Jonathan Cautions Politicians Against Judicial Blackmail

 

...as Diri, Wike, Obaseki, Legal Titans Bid Retiring Bayelsa CJ Farewell

Former Nigerian President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, has admonished the political class to allow the judiciary perform its constitutional functions, saying society is dynamic.

Dr. Jonathan gave the admonition on Friday during the book presentation/reception that culminated week-long activities marking the retirement of the Bayelsa State Chief Judge, Justice Kate Abiri, in Yenagoa, the state capital.

The former president acknowledged the critical role Justice Abiri played when she swore in the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, thus averting a constitutional crisis and advised  politicians not to be blinded by the power they wield.

Jonathan equally cautioned judicial officers to strive to be impartial and courageous in upholding the rule of law, which he noted was significant in the delivery of justice.

His words: “I advise politicians that while in office, let us not try to blackmail the judiciary because it is conservative. When we get political power, we get so blinded. Politicians should know that society is changing.

"Today, we are celebrating our retiring Chief Judge because she has served meritoriously. In 2015, she left Bayelsa for Rivers to perform the swearing-in of the governor thereby averting anarchy. It appears that the judicial arm is more functional than the executive."

 

In his remarks, the Bayelsa governor, Senator Douye Diri, hailed Justice Abiri for her outstanding achievements, noting that during her 15-year term as Chief Judge, she swore in three governors in Bayelsa and one in Rivers.

They are Chief Timipre Sylva (2008), Senator Seriake Dickson (2012), Senator Douye Diri (2020) and Nyesom Wike (2015).

Governor Diri described Abiri as a legal icon, who rendered unblemished and meritorious service in three decades of legal practice.

He said the state would still require her services due to her commitment and wealth of experience.

Chairman of the occasion and chairman of the Body of Benchers, Chief Wole Olanikpekun (SAN), lauded Abiri as an elegant, brilliant and hardworking jurist, who represents the very best in the legal profession.

Chief Olanikpekun also commended the Diri administration for supporting the judiciary, expressing belief that in a few days a substantive CJ would be appointed for the state judiciary.

Responding, Justice Kate Abiri expressed appreciation to the Bayelsa governor for his support and encouragement.

Three books were unveiled at the event, which include “Kate Abiri: Footprints on the Bench,” “Judges and Judging in Nigeria” and “Bayelsa State Law Reports: Volume One.”

The chief launcher and president of the De Wayles Group, High Chief Emonena Wayles Egukawhore, donated the sum of $100,000 and N20 million for the books while the Rivers State government donated N200 million, the Bayelsa government gave N250 million and Chief Gesi Asamowei N5 million among other donations.

Dignitaries at the colourful event included wife of the former president, Dame Patience Jonathan, wife of the Bayelsa governor, Justice Patience Diri, wife of the first civilian governor of the state, Mrs Margaret Alamieyeseigha, Governor Nyesom Wike represented by the Rivers State Head of Service, Rufus Godwin, and the Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki represented by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwale Iyamu (SAN).

Others were the Bayelsa Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, his predecessor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John-Jonah (rtd), members of the National Assembly from the state led by Dr. Fred Agbedi (Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency), state lawmakers, first military administrator of old Rivers State and immediate past chairman of the state traditional rulers council, King Alfred DieteSpiff, chairman of the state traditional rulers council, King Bubaraye Dakolo, and other royal fathers.

Some of the legal icons in attendance were Justice of the Supreme Court,  Justice Chima Centus Nweze, retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Francis Tabai,  Justice of the Court of Appeal, Justice Gabriel Kolawole, President, National industrial Court, Justice  B. B Karnyip, the Chief Judges of Rivers, Edo, Cross River and Zamfara states as well as Justice Daniel Ayah. President, Bayelsa Customary Court of Appeal, and his counterparts in Rivers and Edo states.

Earlier, at a special parade and valedictory court session in her honour, different speakers extolled her virtues and her contribution to the growth of the judiciary in Nigeria.

Governor Diri said her retirement was the beginning of a fresh chapter for the renowned judge, who displayed exemplary character and attracted dignity to the Bench.

He noted that Abiri was soft-spoken and humble but also a personality that carried the full weight of the law, with a balanced approach to leadership.

He assured that his government will continue to respect the rule of law as well as partner the judiciary in delivering the dividends of democracy to all Bayelsans.

