After six years, the UNDP/GEF Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem (YSLME) Phase II Project is wrapping up with a bang. Armed with more lessons, knowledge and successful outputs and outcomes from the implementation of the regional Strategic Action Programme (SAP) under the YSLME Phase II Project, the region is gearing up towards a new chapter of cooperation for One Yellow Sea, One Vision, A Shared Future.

At the occasion of YSLME Project’s 5^th Interim Commission Council (ICC) Meeting held on 19 October 2020, the Governments of PR China and RO Korea agreed to a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to create a partnership-based YSLME Governance Mechanism. The MOU, which is set for final signature before the end of the year, highlights the commitment by YSLME countries for stronger cooperation towards the sustainable management and development of the Yellow Sea ecosystems.

The meeting also celebrated a number of major achievements of the region, including the adoption of the updated Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) and the technical clearance on the YSLME Strategic Action Programme (SAP) 2020-2030. The SAP 2020-2030 is undergoing final review by the Inter-Ministerial Coordinating Committee of the PR China and RO Korea and is expected for adoption by year-end.

The draft Project Terminal Evaluation report presented at the meeting further highlighted a number of lessons learned, achievements and recommendations as good foundation for future YSLME activities and programs. In particular, the report highlighted the following good practices from the project:

• Substantive progress in regional and collaborative management in support of SAP implementation;
• Expanded stakeholder engagement including civil society and private sector, which facilitated buy-in on conservation and sustainable production initiatives;
• Strong transboundary knowledge sharing through collaboration with regional entities (i.e., PEMSEA, NOWPAP, NEAMPEN, etc.);
• Production and dissemination of high quality knowledge products and information materials; and
• Effective technical and political cooperation through the Regional and National Working Groups.

The YSLME Phase II Project is in the process of completing its operational closure, while the project’s financial closure is expected to be fully completed by mid-2021.

A total of 66 participants were present during the milestone virtual meeting. Representatives from the YSLME member countries were present led by the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) of PR China, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) of RO Korea. Representatives from UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub, UNDP Country Office in PR China, and UNOPS were present on behalf of the YSLME II Project’s executing and implementing agencies. Observers coming from the YSLME Regional and National Working Groups (RWGs and NWGs), as well as representatives from other UN agencies, regional organizations, and collaborators from the academe, NGOs and business sector were also present. The YSLME Project Management Office (PMO) served as Secretariat of the Meeting. The summary report of the meeting can be found here.

The post Onward to a New Chapter of Regional Cooperation in YSLME appeared first on YSLME.

Entitled as “Restoring the Ecosystem Carrying Capacity of the Yellow Sea Ecosystem”, the UNDP/GEF YSLME Phase II Project final video was formally launched on October 19, 2020 during the 5^th and final Meeting of the YSLME Interim Commission Council.

With the 20-year implementation of the UNDP/GEF YSLME Projects (Phases 1 and 2), the once extensively exploited large marine ecosystem of Yellow Sea has started to regain its health through innovative and concerted actions of PR China and RO Korea with support from various partners.

The video captures key developments and initiatives in the Yellow Sea region in line with the implementation of the YSLME Strategic Action Programme (SAP). In particular, the video highlighted the following achievements made as a result of collaboration and commitment from the Yellow Sea countries, partners and collaborators from the international, national and local level:

• Strengthened regional and national cooperation and multi-stakeholder partnerships on ecosystem-based management and YSLME ocean governance;
• Imposition of national and local policies in Yellow Sea countries that are geared towards sustainability and green development;
• Recovery of fish population through implementation of fishing vessel buy-back scheme, fishing moratorium, total allowable catch, mesh size control, marine ranching, marine reforestation, application of Integrated Multi-trophic Aquaculture (IMTA), use of biodegradable gears, etc.;
• Wetland conservation and Marine Protected Area networking;
• Biodiversity protection particularly to save the critically endangered Spoon-billed Sandpiper and the endangered Spotted Seals through habitat protection, restoration, monitoring and networking through biophysical connectivity;
• Marine litter (including microplastics) monitoring as well as imposition of programs and technologies on marine litter reduction through implementation of national marine debris monitoring, reduction and recycling programs; and
• More buy-in and deeper commitment from stakeholders as a result of various capacity and awareness building activities and dissemination of knowledge/information products.

As the UNDP/GEF YSLME Phase II Project is concluding its 6-year project term this year, the video hopes to impart the valuable experiences gained under the project to encourage further cooperation and to urge Yellow Sea partners and stakeholders to sustain the momentum in addressing the persistent and emerging challenges in the region toward the vision of securing the Yellow Sea as a common heritage.

