AfricanDiver_Issue9

AfricanDiver Feb/Mar 2010 Issue 9

The wreck of the Maori Georgina Jones

Shark liver oil - an adjuvant in influenza vaccines Dr Lynne Hepplestone

Charm in Sharm

Christopher Bartlett

Tofo, the place of tranquility AfricanDiver.com

Feb/Mar 10

Paul Hunter 1

Editorial

by Cormac McCreesh

In the year 1969, Richard Buckminster Fuller wrote: “we are not going to be able to operate our Spaceship Earth successfully, not for much longer, unless we see it as a whole spaceship and our fate is common. It has to be everybody or nobody”. Prophetic words indeed, and that they were penned some many years ago makes the words all the more chilling today. With each issue of African Diver we learn more of the lack of management of Spaceship Earth’s oceans and specifically those of the African continent. When Paul and I started African Diver we wanted to celebrate everything Africa’s diving had to offer. Little did we know that so much of Africa’s diving is at risk. And so, with this issue we find out about the Japanese cultural attraction to eating fish and what it means for our resources. We discover that pharmaceutical companies make use of shark liver oil in vaccines when they could easily use olives to do this instead. Our knowledge increases with each issue and so does our resolve to be part of the solution. For now, this means getting the word out using African Diver as the mouthpiece but more needs to be done. And as Mr Fuller wrote – it has to be everybody or nobody … we all need to do our bit.

But African Diver is not only about conservation and bringing the less-savoury aspects of the perilous state of our oceans to you; we do find time and space to celebrate diving in Africa. We are pleased to bring you Paul’s article on Tofo in Mozambique where he spent his Christmas holidays. Equally interesting is Logan’s narrative of his sojourn in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and we round off the traveldiving by sharing Christopher’s experiences in Sharm, Red Sea. And there is something positive and hopeful to share with you as Clare explains to us the Marine Protection that’s being implemented in Southern Mozambique. All-in-all this issue is a mixed bag but one that hopefully you will enjoy reading.

Finally, Paul and I would like to wish our readers a very happy new decade and trust that the next ten years will be fulfilling and exciting.

May our marine resources find protection, respect and sustainability and may your bubbles always be free.

Cormac & Paul

AfricanDiver.com

Feb/Mar 10

Contents Page 3 Tofo, the place of tranquility

Page 50 DCI in remote locations

by Paul Hunter

by DAN-SA

Page 11 The wreck of the Maori

Page 52 Featured Photographer

by Georgina Jones

Anthony Grote

Page 15 Charm in Sharm

by Christopher Bartlett

Page 21 Shark liver oil

by Dr Lynne Hepplestone

Page 25 Turtle research in Tofo

by Paul Hunter

Page 29 Diving in Dar es Salaam

by Logan Weavind

Page 36 Moving Sushi in Japan

by Moving Sushi Team

Page 44 The making of an MPA

by Clare Keating

Cover by Paul Hunter

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Tofo, the place of tranquility

by Paul Hunter AfricanDiver.com

Feb/Mar 10

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Tofo, the place of tranquility

Five hundred kilometers north of the Mozambique capital, Maputo and just over 20 kilometers from Inhambane lies the quaint beach village of Tofo. It consists of about 40 houses and a small market which is surrounded by coconut plantations and the most amazing turquoise ocean.

It has a stunning beach stretching for 8 kilometers which is great for swimming and long soul-soothing walks. Most of the bars and restaurants are along this stretch of beach making everything very accessible. There is also Tofinho beach (or little Tofo) just around the point which is more secluded and great for surfing and fly fishing. Tofo beach is wonderful with white sands and clean blue water that is warm making it fantastic for swimming and attracting an abundance of marine life. Breathtaking sunrises over the Indian Ocean are something well worth getting up early for as it is a sight to be admired. At night all the restaurants and bars turn on their lights which bring this little town to life. Nothing is too far; so it’s an easy walk on the beach to most places. It is perfectly safe to walk on the beach day or night. Be cautious of the jellyfish when they are around as they can administer a nasty sting. They do however provide great photographic opportunities.

Tofo has some of the best diving in the world and is truly spectacular. It offers divers everything from graceful Mantas to an abundance of macro reef life and other pelagic sea life. The biodiversity of the area is amazing! It’s one of the only places in the world where you can see the world’s largest sting ray- the Small Eyed Sting Ray. It’s also home to about 20% of the world’s whale shark population. The combination of all the above, makes for great diving.

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The two main diving operators in Tofo are Diversity Scuba and Tofo Scuba. I decided to dive with the latter. I found Tofo Scuba to be a well-run operation with friendly and polite staff that try and cater to everybody’s needs. The facilities were clean and practical with ample space to kit up. The wash up area has four different washbasins for different equipment; always good for photographers. The venue also has a restaurant on the beach that is perfect for that breakfast or lunch after your dive. The thing that impressed me the most was the level of detail given to each dive briefing. This really helps so that there is no confusion before or during the dive; everybody is on the same page. The reefs are in good condition; however it has been growing in popularity for many years, resulting in more and more divers visiting these reefs. The dive centre is strict on their no-touching policy, also the code of conduct for swimming with a variety of animals.

With a cylinder full of Nitrox and my housed camera I was ready for my first dive to the famous Manta reef. The boat ride took us about 45 minutes as the ocean was very choppy. I was hoping luck would be on our side as no manta had been spotted in the area for the last month.

But it wasn’t to be and we unfortunately didn’t see the elusive manta. The visibility wasn’t great either, but we did get to see plenty of snappers, large moray eels, crescent tailed big eyes and hundreds of blue red-fang trigger fish. The topography of the reef was awesome with numerous pinnacles, canyons and gullies. It was only after the dive that I realized that this reef has so much more to offer than just Mantas. This is a reef that one could dive many times and never get bored. This is definitely an advanced dive as the depth varies between 21m and 26m and should be treated as such.

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Feb/Mar 10

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Tofo, the place of tranquility

The following day the conditions had improved and it was decided to try another reef called Hogwarts. This was another fantastic reef with unbelievable topography and fish life. Every gully and pothole seemed to be filled to the brim with glassfish and Lionfish. Large schools of snapper and triggerfish hovered just off the reef. Two giant frogfish, each the size of a small dog, were spotted towards the end of the dive. What amazed me was that even though large in size they were so well camouflaged that we would have not seen them had it had not been for the dive guide. On our ascent to the safety stop a squadron of sixteen Devil rays flying in formation past us twice.

This was also to be a memorable dive.

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Feb/Mar 10

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Tofo, the place of tranquility

I woke on the Thursday morning to perfect conditions and the most amazing sunrise. I had this feeling we would see Manta today and we did. We returned to Manta Reef only for me to miss the initial sighting of the Manta. I was devastated! To make up for this we got to see a Dragon eel, which was a first for me. It had the most astonishing colours I had ever seen on an eel.

Towards the end of the dive a few of us got to spend 15 minutes with a Manta. We were instructed to hang in mid water below the cleaning station so as not to frighten it while it circled above us over and over. It was truly an aweinspiring experience to spend time with such a majestically creature. Unfortunately we had run out of time and had to return to the surface only to be accompanied by another two Giant Mantas. It was disappointing to leave them, as they seemed to be doing what I call the “Manta dance� where they do loops with each other. We returned to Manta reef two days later to once again have another Manta sighting. I was the only one to see the Manta as it appeared out of the blue. It was gliding effortlessly in the current and I was struck again by the incredible grace and beauty. I managed to maneuver myself into position to take my best Manta image to date. It gave me one fly by and disappeared into the distance just as it has appeared, not to be seen again.

Manta Reef had lived up to its name and definitely rates as on the best reefs I have dived on.

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Returning to shore after the dive there was a lot of hype about a whale shark that had been spotted by another dive boat. We quickly signed for the ocean safari in the hope of getting a chance of swimming with it. We spent 90 minutes fruitlessly searching for the proverbial needle in the haystack. On the way home our guide miraculously spotted the whale shark, to our delight. We all quietly entered the water and managed to get a quick glimpse as it swam by, it was an enthralling experience for all, especially for the first timers.

Overall the diving in Tofo is fantastic. The conditions were great and the sightings plentiful; from schooling jacks, devil rays, turtle and leopard shark, a lot of moral eel and this is just to name a few. The combination make for a wonderful diving holiday and well worth the trip.

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Feb/Mar 10

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Tofo, the place of tranquility

Accommodation Tofo has a wide range of accommodation - from rustic beach chalets to luxury three bedroom houses all along the bay. We had selected Casa Barry lodge to be our home for the duration of our stay. The lodge is situated on the southern end of the bay. Our accommodation was in the form of a casita (reed hut) which consists of a single room and a basic bathroom with shower, toilet and basin. It was rustic, but clean and spacious. The only complaint that we had was that they were built close to each other. The staff were very friendly and helpful.

Fulltime security guards patrol the lodge and the beach giving you peace of mind knowing that you can swim without worrying about your belongings on the beach or your valuables in your casita. The lodge offers a full restaurant and bar facility that overlooks the whole bay which is great for sun-downers. They offer simple meals from hamburgers and pasta to more extravagant seafood platters. All the seafood is purchased fresh from the local fisherman.

The lodge is also a sponsor of the Manta Ray and Whale Shark Trust as well as home to the Manta Ray and Whale Shark Research Centre.

