First call for oral presentations at International Marine Conservation Congress
The International Marine Conservation Congress (IMCC), to occur 20-24 May 2009, has announced its first call for oral presentations, posters, and 4-minute “speed presentations”. The deadline for submissions is 15 October 2008. Details are available on the IMCC website at www2.cedarcrest.edu/imcc/proposals.html. The IMCC will encompass the Second International Marine Protected Areas Congress, and will be held in Washington, DC, in the US.
WCPA – Marine launches MPA blog
The World Commission on Protected Areas – Marine has launched a new web-based news platform to provide up-to-date information on the commission’s MPA-related work. Called The Official MPA Blog, the website allows users to access new information and search through archived news from WCPA – Marine. Information is being updated every 1-3 weeks, says Dan Laffoley, vice-chair of WCPA – Marine. In the first two weeks since its launch on 13 August 2008, the blog received visitors from 83 countries, says Laffoley. The blog is at http://officialmpa.blogspot.com.
Report released by a European project on fisheries management in MPAs
The report of the third and final workshop of the Environmentally Sound Fishery Management in Protected Areas project (EMPAS) is now available. Coordinated by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), the three-year EMPAS project has aimed to develop fisheries management plans for Natura 2000 sites within the German EEZ of the North Sea and Baltic Sea. It is also meant to serve as a pilot for development of similar plans throughout offshore EU waters. The publication Report of the Workshop on Fisheries Management in Marine Protected Areas can be downloaded at www.ices.dk/iceswork/wgdetail.asp?wg=WKFMMPA. The EMPAS project website is www.ices.dk/projects/empas.asp.
Proceedings available from Mediterranean MPA network conference
Proceedings from the First Conference of the Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas Network (MedPAN), held 24-27 October 2007 in France, are now available online. The conference objective was to promote the development of a comprehensive, representative, and effectively managed network of MPAs throughout the Mediterranean region. The proceedings are available in English and French at www.medpan.org/?arbo=article&sel=ID&val=424&language=en.