Horizons

All at seaA golden opportunity missed was how Monica Verbeek, fisheries policy officer for Seas at Risk, the international federation of marine environment groups, described the results of the first meeting of environment ministers from the North-East Atlantic region and the Baltic states.

The ministers representing the OSPAR (Oslo-Paris Commission for the Protection of the North-East Atlantic) and HELCOM (Helsinki Commission for the Protection of the Baltic Marine Environment) agreed to establish a network of marine protected areas by 2010 at a meeting in Bremen, Germany last month. However, crucially, they made no moves to protect those areas from shipping and fisheries, the two main threats to the European seas.

The environment ministers didn't attempt to curb commercial fishing either, in spite of the fact that 90 per cent of large predator fish have been removed from the world's oceans, and cod in the North Sea is on the verge of commercial extinction. Environmentalists will be hoping for more action at the forthcoming European Marine Strategy. Check out www.seas-at-risk.org, www.helcom.fi and www.ospar.org.

Poems for the trees

Seeing the Wood and the Trees (€11.99) is a new anthology of poems about trees from Forest Friends Ireland/Cairde Na Coille. Edited by Rosemarie Rowley and John Haughton, it is a rich mix of poems from novice and established poets. Also included is The Forest of Children Dreaming, a body of poems from children involved in a tree planting project in Ballyfermot, Dublin. The book is funded by the Finglas Environmental Heritage Project. www.cairdenacoille.org

Feasta summer course

Finding a strategy for change will be one of the key issues discussed at the Feasta summer course in Rossbeigh, Co Kerry from August 17th to 21st. Leading thinkers on sustainability including Folke Gunter, Samir Rihani, Richard Douthwaite and Ivor Browne will contribute. The course costs €500 (including board and lodging). More information on Feasta, the foundation for the economics of sustainability, on www.feasta.org or by calling 01-4912773. E-mail: feasta@anu.ie.

All at sea

A golden opportunity missed was how Monica Verbeek, fisheries policy officer for Seas at Risk, the international federation of marine environment groups, described the results of the first meeting of environment ministers from the North-East Atlantic region and the Baltic states. Calling all hardy individuals keen to get involved in strong physical work in beautiful surroundings. Groundwork's Rhododendron clearance summer camps continue until September in the National Parks in Co Kerry and Co Donegal. The cost for participating is €25 for one week and €38 for two, which includes food and accommodation. Work camps begin and end on Sundays with five weekdays spent working in the woods while weekends are for exploring the National Parks. Call 01-6604530 for more details or log on to www.groundwork.ie.

A wild birthday

Happy fourth birthday to Wild Ireland magazine, the informative and tastefully produced bi-monthly magazine about our natural heritage that the Horizons column is always keen to get its hands on. Check out www.wildireland.com.