The small island nation in the South Pacific Ocean has designated its entire exclusive economic zone — an area about the size of Vietnam — as a multiple-use marine park called Niue Nukutuluea.
A huge marine reserve in the Pacific Ocean, almost four times the size of California, has led to the recovery of tuna and other migratory fish around its borders, according to a new study published in the journal Science.
A record number of Saimaa ringed seal pups were born this year, as tighter restrictions on fishing nets in the region led to fewer deaths.
Each of the 1,721 participating fishers will receive the equivalent of $10 a week for collecting up to 9 lbs of plastic waste from the sea daily.
Trawl nets literally sweep the ocean floor, turning a complex ecosystem into a desert.
Researchers believe that moving the shipping lanes just 15 nautical miles would stop hundreds of often fatal collisions between oil tankers and vast container ships and the whales.
The move is part of the country’s contribution to the global “30 by 30” conservation goal, which aims to protect 30% of the world’s seas and lands by 2030.
Since deployment in August 2021, System 002 (or “Jenny”) has now collected 101,353 kg of plastic over 45 extractions, sweeping an area of over 3000km2 – comparable to the size of Rhode Island.
The recovery of a large whale population is not only a glimpse of hope; it is also likely to have a stimulating effect on primary production in the Southern Ocean, enhancing CO2 uptake and carbon sink capacities.
In 2005, residents of the area took the unprecedented step of setting aside a 30-hectare Marine Protected Area (MPA). Seventeen years on, the area has made a remarkable recovery.