Speaking on behalf of the Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Chief Thompson Okpoko stated that Abiri served well in honour and character, having witnessed her emergence as the third substantive CJ of Bayelsa. 

Chief Okpoko said lawyers in the state attest to the fact that she exhibited the true qualities required of a judge while presiding over cases as well as in the administration of justice. 

Also, the Chief Judge of Zamfara State and Chairman, Body of Chief Judges, Justice Lulu Aliyu, stated that Abiri had great qualities in temperament, legal knowledge and its appreciation

Responding, Justice Abiri expressed appreciation particularly to Governor Diri for making her experience under his administration seamless, owing to the financial autonomy introduced as governor of the state.

She stressed that the state judiciary now executes quality projects without external supervision or stifling of funds.

Ugochinyere: Right activist condemns attack on CUPP spokesperson

... Describes act as barbaric, reprehensible

 By Our Correspondent

Human Rights activist, Barr Chukwudi Ezeobika, has condemned Saturday's attack on the residence of spokesperson of Coalition of United Political Parties, CUPP, Barr Ikenga Ugochinyere, describing it as barbaric and reprehensible.

Barr. Ezeobika, who is the Chairman Media Committee of CUPP, stated this in a press statement issued Saturday in Abuja while reacting to the brutal invasion of the premises of Barr. Ugochinyere in Umukegwu, Akokwa in Imo State which led to the killing of one of his relatives.

He said: "I condemn in the strongest terms possible, the illegal Invasion of the premises of the Spokesperson of the  CUPP, Mr. Ikenga Imo Ugochintere in Umukegwu, Akokwa,  in Imo State by unidentified assailants and call on all Security Agencies especially the Department of State Security, to investigate and bring to justice, the perpetrators of this dastardly act. 

"It is important to state that the primary responsibility of any democratically elected government is to protect the lives and property of its citizens."

Marine Conservation: Norfolk sunfish find important for research - expert

 

By Kolawole Yemisi Victoria

The discovery of a dead sunfish on a Norfolk beach is "incredibly important" to scientists studying the biggest bony fish in the world and potential climate change links, an expert said.

The juvenile fish, measuring about 1.5m (5ft), appeared on North Beach in Great Yarmouth last weekend.

Adults can grow to 4m (13ft) and weigh up to two tonnes.

Dr Ben Garrod, from the University of East Anglia, said four had washed up in a year but the reason was unknown.

"Sunfish are one of the most weird but iconic fish in the sea," the professor of evolutionary biology and BBC science presenter said.

The species - Mola mola - is the largest bony fish and generally lives in temperate and tropical waters.

Katherine Hawkes photographed the sunfish on the Norfolk beach on New Year's Day and said at first she did not know what she was looking at.

"Then I realised I'd once seen a sunfish swimming but they are rare at this time of the year," she said.

The fish swim down to depths of between 50 and 200m (164ft and 656ft)

They feed mainly on jellyfish

Their name refers to their habit of lying at the sea surface on their side as if sunbathing

At about 1.5m from the top to bottom fin, Dr Garrod said this was "the largest we've seen... in the last few years".

"But it's still a baby compared to the size of the adults," he added.

This is the fourth he had been told had washed up on Norfolk's beaches in the past 12 months, three of which have been examined at the UEA.

"We don't know why they died and this is an ongoing research project, but it's incredibly important as we know so little about them," he said.

"I know they have washed up on the Norfolk coast - maybe once every 10 years - but to have four in the last 12 months is really interesting.

"We don't have the evidence to say it's related to climate change but no-one's denying the oceans are changing."

Strong marine protected areas credited with manta ray surge in Indonesia

 

By Kolawole Yemisi Victoria

A new population assessment has shown that Manta ray populations are thriving in Indonesia’s Raja Ampat archipelago.

This has underscored the importance of marine protected areas to the species’ conservation.

The study showed that reef manta ray (Mobula alfredi) populations saw up to 10.7% compound annual increase from 2009-2019 in the region, even as global ray and shark populations undergo a sweeping decline.

The study authors attribute this to well-planned and -implemented conservation measures by Indonesian authorities, conservation groups and local communities.

The finding chimes with the discovery earlier this year that manta ray populations are also flourishing in Komodo National Park, another tightly regulated protected area in Indonesia.

Ocean-dwelling sharks and rays, including the majestic reef manta ray (Mobula alfredi), have declined globally by an estimated 71% since 1970 due to fishing. 

