Source: Seafood Source
The latest technical paper on catch documentation schemes from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), discusses how such schemes benefit, or could benefit, deep-sea fisheries by protecting them from illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
Continue reading High-seas illegal fishing thwarted by catch documentation schemes
Source: Nature Conservancy
Author: Maria Damanaki
There’s a proverb I’m fond of: “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” I thought of this proverb as I followed the recent UN negotiations around a treaty to establish international governance for the high seas.
The high seas—the part of the ocean that lies outside of any national territory—cover almost 50 percent of the planet, but as of now they are subject to few regulations of any kind. The proposed UN treaty aims to establish guidelines “for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction.” With three more negotiation sessions to come, the goal is to ratify by the spring of 2020.
Continue reading What Happens If We Don’t Protect the High Seas?
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 1 October 2018
The deep sea is a hidden and neglected area of ocean conservation. ‘Out of sight, out of mind’, work to protect the area is poorly funded despite being subject to multiple pressures from climate change, pollution, destructive fishing and the new threat of deep seabed mining.
A new grant from Arcadia[1] – a charitable fund of Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin – is, however, helping to change that. The grant will enable the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition (DSCC) to continue working to bring much needed attention and protection to the deep over the coming five years.
Continue reading Arcadia Supports ‘Out of Sight Out of Mind’ Deep Ocean
Source: Mining Technology
Author: JP Casey
From Rio Tinto’s bauxite operations in Australia to Nautilus’ Solwara 1 project in Papua New Guinean waters, the work of mining companies can have a significant – and often destructive – impact on local wildlife. Guidelines and legislation operating above the level of national governments could help to guide mining towards a less destructive future, but questions remain over their effectiveness.
Continue reading Urgent concern: how mining damages wildlife on land and at sea
Source: NPR
Author: Alistair Bland
The jury is in on marine reserves: They work. Research has repeatedly shown that fish numbers quickly climb following well-enforced fishing bans, creating tangible benefits for fishers who work the surrounding waters. In fact, many experts believe fishing will only be sustainable if marine reserves are expanded significantly.
That’s why some activists and scientists are now discussing the idea of creating a marine reserve so big it would cover most of the ocean. Specifically, they want fishing banned in international waters.
Continue reading Could A Ban On Fishing In International Waters Become A Reality?
Source: Hakai Magazine
Author: Marcus Woo
Recent research suggests fisheries closures would have minimal effect on global food security, but some scientists think the case isn’t so clear cut.
Far offshore are the high seas—waters beyond any country’s jurisdiction and the focus of a contentious debate. The high seas, which cover nearly two-thirds of the ocean’s surface, have recently seen an increase in fishing and other activities, such as deep-sea mining. To protect the biodiversity of this vast environment, delegates attending a meeting currently underway in New York are negotiating for a new international treaty, an addition to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Continue reading Closing the High Seas to Fishing Probably Won’t Hurt Global Food Security
Source: BBC
Author: Matt McGrath
These waters, defined as the open ocean far from coastlines, are threatened by deep-sea mining, over-fishing and the patenting of marine genetic resources.
Over the next two years, government representatives aim to hammer out a binding agreement to protect them against over-exploitation.
Continue reading UN Treaty Would Protect High Seas from Over Exploitation
Source: Le Figaro
Author: Marielle Court
Les négociations sur les ressources minières dans les eaux internationales s’ouvrent avec la biodiversité en toile de fond.
Continue reading L’ONU veut réguler l’exploitation de la haute mer
MSC Certification hearing to decide future of deep sea orange roughy caught through damaging deep sea bottom trawling
On Monday 24th and Tuesday 25th October, at the offices of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) in London, the future of vulnerable corals in the South Pacific ocean and the deep dwelling, slow growing orange roughy will be decided.
Continue reading Bottom-Trawled Fish Could Be Labelled For ‘Sustainable’ Consumption
Source: Virgin Unite
Author: Susanna Fuller
I’m planning a trip to St. John’s, Newfoundland this week and while I’ve been there several times, this visit seems more important than others. It was in that city, a little over a decade ago, that I attended a meeting with a number of scientists and began to get substantively involved in efforts to protect areas of the high seas from the impacts of bottom trawling.
Continue reading Why We Must Act Now To Protect The Deep Sea From Destructive Bottom Trawling
