Arctic sea ice crisis: world leaders must cut emissions to curb Arctic heating
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Responding to reports that the annual freeze of the Laptev Sea is delayed, and is being driven by prolonged heat in northern Russia and the intrusion of Atlantic waters into the Arctic, the Clean Arctic Alliance reiterated its call to world leaders to take urgent action to slow Arctic heating ahead of this month meeting of the International Maritime Organization’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 75), calling for at least a 60% global greenhouse gas emissions, and a 90% cut to black carbon emissions in the Arctic. [1,2].
European Commission must stop France and Spain from killing thousands of dolphins, warn NGOs
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NGOs warn that thousands of common dolphins in the Bay of Biscay face horrific deaths in fishing nets this winter if the EU Commission does not step in with emergency measures to reduce bycatch, the single largest cause of harm and death to these dolphins today. Despite the legal requirement to protect this species and scientific recommendations [1] to close the fisheries responsible for the catches in this area, France and Spain are refusing to do so [2].
Commission shows some progress towards ending overfishing in the North-East Atlantic, but EU-UK negotiations will be the litmus test
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Seas At Risk welcomes the steps taken today by the European Commission to end overfishing in the North-East Atlantic for some of the stocks fished by the EU only. Regrettably, it did not follow scientific advice for all stocks, specifically for pollack in the Bay of Biscay and Iberian waters, or sole in the west of Ireland, which runs counter to the EU legal obligation to end overfishing of all EU fish stocks by 2020
France fails to prevent thousands of dolphin deaths, challenging law and science
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90,000 dolphins have died in fishing nets in the northeast Atlantic in the past 30 years. Shockingly, more than 18,500 of these died in the past two years alone,in French waters in the Bay of Biscay. With peak strandings occurring between December and March each year, no measures are in place to prevent unnecessary dolphin bycatch and death this coming winter.
UN shipping body fails to implement its own greenhouse gas reduction plan
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Hopes for bold action to reduce the global shipping sector’s huge greenhouse gas emissions were dashed this week when a ‘business as usual’ draft text was approved.
EU and UK must ensure protection of deep-sea fish in Northeast Atlantic
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Responding to the European Commission’s proposal for deep sea fishing limits for 2021-2022, published today [1], NGOs welcome the positive steps towards following scientific advice. However, the proposal does not go far enough to ensure protection and allow the recovery of these very sensitive and unique species, some of which are the most vulnerable known to humankind. NGOs urge European decision-makers to set fishing limits for deep sea fish populations in line with scientific advice, the precautionary approach and considering the negative impact of fishing for these species on fragile deep-sea ecosystems [2].
NGOs welcome EU Fisheries Ministers setting more Baltic fishing limits in line with science, but ecological crisis not averted
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Environmental NGOs this morning welcomed the decision of EU Fisheries Ministers to set Baltic fishing limits for 2021 in accordance with scientific advice for eight of ten fish populations in the Baltic, but reflect that this result is largely due to the strong position of the European Commission, and warn that today’s result is still not enough to save the herring, cod or Baltic Sea ecosystem and communities that depend on them [1].
Deep Sea Tv - a celebration of the deep sea
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The Deep Sea Conservation Coalition – of which Seas At Risk is a steering member - recently hosted Deep Sea TV, an online event that kicked off the first Deep Week, a whole week dedicated to celebrating the deep sea.
We cannot mine our way out of the climate crisis - Open letter to the European Commission
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Seas at Risk, together with over 230 civil society organisations, communities and academics, has signed an open letter urging the European Commission to realign strategies on raw materials with the interests of the planet and communities.
World leaders pledge to reverse nature loss by the end of the decade
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More than 60+ Heads of State and Government, including the leaders of five of the world’s largest economies, endorse the Leaders’ Pledge for Nature, committing to decisive action on nature to protect human and planetary health.
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