Tofo is one of the best places to dive with Giant Manta rays and swim with Whale Sharks all year round. Both Dr Simon Pierce (whale shark biologist) and Dr Andrea Marshall (specialist in manta rays) are resident at Casa Barry and give regular presentations at the lodge. These we found to be very informative, interesting and is well worth attending. Dr Andrea Marshall has recently had her documentary aired as part of the BBC Natural World series.

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Feb/Mar 10

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Tofo, the place of tranquility Activities There is plenty to do in and around Tofo besides diving.

We managed to squeeze in a sunset horseback ride along the beach, through the coconut plantations and small villages. The guide was very knowledgable; providing insight on the area. While on the relaxed horse ride we passed Mango Beach where we later returned for cocktails; this is the perfect end to any day. They have a lovely bar that looks out over the ocean and the sun setting over the Mozambique mainland. A trip to Inhambane is also a great way to experience a little bit of Mozambique’s history. It is one of the oldest cities in Mozambique and still has colonial styled buildings, cathedral, museum, and beautiful old mosque. Also pay a visit to the central market which sells fresh fruit, vegetables and fish. If you have the energy and time you can learn to surf and kite board as lessons are available.

There are plenty of bars and restaurants in the area. Too many to mention all but here are the few we visited: • Dinos Bar is located right on the beach near Tofo Scuba. It has a good food, good music and a vibrant party atmosphere at night. The menu is varied and includes lots of different dishes from pizzas and schwarmas to grilled fish and prawns or a beef kebab. They also have great cocktails.

• Casa de Comer is just off the beach near the market, the atmosphere is French bistro/Mozambican café.

We found it to be cheaply priced, great menu in a lovely setting. Sitting almost on the street, yet with the ambiance of the restaurant you get to watch the locals passing & dine on superb cuisine.

• Bar Babalaza is asmall bar and restaurant located 5km out of Tofo at the junction of the roads to Inhambane and Barra Beach. Bar Babalaza offer good food including their famous crab curries and delicious prawns. Although not on the beach, it’s a great place to sit and chat in the shady front garden while you wait for their fresh bread to bake.

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Feb/Mar 10

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The wreck of the Maori Text by Georgina Jones

Spectators wait as a crew member is brought ashore by rocket line AfricanDiver.com

Feb/Mar 10

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The wreck of the Maori

The SS Maori left Table Bay harbour on a stormy August night, steaming for New Zealand in thick fog and drizzle. It was never to reach its destination. Some hours out of harbour, the lookout, straining to see in the murk, shrieked a warning and the captain put the ship about, but it was too late. The Maori struck on the rocks of Duiker Point and broke in two. Before the night had ended, 26 men had disappeared forever into the raging ocean and the survival of the remaining 27 was in grave doubt.

It was an ill-fated journey, although at the start it seemed routine. The Maori was a Shaw Savill steamship en route from London to New Zealand. It was carrying a varied cargo which included explosives, crockery, water piping, railway lines, rolls of linoleum, champagne and red wine. Heading south to avoid Cape Point, the crew misjudged the strength of the winter seas. The massive Atlantic storm waves pushed the ship from the north west inexorably towards the land.

The inhospitable coast between Llandudno and Hout Bay has steep cliffs and and a shoreline strewn with enormous granite boulders. The Maori struck facing out of the bay which was to take its name, in its failed attempt to escape the rocks. The ship’s back was broken and launching of the lifeboats was complicated by the bows’ being underwater. Although three boats were launched, in the darkness and confusion twelve men were left on the ship.

It must have seemed a dreadful fate to them at the time, but as it turned out, they were among the luckier members of that unlucky crew.

In this image, the bow of the Maori is deep underwater, with several men still stranded on the stern

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Sunlight illuminates the ghostly interior of the wreck(Jean Tresfon)

The wreck of the Maori Of the three boats which set off into the storm, only one was ever seen again.

This boat made for Chapman’s Bay, crewed by 15 men. It must have been a horrendous journey, in an open boat, in the dark and fog, no light from the waning moon, through enormous seas. Then, when they reached what should have been the shelter of Champan’s Bay, the huge seas smashed the boat to pieces. Six men managed to swim through the surf to shore, leaving nine struggling in the water. One of the six managed to rescue another three men. These bedraggled and exhausted nine then made their way to a nearby farmhouse where, at last, they could rest.

It was by then the morning of the 6th of August 1909, and the drama of the men remaining on the wrecked Maori had many hours to run. Back at Duiker Point, fishermen saw twelve men on the crippled ship being battered by the sea The ship was in two pieces, with eleven men on the stern and one man, separated from the others by raging waves, on the foremast. The fishermen managed to get one man off by boat, and then tried to get a line to the wreck from shore so that they could get the remaining men off. It was hard to keep the line taut, and though in three hours they had managed to rescue three of the crew, one man spent so much time underwater while being rescued he was brought ashore in what the newspapers of the time called ‘a distressed condition’, and another, unluckier crew member got his foot caught in a knot in the rope and was washed against the rocks and killed.

Small bottles, miraculously undamaged(Jean Tresfon)

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Feb/Mar 10

A capsule of life in 1909, assembled pieces from the wreck(Grant Whitford)

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the meantime, various fishermen had reported the wreck to the authorities in Cape Town, but confusion seems to have reigned here as well. The tug Manila was twice launched, but on its first attempt, the seas were so rough that it couldn’t approach closer than a mile and a half and on the second, by the time it reached the Maori, it was too dark and it again turned back. Other reports of the men on deck were thought to be of salvors and not of the distressed crew and it was only late in the afternoon of the 7th of August that a rocket line apparatus was set up. Brandy and food were first to be sent over, and then the remaining crew were rapidly brought back to land. The fate of the lone man on the foremast was horrible. He had been clinging to the mast since the night of the 5th and could not be rescued by rocket line, since he could not have secured it alone. He held on, thirsty, hungry, terrified, until finally, he let go and disappeared into the maelstrom of storm waves in front of the appalled rescuers.

The wreck of the Maori

In

The other two boats which launched from the Maori were never seen again. The final toll was 32 dead of the 53 crew, a grim testament to the power of the Cape of Storms.

Today, the Maori lies towards the north of what is now known as Maori Bay. Much of the ship’s non ferrous fittings and cargo have been removed. In some cases this was done by permit, and in other cases the wreck has fallen victim to souvenir hunters. The ship’s bell is in the Hout Bay museum, and many households in the Cape have displays of salvaged cargo, many of which were legalised under a recent amnesty. Legislation now protects the wreck and its remaining cargo.

The maximum depth of the wreckage is at 21m. There are large remnants of the ship inshore, which are probably boilers and parts of the engine structure, while further out to sea are many large pipes still stacked in place.

To the sides of the main wreckage are long rails and other wreckage. A piece of bilge keel is visible on the north side of the hull. Bits of porcelain and bottles can still be seen.

This is a wreck which is usually only dived in summer. Then, as sunlight slants through the encrusting kelp, the ferocious storm waves which cost so many of the crew of the Maori their lives are hard to imagine.

Plans for the layout of the SS Maori(provided by Jean Tresfon)

Tonnage Length over all Beam Depth Indicated power Engines Screws Speed Crew Built

5317 122.5 14.6 8.8 461 1 1 12 53 1882

tons m m m hp Vertical triple expansion knots

For more detailed information about diving this wreck see: http://wikitravel. org/en/Diving_the_Cape_Peninsula_and_False_Bay/SS_Maori

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Feb/Mar 10

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Charm near Sharm Text and images by Christopher Bartlett

Turned off by the bright lights, pseudo-palacio’s, and rows of Bedouin bars of Sharm, yet want to explore the wonders of Ras Mohamed and the Tiran reefs? 15 minutes from the airport to the south and north of the glitzy naffness and fast food chains of Naama Bay, Sharks’ Bay boasts its own jetty-on-site, an excellent PADI resort dive centre, and no Russians.

The warm night time breeze was a welcome change from the wettest British August on record. Transport was awaiting us and, as a virgin visitor to Egypt, I was surprised by the small group. I had had visions of being squeezed into a large coach like the proverbial sardine, but there was room to spare in the air-conditioned minibus, and getting acquainted with my companions was easy. Of the six others, four were a non-diving female group out for some R&R with only Jean-Marie and Brendan, from the People’s Republic of Cork, indulging in my wet-neoprene fetish with me.

After an efficient and organised arrival, the slightly bemused porter led me to my room (as I insisted on lugging my bags up the coral ragstone steps), switched the air-con on as the bed passed my backward roll entry mattress test, and bade me good night with a worried smile.

Up with sunrise to fiddle with camera gear, I stepped onto the balcony overlooking the bay and the jetty. One of the attractions of Shark’s Bay is that the boat is only a couple of hundred metres walk from the dive centre, and requires no minibus or taxi-ride before embarking.