But a new study of reef manta rays in eastern Indonesia’s Raja Ampat archipelago, combined with an exciting discovery from Komodo National Park further west earlier this year, suggests reef mantas are following a different — and more encouraging — trajectory in the Southeast Asian country’s waters.

In May 2022, researchers announced they had identified an aggregation of nearly 1,100 reef manta rays in Komodo National Park, likely catapulting the park’s waters into the list of top locations for mantas in the world. A new study led by University of Auckland doctoral candidate Edy Setyawan heralds more good news for Indonesia’s manta rays and highlights how the country’s conservation efforts have established a safe haven for reef and giant manta rays (Mobula birostris) in the Raja Ampat Islands.

Ray conservation efforts in Raja Ampat began in earnest in 2007, when the local government and other stakeholders began to implement a series of marine protected areas (MPAs) across the islands. In 2012, the area was announced as Southeast Asia’s first shark and ray sanctuary. Two years later, the Indonesian government declared the reef and giant manta rays nationally protected species.

In May 2022, researchers announced they had identified an aggregation of nearly 1,100 reef manta rays in Komodo National Park. 

Anecdotal reports indicated these conservation efforts had shielded Raja Ampat’s reef mantas from fishing. 

Edy and his colleagues assessed the accuracy of those reports by quantifying reef manta population trends in the Dampier Strait and South East Misool, the two Raja Ampat MPAs where they had the most ray survey data. 

They identified individual rays in photographs and put the data into a mathematical population model that accounted for repeat visits from the same manta rays and the transitory nature of this highly migratory species. With this model, they estimated the number of resident reef mantas and annual population growth rates in each MPA between 2009 and 2019.

Edy’s team identified 1,041 individual reef manta rays from the photographs from Dampier Strait and South East Misool. They determined the resident population in Dampier Strait had increased from 226 rays in 2009 to 317 in 2019 (a 3.9% compound annual increase). They discovered an even greater increase in ray populations in South East Misool, from 210 to 511 individuals, a 10.7% compound annual increase. “Despite the global decline in oceanic sharks and rays because of overfishing over the past 50 years, the reef manta rays in Raja Ampat have been recovering and thriving,” Edy said in a statement highlighting the results.

Stephanie Venables, a senior scientist at the Florida-based Marine Megafauna Foundation, who was not involved in the study, said being able to scientifically demonstrate that mantas are increasing in areas with established MPAs is extremely important.

“Not only because it justifies having that protected area, but also because it’s a really good comparison for the threatened populations that are showing a decline,” she said. “Then it’s something to aim towards in other locations.”

Venables studies manta rays off Mozambique, where their populations are decreasing. She also co-managed the Marine Megafauna Foundation’s Raja Ampat program, though that work has been on hiatus since the COVID-19 pandemic.

A giant manta ray (Manta birostris) filter feeding in Raja Ampat. Researchers say that despite the global decline in oceanic sharks and rays because of overfishing over the past 50 years, the reef manta rays in Raja Ampat have been recovering and thriving. Image by Arturo de Frias Marques via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Mother Nature specifically, a strong El Niño event in 2015-16 that created favorable environmental conditions in the southern end of Raja Ampat  likely played a key role in the population increase in South East Misool. During El Niño events, sea surface temperatures in the area are relatively cool and the top ocean layers are mixed by winds. 

These cool waters hold more nutrients, encouraging the growth of tiny marine plants, which, in turn, attract microorganisms called zooplankton that eat the plants. This turns South East Misool’s seas into a veritable buffet for reef mantas, which primarily feed on zooplankton.

Edy and his colleagues observed a pregnancy boom among female reef mantas during and soon after the El Niño, which they hypothesize is due to the abundance of food during the event. Yet, they didn’t see many juvenile rays in the following year’s photographs.

This, too, can be explained by reef manta ecology. Most of the photos in Edy’s data set were taken at feeding and cleaning sites, the places on a reef where rays and other animals get parasites and dead skin cleared from their skin, gills and teeth by cleaner fish. Adult rays, large enough that they’re relatively safe from predation, frequent these areas. Young reef mantas occupy safer “nursery” sites in West Waigeo, areas near the Dampier Strait, and the Wayag Lagoon.

“In the past three years, we have identified more than 300 new manta rays. Not to mention the newborns and juveniles living in the Wayag Lagoon and Fam Islands nursery areas we discovered recently,” Edy said. Juvenile reef mantas stay at nursery sites for up to 28 months before joining the adults.

