.iucn.org

Stephen Colwell, Coral ReefAlliance (CORAL), 809 Dehware St, Berkeley, CA 94710, USA. Fax 510-528-9317; Tel: 510-528 2492; e-mail: IYOR1997@aol.com

 

Germany has no living reefs along its coast and no overseas territories with reefs, but IYOR will be promoted there as much as anywhere. The rationale of course is that (as well as its fine reef scientists!) it ranks near the top in terms of numbers of tourists that visit reefs on holiday. IYOR is therefore being used both to educate tourists themselves about how to behave on reefs while on holiday and support reef conservation at home, and the tourist industry about sustainable tourism in the reef environment. Scientists, museums and the diving community are jointly organising IYOR activities in Germany. The Geomar Research Center in Kiel promoted IYOR at an Open Day in September 1996 and the German IYOR initiative was officially launched by the German Research Foundation at a conference in October (see p.xx). The Association of Research Diving Biologist (ARDB), the German Diving Association and PADI Europe are participating. In January 1997, an IYOR booth was set up at the biggest boating and diving fair in Europe, the BOOT in Dusseldorf, and media coverage was generated with Prof. Hans Hass, a number of reef scientists and the watersport industry holding talks and discussions. A programme of scientific talks on reefs has been initiated under the IYOR-umbrella in various places; articles on IYOR have been published in diving journals and short articles in other print media; and list of 31 colleagues willing to give talks at schools, teacher's seminars etc. compiled and many talks scheduled. An exhibition on the evolution of coral reefs opens in June at the Senckenberg Museum in Frankfurt. IYOR activity weekends are being planned. Geomar and the Baltic Dive Center plan "IYOR project weeks" with several high schools in North Germany, involving slide shows on coral reefs and comparisons with local rocky tidal shores, excursions to the Baltic Sea and even an introductory scuba dive. The diving magazine "Sporttaucher" will publish a report on the IYOR every month in their environment column. Reinhold Leinfelder, whose Jurassic Reef Park may be known to some readers has established a web page for IYOR activities in Germany: http://www.palaeo.de/riffe

The German IYOR organizing team comprises:

Reinhold Leinfelder <r.leinfelder@lrz.uni-muenchen.de>
Franz Bruemmer <Bruemmer@po.uni-stuttgart.de>
Moshira Hassan <mhassan@geomar.de>
Gert Woerheide <gwoerhe@gwdg.de>

Further information also from: Reinhold Leinfelder, Inst. Geologie & Palaeontologie, Univ. Stuttgar~tTel: (49) 711 /1211339; or Franz Brümmer, Inst. Biology, Univ. Stuttgart. Tel: (49) 711 / 6855083; or Moshira Hassan, Research Center for Marine Geosciences, Wischhofstr. 1-3; 24148 Kiel; Germany. Fax: (49) 431 / 6002941, Tel: (49) 431 / 6002822.

 

 

The opportunities are of course endless, but the constraints often greater - particularly lack of funding and personnel. The Pacific Year of the Reef involves some 17 countries and grew out of the Regional workshop in 1995. Under the Regional Strategy developed at this meeting, SPREP was nominated to host the ICRI Coordinator for the Pacific region and 1997 was proposed as the PYCOR. This has a campaign slogan: "Coral Reefs: Their Health, Our Future!". Key messages aund audiences have been identified for the campaign. A Regional Campaign Plan has been prepared and national/NGO campaign plans will be prepared in each country according to its needs. The Regional Campaign Plan provides a good example of the many IYOR activities that can be undertaken. Funding is being sought, although many activities are underway through existing national organisations.

The Plan has six components:

1. Support to national and NGO campaign plans; SPREP will coordinate the PYOCR campaign network and:

• seek new and additional funding, technical assistance and in-kind support for PYOCR,
• disseminate information about level and availability of funding
• provide expert and timely advice for national/NGO campaign plan development.
• support local and national workshops
• act as a clearing house for information and contacts who can respond to specific issues
• encourage Heads of Government/Ministers to launch national campaigns.