***

The post YSLME Phase II Final Project Video Launched appeared first on YSLME.

Since 2002, UNDP/GEF has been facilitating cooperation between PR China and RO Korea to identify environmental priorities and agree upon governance reforms and investments to address various challenges in the Yellow Sea through the TDA and Strategic Action Program (SAP) processes. These actions are consistent with the UNDP 2014-2017 Strategic Plan for the effective maintenance and protection of natural capital, and the 2018-2021 Strategic Plans to address complex and interconnected challenges such as shocks from crises, economic stagnation, inequality and poverty, and climate change through nature-based solutions for a sustainable planet.

In the past decade, the YSLME SAP, finalized in 2009, has been implemented at regional (LME-wide), national, subnational and local or community level with substantial ecological, social and economic benefits. These actions have yielded good practices and on-the-ground results, including: reduction in fishing efforts measured by decrease in the number of fishing vessels and increase in body sizes of capture fisheries landings, successful scaling-up of integrated multitrophic aquaculture (IMTA), and increase in number and expansion of marine protected areas, among others. YSLME SAP has also proven to be a useful platform for enabling a wide range of innovative partnerships across governments, UN agencies, business associations, non-government organizations (NGOs), and academia.

The YSLME TDA 2020 reflects the strong commitments of PR China and RO Korea and other partners in sustaining the science-based LME approach and joint solutions in support of the achievement of SDG 14 targets – Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.

The concrete scientific findings of the TDA provided an integral basis in the updating of the YSLME Strategic Action Programme (SAP) 2020-2030. The draft updated SAP, which will guide the future course of interventions in the YSLME, is scheduled for review at the 5^th Meeting of the Interim Commission Council (ICC-5) of the UNDP/GEF YSLME Phase-II Project on October 19, 2020.

***

The post UNDP/GEF YSLME Phase II Project Launches the Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) for the Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem (YSLME) 2020 appeared first on YSLME.

Background

Marine life, the world’s climate, our economy and social well-being depend on the existence of a healthy ocean. Although some improvements have been observed, recent assessments show that the Ocean continues to be exploited in an unsustainable manner. Climate change and competition for natural resources are adding further pressure on the marine environment. The decline of biodiversity, the Ocean’s degrading health, and the ongoing climate crisis demand special attention and a nexus approach.

On the margins of the 2020 Biodiversity Summit, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean, Peter Thomson, in coordination with the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), is organizing a High-Level Side-Event on “Biodiversity – the Ocean’s Role”. The event is being held for the purpose of discussing the Ocean’s integral role on this planet as the largest reservoir of biodiversity and life.

The webinar will feature a number of High-Level speakers, who will participate by video message or in the event’s livestream.

Register here: http://bit.ly/OceansRoleRegister

Event livestream here*: http://bit.ly/OceansRoleLivestream

*Please note that the livestream will appear on the videos page when the event begins at 8:00 AM EST

DOCUMENTS

Flyer: Biodiversity: The Ocean’s Role

Brochure: Biodiversity: The Ocean’s Role

The post Biodiversity: The Ocean’s Role appeared first on YSLME.

Article reposted from www.IWlearn.net.

UNDP, PEMSEA sign Memorandum of Understanding for knowledge sharing

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that aims to facilitate cooperation and strengthen collaboration between the two parties via the free access and use of mutually agreed knowledge products, experience and good practices in relation to their respective regional ocean governance programs.

UNDP, represented by its China office, is implementing the regional project called Restoring Ecosystem Goods and Services of YSLME (Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem), funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). PEMSEA is currently executing its Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA) 2018-2022 Implementation Plan, with funding from GEF and UNDP through the SDS-SEA Scaling Up project.

The MOU, which will run until 2022, seeks to facilitate mutual access to knowledge products for knowledge transfer and replication of integrated management solutions as identified under the strategic action programme (SAP) for YSLME and the implementation plan of the SDS-SEA for PEMSEA.

FootnotesCover photo: Tidal flat of Yancheng courtesy of Dongming Li

The post Another step forward on knowledge sharing for the seas of East Asia —— GEF-UNDP/UNOPS Yellow Sea LME Phase II Project and PEMSEA appeared first on YSLME.

