State of the Oceans — Log 99

Sep 20

YOUR WEEKLY BRIEFING FROM PARLEY

This image by Gregory Piper. Header image by Rick Miskiv.

BIODIVERSITY

In 2010, 196 country leaders gathered together to set the Aichi Biodiversity Targets: a series of 10-year goals designed to preserve the world’s biodiversity, promote sustainability and protect ecosystems. At a global level, not a single target has been met, according to the United Nations' new Global Biodiversity Outlook report, though six targets have been partially achieved. We have significantly increased protected wildlife areas, but habitat loss, pollution and degradations of forests and wetlands remain high.

The devastation of the Earth's biodiversity will affect us all, and be particularly damaging for "indigenous peoples and local communities, and the world's poor and vulnerable”. Immediate action is needed, the report outlined some areas where we need to transition future sustainability efforts: land and forests, agriculture, food systems, fisheries and oceans, cities and infrastructure.

RIVERS

In a shocking finding by the Environmental Agency, out of 4,600 English rivers tested, all failed to meet quality tests for pollution amid concerns over the scale of sewage discharges and agricultural and industrial chemicals entering the water system. Just 14% of English rivers are of good ecological standard — a rating that suggests they are as close to their natural state as possible. This data is concerning as the quality of water has plateaued since 2016, despite a promise from the government stating by 2027, 75% of rivers would be considered “good” in health. Sewage wastewater discharges by water companies into rivers account for damage to 36% of waterways, and run-off from agricultural industries is responsible for 40% of damage to waterways.

OVERFISHING

A giant Chinese fishing armada off the coast of the Galápagos Islands has been found to have logged over 73,000 hours of illegal fishing in just the past month — primarily for squid and commercial fish species in the area. According to an analysis by marine conservation group Oceana, 300 Chinese fishing vessels accounted for 99% of all boats recorded. China is ranked as the world’s worst nation in a 2019 IUU fishing index, its fleet is regularly implicated in overfishing, targeting of endangered shark species, illegal intrusion of jurisdiction , false licensing and catch documentation, and forced labor. These massive and persistent fishing efforts are extremely detrimental to the fragile habitat and rare species of the Galápagos Islands, according to the report.

PLASTIC

The 116-year-old Electron Dam, in Washington State, originally put in place to protect Salmon runs, was recently recorded polluting the Puyallup River with micro rubber debris from old artificial turf. The turf has been used as a makeshift liner, with no permit for use granted. At least four to six cubic yards of crumb rubber – each piece about the size of a fat coffee ground – was released to the pristine river, eventually carrying it more than 40 miles downstream. Tiny black crumbs of rubber were visible along the river’s banks; in some places, hunks of green plastic turf hung on the branches along the shore. The dam has been known in the past as a “fish killer”on a river that is home to spring chinook, and other fish protected under the Endangered Species Act.

INNOVATION

Salt marshes are natural buffers against rising seas – dramatically reducing wave height and soil erosion, while protecting against climate change by sequestering large quantities of carbon. The Wallasea Island project in the UK is currently Europe’s largest coastal habitat restoration project. As the sea level rises, salt marshes become threatened as they cannot rise with the tide. In response to a study in 2018 that warned marshlands in southeast England could disappear by 2040 if the climate crisis continued, the Wallasea Island scheme began. By 2025, project organizers hope to generate an additional 150 hectares of mudflats, 90 hectares of salt marsh and 165 hectares of shallow saline lagoons using waste material from a high speed rail project – forming natural alternatives to dams and seawalls.