COASTAL ZONE CANADA ASSOCIATION
NEWSLETTER #12, DECEMBER 2004

This newsletter, which is issued quarterly, is presented in both English (first half of newsletter) and French (second half of newsletter). It is distributed by e-mail to members of the Coastal Zone Canada Association, providing news about the Association, its activities and its members, as well as information of potential interest to members. Please feel free to circulate it among your own networks. Also check out the Association’s Web site at: www.czca-azcc.org

CZCA COLLABORATION WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS

The following item is from the report of the Vice-President, Liaison, Larry Hildebrand, to the 2004 AGM of the Association. Each Vice-President provided a short overview covering their field of responsibility during the actual meeting and followed this up with the submission of a written report. Larry’s submitted report provides an excellent summary of the various collaborative relationships entered into and under consideration by the Association.

Our longest-term relationship is with the Canadian Coastal Science and Engineering Association (CC-SEA) wherein our two organizations agreed in 1995 to support each others' biennial, alternate-year conferences, by convening special sessions at each others' events. The CZCA VP-Liaison serves on the CC-SEA's Board of Directors. This agreement remains in place but its full realization has fallen somewhat short of expectations. The CZCA has consistently organized and convened special sessions at all CC-SEA Canadian Coastal Conferences, but due to limited capacity and organizational malaise, the CC-SEA has not reciprocated consistently. The VP-Liaison is working with the CC-SEA to revitalize the organization. Nevertheless, the next CCC conference will be held in Halifax, Nova Scotia in November, 2005 and we have the opportunity to organize a special CZCA session. CZCA board and member assistance in the broader organization of this conference are welcomed.

The CZCA and the Canadian OMRN (Ocean Management Research Network) signed a Letter of Agreement in St. John's during CZC'04. The LOA confirms the two organization's shared interest in coastal and ocean management in Canada, and reciprocal support of the two conference series. The two organizations will also collaborate on networking and other activities that support mutual goals. This relationship holds great potential.

The CZCA has been represented on the Board of Directors of the U.S. Coastal Society (TCS) by the CZCA VP-Liaison for the past three years. This cross-representation has provided the opportunity to learn from a long-standing American conference series and for the CZCA to influence the objectives and conduct of their biennial events. Both Boards have confirmed their interest in convening a joint event in the near future, with CZC'08 on the west coast being the target opportunity. The CZCA President and VP-Pacific are engaged in preliminary discussions with TCS in this regard. The next TCS conference will be held in St. Petersburg, Florida in May, 2006.

The CZCA VP-Liaison recently served on the organizing committee for the Coastal Zone-Asia Pacific Conference which was held in Brisbane, Australia in September, 2004. The opportunity to represent the CZCA as an invited keynote speaker at this conference fell through at the last minute, due to funding shortfalls. Nevertheless, we will maintain liaison and continue to explore opportunities for collaboration. The next (third) CZAP conference will be held in 2006, tentatively in Thailand.

As a result of preliminary discussions in St. John's during CZC'04, two additional partnership opportunities are being pursued. The first relates to the establishment of a CZ-Mexico conference series. Our Mexican colleagues wish to emulate our Canadian CZC conference approach and initial discussions with the University of Guadalajara and several NGOs have indicated a strong probability of a first conference proceeding in 2006, potentially in Puerto Vallarta. Follow-up discussions will take place in Mexico during the week of November 8.

The second development derives from the attendance in St. John's of the President of the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Science (CRAES), Mr. Wei Meng, who was very impressed with our event and wishes to explore a working relationship with CZCA, perhaps through an LOA, and our assistance in organizing a CZ-China conference series along our model. The VP-Liaison will be a guest of the CRAES in the coming months in Beijing to further explore this partnership.

COASTAL ZONE CANADA (CZC) 2004 CONFERENCE

CZC 2004, was held in St. John’s, Newfoundland on June 27-30; it was preceded by the Youth Forum on June 25-27. By all accounts the conference was a success, and the Organizing Committee is grateful to all those who contributed to that success – sponsors, volunteers, members of the Conference Organizing Committee, session conveners and organizers, session chairs, staff of the Delta hotel (where the conference was held), and all of the participants in the conference. At the end of the day, there were about 304 ‘regular’ participants (paid or for whom registration was waived for various reasons), with an additional 19 who registered only for the Youth Forum (total registration at the Youth Forum was about 65).

The Organizing Committee is now working on the conference outcomes – a CD-ROM that will be provided to all participants (and also to the conference sponsors) and that will contain a variety of outcomes of CZC04. All of the items, with the exception of the abstracts, will be in both French and English. It is anticipated that this will be distributed early in 2005. The working list of contents is as follows:

• Final program.
• Full set of abstracts and descriptions of special sessions.
• Summaries/copies of keynote presentations as available.
• Conference Resolution.
• Oceans Action Plan outline from DFO.
• Reports from the convenors summarizing their sessions.
• Copy of the MOU between CZCA and OMRN.
• Summary and statement from the Youth Forum.
• List of all participants and their contact information.
• Blurb from CZC2006.
• Small photo array.

