November 14, 2014
Ocean Roundup: Gabon Creates Massive Marine Reserve, Indonesia’s Largest Manta Ray Dealer Arrested, and More
– A man accused of being the largest manta ray dealer in Indonesia (since the nation declared itself as the largest sanctuary for these fish) has been arrested by the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries and the Wildlife Conservation Society. Manta rays are listed as vulnerable under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Aljazeera
– This week, Gabon created an unprecedented network of marine protected areas in the region that prohibits commercial fishing in about a quarter of its territorial waters. The protections will span about 18,000 miles and protect 20 species of whales and dolphins, four species of marine turtles, and more. National Geographic
– Earlier this week, a federal appeals court ruled Shell’s lawsuit against several environmental groups as “novel” and unconstitutional. Shell sued a range of environmental and advocacy groups two years ago in anticipation that they would sue Shell over its plans to drill in the Arctic. Los Angeles Times
– Yesterday, Oceana, Google, and SkyTruth announced Global Fishing Watch—a new technology that tracks commercial fishing activity with satellite data. The groups announced the prototype at the IUCN World Parks Congress in Sydney, and say that it has uses for citizens, governments, fishery managers, and more. Wired
Op-Ed:
– Earlier this summer, Egypt’s president announced that he would expand the Suez Canal to about twice its current size, but the expansion is moving forward without any sort of environmental review. Because the Suez Canal is a major conduit for marine invasive species, scientists and other groups are ringing the bell on the environmental implications of this expansion. The New York Times