Big Blue Bulletin #2

Seabed trawling, coral revival, and wildlife photography

Mar 22, 2024

Welcome to the latest edition of the Big Blue Bulletin – a weekly roundup of marine conservation news and updates. Expect good news, bad news, and an adorable ocean creature, in your inbox every Friday.

Let’s dive in 🐬

Ocean news

🗞️ Big news of the week -

⛴️ ‘Hoovered’ up from the deep: 33,000 hours of seabed trawling revealed in protected UK waters

“Analysis shows alarming prevalence of harmful fishing methods thought to ‘destroy whole ecosystems’.”

💧 Persistent drought is drying out Chile's drinking water

“After 15 years of a devastating drought, reservoirs in Chile are running dry, imperiling access to drinking water in the Andean nation.”

🇪🇺 Lawmakers vote to include shipping in plastic pollution rules

“Decision to consider maritime transport will be discussed next week by EU environment ministers.”

🥤 Massive new study uncovers over 4,000 toxic chemicals in plastic

“More than 400 of the chemicals identified are in every major commonly used plastic product such as food packaging.”

☀️ Emissions connected to top oil and gas firms may cause millions of heat deaths by 2100, study finds

“Global witness analysis suggests 11.5 million deaths could be caused by burning of fuel produced by 2050.”

🌊 Restoring reefs killed by climate change may simply put corals ‘back out to die’

“Coral reefs are dogged with endless sources of stress, from climate change and pollution to overfishing and unsustainable coastal development.”

🪧 Court ruling erodes climate activists’ ability to defend themselves – as the planet heats up

“Court of appeal’s removal of ‘consent’ defence means defendants on trial for criminal damage can no longer use it in England and Wales.”

🇵🇪 The Peruvian Court of Nauta recognises the rights of the Marañón River and the Indigenous communities as its guardians

“In a historic milestone for the protection of the river, led by indigenous Kukama women of Peru, the Peruvian Mixed Court ruled to protect the rights of the Marañón River.”

🐟 New fish invade the Adriatic Sea, threatening local species

“An invasion of the Mediterranean parrotfish is endangering the traditional catch and livelihoods of Croatian fishermen.”

🐢 Green lights on fishing nets could slash bycatch of sea turtles, says research

“Sea turtles are particularly sensitive to green light so they’re less likely to get caught up in fishing nets fitted with green LED lights.”

🏠 Buying a house? How to check if it’s at risk from sinking, flooding or dirty air from climate change

“Increasingly, climate change is taking its toll on the property market, damaging and devaluing homes, and driving up insurance costs.”

🌍 Humans are significantly changing ocean surface temperatures and seasons

“According to the results of a new study, humans are dramatically reshaping how ocean seasons change throughout the year.”

⛏️ Denmark Puts Deep-Sea Mining On Hold

“The Danish Commonwealth has agreed to pause any action regarding deep-sea mining on the international seabed.”

🏝️ New islands are being built at sea – but they won’t help millions made homeless by sea-level rise

“Over the past 20 years, many islands have been built to accommodate both tourists and well-heeled residents.”

🇧🇿 Oil, the Ocean, and Democracy — Belize Shows the Way Forward

“Belize passed a law in late 2023 requiring that any decision to open its ocean up to oil and gas drilling must first be approved by the Belizean people through a national referendum.”

🏞️ The potential of tidal wetlands as blue carbon ecosystems

“Tidal wetlands and blue carbon projects are at the forefront of climate change mitigation efforts.”

📷 A barnacle-covered football and a tightrope walking fox: British Wildlife Photography Award winners

“A photo of a barnacle-covered football has snatched the top prize in this year’s British Wildlife Photography Awards.”

❗ Ocean Action

✍️ Tell the government: Stop bulldozing our marine protected areas

“Bottom trawling is akin to bulldozing and can destroy wildlife habitats and communities in minutes, yet this incredibly destructive fishing is allowed in almost all our marine ‘protected’ areas.”

✍️ Stop killing our rivers

“Our rivers are dying – and factory chicken farming is fuelling the crisis.”

✍️ Stop deep sea mining before it starts

“The deep sea is a treasure trove of biodiversity and home to untold wonders and possibilities. It is also one of our best allies against climate change.”