Things are in good shape financially. The committee anticipates being able to cover all of the expenses related to the conference outcomes, and have a small surplus available in support of CZM activities in Newfoundland and Labrador. It has also agreed to support the Youth Forum Web site and help that group maintain momentum between now and CZC2006, where it is hoped to see a strong youth component.

COASTAL ZONE CANADA (CZC) 2OO6 CONFERENCE

It was confirmed at the 2004 AGM of the Association that CZC 2006 will be held in Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories. This CZC Conference, the first to take place in the Arctic, will be held in July 2006. It will provide participants with a unique opportunity to visit Canada’s North and discuss ocean and coastal management in the circumpolar Arctic. Approximately 200 multi-stakeholder participants from circumpolar nations will meet to address arctic themes including: co-management, industrial development, energy, climate change, sovereignty, science, indigenous knowledge, transportation, subsistence, tourism, fisheries, and conservation. Contact person: Steve Newton, DFO Winnipeg, Tel. 204-984-5561, Newton@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING

The new Board of Directors, appointed at the 2004 Annual General Meeting (held during CZC’04 in St. John’s), had its first meeting on November 5. Seventeen Directors participated in this teleconference meeting. Among items considered were the following:

• Conference Statement arising from CZC’04 – The President reported that the conference statement has been finalized and endorsed by the Board. It has been shared with the Minister and senior officials of DFO, and is to be sent to other members of the Cabinet as well as Provincial Premiers. It will be posted on the Association’s Web site.
• Financial – Following the resignation of Francois Bailet, who has moved to New York to take-up an appointment at the UN, Brad Fay has returned as Treasurer. The audited 2003-04 report has been revised to include bank interest (not previously available), giving a revised balance of $3,813.65. The 2004-05 Interim Financial Statement shows a balance of $15,429.42 as of Oct. 31.
• Québec representation in the Association – The need for improved representation from this province had been referred to the new Board by the 2004 AGM. It was agreed to investigate the appointment of an additional regional Vice-President with specific responsibilities for Québec.
• CZC’06 (Arctic) – It was noted that correspondence has been received from DFO confirming the Department’s support for CZC’06 in Tuktoyaktuk, as well as from Aboriginal people of the region welcoming the event.

2004 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Watch out for the minutes of the 2004 AGM, which will be sent to members in the near future via e-mail. This meeting was held in St. John’s on Jun. 28^th during CZC’04.

SHORT NEWS ITEMS

Listed below are selected items on topics of potential interest to CZCA members.

• Introduction of new federal legislation. On November 2, 2004, Bill C-15 was presented for Second Reading in the House of Commons. The legislation, An Act to amend the Migratory Birds Convention Act (1994) and the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (1999), is designed to make the enforcement of marine pollution cases more effective. The amendments will deal with flaws exposed by recent court cases and will send a message that the discharge of oily waste in Canadian waters is unacceptable. Bill C-15 calls for increased fines of up to $1million and additional powers for enforcement officials to redirect and detain ships suspected of having polluted Canada’s ocean waters. Amending these pieces of legislation will complement the Canada Shipping Act (2001) and tighten-up existing loopholes, thus enabling the judicial system to prosecute offenders and to levy fines that appropriately reflect the damages caused to the environment. The modifications will result in better cooperation among Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Transport Canada, the departments responsible for ensuring that our ocean waters are protected.
• Georgia Basin Action Plan. GBAP released its Highlight Report in June 2004, outlining some of the key projects that are being undertaken by Environment Canada and its partners from 2003-2008. Among the projects of interest are: Fraser Estuary Monitoring; Strait of Georgia National Marine Conservation Area Feasibility Study; and Coastal Water-bird Inventory. The report can be viewed and downloaded from the GBAP Web site at: www.pyr.ec.gc.ca/GeorgiaBasin/reports_e.htm
• Species at Risk Act. Environment Canada has recently made recommendations for adding approximately seventy new species to the list of species protected under the “Species at Risk Act” (SARA). Among these new species are several fish (both marine and freshwater), marine mammals, molluscs and reptiles. A final decision on adding this set of species to SARA will be made by Cabinet in January 2005. In announcing this move, Minister Dion stated that “With these recommended additions, by early 2005, some 309 species will be protected under SARA and the subject of recovery plans.” For more information go to: www.ec.gc.ca/press/2004/041022_n_e.htm

PUBLICATIONS & NEWSLETTERS

Listed below is information on publications and newsletters of potential interest to CZCA members.