After a healthy and fruity breakfast (I had no difficulty resisting the chips and beef frankfurter), I met my shipmates for the day. We were a small but eclectic, bling-free bunch from around Western Europe, and our dive guides, Mohammed and Mohammed, split us into two groups of six, pairing me with Marcella from Milano. After passing through the disconnected metal detector and a comically inept bag search conducted by a bored conscript, we boarded the Emperor III. Having done almost all of my diving from RIBs and dhows the space onboard this ex-diving safari boat was wonderful, with a dry area inside for cameras, hot and cold drinks, and all the luxuries that Red Sea divers take for granted AfricanDiver.com

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Charm near Sharm We were heading for the Tiran reefs, and stopped along the way at Ras Bob, one of the local sites, for a checkout dive. Going down the slope of the reef there were plenty of the usual reef inhabitants, but beyond 15 metres the site seemed relatively barren bar a large patch of garden eels, possibly due to the proximity of building sites and their accompanying dust. It was still a world away from Stoney Cove, and was an excellent introduction to sea diving for the young Brummie Mum, Dad, daughter and son combo in Big Mohammed’s group, but was hardly the bounty promised by books and brochures.

The four reefs close to Tiran islands, partially obstructing the straights of the same name and the entrance to the Gulf of Aqaba, are a pleasure to behold. There is something captivating about the view of the virtually intact Lullia perched on top of Gordon reef, and the rusting ship is in stark contrast to the myriad of life below it. The 30-metre plus viz and the brightly patterned roving coral groupers assuaged any doubts that Ras Bob had created.

In the course of six days’ diving, four were spent on Woodhouse, Jackson, Gordon, and Thomas reefs, with Jackson’s southern side getting three visits in total. Besides its well-known attraction of the red anemone at 28 metres, there was an abundance of life; from the majestic and meanlooking giant trevallies, delicate gorgonian fans, and brick house brindle bass, to tiny ghost pipefish and nudibranchs.

On the first day, during a long a gentle drift along Woodhouse, the longest of the four reefs, two-bar clownfish nestled in bubble-tipped anemones, a school of blue-spotted trevally cruised past, and a white-spotted puffer chugged along. Some big boys were around too: two coral groupers grinned their menacing grins before a Napoleon wrasse seemingly ambled by, until Marcella tried to catch up with it.

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Whilst we were down, the deck and galley team of, you guessed it, Mohammed and Mohammed, rustled up some fine home cooking with platters of vegetables, pasta salad, chicken, and tahini that were wolfed down with much appreciation.

Charm near Sharm

A third dive was offered and accepted after leisurely lazing on the top deck for an hour or more, and this was to be the format for the rest of the week: cruise out, two dives, a varied buffet of tasty treats, digestion, off-gassing and tonguewagging, another decent dip, and a cruise home. Boats were always back at five in the afternoon to avoid the wrath of the local Marine Police chief.

Gordon reef and it’s interesting currents made for good out and back drift dives in the right conditions. Dropping down to 28 metres the current took us northeast along the lip of the drop off, past a hungry hawksbill turtle and a group inexplicably going into the reasonably strong current. Coming up towards the corner of the reef, Mohammed minor judged the ascent right and at 12 metres we started drifting southwest back towards our entry point. My only fin work was to stay stationery to take a few snaps of the abundant marine life.

The guides throughout the week were excellent, with a full briefing given every time. Whilst it may seem unnecessary to some, Marcella, an advanced diver with 120 logged dives, provided ample proof that you can never repeat some things enough. After the sixth dive together we were running through some fish ID with Mohammed. “Hey, Mo, one ting eh, thissa sign” she said, holding out her right palm parallel to the floor with fingers extended and touching the palm with three fingers from her left hand underneath, “whatta fish is dis?”.

The upper section of the south side of Thomas reef was awash with colourful soft corals, some of the best in the Sinai region, with Dendronephthya, or soft branching corals, all over the shallower sections. The smallest of the Tiran reefs, Thomas’s currents can be very strong and variable. On a good day, it is possible to circumnavigate the reef, but there are also days with strong counter currents.

Many of it’s charms are at around twenty metres depth, though it’s canyon and arches also makes it a popular spot for tekkies.

“This afternoon we dive Jackson’s backside” said Big Mo, referring to the north side of the reef by the wreck of the Lara, “It is good for hammerheads”. Diving away from the reef into the blue, we dropped to 30 metres, fanned out, and started scanning, like an army patrol. Of course we were looking for beautiful sharks and not an enemy, but despite putting on out best pouts and come-hither looks, our first attempt yielding nothing but a jellyfish. We finned towards the reef, and were greeted by the rather unexpected site of the innards of the Lara draped down the side of the reef, a massive jumble of pipes and cables that were an intriguing sight. We had more luck two days later with a larger group and therefore more eyes, the left flank of our arrowhead spotting twenty-odd far away but distinctive hammer shapes moving across our front, alas out of camera range, but proof that they are out there.

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As a third dive the 80-metre long Kormoran, which struck Laguna Reef in 1984 with a cargo of phosphates from Jordan, is rich in hard corals and fish life and at an ideal depth. Lying in the shallows from four to 12 metres, the diesel engines, winches, portholes, and mastheads are still in excellent condition. Sohail surgeonfish skittered hither and thither, a one metre plus starry puffer bumbled by, and a tiny sea cucumber, no bigger than a little finger padded along the structure before we headed back to base.

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On the second and fourth mornings we headed west rather than east, towards the Ras Mohamed National Park and its welldocumented wonders. July and August are generally the best months to be here for quantity of marine life, and we were not disappointed.

Charm near Sharm

Jackfish Alley started as a wall dive, the bottom invisible in the deep blue as a moray swam along a small ledge below us. The porous wall had created a 40-metre swim-through, the light jabbing into the cave like silver knives. On exiting at 20 metres down, a school of trevally (or jacks, hence the site’s name) cruised past including two one metre-thirty plus monsters. The topography and corals, hard and soft, were stunning, and a white-tip reef shark rested on the sandy alley below us as we off-gassed on our safety stop.

The twin mounts of Shark reef and Yolanda reef extend for hundreds of metres below the surface, starting from Anemone City, and make one of the signature dives of Ras Mohammed National Park. Starting at the aptly named City, the current took us across to the underwater mountain that is Shark reef, its peak sitting at 26 metres, its eastern flank dropping away hundreds of metres into the inky darkness. Engulfed by a school of barracuda moving so fast I couldn’t focus a clear shot, we came to the Yolanda and its scattered cargo of lavatories. Try as I might, I couldn’t get Marcella to understand that I wanted her to pose in the bath, as her attention was drawn by a large school of bluespined unicorn fish and their evil looking pre-caudal hooks, and a posse of emperors. As we worked our way to the shallows, a crocodile fish posed under a coral-encrusted crossmember, and a moray with a neck larger than Mohammed’s head. An astounding site that we dived in both directions on different days, and was a firm favourite.

There were other fine sites, such as Paradise with its impressive and numerous coral pinnacles and their gorgonian fans, and Ras Umm Sid with its sheer drop off and pelagics on the corner, and they all made the first dive at Ras Bob a memory so distant it seemed to have never occurred. And all this with no post-dive aggro to get to the hotel, just a short stroll for sensible rehydration and story telling.

For this article, Christopher travelled courtesy of: Oonasdivers and stayed at Umbi Diving Village

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Charm near Sharm AfricanDiver.com

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SHARK LIVER OIL(SQUALENE) As an ADJUVANT in INFLUENZA VACCINES Commentary by Dr Lynne Hepplestone BVSc(UP)

In December 2009 National Geographic journalist, James Owen, explored the use of shark-sourced squalene, a product of shark liver, as the adjuvant being used in the Swine Flu vaccine. AfricanDiver takes a look at how this shark product is being utilized in the production of vaccines, and investigates the clear alternatives available and so promote the conservation of the global shark populations.

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I

n trying to understand where / how shark products are being used in vaccines, it’s useful to know some basic facts. Immunology is the complex study of the body’s immune system and it’s response to disease. A vaccine is a medical preparation offering protection to the body against a specific disease; vaccination is immuno-therapy (= stimulates the body’s own immune system to recognize and mount an immune response). Vaccines can be injectable or oral formulations, for example Polio drops given to all newborn babies and young children, or Tetanus injection.

For the most part, the public are unaware of the intricate composition of a vaccine; vaccines contain an antigen (= substance that produces the antibodies which mount an immune response) and an adjuvant (= a substance added to further enhance the immune response).

In principle, an adjuvant is a pharmacological agent added to increase the required effect, and increase the body’s antigenic response. Once vaccinated, the body acquires a level of immunity against that disease.

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Feb/Mar 10

Shark–source squalene is used in vaccines as an oil-in-water-emulsion adjuvant, most specifically in Influenza vaccines since 1997. (There are other types of adjuvants used in other vaccines.)

Squalene is a naturally occurring substance found in plants, animals, and humans. It is manufactured in the liver of every human body, circulating through our bloodstreams. It is commercially extracted from Shark Liver Oil, and purified for use in vaccines. It is also found in Olive Oil, in Wheat-germ Oil, and in Rice bran Oil, in smaller quantities than found in shark liver. A study giving information on the average weights of five species of deepwater sharks and % of bodyweight of their liver, found average weight to be 9.4kg of which the liver weighed 2kg.

The large livers of the deepwater sharks are targeted, especially and specifically the Centrophorus granulosis, despite these being listed as Vulnerable- High Risk of Extinction on the current IUCN RedList. Bottomtrawling, an indiscriminate and extensively-destructive process, is the main catch method of these sharks.

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According to the World Health Organization Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety, squalene is present in the form of an emulsion as the adjuvant to the influenza vaccine since 1997. It is known as the MF59 adjuvant (Novartis and FLUAD), and AS03 (Pandemrix and Arepanrix).