A manta ray swimming with remoras in Raja Ampat. The research team attributes the increases in reef manta ray populations in South East Misool and Dampier Strait to the strong marine conservation and management policies Indonesia has set over the past 15 years.

The research team attributes the increases in reef manta ray populations in South East Misool and Dampier Strait to the strong marine conservation and management policies Indonesia has set over the past 15 years. These include the establishment of Raja Ampat’s network of MPAs, the declaration of national protected status for manta rays, efforts to reduce fishing bycatch, and tourism regulation. Nearly all known sites in Raja Ampat where adult and juvenile manta rays congregate are within the MPA network, which is actively patrolled to ensure fisheries regulations are being followed.

“When people ask me, ‘Do you have examples of protected areas that are working, or nations that are doing a good job?’ I usually bring up Palau and also Raja Ampat,” Venables said. “The way that the MPAs were designed, it was well thought out and considered, and there was a lot of capacity built.”

These protected areas aren’t just good for reef and giant manta rays, but also extend to the thousands of corals, fish, mollusks, and other species that inhabit Raja Ampat’s highly diverse seascape.

The success story of these reef manta populations drives home not only the importance of solid marine and fisheries management, but also the value of long-term population monitoring and the dedication of the scientists, those like Venables and Edy, who collect data on these iconic animals day in and day out. Edy, who has studied manta rays for nearly 10 years, told Mongabay in an email, “Knowing that they are doing so well in Raja Ampat surely gives me personal satisfaction that I can contribute to protect this species, knowing that their populations are in decline in many places.”

92% of Marine Protected Areas in UK Lack Full Protection From Destructive Fishing

By Olaborede Olugbenga Israel

No less than Ninety-two per cent of the UK’s so-called Marine Protected Areas do not have site-wide protection against the most destructive types of fishing, a Greenpeace UK report reveals. 

The report, ‘All At Sea: How government inaction makes a mockery of UK marine protection’, also reveals that in 2021 alone, vessels with bottom towed gear spent an estimated 47,833 hours fishing in UK offshore MPAs. And almost a third (32%) of the UK’s Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have no fishing restrictions across the majority of their site, meaning 122 of these ‘protected’ areas are substantially open to all kinds of destructive fishing 365 days a year.

‘All At Sea’ is released at the start of the United Nations COP 15 Biodiversity Conference in Canada, which kicked off on Wednesday 7 December. The report highlights that the UK’s network of Marine Protected Areas covers 38% of domestic waters and represents the vast majority of the UK’s range of marine habitats. This means that if ministers gradually increased fishing restrictions across the entire network, as well as upgrading some MPAs to Highly Protected Marine Areas, they would reach the goal of fully or highly protecting 30% of the UK oceans by 2030.

Greenpeace UK’s oceans campaigners say that the lack of effective protection in the MPA network means that, despite extensive designations on paper, the government is an alarmingly long way from reaching ‘30×30’. The Marine Management Organisation’s (MMO) current byelaws approach for protecting offshore English MPAs, whereby partial protections of MPAs are implemented on a site-by-site basis, is too slow and piecemeal to address the scale of the crisis. 

Environment Secretary Therese Coffey, who is attending COP 15 with DEFRA Minister Lord Benyon and FCDO Minister Zac Goldsmith, recently described the event as “the most important conference of the year”.  The UK delegation has promised it will “strive for an ambitious agreement that includes a global 30×30 target”.

Greenpeace UK has set out a step-by-step roadmap for the government to reach its target of 30% protection of English waters by 2030, which begins with: 

Using post-Brexit powers to apply variations to commercial fishing licences to immediately exclude all destructive industrial fishing from all offshore Marine Protected Areas; 

Setting all catch limits at or below maximum sustainable yield.

This would kick-start a process to ban the vast majority of fishing in English MPAs over the next seven years – alongside transitioning some existing MPAs to Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs) to cover 10% of UK waters – to meet the goal of fully or highly protecting 30% of England’s seas by 2030. Westminster also needs to work with devolved governments to create the same level of protection in Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish waters. On top of that, Greenpeace is also urging ministers to provide more support to small-scale fishers and coastal communities.

Anna Diski, Greenpeace UK Oceans Campaigner, said: “Therese Coffey is at a major global summit right now to urge other nations to strengthen ocean protection, but in the UK we don’t have our own house in order. Our potentially world-leading network of Marine Protected Areas are still just lines on a map, as threadbare regulation allows harmful industrial fishing to continue relentlessly inside them. At a time of climate and ecological crisis, this failure to properly protect our sensitive marine habitats is shameful. 

