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Science
Minke whales have ultrasonic hearing.
Amazonian manatees have been discovered to have a new role: seed dispersers!
A solo dolphin has been found to be talking to himself in the Baltic Sea.
Fisheries
The failure to tackle overfishing has been a ‘political choice’. There is to be a Westminster Hall debate on the fishing industry on the 28th November.
New research shows that current management for Atlantic herring does not correspond to how the different herring populations are moving, raising the alarm around the likelihood of overfishing. This is not a dissimilar story to herring in the Salish Sea, which has received significant support for a moratorium on fishing, due to the stocks decline. Talk about declining stocks…ICES has highlighted the overfished Celtic Sea cod bycatch issue, and the MMO has proposed a king scallop dredge fishery closure in UK waters for summer 2025.
ICCAT finally came to agreement on new management measures for tropical tunas, northern Atlantic swordfish and western skipjack. In addition, the Faroe Islands and Greenland have reached fisheries agreement for 2025.
Iván López van der Veen has been elected President of the ICFA.
A fishing village in Indonesia is bearing the consequences of a mangrove ecosystem being ripped out to establish a new oil palm plantation.
British Overseas Territories
The Caribbean is experiencing the increased threat of lightening!
There are talks to dredge more than 12,000 square feet of seagrass to create a swim-hole in the Cayman Islands.
The oil field under the Falkland Islands is considered to be ‘even bigger than first thought’. The Falkland Islands has also opened a public consultation on the potential development of large-scale fish farming activities.
Antarctic protection is at risk following fishing disagreements.
A rare all-black penguin has been spotted on South Georgia Island.
St Helena and its extensive Marine Protected Area (MPA).
Marine Protection
UK Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have been described as ‘just lines on a map’, as they continue to allow bottom trawling.
Fewer than 7% of areas that are at highest risk of whale-ship collisions have protection measures in place. In addition, the impact of offshore wind on whale deaths is being explored.
A humpback whale nursery hotspot has been discovered in Australia.
Conservation
A soft robotic hand has been developed to automate coral cultivation, revolutionising coral reef farming and restoration projects worldwide!
The deep-sea floor teems with marine life, some of yet to be discovered…but how easy is it to meet the goal of finding 1,000 new marine species in international waters by 2030?
Salmon have returned to areas they had not previously been able to reach, following the removal of four hydroelectric dams from the Klamath River in the US.
Citizen scientists are key to enhancing IUCN species assessments by contributing crucial biodiversity data.
Conservation partners are supporting the Government of The Bahamas with the launch of “The Bahamas Debt Conversion Project for Marine Conservation”.
Climate Crisis
The climate and biodiversity crisis are entwined. The pressures from human activities continue to put strain on our marine environment; marine heatwaves are causing disruption to UK fisheries, particularly herring larvae, and sea levels continues to rise. Could an AI tool be the answer to help combat future flooding? Something needs to be. These changes in water availability, caused by climate change, could increase the amount it will cost to decarbonise the grid.
Concerns have been raised around countries appearing closer to net zero targets than they truthfully are, by relying on natural carbon sinks, like forests and peatlands, to offset emissions. COP29 ended with a climate finance deal of $300bn a year for developing nations…but is this enough? Action towards climate resilient development is urgently needed.
Melting permafrost is causing land to collapse and slide into the sea in Canada.
Fish caught by anglers from the River Severn have been discovered with blistering sores…could the increasing sewage pollution be the reason why? The new law has meant UK water companies will now have to provide live sewage spill data, bringing about greater transparency.
Are you confused by all the climate terminology? See these climate dictionary videos here.
Aquaculture
The Icelandic Government has increased the fee rates for farmed fish by 46% from early next year.
Scottish salmon farms are seeking to expand, despite environmental concerns around increasing fish deaths. Tackling sea lice was the hot topic at a recent Scottish conference.
NOAA has opened a public consultation which is identifying proposed Aquaculture Opportunity Areas (AOAs) in Southern California and the Gulf of Mexico.
Plastics
There was no doubt that the plastics crisis would inevitably end up a human health crisis, plastic pollution is threatening all nine planetary boundaries. What are the impacts of plastics on climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental pollution specifically?
Plastic has been found to reduce krill’s ability to remove carbon from the deep ocean.
Talks are beginning to finalise the deal for the Global Plastic Treaty.
Misc
The man who passionately fought to save Scotland’s Wild Atlantic Salmon, which he descried as ‘The King of Fish’.
Meet the Lorna Jane: a creel fishing boat powered solely by solar power and electricity.
See this week’s wildlife photos here.