“Over 22 million doses of squalene-containing flu vaccine have been administered, with an absence of significant vaccine-related adverse effects. “ The peer-reviewed journal article by Gary Ott and Gary Van Der Nest, “Development of Vaccine Adjuvants, a historical perspective” explains : “Vaccine adjuvant research and development has been an ongoing activity for more that a century…..The development of successful vaccine adjuvants has been a constant balancing act between safety and immunogenicity, delivery and immunostimulation, and simplicity and complexity. The fact that after over 100 years so few adjuvants have been approved for human vaccines attests to the difficulty of this research and development activity.

Interesting.. formulations.. remain the water-in-oil emulsions... Major factors in their potency included a long-term depot effect of a mineral oil bolus, which often resulted in cutaneous nodules ( = lumps/bumps under the skin, usually painful!) along with longer-term immunity. Additionally, these emulsions attracted a variety of immune cells, resulting in a long-term reactive centre.

Oil-in-water emulsions…. a correlation was established between the hydrophile– lipophile balance (HLB) and activity… Significant progress was made when several groups applied low-HLB surfactants with squalane / squalene oil-in-water emulsions.”

In 2009 the WHO recognized a new, pathological strain of the influenza virus, Swine Flu, and declared a global pandemic crisis. The influenza virus is known to mutate, and by deduction there could be another strain, of higher or lower pathogenicity, circulating in the next season. The H1N1 virus ( Swine Flu) is the 2009 influenza strain.

Novartis and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) are major producers of H1N1 Swine Flu vaccines, using squalene oil-in-water-emulsion as their adjuvant. In Oct 2009, GSK had 440 million doses on order. Company spokesperson, Clare Eldred, stated that that while the drug company were currently looking at non-animal squalene sources, including olive oil, they were “unable to find an alternative of high-enough grade.” Surely these pharmaceutical giants could afford to fund the process of refining a nonshark squalene source? Olive Oil is easily available, with olives farmed as successful and sustainable businesses. Is shark-sourced squalene is a cheaper, easier solution to the pharmaceutical industry, because the supply is freely available from an unregulated and illicit trade? Bottom-trawling IUCN RedList species (when there are alternative available sources) is questionable at the very least.

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At 10mg squalene per dose of vaccine, and 60-90% liver weight of Centrophorus is oil containing squalene (that increases in concentration with the age of the shark), a conservative, rough calculation ( liver weight 2kg of 9.4kg bodyweight) say 1kg of squalene per shark, converts 440 million vaccine doses = 4400kg of squalene = 4400 deepwater sharks. These deepwater sharks are known to have extremely low reproductive rates, reaching sexual maturity between 12-15 years, and having 1 pup every 2 years.

Credit to: Mary O’Malley James Owen Suzanne Garrett Julie Andersen Jane Burd

Related: The use of squalene as emulsion adjuvant in vaccines is not the main utilization of shark liver; it is also used in the cosmetic and nutraceutical www.who.int industries. But should it be used by the pharmaceuticals at all in light of www.iucnredlist.org the known conservation status of the sharks targeted. www.savethehighseas.org Dr. Joseph Mercola’s article “Squalene: The Swine Flu Vaccine’s Dirty Little Secret” is unfortuneate in it’s inflammatory claims without peer-reviewed references. The process of vaccination is globally widely-debated, as it should be, and input varies from necessary to misunderstood or vilified, and conspiracy theories abound. An example of vaccine bad press was the misinformation created that squalene was involved in Gulf War Syndrome in the ‘90’s; WHO “now know that squalene was not added to the vaccines administered to these veterans, and (there were) technical deficiencies in the report published” Consider the litigation impact these pharmaceutical companies would expose themselves to should they knowingly create disease with their vaccines. The use of squalene oil-in-water-emulsion as a vaccine adjuvant is a Conservation issue.

Reference: Ott, Gary, and Ven Der Nest, Gary. “Development of Vaccine Adjuvants: a Historical Perspective.” Vaccine Adjuvants and Delivery Systems, Edited by Manmohan Singh. Copyright 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

The sensitivity of saving Humanity from disease, in the form of Prevention better than Cure as per vaccinations, is highly charged when placing a value on Human Life. If there were absolutely no alternative adjuvant sources other than shark squalene available, the debate may be different. It’s simple enough now: there are many feasible, viable, alternative sources available. They require funding, commitment to conservation, and integrity.

This article isn’t about the personal choices surrounding vaccination protocols, or a humanitarian commentary on disease; it’s the Science around the production of Vaccines, and the Science of Conservation.

It’s as unacceptable to use Rhino horn or Elephant tusk for any medicinal purpose as it is to harvest squalene or chondroitin sulphate from sharks. Knowing that the targeted source is IUCN RedListed should be warning enough, and with alternative sources available to pursue, yet again, it is simply not necessary for Industry to utilize shark products.

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Turtle research in Mozambique

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hile holidaying in Mozambique we had the privilege of meeting many wonderful people including Jodi Salmond a marine biologist from Australia, presently working at Tofo - the hub of research activity in northern Mozambique. Jodi is at the spear front of the turtle research in Mozambique and although the research to date appears to be erratic & lacking in data collection she is positive that there is hope & that the situation with the impact of environmental & human interference (- mainly due to local fishing community), is salvageable.

All Out Africa decided to join forces with the Praia da Roche development, in order to gain a better understanding of the turtle population along one of the last remaining beaches with a nesting population. Jodi says that the greatest factor afflicting marine species is the human element. Whale sharks, along with most sharks and rays

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species found within the area are targeted for their fins, with the bodies of these animals being discarded along the beach. Manta are being killed for medical concoctions, and the turtles are killed for both their shells and their valuable meat which is classed as an Asian delicacy. Shark fins are being sold for 30 000 meticas/ kg. The fins are worth anything from $40 000/kg. However with the strong Asian market infiltrating small villages like Tofo and Inhambane and without global protection, many of these species are facing serious fishing pressure.

The money being paid for the shark fins, and illegal meat cannot be compensated for by a normal job’s wages. A local may earn as much as 20 times his average income for a single shark fin and in a country where people live hand to mouth and poverty is obvious in everything, its difficult for these people to turn away this sizable income that this immoral trade offers them.

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Turtle research in Mozambique

In years gone by, turtles bred in large numbers along the entire coast, but this has dwindled to a shocking 3 nesting turtles last year. Huge shoals of devils rays - up to 300 strong - and hammerhead sharks used to frequent the reefs. Manta & whale sharks could be sighted on a daily basis. But no more.

Mantas and whale sharks are hunted by certain groups just outside of the areas that are frequented by tourists, where they are no longer welcome.

Turtles are mercilessly hunted in the water and on land for their eggs.

The fines for killing animals such as turtles and dolphins are almost 100 times a local monthly wage, which means they can’t afford the penalties. The jail sentence is 2-3years and, to date, in the entire country of Mozambique, only 3 people have ever been arrested for killing a turtle.

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Turtle research in Mozambique

this, claim that they did not consent to this agreement and refuse to co-operate.

All Out Africa, Praia da Roche and AMAR provide the funding for operations like this. Locals do not understand that the marine life is not a sustainable resource and cannot replenish itself. The locals believe that it’s the divers chasing away their food source and cannot comprehend the correlation of their actions and the everdecreasing biodiversity of their catches. Everything possible is being done to turn the mindset of the people around. To date 48 turtle carcasses have been found along a 15km stretch of coastline.

Education and communication is a vital part of the planning to bring across the message of conservation to the locals. Carlos who is one of the well-qualified dive masters at Tofo Scuba and seriously involved in the conservation efforts made by Jodi and the other researchers, spends time traveling and educating the locals in the various languages that he is eloquent in. This is a huge advantage to them in bridging the language barrier.

Yet all these species of marine mega fauna play an enormous role in bringing divers to the area. It has been calculated that a single animal has the potential to generate in the region of 30million US$ over its lifespan in tourism.

Policing is hampered by resources and funding: local authorities lack the resources to patrol the extensive beaches, fisheries and maritime agencies have no transport & often have to “hitchhike� to the scene of an incident therefore getting there too late, if at all.

Fisheries legislation have no measures in place to stop the locals from taking as many shark, rays and turtles as they can get their hands on.

There are no catch size limits & no minimum size to fish caught. Even if there were, there seems to be no means to enforce this. These are great frustrations to the researches.

In 2008 there were only two nests found and only 2 breeding turtles - no eggs hatched due to one nest being vandalized and the other flooded by rains and high tides. There were three nesting turtles in 2009 of which 2 were slaughtered whilst laying eggs. Ghost crabs also pose a huge problem for the turtles, as there are literally thousands; and digging into a nest is an easy meal.

There has been a treaty with the head of a local village where electricity for a school and fresh water well and food was provided in return for turtles not being killed. But the spear fisherman who are continuing with AfricanDiver.com

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Turtle research in Mozambique

There have been some local men that have worked as monitors on the beaches and when one of the older gentlemen dies unexpectedly of a natural cause, the locals perceived this as black magic. Local beliefs like this make progress painfully slow.

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ecently three local spear fishermen have been converted to the conservationist’s way of thinking and now assist in the preservation of this threatened species instead of the slaughtering of the turtles. 142 locals have been employed in the building industry - keeping them away from pillaging the ocean.

