Ocean Sentry
Seals and otters in the Sound of Harris off Scotland’s Western Isles are in danger of being shot, poisoned, strangled in netting and forced out of their habitats if a planned fish farm goes ahead, environmentalists claim. Locals and environmental groups have launched a legal objection and a petition in …
November, 2010
October, 2010
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27 October
Pacific fisheries face collapse by 2035: study
Pacific island fisheries face collapse in the next 25 years as overfishing, population growth and climate change threaten one of the region”s main economic resources, a study warned Wednesday. The report, published by the Noumea-based Secretariat of the Pacific Community, said the two billion US dollar a year industry was …
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27 October
A fifth of the world’s animals face oblivion: Scientists fear ‘sixth mass extinction’ has begun
One in five of the world”s mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians are under threat of extinction, according to a major new stock take of life on Earth. The shocking study found that the number of endangered vertebrates, or animals with backbones, is still rising and that humans are largely …
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26 October
EU nations reject bluefin tuna quota reduction
European Mediterranean nations roundly rejected on Tuesday a proposal by the EU”s executive arm to slash the global quota for catching the lucrative sushi mainstay of bluefin tuna next year. Fisheries ministers meeting in Luxembourg made their position known three weeks ahead of an international meeting of fishing nations to …
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23 October
Transmission Of Human Pathogen To Coral Reefs To Be Studied By UGA Researchers
The spread of lethal diseases from animals to humans has long been an issue of great concern to public health officials. But what about diseases that spread in the other direction, from humans to wildlife? A multidisciplinary team of researchers at the University of Georgia has just been awarded a …
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22 October
US warns of record Arctic warming
The Arctic region continues to warm at an unprecedented rate, impacting people and ecosystems there but also affecting populated regions of the northern hemisphere, according to an annual report published by the US government. The Arctic, described in the report as the “planet”s refrigerator,” is experiencing record-setting high temperatures…
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22 October
EU may slash bluefin tuna quota in 2011: Spokesman
The European Commission may substantially slash its fishing quota for bluefin tuna next year to ensure the long-term sustainability of the endangered fish, a spokesman said Wednesday. The European Union”s executive arm is working on proposals for the next meeting of International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) …
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21 October
Six Months After Disastrous Gulf Oil Spill, Wildlife Still Suffering, Dangers of Offshore Drilling Ignored
Six months after the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico, spilled oil still fouls beaches and wetlands, birds and endangered sea turtles continue to suffer crippling effects, and the government has yet to deal with the significant risks that offshore drilling poses every day to …
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20 October
Coral deaths reach Mayotte, Comoros
Scientists find that the corals on the Comoran island Mayotte are rapidly bleaching, which leads to a death of the reef. The situation on Mayotte was “the worst seen in the Indian Ocean,” they report. The Tara Oceans expedition is currently cruising the Indian Ocean. Onboard are also scientists from …
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19 October
Man sues over ‘poisoning’ from tuna cans
A man who ate 10 cans of tuna a week for nearly two years is suing the US canned food company Bumble Bee Foods for allegedly giving him mercury poisoning. Lee Porrazzo, of Westchester, New York, said he and his friend Roland Muccini would make regular trips to their local …
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19 October
Massive Bleaching Killing Off Asian Coral Reefs
Coral reefs in Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean are being wiped out by what scientists are calling the worst bleaching event to hit the area in more than a decade. According to experts at Australia”s Center of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, the bleaching event was the result of …
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19 October
UNEP Report Shows Rising Threats to Marine Biodiversity
The environmental and economic health of the World Seas-present and future-is outlined today in a report that underlines growing concern from pressures such as pollution, over-fishing and climate change. The report, the Marine Biodiversity Assessment and Outlook: Global Synthesis by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) predicts that by 2050 productivity …