Week in Review: Poaching Attempt at Coco Island Uncovered, $$ Value of Paris Climate Accord and More

Sea Save Foundation BLOG

1. Poached Sharks Confiscated at World Heritage Site – Cocos island

On Monday, March 20th, 2017 Cocos Island park guards were made a gruesome discovery. They boarded the Jose Pablo II, maritime number PQ93, a fishing vessel that had not been granted permission to enter the waters of this World Heritage Site. Fifty-eight poached sharks were discovered on the boat and an additional thirty-eight were on an active long line. A total of 96 illegally fished sharks were taken into evidence.

This was one of the largest one of the largest apprehensions in the history of Cocos Island. The four crew members are being detained in the port town of Puntarenas during the ongoing investigation. Sea Save Foundation leaders have worked to help protect Cocos Island for over twenty years. Confiscated species are protected under CITES decision to protect Silky and Hammerhead sharks.

Read and View More (En Español)

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2. Paris Climate Accord Worth 19 Trillion Dollars

Slowing down climate change is not only good for the Earth, but it’s good for the global economy. In a recent report created for the German government, it was noted that investments in renewable power and energy efficiency would add significantly to the global gross product.

In addition, investments in clean energy could generate an estimated 6 million jobs.

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3. Kenya is the Most Recent Country to Bans Plastic Bags

Roughly 100 million plastic bags are distributed by supermarkets every year in Kenya, but that is about to change. Kenya is the most recent country to ban the “manufacture and import of all plastic bags used for commercial and household packaging.” They join Cameroon, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Mauritania, and Malawi in Africa who have also banned plastic bags. It is estimated that eight million tons of plastics enter our oceans every year, and by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans.

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4. Superpods of Humpback Whales Are Puzzling Scientists

Pods ranging from 20 to 200 humpback whales have been observed off the southwest tip of South Africa. Scientists are puzzled as to why these “superpods” are forming. Humpback whales typically gather in groups of under a dozen whales. The humpback whales are feeding in the area at a time (late summer) when they would usually be on their way to Antarctica.

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5. Sharks Worth More Alive Than Dead

According to a recent study conducted by Oceana, a shark is worth two hundred times more alive than dead Shark tourism in Florida during 2016 brought in more then $221 million dollars and supported at least 3,700 jobs. Nationwide sales of shark fins are worth just over $1 million dollars annually. The U.S. bans shark finning (if you catch a shark you must land the shark whole) and 11 states specifically ban the sale of shark fins. Sea Save Foundation has worked tirelessly in promoting the state and now federal shark fin sale bans.

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6. Industrious Sea Otters- More than Meets the Eye

In a recent study published by the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, researchers concluded that sea otters are more intelligent than previously thought. It was believed that there was a common lineage between sea otters and Indio-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, however, the new study nullifies this idea. It has found that the use of tools by sea otters is innate and there is only a very small chance of linking it to genetic ties.

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7. EPA Cuts Gut its Core Mission

U.S. Senators protested the proposed EPA cuts this week in Washington D.C. “If enacted, this funding cut would effectively eliminate the EPA’s ability to execute its core mission to protect public health and ensure that citizens have clean air, clean water and are protected from hazardous waste and contaminants.” Programs on the chopping block include the cleanup of Puget Sound, the cleanup of San Francisco Bay and the ChesapeakeBay and many other fundamental ocean related programs.

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8. Could Sea Snail Venom be Next Medical Breakthrough?

New preliminary research from the University of Utah may have found that sea snails may hold the key to an alternative opioid prescription. Current studies are moving towards using mother nature as a medicine cabinet for safer and more effective ways to create alternatives that will replace more dangerous drugs.

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Sea Save Foundation is committed to raising awareness of marine conservation. The Week in Review is a team effort produced by the Sea Save staff to provide a weekly summary of the latest in marine research, policy, and news.

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