Jodi works hard at getting an education program in place to reach the locals as well as working in collaboration with the local government to protect the local turtle population and enforce the fines and jail time for crimes committed. Volunteers from all over the world come to Mozambique to assist in data collection.

We admire these peoples’ perseverance and passion and would like to appeal to any of our readers that can assist in their efforts in any way to contact Jodi at: jodi@alloutafrica.org or ecotreckers@hotmail.com.

These are remarkable people who manage to keep their chins up in spite of the harrowing circumstances they are faced with and we applaud them!

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Diving in Dar es Salam Text and land based photography by Logan Weavind

So here you are, you’ve safely negotiated yourself to the “Haven of Peace” (Dar es Salaam), now what! You’re here because you’re en route to a private game reserve within 3 hours of Dar or you thought it would be a good idea to have a lay-over on mainland Tanzania on your way to Zanzibar or you’ve arrived after 3 weeks of sweltering travels on an overland trip through East Africa, or you’ve managed to land yourself a plush job in one of the foreign nationals based in Dar. Either way you’re in Dar and the ocean beckons.

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Diving in Dar es Salaam

Dar isn’t renowned for its diving, but like most unexplored places, this little fact will bring out the adventurous side in you. Zanzibar, its island neighbour, is far more popular a diving destination, but Dar has its own charm and appeal. And you won’t find yourself competing with countless other tourists at local restaurants, beaches & dive charters & the reefs. In fact diving here, you’re almost certain to be the only group on the reefs!

Until recently, your only option for diving in Dar has been to head one hour north of Dar (roads depending), to White Sands for “resort diving” through a dive centre at White Sands Resort, Kawe Beach. If you’re based in Dar however and are looking for something more convenient, a local charter has just been re-established that dives reefs in and around Dar, focusing mainly on the reefs between two little islands off the bay called Bongoyi Island and, North of that, Mbobjya Island.

Diving in these parts is done from Dhows: wooden boats combining traditional sailing with outfitted motors to get you there should the winds fail. The decks are spacious, with benches that run along the sides offering shaded cover, or open deck space for bringing on that tropical tan while gently drifting in the waves. This is one of the more laid-back ways to dive - no shore breaks, or negotiating powerful waves in rubber ducks or walking kitted up though the surf and rocks. Quietly you sail out on the Dhow chatting to other divers and taking in all the scenes, watching the local fisherman plying their trade alongside you, allowing ample time to blissfully get to know some of the other interesting people on your dive.

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Some of the first things you need to know about Dar es Salaam: the currency is Tanzanian Shillings; you need to have a yellow fever vaccination before arriving (carry the medical card to prove it); it costs $50 for a visa (available upon entry); the mosquito’s bite (unfortunately is a malaria area); and it gets very hot! Like most African cities you can trade in USD, and probably the best bet is to arrive with USD and exchange cash when and, if, you need it (diving is generally paid for in USD).

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Diving in Dar es Salaam

In Dar there is only one operator; O’Willies Scuba Safaris. This outfit has recently been reopened

by Kristian Sletten, and operates out of Chui Bay in Msasani. They’re located at the Sea View Hotel & O’Willies Irish pub. Kristian has spent the last couple of months getting a crew up & running and understanding the ins and outs of running a dive centre. He’s explored the local reefs, ably assisted by experienced diving friends, and has charted a host of different reefs to keep you captivated. The Dhow is moored at Slipway, a place just around the cove from O’Willies, where you nonchalantly step onto it from a pier, while the crew bring all your equipment on board for you. Diving has never been so easy.

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Diving in Dar es Salaam The ride is about 45 minutes to the dive sites which are located between and around the two islands previously mentioned. The dive sites offer a good variety of corals, fish and anemones. Once geared up, entry to the water is a simple giant stride or backward roll. Water temperature is a pleasing 29 degrees in December and this, combined with an average depth of around 16 metres for most of the reefs, means dive times can blissfully climb to upwards of 60 minutes. Between the islands, the reefs are generally flat, offering an assortment of soft and hard corals and ocean life. Nearer the islands, though, there are drop-off’s that offer a different type of dive.

Macro photographers will have an endless list of creatures to point their camera’s at; nudibranchs, assorted eels, shrimps to mention a few. And there’s always the ever-present chance of seeing a whale shark drifting past.

Unfortunately local fishing isn’t monitored as vigilantly as one would like, and so one often gets the unwanted surprise of hearing dynamite going off a few miles away.

Hearing this underwater certainly does give you a wake-up call, gets the bones shaking, and swimming across the reefs one sometimes comes across patches of reef that have been decimated by these practices. But the beauty underwater is unmistakeable, and with an increase in the popularity of diving and increased revenues from tourism it’s bound to add pressure on the government to better police this practice.

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Diving in Dar es Salaam When not underwater, Dar es Salaam offers you the opportunity to experience a place truly African.

There’s the familiar luxury of well-kept hotels or you can explore your adventurous side in the seaside bars. Enjoy a unique lunch at places such as the Karembezi Bar at the Sea cliff Hotel - Karembezi is a beautiful bar hanging over the cliffs at the ocean. Or have a cold beer at Captain Ali’s Pub at Slipway upon your return from a dive. But for something more traditionally African, dining at Addis Restaurant, an Ethiopian Restaurant, offers something quite different. Here the food is served on top of what can only be described as a table cloth of rice bread and it is expected that you tuck in with your fingers to enjoy the delectable treats. For something more western yet uniquely African you could try the Garden Bistro in the Masaki area.

For the shopper in you there are a variety of markets to visit all of which will satisfy your every ornamental need. From a small market at the slipway, to the huge diversity of choice at the DSM African Craft Market situated in the Milimani District, you’re in for treat. Those of you looking for something more wild can join the rest of the vocally astute and head to O’Willies on a Wednesday night for an evening of karaoke.

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Diving in Dar es Salaam

If you’re around Dar for a while and you’re looking for a beach, the best place to head to is South Beach. To get there one could drive the two hours along the peninsula connected to the mainland, or take the Kigomboni Ferry across (car included). At Tsh1000 per car and Tsh 100 per passenger, driver excluded, it’s a gift, and offers a beautiful view of the Dar es Salaam city line, not to mention a great experience and much shorter trip. On board the ferry you join the rest of the Dar commuters plying their trade and moving house and home. Once you disembark the ferry, it’s an approximate twenty kilometer drive along rural roads until you come across a host of seaside resorts. Don’t think Miami here; these places are quite obscure and sometimes poorly marked, but offer a beautiful array of seaside lounges, swimming pools and rustic bars - a place extremely popular with most tourists and the ex-pat community. The beach is endless, practically waveless and the water temp for swimming rises to a warm thirty-one degrees.

If you’re looking to unwind, Dar truly does offer you a variety of options; the diving is good, the water temperature fantastic, and a uniquely African experience awaits.

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Underwater images by: Neil Wilkinson. Neil, originally from the Uk worked as a PADI dive instructor from 2004 onwards and has worked in Thailand and Australia for the last five years. His love of travelling and meeting new people as well as and continuing his passion for photography led him to Cape Town where he has just completed a course at ‘Vega Brand Communications’ in Higher Certificate Photography. As well as his love for underwater photography, Neil has a passion for landscape, environmental portraiture, architecture, wildlife and sport. neil_c_wilkinson@hotmail.com AfricanDiver.com

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The rising sun and the fishes graveyard Moving Sushi goes to Japan

by Moving Sushi Team

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balone, a prized shellfish and considered an aphrodisiac in Asia is the subject of destructive poaching involving communities and corrupt organized crime units alike along the Western Cape and East Coast of South Africa. Abalone, locally termed “perlemoen� are being strip-mined at an unprecedented rate, leaving all too familiar white scars on rocks where abalone once were plentiful. Studies have suggested that marine environments, where abalone have been removed will equilibrate, but at lower levels of biodiversity. Fighting abalone poaching is increasingly difficult, but the fight will never be won unless the market demand in Asia is understood. Unfortunately abalone is not the only species of such high demand in Asia - tuna, yellowtail, lobster and a myriad of other shellfish, worms, seahorse, whale, shark, dolphin and fish species many of which I have never seen before all command exorbitant prices within Asian and more specifically Japanese markets. Despite China currently being the world’s largest importer, producer and exporter of fish products, Japan has a culture that revolves around fish, ultimately contributing towards global fish stock decline.

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Moving Sushi goes to Japan

Boarding a Russian ferry, for the 2 day crossing to Japan, I caught myself questioning my ability to remain objective due to my understanding of the insurmountable barrage of negative media towards Asian, and more specifically Japan’s fishery ethics. It was therefore important to define what we hoped to achieve in Japan prior to our arrival. A predetermined set of goals was important as a baseline to return to if we wandered from our objectivity. The aspirations of the Marine Expedition were to highlight positive conservation initiatives in Japan, and understand, from a Japanese perspective, the importance of marine resources; whether a whale or nudibranch. We believed that we would find solutions, or at least the precursors to potential solutions, by focusing on the importance of fish to the Japanese people.

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Moving Sushi goes to Japan

We arranged interviews with WWF’s marine coral program, IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare), who concentrate on whaling awareness campaigns within Japan, JWCS (Japanese Wildlife Conservation Society), who focus on the illegal turtle trade from Indonesia and Greenpeace with regards to their tuna and whaling campaigns. Unfortunately all government representation would come from publications and newsletters, as they were not prepared to talk with us, particularly as we were not and could not speak Japanese.