YSLME Information Series No.1

Plastic and microplastics: understanding and managing marine litter in the yellow sea

(link: http://www.yslmep.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/YSLME-Fact-Sheet-Marine-Litter-FINAL-08102020.pdf   )

The UNDP/GEF Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem (YSLME) Phase II Project launches today the first of its Information Series showcasing recent studies and actions being undertaken to address key challenges in the Yellow Sea region.

This Information Series tackles Plastic and Microplastics, one of the defining challenges that we face globally today. In particular, this Information Series discusses the impacts and recent monitoring data from PR China and RO Korea on plastics and microplastics in the Yellow Sea area. The publication also highlights key actions being implemented in the region in line with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14.1 to significantly reduce marine litter by 2025, and provides key recommendations to guide future interventions towards a healthy, resilient and sustainable Yellow Sea region. 

UNDP/GEF YSLME Phase II Project

Incheon, RO Korea   Tel.: +82 (0) 70 4161 2241    Fax: +82 (0) 70 9157 4898

www.yslmep.org

The post YSLME Information Series No.1 Now Published! appeared first on YSLME.

Since the early 1990s, MPA establishment in the Yellow Sea region has steadily increased. By 2018, 93 MPAs and aquatic germplasm resource conservation zones (AGRCZs) in PR China and RO Korea (22,049 km²) have been designated to protect marine mammals, birds, fishes, mollusks, plants and algae in the Yellow Sea area. This covers 5.5% of the 40,000 km² of the YSLME.

Establishing well-designed and operational MPA networks does not happen instantly. In support of this objective, the UNDP/GEF YSLME Phase II Project developed a training kit entitled “designing a network of MPAs for the YS based on principles of biophysical connectivity”. The project also conducted several follow-up events to roll out the networking process, such as: (1) the MPA connectivity training in RO Korea in July 2018, (2) the YSLME MPA Networking Workshop in China in January 2020, (3) the Webinar Workshop for Management Plan for Spotted Seals in May 2020, and (4) identifying conservation gaps in areas in line with the principle of biophysical connectivity.

The National Marine Environment Monitoring Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of PR China (NMEMC) identified six sites (Rudong Coast, Luannan Coast, Yingkou Coast, Zhuanghe Coast in PR China, Sindo Island in DPR Korea, and Saemangeum Coast in RO Korea) as spatial gaps on the conservation of endangered waterbirds and their habitats, while one site (Bak-ryoung Island) as a spatial gap on conservation of Spotted Seals and their habitats. The study by Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (YSFRI/MARA) proposed to expand the existing 25 AGRCZs based on assessment of conservation gaps of spawning sites, feeding and wintering grounds and migration routes of anchovy, small yellow croaker, mackerel and Spanish mackerel.

 Today, the UNDP/GEF YSLME Phase II Project is proud to launch an information video entitled, “Developing a Network of Marine Protected Areas of the Yellow Sea”.  The video features key developments in the region and perspectives from the stakeholders and site managers in relation to enhancing effectiveness of MPA management through regional networking.

The post Building a Network of MPAs in the Yellow Sea appeared first on YSLME.

Targets and Management actions of the YSLME SAP

Over-exploitation of marine living resources is one of the primary transboundary environmental concerns in the Yellow Sea. Under multiple stresses, fish shifted from demersal and highly valued species in the late 1950s to demersal and low valued species in mid 2010s. In 2009, PR China and RO Korea adopted the Strategic Action Programme (SAP) of the Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem (YSLME), setting the management actions and targets to be achieved by 2020 to restore fisheries resources and rebuild marine living resources. SAP Targets and supporting management actions include:

Progress and Achievements

• Reduction of fishing vessels and social safeguards in support of displaced fishermen

China and RO Korea have both pursued reduction of fishing vessels as one of the means to restoring fish stocks. Based on China Fisheries Statistics Yearbook, the number of motored fishing vessels has been reduced from the baseline of 54,068 in 2015 to 42,182 in 2018, with a total reduction of 11,886 in the provinces of Liaoning, Shandong and Jiangsu in the Yellow Sea area, representing a 22% reduction. While, monitoring by RO Korea have shown a reduction in in the Yellow Sea from 26,439 in 2011 to 21,929 in 2017, representing a 17% reduction. The implementation of vessel buy-back program was backstopped with earmarks of funds for buying back fishing vessels and supporting projects that would employ and provide re-employment training to displaced fishermen. In 2017, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of PR China (MARA) affirmed to provide more frequent training and to subsidize displaced fishermen to participate in social insurance. Under the YSLME Phase II Project, certified capacity building trainings were delivered for the profession of marine ranch manager, marine ranch recreation safety guard, and fishing guide.

