CRC’s Jennifer McCann Wins 2017 Benchley Award as Ocean SAMP Team Member

Jen_OceanSAMPJennifer McCann, Director of CRC’s U.S. Coastal Programs and RI Sea Grant, is the recipient of a 2017 Peter Benchley Ocean Award, in recognition of the Rhode Island Ocean Special Area Management Plan (Ocean SAMP) for “Excellence in Solutions” aimed at cultivating responsible ocean use and protection. The Ocean SAMP Team, consisting of CRC and the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council – which administers the SAMP for the management of resources in state ocean waters — was recognized with the prestigious award along with ocean planning entities working similarly in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.

See more at: http://peterbenchleyoceanawards.org/press.  

CRC Joins Hundreds of Fishers for World Fisheries Day Celebration in Ghana

 

Dignitaries at high table
Dignitaries at the high table: From left – Paramount Chief of Cape Coast (Osabarima Kwesi Atta II – with microphone in hand); USAID/SFMP Chief of Party (Dr. Brian Crawford); President, National Fish Processors and Traders Association (Mrs. Regina Solomon)

The Coastal Resources Center (CRC), through its USAID-supported Sustainable Fisheries Management Project in Ghana, joined many around the globe to commemorate World Fisheries Day 2016, centered on the theme empowering fishing communities.” The event culminated with fishing communities signing a pledge to promote and commit to responsible fishing practices, in Cape Coast; close to the Castle visited by President Obama several years ago. World Fisheries Day is celebrated every year on November 21. The celebration in Ghana however took place on Tuesday November 22; because Tuesdays are traditional fishing holidays for artisanal fishers in Ghana. The event was organized by the major fishermen and fish processors associations in Ghana and is by the fisher folk and for the fisher folk to express their concerns about declining fish stocks in Ghana’s marine waters and their commitments to support sustainable and responsible fishing practices to rebuild Ghana’s marine fisheries; the marine sector makes up approximately 80% of the country’s domestic landings, employs over 140,000 people and provides 60% of the animal protein in local diet. For more information, click here

US EPA Administrator lauds SFMP Smoker Initiatives during visit to Ghana

Administrator Gina McCarthy of the US Environmental Protection Agency, says 17,000 Ghanaians die annually from air pollution. “Women and children are more vulnerable; 200,000 children in Ghana keep suffering from air pollution. When children suffer, the economy suffers. It is therefore important and ideal to continue developing technologies like clean cook stoves that reduce air pollution.” She made the remarks at a public lecture in Cape Coast after a visit to a focal site of the USAID/Ghana Sustainable Fisheries Management Project – SFMP – in Elmina on Monday, October 10. The visit, forms part of a series of tours in Ghana, to foster greater collaboration and commitment between the US and Ghana Governments relative to climate change.  Click here for full story

“Fishing Communities in Ghana to Benefit from Micro-Insurance”

Coastal Resources Center, four others sign agreement

The Coastal Resources Center of the University of Rhode Island and four other organizations signed an agreement Tuesday, October 11, 2016, in Accra to provide life micro-insurance for fishing communities in Ghana. This initiative is under the auspices of the USAID/Ghana Sustainable Fisheries Management Project, a US Government Feed the Future Initiative. The initiative also forms part of a commitment to transform and develop Ghana’s Fisheries and Agricultural sector. It is also aimed at supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) for poverty and hunger reduction. Read full story

CRC Welcomes Graduate Students as Milestone in Major Effort to Strengthen Africa’s Coastal Management Expertise

Ghana Grad studentsThe University of Rhode Island Coastal Resources Center (URI CRC) is proudly hosting seven graduate students from Africa, with affiliations at several colleges, who are, with CRC guidance, pursuing URI master’s and doctoral degrees in varied fields to ultimately help build the capacity of their own communities to engage in innovative coastal management planning and practice. CRC is engaged in extensive coastal management and fisheries related projects in the countries of Ghana and Malawi; bolstering the professional development of emerging leaders and in-country practitioners is a critical aspect of the work — a focus emphasized by URI President David M. Dooley at his recent meeting with University of Cape Coast/Ghana (UCC) leadership to initiate a learning exchange between the schools. Funding for the graduate student effort is provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). While one student, Evans Arizi of Ghana, is already well underway with his URI study program, six more are embarking this semester. From Ghana: Rosina Cobbina, Ivy Gyimah, Vida Osei and Evelyn Takyi. From Malawi: Innocent Gumulira and Elliot Lungu. Please join CRC in extending a warm welcome to this student group.

