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Science
Can dolphins smile?
Sharks eat more sea urchins than lobsters.
A new seamount has been discovered 900 miles off the Chilean coat, home to more than 100 new species!
Fisheries
Many seafood products marketed as “sustainable” are not, the sustainability of marine fisheries for a fast-changing planet must be reconsidered.
The scientific advice for mackerel, issued by ICES, confirms a 22% advised reduction in Total Allowable Catches (TAC) for 2025 due to a 42% decline in mackerel biomass due to overfishing. This has sparked concerns with the fishing industry.
The UK Government has begun the rollout of Remote Electronic Monitoring on fishing vessels.
The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has announced a seasonal closure for the crawfish fishery in English waters, which will prohibit the catching, storing and landing of crawfish from 16th December 2024 to 31st May 2025.
France and Canada have reached an agreement on the distribution of Atlantic halibut quota.
The European Commission has implemented a joint recommendation agreed between France, Spain, Portugal and Belgium to close the Bay of Biscay to fishing vessels above eight metres for 1 month at the beginning of 2025 to ‘reduce incidental catches of dolphins and small cetaceans’.
British Overseas Territories
The UK has announced it will give sovereignty of Chagos Islands to Mauritius. The UK and Mauritius released a [http://uk%20and%20mauritius%20joint%20statement/]joint statement.
The famous beach in the Cayman Islands, Southern Seven Mile, has been lost to erosion and Tropical Storm Helene.
Monstserrat’s first national recycling and single-use plastic reduction programme is coming to an end, despite its success, due to funding challenges.
Listen to the podcast exploring the Falkland Islands fisheries here.
Marine Protection
The European Commission is being urged to pursue their complaint about Greece’s approval of offshore oil and gas in a crucial habitat for whales.
A family of killer whales have been directed back into deeper water after getting stranded in an estuary in Russia, resulting in the death of one whale.
In a world where over 60% of the global population uses social media, some influencers’ direct contact with marine wildlife has raised concern over the impact it is having on viewers and animals.
Conservation
A group of all-women scientific divers are monitoring fishery resources and the volunteer-run marine resources in Mexico.
Despite escalating conflict with Israel, volunteers continued their efforts to protect crucial nesting grounds for sea turtles in South Lebanon.
Humans have caused the extinction of hundreds of bird species over the last 130,000 years, leading to reductions in ‘avian functional diversity’. Furthermore, migrating seabirds have been found to carry harmful forever chemicals from polluted southern waters to the Arctic.
Overfishing, dredging and pollution caused the decline of Europe’s oyster reefs from an area the ‘size of Northern Ireland’ to now only cover a few square metres. Records have demonstrated the vast historical extent of European oyster reef ecosystems.
Climate Crisis
Why Hurricane Helene was so devastating and how the fossil fuel industry is ‘behind the violence of the extreme weather’. Scientists warn that a warming planet is amplifying storms destructive force to unprecedented levels. Most climate scientists foresee temperature rise exceeding Paris Agreement targets. Climate change is also causing algal blooms in areas they have never been before, whilst the Antarctic is ‘greening’. Wildfires will make the land absorb much less carbon, even if warming is kept below 1.5°C Concerns have been raised over what will happen to the stored carbon in Arctic soils as polar regions start to thaw from warming temperatures.
The EU is now considering postponing their proposed anti-deforestation law due to increasing pressure from agro-industry, and oil pollution in North Sea is ‘grossly underestimated’.
Environmental concerns have been raised over Brazil’s committed to dredge some major Amazon rivers in response to drought, and plans to build a carbon dioxide pipeline on the Isle of Wight have been scrapped.
How much are you willing to do to help tackle climate change? According to a new report ‘more than three-quarters of Scots consumers are concerned about climate change, but just one in 10 would be likely to change their purchasing habits’.
Aquaculture
An estimated 5,000 salmon have escaped from a salmon farm in Northern Ireland. The fish farm has declined comment whilst the incident is being investigated.
Could banning sea farms save Canada’s salmon? Disputes are dividing communities as the government plans to end open-net pen farming.
California is the second US state to ban octopus farming following concerns about animal welfare and environmental impact.
Plastic
Bangladesh has introduced measures to eliminate single-use plastic in a battle to combat their plastic waste.
Scientists have been tracking microplastics that get moved around the globe by wind and water to understand storm water management better. New research shows that most soft plastic collected for recycling is burned. Moreover, microplastic hotspots are forming in the UK North Sea.
A bacteria found in wastewater has the ability to break down plastic.
Misc
The results from the post-mortem examination of Hvaldimir, the famous beluga whale, have been released.
Listen to what oysters and pistol shrimp sound like in the Hamble Estuary.
A new article discusses the avenues for policymakers to improve the legibility and coherence of marine environmental regulation.
The wildlife and countryside link has published their 30×30 ‘2024 progress report’.
