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Help for Shark Bay
Marine Pollution Bulletin
threats to the area which is subject to the dumping of millions of gallons of untreated sewage in addition to an annual beaching of some 20 000 t of oil from shipping and coastal oil installations, According to Mustikhan, it is estimated that the mangrove forests have reduced from coveting an area of 1600 km 2 (1000 miles2) in the 1960s to just over 960 km 2 (600 miles/ ) today. Pressure also comes from domestic needs as local people use the foliage as feed for camels and cattle. This has been estimated to account for some 18 000 t annually,
Minamata Clear
"g,ven the All
A name synonymous with environmental disaster, Minamata Bay in Japan, has been declared free of mercury 40 years after its waters were the cause of death and birth defects. The Governor of Kumamoto prefecture in south-west Japan has declared the bay to be safe for fishing. Chemical companies had dumped mercury in the bay for decades but it was not until the 1950s that the problem began to emerge. The mercury had been accumulated by shellfish and fish in large doses in their tissues and these doses were then passed on to anyone eating them proving highly poisonous to the victim. Hundreds of people have died over the years following, others have suffered spasms and blurred vision while babies have been born with disfigured limbs. The greatest polluters were the Chisso Corp. who dumped tons of mercury compounds into the sea around Minamata city, 1056 km (660 miles)southwest of Tokyo, from 1932 until the mid-1950s. It took some years to determine the cause of the health hazards, and even when established, it was not until 1968 that the government prevented any further dumping. It took until 1995 before compensation for victims was set aside. 30 billion yen ($225 million) was used in state subsidies and bonds to compensate the victims, Since the intervention of the government in 1 9 7 4 Minamata Bay has been sealed off with nets to prevent organisms contaminated with mercury from leaving and affecting other areas. The removal of the 380 ha of netting should be completed by the end of September. For three years the surveys have shown that the levels of mercury have fallen to less than accepted government standards. It is still unsure whether people will feel secure eating fish from the bay in spite of the reassurances as it has been contaminated for so long that lingering fears are bound to persist. However, fish from the bay will be distributed in fish markets very soon. PHILIPPA AMBROSE 684
H e l p for S h a r k B a y The Australia government is to provide AU$ 490 000 to fund crucial work to conserve threatened native animals in Western Australia's Shark Bay World Heritage site. This is almost treble the funding made available the previous year. The funding will contribute to reintroducing and monitoring populations of four endangered species and to improving visitor information services and facilities at Shark Bay which is located 400 km north of Perth. According to Federal Environment Minister, Robert Hill, one of the main reasons Shark Bay is included in the World Heritage List is that it is home to five of Australia's endangered mammals that live on the Peron Peninsula. It also supports the loggerhead turtle and the
dugong. The Cononwealth is providingfundingto help protect and increase the populations of three of the terrestrial species and funding is being provided to develop management strategies to protect the turtles and dugong in the region. Several studies into the marine environment of Shark Bay, centering on Monkey Mia, are also being funded to assess possible adverse impacts and any necessary actions to ensure these areas are protected.