US Ambassador to Ghana Urges Ghanaian Fisher folk to Maintain Children in Home Environment

August 12, 2016 – The United States Ambassador to Ghana, Robert P Jackson on Friday, appealed to fisher folk in Elmina, an important fishing port in the Central Region, to maintain children in their home environment with their families and offer them good education instead of trafficking them into child labor-related activities that affect their health and ability to develop properly in life. Ambassador Jackson made the call when he visited the fishing community, which is a focal site of the USAID-funded Sustainable Fisheries Management Project (SFMP), implemented by the Coastal Resources Center (CRC) at the Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island. Read the full story

Job Opportunity – Chief of Party, SFMP, Ghana

The University of Rhode Island seeks a Chief of Party (CoP) to lead the ongoing USAID funded Sustainable Fisheries Management Project in Ghana. Working closely with the Fisheries Commission and Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, this project focuses on rebuilding targeted marine fish stocks through adoption of sustainable practices and exploitation levels in Ghana. The Chief of Party, based in Accra, will provide overall program leadership, management, and technical direction for the SFMP Project for its remaining 2.5 years, through October, 2019.

The full job qualifications, responsibilities and application info are available here: CoP_Ghana_Sustainable_Fisheries_Management_Project.

Public Workshop: Protecting Newport Historic and Cultural Assets from Flooding Caused by Sea Level Rise

Associated Press Jim Davis kayaks through waters flooding Bowen’s Wharf in October 2012 after Superstorm Sandy in historic Newport, R.I
Associated Press Jim Davis kayaks through waters flooding Bowen’s Wharf in October 2012 after Superstorm Sandy in historic Newport, R.I

Event kicks off community-based historic preservation effort to address coastal climate change impacts on Newport’s historic properties

The public is invited to participate in a community workshop on flood protection for historic and culturally valuable properties on Newport’s coast. The workshop is scheduled for THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2016, 3-7 P.M., at Emmanuel Church, 42 Dearborn St., Newport, RI 02840.

NOTE: The public is welcome for the whole event; a general overview of the project will be given at 5 p.m. to ensure attendees arriving later in the day have ample opportunity to gain information. RSVP if attending by July 11 to ensure adequate refreshments.

The workshop follows the April 2016 Keeping History Above Water Conference in Newport, which explored historic preservation efforts regarding flooding from sea level rise a key impact of climate change. Newport hosts a broad array of historical and cultural assets, including registered historic buildings, and rising water and increased storminess is expected to threaten these over time. The University of Rhode Island (URI) Coastal Resources Center (CRC) and Rhode Island Sea Grant are facilitating the meeting for several community groups interested in continuing the conference dialogue. The event is also possible due to generous support from the Prince Charitable Trusts.

Science indicates that Rhode Island is more likely than many other coastal states to experience flooding over time from sea level rise, said Dawn Kotowicz, a coastal manager for CRC and extension agent for Rhode Island Sea Grant. Coastal development, including the historic properties and cultural assets that Newport values, is at risk, so collaborating on practical solutions is critical.

CRC and Rhode Island Sea Grant, at the URI Graduate School of Oceanography, provide Rhode Island and beyond with a variety of community-based coastal management and outreach services and programs.

For more information about the workshop, please contact Dawn Kotowicz at (401) 874-6152. Please RSVP. For media inquiries, contact Sue Kennedy at (401) 874-6107 or skennedy@crc.uri.edu.

41N Article- Oakland Beach-Building a New Reputation

Photo: Michael Cevoli
Photo: Michael Cevoli

Great climate change article featuring our own Pam Rubinoff and the work that she and Teresa Crean are doing in Warwick’s Oakland Beach! Excerpted from Forty-One Degrees North Magazine, a publication of Rhode Island Sea Grant & The Coastal Institute at the University of Rhode Island. Written by Jerry O’Brien, Photographs by Michael Cevoli.

Oakland Beach-Building a New Reputation