It was always going to be difficult filming and attaining conservationbased stories revolving around marine issues in Japan; the society is very closed and wary of western ideologies.

Japan has a population of approximately 120 million, of which 30 million reside in Tokyo. Japan is technologically advanced in every respect and boasts the world’s second largest economy; an incredible accomplishment. It was this somewhat quiet and meticulously structured megatropolis with its constant metronome pulse that provided the first holistic insight of Japanese fisheries antics. The Japanese Fisheries Association (JAF), in the White Paper regarding the management of Japanese fisheries suggests that the general public is aware of the international decline of fish resources. However local environmental groups working on fisheries awareness campaigns say the opposite, “the general public has no concept as to what is happening in the fisheries sector, what the government publishes is what public believes”. The government is the ruling authority and their decisions are not questioned.

This is how this society works, and western influence will not derail this successful formula. Yet despite the general lack of understanding and the absence of marine education at schools, diving is a booming business. In Okinawa there is a constant stream of hundreds of beginner divers all armed to the teeth with cameras (more so than a Japanese tour bus entering the Kruger park) entering the water on a shore dive to see an array of soft and hard corals. According to the dive operators, of which there are 465 registered on the island, marine awareness is growing through diving, and the interest in underwater photography.

Linda and I joined the queue of divers and were impressed by what we saw. The dive companies had carved a path through the reef, nobody was allowed to enter the dive site other than along the path, and this ensures that coral structures are not damaged. A small section of reef has been flattened so dive skills can be conducted away from the corals, and divers adhere to these rules. The result is proliferating soft coral reefs, infused with hard corals in excellent condition. Despite the lack of awareness, diving is definitely introducing a positive campaign towards the conservation of marine habitats.

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Moving Sushi goes to Japan

While standing next to the predator tank a whale shark swam past which elicited a comment from a local Japanese man that translated roughly as “yum yum”

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A publication produced by IFAW showed the relative mercury levels in various species of whale and dolphin meat on the local markets - harrowing findings indeed.

The report suggests that mercury contamination (T-Hg and M-Hg) differed considerably among samples of nine cetacean species and among individuals of a particular species. The highest contamination of mercury was from a striped dolphin which recorded 26µg/wet gram, which is 87 times the permitted amount fit for consumption. The consumption of just 4 grams of this contaminated meat would exceed the provisional tolerable weekly intake of mercury for somebody of 60 kg bodyweight (1.6µg/kgbodyweight) . Despite the data, public perceptions of the harmful properties of cetacean meat seems largely unknown, and not publicized by officials. In Okinawa, an island south of Japan, we visited an aquarium, which according to the Japanese is a true reflection of the marine realm, utilized as an institution for creating awareness of the marine environment. Walking the displays, there were no posters relating to fish harvesting methods, no current data reflecting the state of the oceans, and no data regarding species represented in the tanks and their current vulnerability status. Instead three huge whale sharks circled the main tank surrounded by tuna, kingfish, sharks and rays. Outside, a dolphinarium (with 5 dolphins and a false killer whale) and a tank of 20 plus sea turtles (mostly green and loggerhead turtles) looked depressingly at the tourists. While standing next to the predator tank a whale shark swam past which elicited a comment from a local Japanese man that translated roughly as “yum yum” (whilst pointing towards the fin of the whale shark). The man subsequently preceded to “yum yum” various other fish species including a manta ray that swam past. In discussion with a local gentleman at the aquarium, he said that the oceans are in great shape. Never has he seen a sushi conveyor belt without fatty tuna (tuna belly, marbled with fat is the most prized part of the tuna) “if there was a problem in the oceans we would see less fish in sushi restaurants, but we don’t”. The same gentleman works 16-hour days in the telecommunication industry, with little time to gain an understanding into the somewhat obsolete question of fisheries sustainability.

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During our visit to Japan, a movie called “The Cove�, which focused on the annual dolphin slaughter in Japan was aired. The film was filmed covertly and was highly Americanized (sensationalistic Hollywood production). The controversial film sparked international distress about the dolphin slaughter and amounted to hate comments posted on the Internet aimed directly at the Japanese population at large. The Cove however crucified local conservation initiatives, something the filmmakers are not aware of. By not understanding the Japanese, their culture, why they are so meticulous, why they obey all the rules and why a society can function in such close proximity to one another, the film fuelled the government to defend their traditions, so to speak. The Japanese are a closed community and any form of attack from western ideologies with particular focus on marine resources allows the government to take a firm stance on defending their traditions, which the public supports. According to the International Fund for Animal Welfare, who have worked tirelessly on the ground in schools, with teachers and the general public on awareness programs regarding health risks when eating whale and dolphin meat, and who publish scientifically sound reports regarding illegal whale harvests etc, stated that films and policies that attack the Japanese authorities on their actions towards harvesting marine resources counteract positive conservation programs within Japan, as the government cuts our funding and we land up back on the starting blocks. Change according to the IFAW must come from within. It is important to keep telling the truth and spreading the word with regards to the global decline of marine species amongst the Japanese population.

Japan however has a tarnished history in marine resource acquisition and harvesting. Japan supports financially crippled African nations like Benin and Gabon (the latter of which is immensely wealthy from oil exports alone). Financial aid for both nations was intended for the development and enhancement of local fishing communities, neither of which have successfully being instituted. Benin and Gabon however vote pro-whaling on the IWC; a bought vote one may assume. Further inconsistencies with Japanese fisheries were highlighted in the southern Pacific tuna fishery, where according to the Sydney Morning Herald, Australian Fisheries Management Authority’s managing director, Richard McLoughlin, an investigation into the southern tuna fishery found that Japan fishers caught up to three times the Japanese quota of southern tuna each year over the past 20 years and hid it from catch data. Essentially the Japanese have stolen an estimated $2 billion worth of fish from the international community, despite sitting in on meetings regarding quotas allocations over the past 15 years.

These findings were released in 2006, yet, to date, Japanese fishing vessels still prowl the oceans for the prized tuna. In 2009, the Greenpeace ship Esperanza encountered the Koyu Maru 3 fishing illegally for tuna (yellowfin and bigeye) within the Cook Islands waters, where they have no license agreements to fish.

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Moving Sushi goes to Japan According to Greenpeace, the Japanese government should take a firm stance on this illegal reporting and set an example for the international fishing community that IUU (Illegal Unreported and Unregulated) fishing must be dealt with seriously. JAF states that Japan is committed to monitoring and cracking down on illegal fishing vessels in Japans territorial waters, but states nothing about clamping down on their own vessels fishing illegally in various EEZ’s (Exclusive Economic Zones) worldwide where the host country has no ability to monitor and safeguard its own resources from illegal harvests.

Tsukiji fish market is incredible; the sheer size is enough to make one’s blood run cold. The market, based in central Tokyo, handles over 400 species of marine origin, from sardines, to seaweed, tuna to sole, with over 2000 metric tons of globally represented marine resources passing the through the market per day. The tuna auctions are daily and occur around 5:30 am in numerous warehouses (of which only one small warehouse is open to public viewing).

Tuna, once auctioned are sent to the market shops for preparation into sashimi, sushi, or whatever desired product is required for the restaurants and traders. It is said that Japan imports 70 – 80% of the world’s tuna; the meeting point of this global escapade, Tsukiji fish market.

Standing, watching the auctions, the sheer volume of fish being traded and surveying the representation of fish in holding tanks resonated the importance of fish and fisheries for the Japanese, and this understanding comes only from having spent time in Japan. The international imports of fish are critical for Japan to provide enough fish products to a fish craving nation. Yet the irony is that Japan and other nations alike fish relentlessly, as if they have no investment into the sustainable future of fisheries.

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An article written by Daniel Pauley, an influential fisheries scientist and professor at the university of British Columbia, states that, “the truth is that governments are the only entities that can prevent the end of fish. For one thing, once freed from their allegiance to the fish-industrial complex (influence of large fishing co-operations on fisheries policy), they are the ones with the research infrastructure capable of prudently managing fisheries. Furthermore governments should stop awarding subsidies to the fishing industry, when they are the ones who should be paying for the privilege to fish.” In an interesting project in India, on a small island chain called Lakshadweep, locals with similar cultural leanings to that of Japan (i.e. adherent to rules and have fisheries traditions and are a self contained society) have successfully instituted a co-management plan for the protection of their resources. The government and island’s inhabitants work together to ensure the protection of the coral reef that supports the abundant baitfish harvested for tuna bait. The program has succeeded in all conservation, communication and comanagement respects and could be used, as an example, by ratifying the possibility that involving the stakeholders of the resource, effective co-management can be achieved. Deepa Apti, of the Bombay Natural History Society said that conservation no longer affords the ability to be secluded from societies: local communities are an integral part of modern conservation whether in Japan, Africa or Bangladesh.

Visiting Japan reminded me of a quote we heard from an inspiring gentleman in Senegal, “If conservation is going to succeed it needs a Mandela figure, a revolutionist.” I did not understand this sentiment until recently, Mandela won over South Africa, not by attacking the ruling party, but learning their ways and treating people with respect, ultimately creating a situation where people themselves change, ultimately transforming South Africa into an integrated society, against all odds. Fisheries do not need movies like “The Cove” to create change; they only serve to worsen the ultimate goal by attacking a grain of sand on an eroding beach. The bigger picture is our greatest challenge, change must come within, from the people by the people and through an accountable and transparent government. This is our ultimate goal, the reflection of which is global.