• Enforcement of seasonal fishing closures

An effectiveness assessment on fishing closures carried out by the Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute (YSFRI) in PR China showed that the strict fishing closure issued by the Bureau of Fisheries of the MARA in the Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea for four months north of 35^oN and 4.5 months south of 35 ^o N have resulted to increase in catch per unit effort (CPUE) from 40.95kg/h in August 2016 to 48.51kg/h in August 2017, representing an increase of 18.4%. While in RO Korea, a comprehensive no-fishing season for all fishery resources is put into effect from April 1 to October 31 in certain seas, such as Gunsan and Buan in Jeollabuk-do.

• Limiting mesh size

In 2018, MARA of PR China announced the limit of catchable size of 15 commercial fishery species and the limit of their juveniles and young fish proportion in the total catch. In RO Korea, the Enforcement Decree of the Fisheries Act stipulates the size of mesh that is prohibited by fishing type. In particular, the use of properly sized nets for fishing areas takes into consideration the external factors of change by adjusting the size depending on the amount of resources and environmental changes.

 Enhancing fish stock through innovative programs that are ecologically and economically sustainable (i.e., marine ranching; artificial reefs; fish fry release; marine forestation; and license system)

In terms of marine ranching through artificial reef, in China three groups of marine ranches with a total of 64 operations have been piloted by MARA in the Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and South China Sea in 2017. In RO Korea, a total of 36 marine ranches have been established including in the Yellow Sea area. Based on exchange visits conducted in both countries in 2019 (Fuhan, Haiyang, Hailufeng in China, and Jeju and Gunsan in RO Korea) it was confirmed that marine ranching through artificial reef is cost effective, providing 5 to 6 times return of investment.

• Improving fisheries management through Total Allowable Catch (TAC)

Currently, RO Korea applies TAC system to 11 species with 70 TAC observers, while PR China piloted the system in 2017 starting with two species. The application of TAC in RO Korea has shown a decreasing trend in exhaustion rate since 2011, meaning that fishery catches have not been exceeding the allowable catch. In both countries, the Swimming Crab (Portunus trituberculatus) is under TAC, providing an ideal example for learning in application of TAC to improve management effectiveness of fish stocks.

Remaining Challenges

The combination of these various initiatives implemented in PR China and RO Korea have contributed significantly to recovery of fish stocks as well as to fishermen’s income. Remaining challenges include: (1) the observed increase in horsepower of marine capture fishing vessels and the need for continued efforts in reduction in fishing efforts; (2) the decreasing trend of catch per unit effort (CPUE) in the Yellow Sea; (3) derelict discard of fishing gears and nets; and (4) inadequate representation and effectiveness in conservation of the spawning, nursery and wintering grounds. Adaptive management will be applied and responded in the update and implementation of the SAP/YSLME (2020-2030).

The post Enabling the Return of Fish Species in the Yellow Sea appeared first on YSLME.

Under the ‘Five Major Actions’, nine ecological and healthy aquaculture technology models were identified for demonstration and replication nationwide. One of which is the Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) model.

IMTA promotes a system that “mimics nature”. It is based on the ecosystem carrying capacity of an area, where species from different trophic levels are cultivated and produce seafood. The generated nutrients or wastes produced at one trophic level are recycled naturally and becomes a resource for another trophic level. MARA indicated that IMTA or rational stocking of seaweed and aquatic species with different trophic levels and ecological niche in the same aquaculture area will result to: quality control of water, nutrient recycling, ecological disease prevention and quality-and-safety control. This system will therefore help improve the efficiency of aquaculture and reduce the discharge of aquaculture waste.

The IMTA model will be used for freshwater ponds, including selected farming of omnivorous fish, mixture of carnivorous and filter feeders, as well as marine waters, comprising bait feeders, filter feeders, macroalgae and sediment feeders.

To ensure proper coordination and stronger implementation of the ‘Five Major Actions’, MARA’s notification laid out the responsibility centers and safeguards. The Bureau of Fisheries is tasked to lead the organization of various tasks, the National Fisheries Technology Center (NFTEC) will implement the Five Major Actions, and while provincial fishery authorities will formulate and coordinate the actions in their respective jurisdictions.

Each province (district or city) in the coastal area and key inland aquaculture areas are asked to choose more than 3 technical models and establish extension centers. In other regions, each province (district or city) could choose the number of technical models by themselves. So far, provinces (districts or cities) such as Liaoning, Fujian and Ningbo, have explicitly chosen IMTA models in their workplans, which marks further expansion of IMTA in scale.

