News Article: February/March 2002Local NewsLion Red Furuno Fishing Tournament-02-2002The Lion Red Furuno team is catching some big name sponsors and a record first prize for 2002. More MARINE EDUCATION SOCIETY OF AOTEAROA-02-2002By Sioux Campbell Having grouched previously in this column about the dearth of education information at boat shows, I was hugely cheered by the Bay of Plenty Boatshow held in Tauranga in November. Not only was there an excellent Ministry of Fisheries stand in a prominent place at the main part of the show - it also won an award from the organisers. There was plenty of really relevant information for boaties of all persuasions and the staff were actively engaged for most of the time I was there. So congratulations all round, this is very much the kind of approach MESA encourages. Congratulations too to NZ Underwater for launching your environmental membership option. The more people there are working to sustain our marine biodiversity the better - remember MESA is there to help with a range of existing quality information resources and contacts. By increasing our networking potential and education opportunities the gains can only be greater, both for the environment and users. I see in the last edition of Dive Log that Survey Seahorse is still up and running, a fabulous and appealing project run by dive enthusiasts (and one you can participate in if you're not a diver). Good on you Western Underwater - sadly, I personally have only seen seahorses in aquariums but I keep hoping!! Lastly I had a range of interesting experiences diving on the Great Barrier Reef in November. With dire warnings to stay away from large boats ringing in my ears, I found myself aboard the very same thing so that my Mum could snorkel from a stable platform anchored off the reef while I dived. Much to my surprise, the dive group was small, the level of professionalism in the guides high and the education content admirable. It extended to environmental protection brochures to videos shown throughout the trip to the reef to plenty of underwater slate communication during our dives. The next expedition was on a much smaller boat (standard NZ outing stuff). Although there was plenty of attention to dive safety, the information content was far less and you could almost have been excused for thinking that interest in the teeming marine life did not really exist. My last dive trip off Green Island probably fell somewhere between the others and it was rather a pity that fighting the extraordinary current precluded close examination of the reef! What was truly great though (and again to my surprise) was a glass bottom boat tour across the island's lagoon which featured true interest on behalf of the operator and a very good commentary. During this half hour cruise we saw masses of coral, a plethora of different fish species and most excitingly, a turtle, which even surfaced to check us out. Well worth it! While the behaviour standards and restrictions for using the reef are doubtless well followed by its various commercial users, I strongly feel the education standards leave something to be desired. Information in this sense is something for nothing - and it often sticks. More Florida Shark Feeding Ban is Final…Maybe-02-2002The feeding of sharks and other marine life by divers was banned by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on November 1. More A Relationship Between Bends and Migraines-02-2002As we’ve reported often, divers with patent foramen ovale – literally a hole in the wall separating the upper chambers of the heart – are far more susceptible to the bends than other. More GIANLUCA GENONI – 126 metres: New Record for limited variable ballast freediving – Rapallo, September 22, 2001.-02-2002Gianluca Genoni has set a new world record for limited variable ballast freediving, reaching a depth of 126 metres. More Science cracks mystery behind monster waves-02-2002In Berlin, German scientists have explained the mystery behind so called monster waves – the term oceanographers use for near-vertical breaking seas up to 36m high. Such seas are thought to have sunk more than 200 supertankers and container ships without trace during the past 2 decades. Often dismissed as sailors’ yarns, monster waves have terrified seafarers for centuries and provided raw material for countless novels and films such as The Perfect Storm. Until now, experts have been unable to determine exactly what forms such gigantic “one-off” seas that are capable of breaking a 180m long ship in half and sending it to the bottom within seconds. More Grumpy fish left alone-02-2002Grumpy fish left alone In Brisbane, a giant groper nicknamed Grumpy who attacked a Swedish scuba diver off the Great Barrier Reef is to be left alone. The fish sucked in and spat out the diver’s head on New Year’s Eve, ripping off his dive mask and leaving him with cuts and scratches. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, the Queensland government and dive operators met in Townsville yesterday and decided the 2 metres groper, which has attacked several divers at the historic Yongala wreck dive site, 100km southeast of Townsville, should be left alone. These fish are so big and strong that if it had just shaken, it could have broken his neck and killed him. More Aussies kick whaler out-02-2002A Japanese whaling ship that entered Australian waters in the Antarctic was ordered out by an Australian research vessel. More Aquaculture and value-adding will drive NZ seafood industry-02-2002Aquaculture and value-adding will drive NZ seafood industryThe first major overview of New Zealand’s seafood industry in four years suggests the future is positive and points to further growth in aquaculture and increased value-added processing. The NZ Seafood Industry Economic Review 1997-2001 was released November 21 at Auckland’s Heritage Hotel. More Global Supports Navy Divers in Monitor Salvage Operation-02-2002Global Supports Navy Divers in Monitor Salvage OperationGlobal divers have been awarded a project by the U.S. More Scientists Present Historical View of Overfishing-02-2002Scientists Present Historical View of OverfishingHuman-induced mass extinction of ocean life may have begun to appear thousands of years ago and continued throughout our history, according to the cover story of the July 27 issue of the journal Science. More Success breeds success-02-2002Tairua Dive & Fishinn have developed, with the assistance of Brian Schmidt of Tairua Dive Charters and Dianna and Pete Cussin of Slipper Island, a very successful dive package. More Urenui Dive Club presents its 6th Annual Diving and Fishing competition-02-2002Urenui Dive Club presents its 6th Annual Diving and Fishing competitionwhich is a one base event held out of the Urenui River with boundaries being the Marakopa river mouth in the north to Cape Egmont in the south. More TEAM TYCO FOURTH ON FIRST LEG OF VOLVO OCEAN RACE-02-2002TEAM TYCO FOURTH ON FIRST LEG OF VOLVO OCEAN RACETeam Tyco crossed the finish line of the first leg of the Volvo Ocean Race at Cape Town. More International NewsWildlife Photographer of the Year has narrow escape-02-2002Wildlife Photographer of the Year has narrow escapeTobias Bernhard who won the prestigious Photographer of the Year at last year’s BG Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition (see December/January issue 67) was lucky to survive when he and his boat Nexus were caught up in the seas created by Cyclone Trina, 40 miles west of the Cook Islands. The broken mast of the 14 metre former longline tuna vessel was being dragged under water, potentially threatening to punch a hole through the hull. More Beneath the Sea’s 26th Undersea Exposition and Dive Travel Show-02-2002The largest consumer diving event in North America will have 300 exhibitors from all corners of the world. More |
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