In conclusion a quote from an Indian Biologist, with whom I wish to meet and interview during the expedition;s stay in India, “The problem with global fisheries today is not that there are too few fish in the sea, it is that there are too many sharks on the land.”

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The Making of an MPA Text and images by Clare Keating

Big developments are taking place on the southern coast of Mozambique. However, what exactly these developments are is somewhat unclear. Depending on whom you ask, there is either a deep-water port being built on the east coast of southern Africa to transport coal and petroleum overseas or there is Mozambique’s newest MPA encompassing the country’s richest coral reefs and home to numerous threatened species. Is it possible to have both?

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The Making of an MPA Construction of a deep-water port with the capacity to handle at least 50 million tones of heavy cargo per year is scheduled to start in two years time in the southern district of Matutuine, according to the country’s publicly owned ports and railroads company (CFM). In a statement released by CFM Chief Executive Rui Fonseca in May 2009, all the technical aspects, such as environmental impact assessments, have been concluded and final deals with financers are being closed. Potential construction employment is estimated at 2,500 people and operational employment of 10,000 people in the first 10 years. For a country with a 21% unemployment rate (World Factbook, 2007), the scheme is an excellent job creation opportunity. With expected generated annual revenues around $300 million, on paper, the project looks like a prime opportunity to uplift a poor nation with substantial trade imbalances.

On 14 July 2009, Mozambique declared 86km of its shoreline as a Marine Protected Area (MPA). The Ponta do Ouro Partial Marine Reserve (PPMR) starts at the border with South Africa, extends north to Cabo de Santa Maria at the Maputo River Mouth, out 3 nautical miles to sea along the coast and 1 nautical mile in the Maputo Bay. The inclusion of Inhaca Island in the north adds an additional 12.5km of open ocean coastline. A draft management plan released in November 2009 identified the core area of the MPA starting 2km north of Ponta Techobanine and ending approximately 44km north near Ponta Mucombo ou Majumbo. The entire MPA includes habitats of over ten threatened marine species and the management plan suggests conservation efforts for most of these species. The PPMA is under review

by UNESCO as a potential World Heritage Site.

The problem is, the proposed port is within the core area of the MPA where endangered loggerhead and leatherback turtles nest and unique coral reefs thrive. Thus begins the most recent developments of the ongoing confusion surrounding southern Mozambique’s first MPA.

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The Making of an MPA There was little fanfare on 14 July 2009 to herald Mozambique’s marine conservation milestone. Even today, walking down the crowded beach of Ponta do Ouro in January, there is scarce sign that the area is protected. There is speculation that the PPMR passed so quickly and without much public awareness in order to counteract the deep-water port development plans. In the draft management plan, the Techobanine Port Development is cited as the single biggest threat to the conservation and eco-tourism value of the PPMR’s coastline. However, little information is available about the process and attempts to contact parties on either side regarding the port development remain unsuccessful.

But with the declaration of 14 July 2009, the PPMA is an official protected area under Mozambican law. The draft management plan is currently Ten years prior to the declaration being reviewed by stakeholders of the PPMA, on 30 July 1999, the and scientists and will be formally Mozambican government signed discussed mid-February 2010 during a an agreement with CFM and a workshop to finalize the plan.

British company, Porto Dobela Developments Ltd, for the principles The plan at this stage is a draft underlying the building of a deep- with typos, misinformation and water port and ocean terminal at pronounced subjectivity. However, Ponta Dobela (the next point up from in the heart of the document is a Ponta Techobanine). The agreement commitment to marine conservation included “rigorous respect” for the and sustainable management without recommendations of the mandatory ignoring the needs of business owners environmental impact study, which and locals. The document stresses was commissioned from the Council the importance of putting economic for Scientific and Industrial Research value on marine protected areas by of South Africa. The status of this study highlighting that the attraction of the is unknown to the PPMR management area to tourists relies on the diversity plan team. of species found within an area as Port development within the MPA well as the health of the marine poses direct threat to the area’s richest environment. Tourism creates jobs for reefs. The reefs found within the core Mozambicans and thus sustainable area of the PPMA are unique because tourism creates long-term benefits for they are some of the highest latitude local communities. reefs in the world. The reefs with the

Ryan Daly AfricanDiver.com

most coral cover and best quality are found on an 18km stretch of marginal reefs between Techobanine and Dobela where the port construction is proposed. Environmental impact studies of the port consider potential extreme weather events as well as the impacts of climate change. In a recent article by BBC, Mozambique was identified as one of the countries to be hit hardest by rising sea levels, an effect of climate change. Risks of damage to the area surrounding any port include, but are not limited to, chemical pollution, light pollution, oil spills and shipping traffic.

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Ryan Daly

The Making of an MPA

Leatherback turtles and clownfish, two “hit list” species identified by the IUCN in 2009 to highlight the negative impacts of climate change on marine habitats, are found within the PPMA. As charismatic species, turtles, marine mammals and other easily identified faces such as “Nemo” receive more public demand for protection. Protection and monitoring programs for all threatened species found within the PPMA is an integral part of the management plan. Light pollution is currently an issue on beaches throughout developed areas of the PPMA. Lighting standards have been proposed to limit interference with nesting turtles and hatchlings. Protection of sea grass beds in Maputo Bay is necessary to provide haven for dwindling dugong herds and is mentioned in the draft. The management plan must include conservation strategies for all IUCN-listed threatened species found within the PPMA. Ecotourism will be an essential part of the sustainability of the PPMR. Management of marine ecotourism businesses is listed as a required action yet the only suggestion for management is to limit tour operators within the area. Internationally there is little regulation of what is labeled ecotourism and there is no accepted definition of what qualifies as ecotourism. In a progressive move, the management plan for the PPMA can set an example for global MPA management plans by providing a checklist of necessary points a business must meet in order to label itself an eco-tourist operation. Encouraging responsible tourism by offering true ecotourism opportunities ensures a more holistic approach to conservation within the area.

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Currently in Ponta do Oura there are at least eight full time dive operators.

Limitations on the number of SCUBA businesses, and thus the number of divers in the PPMA, are necessary to address overcrowded reefs. Studies carried out at dive sites in the Red Sea as well as in the South Pacific have shown that the number of divers on a reef directly negatively impacts the health of the reef. The management plan states that the quality of diving around Ponta do Ouro has deteriorated over the past ten years due to unmanaged diving activity. The exact number of operators issued permits will be a topic of discussion in February. “Unfavorable activities� described as cage diving, chumming or baiting and using Diver Propulsion Vehicles are prohibited in the draft plan. Furthermore, specific guidelines for diving with sharks and whale sharks will be a part of the final plan.

A diver code of conduct and guidelines for whale and dolphin watching will also be included.

Despite the inclusion of these guidelines, shark monitoring and research projects are absent throughout the document. There is no mention of fishing limits on sharks, conservation efforts for threatened species of shark, such as the scalloped hammerhead, AfricanDiver.com

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or other shark related protection regulations.

However, since the plan was released permits for research of sharks within the area have been obtained and research is currently underway. Stakeholders and researchers have submitted recommendations for conservation methods of sharks in the area and the final draft of the management plan will address this.

In the plan, only sensitive species identified as CITESlisted protected species were pledged research and explicit protection. CITES recognizes only four of the 126 species of threatened sharks identified by IUCN; the great white shark, basking shark, whale shark and sawtooth shark. Observed species of threatened shark within the PPMA include scalloped hammerhead, great hammerhead and dusky sharks. Because CITES relies directly on IUCN Red List for its listings, basing an MPA management plan on the IUCN ensures that the plan will protect all threatened species including those listed

by CITES.

The management plan will affect business owners throughout the region. Limits on the number of registered tour operators within tourist areas may push some current operators out of the market.

The management plan clearly wishes to decrease impact on resources within 48

The Making of an MPA

the reserve and ensure that the operators that continue to conduct tours within the area do so sustainably. Carrying capacities for dive operations in the management area were determined using a desktop exercise designed by the Oceanographic Research Institute.

Regulations are needed for tour businesses, as the industry has grown unsustainably over the years with little benefit to the local community or environment. However, the basis of the limits on dolphin and whale watching operators remains unclear. In regards to whale and dolphin operators, there is open subjectivity throughout the management plan biased toward one Ponta do Ouro tour operator. The operator has been involved for many years in research through baseline data collection and is concerned about the protection of marine mammals in the area. Extensive effort in the form of regular reports and letters to relevant departments in the Mozambican governments by the operator may have influenced the management plan inadvertently. Unfortunately, this lack of objectivity within the plan undermines the legitimacy of the entire document in the eyes of other tour operators in the Ponta area.

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Mozambique’s newest marine protected area faces a number of challenges of which the greatest remains clouded in secrecy; the Techobanine port development. Both projects have been a long time coming and at this point it is unclear what lies ahead for the port and the core area of the PPMA. Development of a port within the PPMA would damage the richness of the entire area. However, the management team appears to be dedicated to protecting the whole area and local business owners have a lot at stake in keeping the area pristine. The February workshop will tackle the draft management plan and stakeholders must work together for the protection of the area if business and growth is to be sustainable. It is necessary that the final management plan be an objective document that addresses not only business owners but also the local community.

