Dugongs and Seagrass

2 months ago

Updates to the IUCN Red List have listed regional populations of dugongs in our neighbouring country, New Caledonia, as endangered and in the population in Mozambique as critically endangered. Globally they are still classed as vulnerable to extinction. We don't have enough information on our dugongs in Vanuatu to know if the population is declining or stable. But obviously if they are declining in other countries, they are at risk. Please look after our dugongs - don't leave gill nets unattended in the water, be careful when driving boats where dugongs might be and look after seagrass areas. #dugongs #dugongsinvanuatu www.iucn.org/press-release/202212/human-activity-devastating-marine-species-mammals-corals-iucn-r... ... See MoreSee Less

Human activity devastating marine species from mammals to corals - IUCN Red List

www.iucn.org

Montreal, Canada, 9 December 2022 (IUCN) – Today’s update to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ highlights a barrage of threats affecting marine species, including illegal and unsustainabl...

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Vanuatu Environmental Science Society

4 months ago

Here is a funding opportunity for Ni-Vanautu students wanting to do a masters of PhD in marine science to combat the issue of marine pollution.www.acu.ac.uk/funding-opportunities/for-students/scholarships/ocpp/ ... See MoreSee Less

Scholarships | ACU

www.acu.ac.uk

The Ocean Country Partnership Programme (OCPP) Scholarships, funded through the UK’s Blue Planet Fund, offer a unique opportunity for students from the South Pacific to undertake a fully funded Mast...

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Vanuatu Environmental Science Society

4 months ago

Vanuatu was one of the first countries to ban some single use plastic item. But we are still seeing these banned items on our beaches. How can this be? Most of the plastic cutlery we found in our beach clean for the #InternationalCoastalCleanup (which made up 2% of the rubbish we collected) was forks that come inside packets of instant noodles. Does this not come under the ban? The packaging of these noodles is made of polystyrene so it also illegal under the plastic bans. The bans have been a great success but without monitoring and checks done by Department of Environmental Protection and Conservation DEPC their effect can wane and we will see an increase in these damaging items in our waters. ... See MoreSee Less

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Vanuatu Environmental Science Society

4 months ago

Donald James from Wan Smolbag "fishing" for plastic during the VESS #InternationalCoastalCleanup event last week. His "catch" of plastic food wrappers is on the sand behind him. Much of the food and beverage waste comes form the inter-islands ships, that you can see in the background, that load at the temporary landing area whilst the new domestic wharf is being built. We do hope that when the new wharf is ready, and has proper rubbish disposal facilities, this litter problem on this beach will improve. But that is still some time away so we appeal to people to make sure that their waste is disposed of in the right place. Plastics that are littered in Port Vila can also end up here as they are washed down the drains and are blown across Paray Bay by the prevailing winds. Please don't drop litter because lots of it ends up in our oceans harming our marine life. #SEAthechange There is still time for you to do your own cleanup and submit the data as part of the International Coastal Cleanup. ... See MoreSee Less

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Click here to find our Guidelines for interacting with dugongs

Click here to find our dugong and seagrass awareness materials.