“Our seas are home to a startling breadth of biodiversity, which is being jeopardised – along with the livelihoods of small-scale fishermen – by the government’s failure to act. If the UK government wants to be a leader on marine protection globally, it needs to start by delivering 30×30 at home. That’s why we are calling on Therese Coffey to show true leadership on ocean protection, beginning by adding a condition to existing fishing vessel licences that will block industrial fishing vessels from plundering our MPAs.”

Celebrity chef, broadcaster and campaigner Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is endorsing Greenpeace’s All At Sea report. He said: “The government likes to present itself as a world leader in ocean protection. But Greenpeace’s report reveals the bitter truth: politicians are content to look the other way while industrial fishing vessels trash our so-called Marine Protected Areas, leaving next to nothing for our more sustainable small-scale UK fishermen to catch.

“Allowing industrial fishing to continue in vulnerable and vital marine eco-systems is plainly the complete opposite of marine protection. There is no good explanation for the Government’s lack of leadership, and their claims on ocean protection are continually proving to be hollow. So, I’m adding my voice to Greenpeace’s urgent call to use fishing licence variations to truly put MPAs off-limits to industrial fishing.”

New Marine Protected Area Created In Argentina

By Olaborede Olugbenga Israel

Argentina has now made the  land and ocean off the southernmost point of the South America country a protected area.

The Tierra del Fuego legislature has voted to establish the Peninsula Mitre Protected Area, which comprises 1.2 million acres (485,623 hectares) of land and ocean.

Yvon Chouinard, founder of outdoor apparel brand Patagonia and a longstanding advocate for the region, recounted his first experience there:

“In 1977, my friend Paul Bruun and I backpacked along the coast of Peninsula Mitre looking for streams to fish and adventure. We found old shipwrecks, kelp forests, peat bogs and sea trout in one of the wildest places left on the planet. I’m proud to have been a small part of creating this park at the end of the world.”

Peninsula Mitre is located at the eastern end of Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. Due to its huge expanse of peat, the peninsula is the largest area of carbon capture in the country and the presence of well-preserved underwater kelp forests increases the importance and biodiversity of this ecosystem. Various species inhabit, migrate to, and find food in its terrestrial and marine areas, including: the endangered southern river otter, the humpback whale and the Fuegian steamer duck.

Also, the area is home to some of the region’s most significant natural and cultural heritage, such as traces of the Haush (a hunter-gatherer people), the remains of shipwrecks as well as a plethora of flora and fauna.

Major conservation news out of Argentina!

Legislators in Tierra del Fuego have just voted to establish the 1.2 million acre Peninsula Mitre Protected Area – Argentina's most important carbon sink – a significant global climate win!

Marine Protection Congress: Participants of IMPAC 5 to undergo new COVID testing policy

By Kolawole Yemisi Victoria

Participants arriving in Vancouver, Canada from China for the 5th International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC5) holding between February 3-9, 2023 would be required to undergo new COVID testing policy.

This is even as travellers who arrived in Vancouver from China on Thursday were required to pack proof that they’d tested negative for COVID-19 within 48 hours of landing in Canada.

Health Canada says the new policy, which kicked off in Jan. 5, is in response to a surge in cases in China after that country lifted its strict “zero-COVID” measures last month.

Both molecular PCR tests and antigen tests are accepted, and the only exemptions are for people who have tested positive more than 10 days ago and within the last 90 days.

At a press conference Thursday, B.C.’s Health Minister Adrian Dix said he supports the federal government’s testing requirement.

“It’s about the issues around the spread of COVID-19 around the world and the steps we can take to limit the risk,” Dix said.

Some medical experts, however, feel the measure won’t have much of an impact.

“Even if there was a specific variant of concern that was coming from China only, the likelihood of you being able to control that with these kinds of restrictions or testing is very low,” said Dr. Alon Vaisman, an infectious disease specialist at Toronto’s University Health Network.

CTV News spoke with some of the first passengers coming off an inbound flight from China Thursday to see how they felt about the testing requirement.

“I think, to be honest, it’s a little silly,” said Jian Yi Dong.

He says the new rule led to a mad scramble before his flight home.

“That policy just started and we were not ready for that, it was very hard for us to find a place to do the test.”