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t , rnung perauons Threaten Beaufort S e a W h a l e s The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is proposing to authorize gas and oil exploration operations in federal and state waters in Alaska's Beaufort Sea which will result in the harassment of various seal species and possibly bowhead and beluga whales. Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, ARCO Alaska Inc. applied for authorization to disturb small numbers of the mammals during five and a half months of drilling operations in Camden Bay, Alaska. NOAA have already determined that the proposed activities would cause harassment of seals and whales, but believe this would result, at worst, in temporary behaviour modification, with negligible impact on species stocks. Authorization would require a trained mammal observer to be on board transport vessels to search for and record the behaviour of marine mammals during the equipment set-up phase. In addition, a series of mitigation measures would be imposed, including the shutdown of drilling operations during bowhead whale migration and prohibition of drilling in areas where ringed seal lairs may be present. Public opinion has been sought on this issue by NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service. SHIRLEY HENDERSON
threats to the area which is subject to the dumping of millions of gallons of untreated sewage in addition to an annual beaching of some 20 000 t of oil from shipping and coastal oil installations, According to Mustikhan, it is estimated that the mangrove forests have reduced from coveting an area of 1600 km 2 (1000 miles2) in the 1960s to just over 960 km 2 (600 miles/ ) today. Pressure also comes from domestic needs as local people use the foliage as feed for camels and cattle. This has been estimated to account for some 18 000 t annually,
Minamata Clear
"g,ven the All
A name synonymous with environmental disaster, Minamata Bay in Japan, has been declared free of mercury 40 years after its waters were the cause of death and birth defects. The Governor of Kumamoto prefecture in south-west Japan has declared the bay to be safe for fishing. Chemical companies had dumped mercury in the bay for decades but it was not until the 1950s that the problem began to emerge. The mercury had been accumulated by shellfish and fish in large doses in their tissues and these doses were then passed on to anyone eating them proving highly poisonous to the victim. Hundreds of people have died over the years following, others have suffered spasms and blurred vision while babies have been born with disfigured limbs. The greatest polluters were the Chisso Corp. who dumped tons of mercury compounds into the sea around Minamata city, 1056 km (660 miles)southwest of Tokyo, from 1932 until the mid-1950s. It took some years to determine the cause of the health hazards, and even when established, it was not until 1968 that the government prevented any further dumping. It took until 1995 before compensation for victims was set aside. 30 billion yen ($225 million) was used in state subsidies and bonds to compensate the victims, Since the intervention of the government in 1 9 7 4 Minamata Bay has been sealed off with nets to prevent organisms contaminated with mercury from leaving and affecting other areas. The removal of the 380 ha of netting should be completed by the end of September. For three years the surveys have shown that the levels of mercury have fallen to less than accepted government standards. It is still unsure whether people will feel secure eating fish from the bay in spite of the reassurances as it has been contaminated for so long that lingering fears are bound to persist. However, fish from the bay will be distributed in fish markets very soon. PHILIPPA AMBROSE 684
H e l p for S h a r k B a y The Australia government is to provide AU$ 490 000 to fund crucial work to conserve threatened native animals in Western Australia's Shark Bay World Heritage site. This is almost treble the funding made available the previous year. The funding will contribute to reintroducing and monitoring populations of four endangered species and to improving visitor information services and facilities at Shark Bay which is located 400 km north of Perth. According to Federal Environment Minister, Robert Hill, one of the main reasons Shark Bay is included in the World Heritage List is that it is home to five of Australia's endangered mammals that live on the Peron Peninsula. It also supports the loggerhead turtle and the
dugong. The Cononwealth is providingfundingto help protect and increase the populations of three of the terrestrial species and funding is being provided to develop management strategies to protect the turtles and dugong in the region. Several studies into the marine environment of Shark Bay, centering on Monkey Mia, are also being funded to assess possible adverse impacts and any necessary actions to ensure these areas are protected.
"11~
_ O i l _*
__
t , rnung perauons Threaten Beaufort S e a W h a l e s The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is proposing to authorize gas and oil exploration operations in federal and state waters in Alaska's Beaufort Sea which will result in the harassment of various seal species and possibly bowhead and beluga whales. Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, ARCO Alaska Inc. applied for authorization to disturb small numbers of the mammals during five and a half months of drilling operations in Camden Bay, Alaska. NOAA have already determined that the proposed activities would cause harassment of seals and whales, but believe this would result, at worst, in temporary behaviour modification, with negligible impact on species stocks. Authorization would require a trained mammal observer to be on board transport vessels to search for and record the behaviour of marine mammals during the equipment set-up phase. In addition, a series of mitigation measures would be imposed, including the shutdown of drilling operations during bowhead whale migration and prohibition of drilling in areas where ringed seal lairs may be present. Public opinion has been sought on this issue by NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service. SHIRLEY HENDERSON