Endicott Island is a 45-acre (0.18 km²) artificial island located in the U.S. state of Alaska, 2.5 miles (4 km) offshore and 15 miles (24 km) from Prudhoe Bay of the Beaufort Sea. Endicott Island was built in 1987 and is used by BP and ExxonMobil for petroleum production. Endicott Island was the first continuously producing offshore oil field in the Arctic, producing around 20,000 barrels of oil per day. Approximately 423 million barrels had been produced as of March 2003. Processed oil is sent from Endicott Island through a 24-mile pipeline to the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, and thence to Valdez, Alaska.[1] In 1998 and 1999, illegal waste dumping at Endicott Island resulted in combined fines of US$1,500,000 against BP and Doyon Drilling, with further settlements of $24,000,000. In September 1999, one of BP’s US subsidiaries, BP Exploration Alaska (BPXA), agreed to resolve charges related to the illegal dumping of hazardous wastes on the Alaska North Slope, for $22 million. The settlement included the maximum $500,000 criminal fine, $6.5 million in civil penalties, and BP’s establishment of a $15 million environmental management system at all of BP facilities in the US and Gulf of Mexico that are engaged in oil exploration, drilling or production. The charges stemmed from the 1993 to 1995 dumping of hazardous wastes on Endicott Island by BP’s contractor Doyon Drilling. The firm illegally discharged waste oil, paint thinner and other toxic and hazardous substances by injecting them down the outer rim, or annuli, of the oil wells. BPXA failed to report the illegal injections when it learned of the conduct, in violation of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act.[2] Source: Wikipedia
The Nauru Agreement is a subregional agreement on terms and conditions for tuna purse seine fishing licences in the region. The Parties to the Nauru Agreement are Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu. This Agreement has 3 Implementing Arrangements which set out specific rules for fishing in these countries. Source: Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries AgencyNauru Agreement
Nauru Agreement Introduction
The Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) strengthens national capacity and regional solidarity so its 17 members can manage, control and develop their tuna fisheries now and in the future. Based in Honiara, Solomon Islands, FFA's 17 Pacific Island members are: Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. FFA was established to help countries sustainably manage their fishery resources that fall within their 200 mile Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs). FFA is an advisory body providing expertise, technical assistance and other support to its members who make sovereign decisions about their tuna resources and participate in regional decision making on tuna management through agencies such as the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC). Since 1979, FFA has facilitated regional cooperation so that all Pacific countries benefit from the sustainable use of tuna – worth over $3 billion a year and important for many people’s livelihoods in the Pacific. Vision Statement The joint aim of members of the Forum Fisheries Agency is captured in its Vision Statement, which states: “We, the Member Countries of the Forum Fisheries Agency, will enjoy the highest level of economic and social benefits that is compatible with sustainable use of our tuna resources.”
Updated Reports from many parts of the Pacific say the tsunami expected in the wake of Japan's earthquake has not eventuated. The tsunami generated by the quake rolled across the Pacific at 800 kilometres an hour, as fast as a jetliner, hitting the US west coast this morning. Thousands fled their homes along the California coast, but only two towns in northern California suffered any significant damage to boats and harbour areas. The US Coast Guard is searching for one man swept out to sea after he and two friends went down to the coastline to photograph incoming tsunami waves. A series of four tsunami waves hit the Hawaiian island of Oahu, but no injuries or property damage were reported. Many residents in Tonga fled to higher ground ahead of the expected 5:00am arrival of the wave, however Radio Tonga journalists say the waters have remained calm. In Papua New Guinea, authorities say there has been no sign of a tsunami, nor has Marshall Islands been affected. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre reports waves of between 20 to 70 centimetres were expected on islands such as Nauru, Kiribati's Tarawa, Fiji and Vanuatu. The alert has since been lifted in most parts, including the Philippines, Australia and China, however New Zealand has upgraded its tsunami warning this morning. Several Latin American countries are also preparing for the coming wave. Ecuador has declared a state of emergency and urged residents to move inland. In Chile, where an earthquake and tsunami killed 500 people a year ago, officials have ordered the evacuation of coastal areas. Peruvian officials say they are waiting until late afternoon local time to decide if they will order evacuations from low-lying areas. Many ports along Mexico's western coast have been closed and officials say high waves hit the coast but there were no reports of damage and the worst is now over. Source: ABC News Australia
