Tag Archives: Environmental degradation

Boris Johnson urged not to cave in to ‘eco-warrior narrative’ over UK fishing

Last Friday, the UK Presidency at the summit marked “Ocean Action Day”, championing a call for action to protect and restore ocean health and resilience. In recent years, Downing Street has opened itself up to a variety of environmentalist groups, taking onboard their concerns and advice on how best to tackle environmental degradation. A large chunk of this has surrounded fishing, and the extent to which vessels operating in UK waters may be damaging ocean life beyond repair. Greenpeace is one organisation that has been at the forefront of attempting to influence Westminster. >click to read< 13:04

New Zealand’s largest salmon farmer rechecks results after half its farms failed to meet environmental standards

The Marlborough District Council has issued two fines and a warning after Cawthron Institute’s inspection of New Zealand King Salmon’s farms found five in nine were non-compliant. One farm in Pelorus Sound’s Forsyth Bay was even deemed “significantly non-compliant” due to pollution under its pens, caused by fish waste and uneaten fish food falling to the bed. Compliance was judged against a farm’s resource consent conditions and guidelines laid down by central and local government to encourage “environmentally responsible” aquaculture – both of which the Forsyth Bay farm breached. >click to read< 17:57

We destroyed the L.I. Sound in 50 years: an eyewitness account

I grew up in the farmhouse where I now live, and the place that always gave me solace and comfort was the Long Island Sound. Every time I went, there was something more to discover and see — animals, birds and fish in huge numbers, everywhere.,,, Fast forward to now. Most of the species of fish, birds, lobster, oyster, clams and mussels are gone – rarely seen or heard of any more.  The mussel banks that held the sand and helped against erosion and 95 percent of the eelgrass are gone. What’s left is a sewer of huge dead zones all summer and filth washed out of rivers and streams in Connecticut, chemicals washed off of yards, out of boats, down roads and flushed directly into the Sound when it rains, seeped into the water through old septic systems still being used — and overflow when the sewers in the western end of the Sound get a lot of rain or a pipe breaks. >click to read<12:34

Habitat: River Herring, key to coastal health, slowly returning to rivers

A little fish on the East Coast that once provided vital protein for American colonists and bait for generations of New England lobstermen is slowly making a comeback after falling victim to lost habitat and environmental degradation. River herring once appeared headed to the endangered species list, but they’re now starting to turn up in rivers and streams at a rate that fishing regulators say is encouraging. The fish is a critical piece of the ecosystem in the eastern states, where it serves as food for birds and larger fish. >click to read<14:06

Eelgrass Restoration program is underway in Boston Harbor

The removal of wastewater inputs, heavy organic loads, and siltation is very important to successful eelgrass restoration efforts. Water quality improvements from re-direction of the Boston Harbor sewage outfalls to an offshore site have resulted in a measurable reversal of  within the Harbor Read more here  10:20

Are Humans behind the Massive Dolphin Die-Offs along the U.S. Mid-Atlantic Coast?

Environmental degradation might be amplifying the effects of a measleslike virus, fueling infections that are propelling an alarming death count. more@scientificamerican 10:55