Perspectives on a Global Observing System to Assess Ocean Health

Concern over the deterioration of the oceans has generated a demand for a system able to assess ocean health globally, and approaches to assess ocean health globally and an observing system delivering the data to support this assessment are now being developed. In parallel with public health systems, a system to assess ocean health should evaluate the occurrence and severity of a set of syndromes of concern through a series of indicators composed from a parsimonious set of ecosystem essential ocean variables delivered by a coherent and robust observing system. The development of such approach for the global assessment of ocean health will help inform policies acting upon the drivers causing ocean syndromes and help ensure a healthy ocean for all

Making Marine Life Count: A New Baseline for Policy

The Census of Marine Life aids practical work of the Convention on Biological Diversity, discovers and tracks ocean biodiversity, and supports marine environmental planning

A quantitative analysis of fishing impacts shelf-sea benthos

1. The effects of towed bottom-fishing gear on benthic communities is the subject of heated debate, but the generality of trawl effects with respect to gear and habitat types is poorly understood. To address this deficiency we undertook a meta-analysis of 39 published fishing impact studies. 2. Our analysis shows that inter-tidal dredging and scallop dredging have the greatest initial effects on benthic biota, while trawling has less effect. Fauna in stable gravel, mud and biogenic habitats are more adversely affected than those in less consolidated coarse sediments. 3. Recovery rate appears most rapid in these less physically stable habitats, which are generally inhabited by more opportunistic species. However, defined areas that are fished in excess of three times per year (as occurs in parts of the North Sea and Georges Bank) are likely to be maintained in a permanently altered state. 4. We conclude that intuition about how fishing ought to affect benthic communities is generally supported, but that there are substantial gaps in the available data, which urgently need to be filled. In particular, data on impacts and recovery of epifaunal structure-forming benthic communities are badly needed

Designing report cards for aquatic health with a whole-of-system approach: Gladstone Harbour in the Great Barrier Reef

Rolfe, JC ORCiD: 0000-0001-7659-7040Ecosystem health report cards are an increasingly popular means of summarizing the results of environmental monitoring programs for broad, non-scientific audiences. This paper describes a whole-of-system report card initiative developed to monitor the condition of a multi-use port in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, Queensland, Australia. Concerns over the impacts of major industrial expansion, fish health incidents, safety of recreational harbour users and habitat loss prompted stakeholders in the Gladstone region to unite and establish the Gladstone Healthy Harbour Partnership. The objective was to monitor and report on the health of the harbour via an annual report card (http://rc.ghhp.org.au/). We illustrate one approach to designing a report card against ten core considerations; 1) strong links to all stakeholders at all stages, 2) rigorous science, 3) effective communication, 4) setting clear goals and 5) realistic expectations, 6) flexibility in implementation, 7) transparency, open access and accountability, 8) results linked to actionable management recommendations, 9) regular evaluation, and 10) long term commitment. Innovative aspects of this report card include the combination of four components of harbour health: environmental, social, cultural and economic; underpinned by a sophisticated monitoring, modelling and reporting program. A review of the report card content and methodology, conducted in 2017, determined that the design meets the original vision and objectives set by Gladstone stakeholders. However, stakeholder perceptions of the effectiveness of the report card have not been comprehensively assessed to date. This paper provides a guide to others designing report card programs and environmental metrics, with advice on maximizing transparency and data sharing, coordinating otherwise disparate monitoring efforts, and linking with management through the provision of scenario analysis tools with which to interpret and respond to annual report card results. © 2019 The Author

A process to design a network of marine no-take areas: lessons\ud from the Great Barrier Reef

In the absence of consensus on the quantity and level of zoning protection required for coral reef and lagoon ecosystems, which process can guide decision makers? The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) worked with experts in a collaborative process to develop a set of Biophysical Operational Principles to guide the design of a network of no-take areas. First, 82 expert scientists were asked to provide data and advice on the physical, biological and ecological dimensions of the Great Barrier Reef ecosystem. They recommended that an independent Scientific Steering Committee (the Committee) was set up. How this Committee worked successfully with the GBRMPA staff is detailed here in a manner to enable other resource managers to adopt the process if they are working in data-limited marine environments