By offering protection of all IUCN threatened species found within the area, the PPMA can make an effort to preserve the unique diversity and concentration of marine species found there. By ensuring that the PPMA resource usage is regulated so that it is sustainable for years to come, a unique area of the world will be preserved and enjoyed by people with little impact on the life found within.

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DAN RESEARCH Autumn 2009

Interpretive Comments on the Proceedings of the UHMS Workshop 24-25 May 2004, Sydney, Australia

Dealing with Decompression Illness in remote locations

By Dr Frans J Cronjé

Decompression illness (DCI) is a

dreaded complication of compressed gas diving. For recreational divers it is even worse because diving is often undertaken in areas away from modern health care and diving medical assistance. This means that, not only is a diving vacation ruined, but also that there are legitimate concerns about being able to receive appropriate medical care and eventually getting home again in one piece.

In 2004, the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Association hosted a workshop in Sydney Australia, to address the realities of this situation and to determine when delays to recompression would not be significantly deleterious. This by no means suggests that recompression is, or should be considered, optional in these cases.

Rather the intent of the workshop was to determine those specific situations where the consequences of not recompressing an individual promptly would not be unduly harmful or irreversible.

“ The proceedings of this workshop were an important landmark. Its most important findings were that

recompression for all forms of DCI was not equally urgent, and that inevitable delays to receiving recompression, due to injured divers being in remote locations, were not necessarily harmful in the case of mild signs and symptoms.

“

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The sections in italics are direct transcripts from the UHMS proceedings. The remainder is offered as an interpretive commentary by the author who was an invited discussant at the workshop. The comments do not necessarily reflect the views of the UHMS or the other participants of the workshop. The intent is to render the information so that divers are able to benefit from the findings while avoiding misinformation and misunderstandings as far as possible.

Firstly, only mild forms of decompression illness are to be considered; serious forms need urgent treatment and dedicated aeromedical evacuation may even be required to reduce or avoid long-term complications. Therefore, to avoid any ambiguity on what constitutes mild DCI and “mild” symptoms and signs, they are defined as, and limited to, the following presentations only: • limb pain • constitutional symptoms (i.e. headache, loss of appetite, malaise, unusual fatigue, etc.)

• some cutaneous [skin] sensory changes • rash where these manifestations are static or remitting (i.e. not getting worse or becoming less pronounced) and objective neurological dysfunction has been excluded by medical examination (i.e. they are not related to impairment of the nervous system as determined by appropriate medical examination) [see Footnote 1].

Secondly, the workshop accepted that untreated mild symptoms and signs due to DCI are unlikely to progress after 24 hours from the end of diving [see Footnote 2]. This means that if someone has had mild symptoms for 24 hours after the last dive, they are unlikely to get any worse or become more serious in nature.

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Thirdly, Level B epidemiological evidence (i.e. evidence that is supported by some uncontrolled studies) indicates that a delay prior to recompression for a patient with mild DCI is unlikely to be associated with any worsening of long-term outcome [see Footnote 3]. This means that even though the delay may be significant, the outcome is likely to be as good as would have been expected if recompression were readily available.

Fourthly, the workshop acknowledged that some patients with mild symptoms and signs after diving can be treated adequately without recompression. For those with DCI recovery may be slower in the absence of recompression [see Footnote 4]. Again, this does not suggest that recompression is optional. It only means, in practice, that conservative management with oxygen, fluids and possibly medication may achieve complete relief before the individual is able to reach a recompression facility, although the resolution may be slower than would have been the case had they been recompressed.

Finally, the workshop acknowledged that some divers with “mild symptoms or signs” after diving may be vacuated by a commercial airliner to obtain treatment after a surface interval of at least 24 hours, and this is unlikely to be associated with worsening of outcome [see Footnote 5].

Footnote 1: 1. The workshop agrees the severity of pain has little prognostic (i.e. predictive value as far as ultimate outcome is concerned) significance, but acknowledges the severity of pain may influence management decisions independent of the classification of pain as a “mild” symptom (i.e. severe pain may prompt more aggressive management than medically necessary due to the discomfort itself rather than the danger to health).

2. Classical girdle pain syndromes are suggestive of spinal involvement and do not fall under the classification of limb pain.

3. The intent of “some cutaneous sensory changes” is to embrace objective cutaneous sensory phenomena such as paraesthesiae (i.e. pins and needles sensation) that are present in patchy or non-dermatomal distributions (i.e. not likely to be related to a large nerve or spinal cord injury) suggestive of non-spinal, non-specific, and benign processes. Subjective sensory changes in clear dermatomal distributions or in certain characteristic patterns such as

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in both feet, may predict evolution of spinal symptoms and should not be considered “mild”.

4. The proclamation of “mild” cannot be made where symptoms are progressive.

If the presentation initially qualifies as “mild” and then begins to progress, it is no longer classified as “mild” (also see Footnote 5).

5. The possibility of delayed progression is recognised, such that the “mild” designation must be repeatedly reviewed over at least the first 24 hours following diving or the most recent decompression, the latter applying if there has been an ascent to altitude. Management plans should include provisions for such progression.

Footnote 2: 1. Mild symptoms and signs are strictly limited to those defined in statement 1 and its footnotes.

2. The statement does not hold where there is a further decompression, such as for the diving or ascent to altitude, in the presence of mild symptoms.

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This means that, with proper prior medical assessment and guidance, some divers may be able to return home on a regular commercial flight after their mild symptoms have remained unchanged for at least 24 hours without any deterioration during flight or adverse effect on the ultimate outcome of treatment. This is not a decision divers should make on their own, however.

Medical assessment is, and remains, a prerequisite for determining the nature and severity of any signs and symptoms related to diving and for determining whether or not it would be appropriate to fly.

When in doubt, call DAN. The proceedings of this workshop were an important landmark. Its most important findings were that (1) recompression for all forms of DCI was not equally urgent, and (2) that inevitable delays to receiving recompression, due to injured divers being in remote locations, were not necessarily harmful in the case of mild signs and symptoms. As further experience is gained, further refinements may be made to the consensus statements of the workshop.

As DAN members and as responsible divers, it remains imperative to always follow safe and sensible diving practices, to be medically fit to dive, to be prepared for diving emergencies – both in planning and in assuring the availability of appropriate equipment - and to offer immediate emergency oxygen first aid for any signs or symptoms that are possibly related to DCI. Footnote 3: 1. Levels of evidence in American family physician [Internet]. [Leawood(KS)]: American academy of family physicians;c 2004 [cited 2004 Dec 6]. www.aafp.org 2. “Mild DCI” is limited to those presentations exhibiting only “mild symptoms and signs” strictly as defined in statement 1 and its footnotes.

Footnote 4: 1. The non-specific reference to “mild symptoms and signs after diving” is intentional. It reflects the fact that the manifestations may or may not be the consequence of DCI. The statement suggests that even if they are the result of DCI, full recovery is anticipated irrespective of the use of recompression, although resolution may take longer.

Importantly, “mild symptoms and signs” are strictly limited to those defined in statement 1 and footnotes.

Where symptoms and signs fall outside the spectrum of manifestations herein defined as “mild”, standard

management and therapy is indicated.

Footnote 5: 1. “Mild symptoms and signs” are strictly as defined in statement 1 and footnotes.

2. It should be noted that the most favourable experience with commercial airline evacuations comes from short haul flights of between one and two hours duration. There is much less experience with longer flights.

3. It was agreed that provision of oxygen in as high and inspired fraction as possible is optimal practice for such evacuations. In addition, the risk of such evacuation will be reduced by preflight oxygen breathing.

4. It was emphasised that contact must be established with receiving unit at the commercial flight destination before the evacuation is initiated.

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Featured Photographer Anthony Grote AfricanDiver.com

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For me photography has always been about capturing that special shot, that stands out from the rest. The challenge in the beginning was always more special as there were fewer people doing it, especially when we consider underwater photography. With the advent of digital photography, and the rapid advance in this technology, giving access to more and more people, the challenge had to be shifted somewhat, and for me that has involved taking the available technology and playing.

I started out photographing birds and wildlife while working on game farms in the Lowveld, until I was shown someone’s underwater portfolio of their trip to the Red Sea. From that day I was hooked! It took me 5 years to be able to afford my first underwater system, always erring on the housed system as to the Nikonos. My first trip to the Red Sea was straight after getting my first housing and needless to say it was fraught with problems (hence I am desperate to return there someday). Since then, I was lucky enough to spend 2 years working in the Cayman Islands as an underwater photographer/videographer. I then returned to SA and started freelancing as a sport/wildlife/architectural photographer, with a passion for underwater and panoramas. As mentioned before, I like playing with technology, creating images using time-lapse technology, 360° imagery and virtual tours and long exposure starscapes are just some examples.

My highlights are having been published in National Geographic magazine in Poland, being involved in a National Geographic production called the ‘Real Serengeti’, where I sent 6 weeks filming the Migrations in the Serengeti, and being published in magazines in South Africa, UK, USA and New Zealand. I have been fortunate enough to also win a number of Underwater Photo competitions including the Sodwana Shootout (in both the photo and video categories), Pix Magazine Annual Photo Awards, Sony Winter Shootout, and third place in the NCUPS Underwater Photo Competition and Highly Commended in the ‘Celebrate the Sea’ Underwater Photo Competition.

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Featured Photographer Anthony Grote

Featured Photographer Anthony Grote AfricanDiver.com

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