Whale populations around the world have been spouting their thanks to the dedication of conservationists who brought them back from the brink of extinction. The International Whaling Commission (IWC) have recognized that through the deployment of the Revised Management Procedure (RMP), some whale populations have actually begun the process of recovery. This new found … [Read more...]
Ocean wilderness ‘disappearing’ globally
Scientists have mapped marine "wilderness" areas around the world for the first time. These are regions minimally impacted by human activities such as fishing, pollution and shipping. The team, led by researchers in Australia, found that just 13.2% of the world's oceans could be classed as wilderness - most in international waters, away from human populations. Very few … [Read more...]
Is the Marine Living Resources Act being enforced in South Africa?
“We are very concerned about the national state of fisheries management and over exploitation. This is a disturbing global trend which we see manifesting itself locally as well to the detriment of livelihoods and ecosystem functioning. We note the court action with regard to the West Coast Rock Lobster and trust that this will help bring sanity back into the management of … [Read more...]
Fishing nets account for 46% of all ocean plastic
New York's top cocktail bars are facing something of a crisis. A fashionable global protest movement has nightlife venues scrambling to replace their plastic straws with more sustainable alternatives, such as paper ones, on the theory that doing so will reduce plastic waste in the oceans. It all sound virtuous - but in reality, it's likely to make matters worse. Straws make up … [Read more...]
Turning the tide on plastic waste
Cheap and versatile, plastic is used for everything. The problem is, it's also indestructible. As a result, it piles up in landfills where it leeches toxic chemicals into soil and groundwater, or ends up in the ocean affecting wildlife and getting into food chains. Approximately 268,000 tonnes of plastic float in our oceans - that's five trillion individual pieces. If … [Read more...]
Lewis Pugh swimming the English Channel to promote ocean conservation
World-renowned endurance swimmer, Lewis Pugh, is pushing the boundaries and stretching the human body and mind yet again, this time to swim the entire length of the English Channel. Called 'The Long Swim', the 560 km-long swim starting in the United Kingdom’s Land’s End and finishing in Dover is expected to take about 50 days to complete, depending on tides and … [Read more...]
Mining interests ‘stalling’ SA plans to protect more of the ocean
A global ocean protection group has expressed concern that plans to fast-track the expansion of Marine Protected Areas off the South African coast appear to have stalled. Plans to enlarge South Africa’s protected ocean reserve network have come to a halt, allegedly due to pressure from the oil, gas and extractive mining sector. This is the claim from Ocean Unite, a … [Read more...]
Krill fishing firms back Antarctic ocean sanctuary
The creation of the world’s biggest ocean sanctuary, protecting a huge tract of remote seas around Antarctica, has come a step closer after major fishing companies came out in favour of the plan. A global campaign – spearheaded by Greenpeace and backed by 1.7 million people – had put massive pressure on the krill fishing industry and retailers amid fears it was endangering … [Read more...]
Plastic Free July coming at Two Oceans Aquarium
This Plastic Free July, the Two Oceans Aquarium is getting even more serious about putting a stop to plastic pollution in the sea. An exciting lineup has been planned for the whole month, and the Aquarium will use its extended platforms to further mobilise individuals, communities, retailers, restaurants, businesses, and other stakeholders to commit to stemming the tide of … [Read more...]
Illegal sand mining threatening the environment across SA
Illegal sand mining along the banks of the Msunduzi and Umngeni rivers between Pietermaritzburg and Durban is posing an increasingly serious environmental threat. An illegal sand mining operation was also discovered last year at Table Mountain, along the banks of the two rivers between there and Inanda. Sanele Vilakazi, pollution control officer for Duct (Duzi Umngeni … [Read more...]
Save the oceans, save the world
A celebratory World Oceans Day event, hosted by WILDOCEANS and the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), was held at uShaka Marine Worlds’ Aquarium on the evening of the 8th of June. The event, which featured a key note address from the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) Deputy Director General Judy Beaumont – celebrating South Africa’s oceans and … [Read more...]
High seas fishing would go broke without ‘massive’ subsidies: study
Fishing on the high seas would be an unprofitable business, but for the billions of dollars in government subsidies that keep an often destructive industry afloat, international researchers said Wednesday. The high seas refers to areas beyond nations' territorial waters, where species like tuna tend to be overfished and migratory sharks - 44% of which are considered … [Read more...]
Bring Your Own Bag campaign aims to keep the seas trash free
Every year South Africans use approximately 8 billion plastic bags, and less than 1% are recycled. Most end up in landfills or the ocean. With the support of A Rocha “Christians in Conservation,” South African Churches have launched a campaign to reduce the use of plastic shopping bags. At the launch, Rethink The Bag campaign founder Hayley MacLellan shared stories of the … [Read more...]
