15 Jun 2024

Iceland’s government has issued a licence to hunt whales. The licence for the 2024 hunting season allows the Hvalur company to kill 128 fin whales. The government said the company was now permitted to hunt “99 whales in the Greenland/West Iceland region and 29 whales in the East Iceland/Faroe Islands region, totalling 128 whales”. A […]

11 Jun 2024

Following the ceremonies of the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings, the President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron hosted the President of the United States Joseph R. Biden Jr. in Paris for a State visit. The two presidents reaffirmed several joint policies and initiatives, including those on Plastic pollution, Biodiversity and Ocean Protection. An […]

11 Jun 2024

Legislation has come into force today establishing permitting regimes for vessels to fish recreationally for Atlantic bluefin tuna in UK waters. The legislation allows for vessels with a permit to fish using rod and line, on a catch and release basis, following the resurgence of the species. 16 tonnes of bluefin tuna quota have been […]

11 Jun 2024

Limited understanding of basic ocean processes is hindering progress in marine carbon dioxide removal, with the on-going commercialisation of some approaches “premature and misguided”, say a group of international scientists. In a new paper researchers review the climatic effectiveness of four ‘nature-based’ techniques using marine biological processes. These involve shellfish cultivation, seaweed farming, coastal blue […]

11 Jun 2024

The National Ocean Biodiversity Strategy calls for a stronger, more unified and inclusive approach to ocean conservation. Written by a team led by the Smithsonian and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the strategy was announced by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. It represents the first nationwide strategy aimed at changing course […]

04 Jun 2024

A new study by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon models the influence of bottom trawls on sedimentary carbon in the North Sea. The researchers state that fishing trawls cause significant CO2 emissions as they stir up the carbon bound in the seabed and release it again. They also believe it is clear that they drastically affect ecosystems […]