The release of MARA’s notification, and inclusion of IMTA model therein, signifies an important milestone in China’s objective towards sustainable aquaculture, including in its Yellow Sea areas. The GEF/UNDP YSLME Phase II Project, in particular, demonstrated the application of IMTA in selected areas in Shandong and have shared to key institutions in China the project results showing promising replication. To promote knowledge transfer on IMTA, the YSLME Project has also developed a training module and conducted training courses through its partners like the Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute (YSFRI). A Responsible Mariculture Initiative was also launched through the Yellow Sea Grant Program (YSGP) by China Aquatic Products Processing and Marketing Alliance (CAPPMA). An IMTA training center was constructed and operational in Dongchudao Village of Rongcheng City where IMTA was first demonstrated in China to transfer the knowledge to its peers both in China and internationally in collaboration with YSFRI. The YSLME Project stays fully committed in advancing sustainable mariculture practices in the Yellow Sea region, and in contributing to China’s objective to accelerate Green Development of Aquaculture in the country and elsewhere in the world.

The post Scaling up of IMTA technology models in China appeared first on YSLME.

Oceans and seas contribute approximately $3-6 trillion annually to the global economy in terms of the market value of goods and services including fisheries, energy, shipping, tourism, recreational, and mining sectors, as well as non-market ecosystem services such as climate regulation, nutrient cycling and carbon sequestration.

In the Yellow Sea, for instance, more than 200 million people live in areas around the Yellow Sea and there are several important port cities along its coastline. It is home to 321 fish species from 113 families, an important stop-over site for over 50 million migratory waterbirds, and a critical habitat for several endangered marine mammals. In China, the marine GDP of the coastal regions along the Yellow Sea was at CNY2.54 trillion in 2016. While in RO Korea, the GDP of its coastal regions along the Yellow Sea accounts for 37.6 percent of the country. .

Yet, the integrity of these ocean values and services is at significant risk. Human interference poses the biggest threat to oceans with increasing marine pollution coming from land-based activities, depleting fish stocks, habitat degradation and loss, agricultural wastes and other runoff, and increasing temperatures causing sea level rise, among others.

In support of the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 on Life Below Water, this year’s celebration of World Ocean Day highlights the need for “innovation for a sustainable ocean”.  This calls for transformation and innovation not just at the science or technological aspect, but also at political and socio-economic level, covering: ocean governance, policies, education, as well as financing and business processes.

Anchored on ecosystem-based principles, the UNDP/GEF Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem (YSLME) Phase II Project has been advancing innovations by facilitating research, best practices, integrated policies, new tools/technologies, and collaborative works to address key transboundary issues in the Yellow Sea. Some of these key innovations include:

• Operationalizing the Interim regional governance mechanism to oversee the implementation of the YSLME SAP 2009-2020;
• Implementation of sustainable maricultural practices (Integrated Multi-trophic Aquaculture, recirculating aquaculture systems, and detection and response systems to control diseases), and imposition of reduction of fishing vessels and seasonal fishing in support of fish stock recovery and improved livelihoods for fishermen;
• Addressing point sources and non-point sources of pollution through establishment of monitoring networks, and use of new technologies (vegetated swales or buffer strips, infiltration trenches, ecological ponds, etc.)
• Regular monitoring of marine litter and capacity building in microplastics monitoring , as well as implementation of buy-back programs, and operation of marine litter barges, use of biodegradable eco-friendly buoys, etc.;
• IT-enhanced monitoring of migratory waterbirds (use of mobile APPs, satellite tracking of spotted seals, etc.)
• Restoration of critical habitats that protect key aquatic species, migratory birds, and zone for nutrient recycling;
• Use of portable detection devices, design of land-based and sea- based ballast water exchange facilities, and treatment facilities to track and control invasive alien species in ballast water
• Innovative awareness and knowledge-building programs (MPA networking, Migratory bird information facilities, environmental awareness through arts and sports, etc.)

The different environmental and economic challenges that we currently face, including the continuing threats posed by the COVID-19 global pandemic is a wake-up call, reminding us of the need for change and innovation that is geared towards a healthy and sustainable environment for all.

We, at the YSLME, will continue to work on innovative solutions for the Yellow Sea region, in support of the global pledge that “no one will be left behind”, including our oceans.

Happy World Ocean Day!

The post Propelling Innovative Solutions for a Sustainable Yellow Sea appeared first on YSLME.