Experts Appointed To Sargasso Sea Commission
This week the Bermuda Cabinet approved the appointment of three international experts to the Sargasso Sea Commission.
The three incoming Commissioners are Dr. Tammy Warren, the Senior Marine Resources Officer for the Bermuda Government Department of Environment and Natural Resources [serving a second term]; The Honourable Wilfred P. Moore, Q.C., LL.D. former Canadian Senator; and Mr. Frederico Cardigos of the Regional Directorate for Sea Affairs for the Government of the Azores. They will each serve a three-year term in their personal capacity.
The Sargasso Sea Commission was established by the Hamilton Declaration on Collaboration for the Conservation of the Sargasso Sea which was signed in Bermuda on March 11, 2014.
The Minister of Home Affairs Walton Brown said, “My Ministry is pleased to be leading the work of the Government of Bermuda in support of the Sargasso Sea Commission, which has already established itself as a unique and important player in its work for the conservation of the Sargasso Sea.”
Executive Secretary of the Sargasso Sea Commission Dr. David Freestone warmly welcomed the appointments.
Dr. Freestone said, “These appointments further strengthen the team of individuals within the Commission and we are delighted to have the continued support of Bermuda, Canada and the Azores.”
The Commission’s formal role is to act as the steward of this iconic high seas ecosystem and to keep its health, productivity and resilience under review, as well as to develop safeguard measures for its conservation.
The Declaration requires that the Commissioners themselves be “distinguished scientists and other persons of international repute committed to the conservation of high seas ecosystems that would serve in their personal capacity.”
The new Commissioners will work alongside current Commissioners Dr. Billy Causey, Professor Stephen de Mora, Professor Howard Roe, and Mr. Mark Spalding.
As of January 2017, the nine Signatory Governments to the Hamilton Declaration are the Azores, the Bahamas, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Canada, the Cayman Islands, the Principality of Monaco, the United Kingdom and the United States.
More details of the New Commissioners, information provided by the Government
Mr. Frederico Cardigos
Mr. Frederico Cardigos is with the Regional Directorate for Sea Affairs for the Azorean Government, and is Parliamentary Assistant to the European Parliament member and former Sargasso Sea Commissioner Professor Ricardo Serrão Santos, where he works on various ocean management topics. Mr. Cardigos was previously the Regional Director for the Environment and Maritime Affairs and the Director of the Marine Park of the Azores. Since 1994, he has worked for the Department of Oceanography and Fisheries and the Sea Institute Centre at the University of the Azores. His research covered topics including hydrothermal vents, invasive species, fish biology and animal behaviour, bioacoustics, and marine instrumentation. His work contributed to the development of a network of Marine Protected Areas in the Azores, as well as extensive legislation for species and habitat protection, and the finalization of the Coastal Area Management Plans. Mr. Cardigos has published over 100 scientific and science and environmental awareness articles in this field, in addition to technical/scientific reports and scientific posters. He received a degree in Marine Biology and Fisheries at the University of the Algarve and Master degree on Management of Nature Conservation at the University of the Azores, and contributes to environmental organizations including the Sea Observatory of the Azores, the Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds, and the Horta Naval Club. Mr. Cardigos was included on a list of the “One Hundred Famous Divers in Portugal” by Mundo Submerso, a magazine on underwater activities.
The Hon. Wilfred P. Moore
The Honourable Wilfred P. Moore, Q.C., LL.D. recently retired after serving as a member of the Senate of Canada for over 20 years and having a successful decades-long political and legal practice. In these roles, Senator Moore was involved in domestic law, policymaking, networking, and relationship building. In the Senate, he was a member of the Standing Committee on Agriculture & Forestry, the Standing Committee on Legal & Constitutional Affairs, and the Standing Committee on National Security & Defense, and encouraged debates on ocean conservation and marine species protection. Senator Moore was a strong advocate of the Sargasso Sea Alliance, and was instrumental in encouraging Canada to become the eighth Signatory to the Hamilton Declaration in December 2016. He was recognized by the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies with the 2017 Animal Welfare Leadership and Innovation Award for Humane Legislation Award for introducing a bill to end the captivity of whales and dolphins [while allowing for the rescue and rehabilitation of injured animals] to the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans.
Dr. Tammy Warren
Dr. Tammy Warren has been a member of the Commission since it was first established in August 2014. She is Senior Marine Resources Officer in the Bermuda Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Since 2011, she has acted as Head of the UK Overseas Territories Delegation to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas. She holds a PhD from the University of Liverpool.
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