Mineral royalties and mining activity - International and greek experience

143 σ.Τα μισθωτικά δικαιώματα μεταλλειοκτησίας (mining royalties) ή αλλιώς μισθώματα, όπως είναι γνωστά, αποτελούν μέρος της φορολογίας που επιβάλλεται στις μεταλλευτικές επιχειρήσεις. Υπάρχουν τρία κύρια είδη δικαιωμάτων που εφαρμόζονται, αυτά με βάση την εξορυγμένη μονάδα, με βάση την αξία του υλικού και με βάση το κέρδος ή τα έσοδα μιας εταιρείας. Πολλοί οικονομολόγοι, καθώς και άνθρωποι του μεταλλευτικού κλάδου, έχουν προσπαθήσει να περιγράψουν τη φύση των μισθωμάτων αυτών, αλλά και να καθορίσουν το βέλτιστο σημείο φορολόγησης, πράγμα που είναι δύσκολο να επιτευχθεί. Όσον αφορά στη φύση τους, μπορεί να θεωρηθεί ότι τα δικαιώματα καταβάλλονται, ως αποζημίωση για την απόσπαση ορυκτών που έχουν αξία από το υπέδαφος, ή ως ενοίκιο για την παραχώρηση της άδειας εκμετάλλευσης ενός μεταλλείου και για την επεξεργασία και πώληση του εξαγόμενου προϊόντος. Πολλά κράτη έχουν θεσπίσει μεταλλευτικά δικαιώματα. Τα πρώτα παραδείγματα, μάλιστα, συναντώνται στην αρχαία Ινδία, καθώς και στη Ρώμη. Σήμερα, σημαντικό παράδειγμα αποτελεί ο Καναδάς, όπου υπάρχει η απαραίτητη διαχειριστική ικανότητα και επιτρέπει τη χρήση υβριδικών συστημάτων, δηλαδή τη χρήση δύο κατηγοριών δικαιωμάτων. Αυτό έχει ως αποτέλεσμα τη συνεχή ροή χρημάτων στα ταμεία του κράτους, αλλά και την ικανοποίηση των επενδυτών από τους επιβαλλόμενους φόρους. Στην Ελλάδα, γίνονται συζητήσεις σχετικά με τα μισθώματα, οι οποίες γίνονται όλο και πιο έντονες. Η νομοθεσία προβλέπει την εφαρμογή δικαιωμάτων μόνο στην περίπτωση των δημόσιων μεταλλείων, κάτι που δεν επιτρέπει το κέρδος από οποιοδήποτε ιδιωτικό μεταλλευτικό έργο. Πρόσφατα, έλαβαν χώρα τροποποιήσεις σε ζωτικής σημασίας διατάξεις του Μεταλλευτικού Κώδικα, που φαίνεται να ανοίγουν νέους δρόμους για το κράτος και τον ανεκμετάλλευτο, μέχρι στιγμής, ορυκτό πλούτο που κατέχει.Royalties, mineral royalties, or mining royalties, as widely known, are part of the legislation applicable to mining companies. There are three, main categories. The ones that are unit - based, the ones that are value - based and those which are based on a company’s profit or income. Not only many economists, but also people who were involved in the mineral exploitation as well, have tried to describe the nature of these payments and to determine the optimal point of taxation, which is difficult to achieve. Regarding the nature, it may be assumed that the fees are paid, as a compensation for the extraction of minerals, which are valuable, from the ground, or as a rental for the grant of the license to operate a mine and then, process and sale the exported product. A large number of countries have introduced mineral rights. Oldest examples are found in ancient India, and Rome. Nowadays, a significant example is Canada, where sufficient management capacity exists, which allows the use of hybrid systems, using two categories of royalties. This results in a constant flow of money to the state coffers and in the satisfaction of investors by the applicable taxes. In Greece, there is growing debate about the royalties. The legislation provides royalties for public mines, which allows no profits from private mining project. Recently, changes occurred in vital provisions of the Mining Code, which seems to open up new horizons for the state and the unused, so far, mineral wealth Greece possesses.Μαθιουδάκης, Ε. Μιχαή

Participation by country and region.

<p>Countries coded with the same color collaborate in a regional implementation committee and numbers within country borders indicate the number of collaborating Census scientists for that country. Image: CoML</p