• Among recent books published by the Island Press (Washington D.C. & Covelo, California) is “Nature out of Place – Biological Invasions of the Global Age”. Published in 2004, and covering marine and freshwater invasive species as well as terrestrial species, the price of the paperback version (377 pp) is US$16. Also recently published by Island Press (in 2002) is the second edition of “An Introduction to Coastal Zone Management”, originally published in 1994. Authors are Timothy Beatley, David J. Brower and Anna K. Schwab. The price is US$35 for the paperback version. For more information, visit: www.islandpress.com
• A special issue of the journal “The Great Lakes Geographer” on Great Lakes shoreline management and planning is in preparation. Six authors are already confirmed with papers covering a range of topics including water quality, natural hazards, climate change, land-use planning, and lake-wide management. The online version of this issue will be published in the summer of 2005. For further information go to: www.geography.ssc.uwo.ca/great_lakes_geographer/
• “Coastal Tourism, Environment, and Sustainable Local Development” is the title of a recent book resulting from a multi-national research project in the Goa and Godavari regions of India, which involved detailed socioeconomic and ecosystem health investigations. The project was funded by the International Cooperation with Developing Countries Programme of the European Commission. For further information, and to order the book, contact the Energy and Resources Institute (India) at: www.teriin.org/
• (d) “Coastal Shore Stewardship: A Guide for Planners, Builders and Developers” was recently published by the British Columbia Stewardship Centre. For further information and to download the document go to: www.stewardshipcentre.bc.ca/
• (e) “Tides of Change Across the Gulf of Maine – An Environmental Report on the Gulf of Maine and Bay of Fundy” is the title of the report prepared for the Gulf of Maine Summit held on 26-29 October, 2004 in St. Andrews, NB. It provides in-depth chapters on several key issues facing the Gulf of Maine, including: land use; contaminants and pathogens; and fisheries and aquaculture. It also summarizes the results from watershed forums held over the past two years and addresses the need for a 2020 vision for the Gulf. The report is available at: www.gulfofmainesummit.org/docs/

UPCOMING CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS

This item comprises selected events of potential interest to members, with the focus being on meetings, etc. that may not be well publicized and/or about which members may not be alerted through the usual sources. Canadian events are listed first. The list is based on recommendations provided by members. Your input for future issues is invited.

Feb. 23-24, 2005; 3rd Annual Pacific Canada and North Coast Offshore Oil & Gas Development Conference; Four Seasons Hotel, Vancouver, BC.
Information: www.insightinfo.com

Mar. 29-31, 2005; 2005 Puget Sound / Geogia Basin Research Conference (“Science for the Salish Sea: A Sense of Place, a Sense of Change”); Seattle Conference Center, Seattle, WA; Organized by Georgia Basin Action Plan partners and the Puget Sound Action Team.
Information: phone David Fraser, Environment Canada, (604) 713-9529

May 17-19, 2005; 8th International Conference on Remote Sensing for Marine and Coastal Environments; Casino Nova Scotia Hotel, Halifax, NS; Organized by the Altarum Institute and the Alliance for Marine Remote Sensing.
Information: www.waterobserver.org/event-2005-05/

May 23-27, 2005; 48th Annual Conference on Great Lakes Research; University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Sponsored by the International Association of Great Lakes Research (IAGLR); Includes session on Great Lakes coastal management.
Information: www.iaglr.org/conference/2005/

Mar. 7-10, 2005; Open Science Meeting on HABs (Harmful Algal Blooms) and Eutrophication; Radisson Hotel at Cross Keys, Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Sponsored by SCOR and IOC.
Information: www.jhu.edu/scor/GEOHAB-OSM3.htm

Jun. 27-29, 2005; “Coasts and Coastal People – Scenarios of Change and Responses” (LOICZ II Inaugural Open Science Meeting); Organized by the Land-Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone core project of the IGBP and IHDP; Egmond aan Zee, Netherlands.
Information: www.loicz.org/conference/

Jul. 17-21, 2005; Coastal Zone ‘05; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Sponsored by NOAA Coastal Ocean Services Center.
Information: www.csc.noaa.gov/cz/

IMPORTANT NOTICE ABOUT YOUR MEMBERSHIP IN THE ASSOCIATION

If you did not attend CZC’04 in St. John’s, please note that your membership in the Association may have lapsed. Be sure to renew your membership today with the CZCA Secretariat (see coordinates below).The fee is $20.00 for two years.

The contribution of Marie Lagier of the World Water Council, Marseille, France, in translating the English version of this newsletter into French, is gratefully acknowledged. Thanks are also expressed to Maxine Westhead, DFO, Dartmouth, NS for reviewing the final draft version of the newsletter.

Questions and comments pertaining to this newsletter should be addressed to the editor, Brian Nicholls at: nicholls@telusplanet.net.

Questions and comments pertaining to the Coastal Zone Canada Association should be addressed to the CZCA Secretariat at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography, P.O. Box 1006, Dartmouth, NS, B2Y 4A2 or email coastalz@mar.dfo-mpo.gc.ca.