Fisheries
A new study estimates that the impacts of bottom trawling in Europe cost roughly 90 times more than the industry earns, mainly driven by carbon release and damage to marine habitats.
The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) has released its latest scientific advice assessing the status of sprat, herring and salmon populations.
UK Overseas Territories
A report has revealed that Gibraltar has been discharging untreated sewage into the Mediterranean for many years due to insufficient wastewater treatment infrastructure, leading to ongoing marine pollution.
Following the severe worldwide coral bleaching in 2023, reefs around Little Cayman are beginning to improve, with increased coral growth linked to effective conservation measures, hardy coral communities, and healthy marine life.
“For decades, coral reefs throughout the Caribbean have been suffering from disease, pollution, overfishing and rising sea temperatures, yet most have continued to grow – until now.”
Marine Protection
A recent study found that 73 per cent of marine protected areas globally are impacted by wastewater pollution.
Ten years of tracking whale sharks in Indonesian waters identified important areas for feeding and movement, leading to the establishment of a new protected marine zone.
Iceland is set to resume whaling this summer despite ongoing pressure from conservation groups to end the practice, while Norway is increasingly channelling whale meat into pet food as demand falls. At the same time, tensions are escalating in the Philippines over continued reef degradation linked to pollution and fishing pressures.
New measures to protect the endangered North Atlantic right whale could be pushed back until 2035 under a plan backed by Donald Trump.
Conservation
Artisanal fishing nets are capturing high numbers of sharks and rays in southern Senegal, many of which are at risk.
A scientist in Greece is working directly with fishers to safely release and monitor sharks and rays caught as bycatch.
Researchers have uncovered a vast cold-water coral reef off Argentina, potentially among the largest ever recorded, which supports a highly diverse range of marine life in largely unexplored deep waters.
A report warns that Norwegian salmon farms are discharging waste into fjords at levels comparable to “raw sewage of millions of people”, raising serious concerns about widespread ecological damage.
Climate Crisis
A Reform-led government is a major concern for the renewable energy sector. “If you want to generate economic growth – and I think everyone can agree on doing that – then you need to invest in infrastructure and energy security.”
Authorities are investigating a suspected caustic soda leak into a River Spey tributary that caused extensive fish deaths, including salmon, and significant damage to the local aquatic ecosystem.
Misc
This week’s wildlife photos.
“After almost 100 years on the planet, I now understand the most important place on Earth is not on land, but at sea.”
Sir David Attenborough has shared an audio message expressing gratitude for the many messages of support and kindness he received ahead of his 100th birthday. See 100 of his most spectacular moments.
“He’s got such an incredible voice, a voice of authority, the voice of knowledge. He created the genre of wildlife television.”