2. Communication Initiatives

• regional media launch of the PYOCR on 11 February 1997
• Iaunch of documentary video and companion advertisement and promotion of its use on TV, in schools, airlines and other media outlets.
• presentation of the PYOCR at Pacific Island News Association Conference.
• promotion of PYOCR at relevant regional/ international meetings e.g. Pacific Science Association Inter-Congress, Fiji Oceans Promotion, SPC, TCSP, SOPAC, Forum meetings, the Sixth Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas (Federated Sates of Micronesia, 1997)
• media-based campaign wrap up (11 February 1998) at the official end of the PYOCR.
• promotion of PYOCR with TV, radio, newspaper, print. provision information to the Pacific Council of Churches on the campaign.
• promotion of PYOCR through magazine feature articles e.g. Island Business, Pacific Islands Monthly, women's magazines and other organisation's newsletters.
• news coverage of national campaign achievements at the regional and international levels.
• news and campaign coverage on airline in-flight
• entertainment programmes (TV and magazine) including translations into Japanese and other languages for incoming tourists.
• provision of information on PYOCR to travel agents and tourist agency networks.
• regional art competition to highlight PYOCR.
• village based theatre, including puppet groups, as part of national/ngo campaign plans.
• production of tourist items e.g. t shirts with PYOCR theme.
• encouragement of Philatelic Bureaus to produce PYOCR
• use of Internet to promote PYOCR within broader IYOR network and to obtain information relevant to the region to feed back to those who do not have access.
• regional workshop for national curriculum developers on coastal marine conservation.

3. Policy initiatives

• Seek endorsement for the PYOCR from the South Pacific Forum and South Pacific Commission; SPREP to brief the Forum and SPC governments on Integrated Coastal Management, the EIA process, international trade in live non-cultured coral, use of cyanide/poisons for the live coral reef fish trade, and lack of information, understanding and
• research.
• Promote implementation (and accession where necessary) of relevant conventions e.g. CITES (corals, turtles, giant clams etc.), Convention on Biological Diversity, Ramsar Wetlands Convention.
• Support Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network in its efforts to establish a regional node in the Pacific and help secure resources for this.
• Encourage and assist countries wishing to develop legislation for the management, conservation and wise use of coral reefs and related ecosystems, including Marine Protected Areas. Where appropriate promote community based management and customary laws in advice to government departments.
• Encourage scientific and technical organisations to provide resources and assistance to both regional and national campaigns and initiate programmes in response to identified management issues.
• Encourage and support management, research and capacity building proposals to address problems and issues identified in the ICRI Pacific Regional Strategy (e.g. USP, UPNG, UoG, SPC, FFA, GBRMPA, Unitech, SOPAC, Uinv. Hawaii, AIMS, SPREP).
• Collaborate with the relevant population agencies and programmes to highlight impacts of increasing population pressure on coastal resources for the purpose of strengthening policies and actions of these programmes.
• Encourage governments and ngos to use Environment Weeks or Days (or similar) to focus on the Year of the Reef campaign.

4. Resource Production

• SPREP to produce regional campaign with poster, video, T-shirt, hct sheets, sticker; if possible radio audio tape, calendar (based on art competition), children's colouring book/comic book; also slide show (use existing SPREP slide show as basis)
• SPREP to provide logo that may be use for national/NGO campaigns to produce t shirts, caps etc.
• Joint production of the Wan Smol Bag *On the Reef' video for schools,
• Production of school PYOCR campaign resource information kit which will include copies of campaign resources and specific teaching materials; encourage and help develop ongoing curriculum based lessons and material covering coral reef, mangrove etc.. conservation and wise use.
• Guam video to made available as a resource to other member countries.

5. Reporting, Monitoring and Evaluation. SPREP will undertake the following:

• Every two months provide fax/e-mail update on campaign progress and upcoming events
• Quarterly campaign update at PEACESAT session.
• Campaign report for a Review and Evaluation meeting early 1998

6. Interaction with IYOR

• SPREP to be the coordinating link between IYOR and PYOCR. This should include accessing and disseminating information from IYOR to the network, sending Pacific campaign information to IYOR, and helping PYOCR members access IYOR contacts and initiatives.

copyright Reef Encounter (ed. Sue Wells). IYOR-Germany thanks Sue Wells for permission to include this article to the Webpages of IYOR-Germany.

html-code and correction of outdated weblinks: Reinhold Leinfelder, 2. May 1997

See also report on the German Priority Research Program on Reefs from the same Reef Encounter issue.

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