1. Offshore Oil Drilling May Start Soon in the Atlantic Ocean
Seismic surveys in the Atlantic Ocean are being moved forward by the Trump administration. Seismic surveys use loud airguns to search for oil deposits under the ocean floor. The sounds can injure or kill wildlife. Six energy companies are seeking permits, all who had been rejected by the Obama administration.
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2. Four More Chinese Airlines Ban Shark Fin Shipments
Joining the 60 worldwide shipping companies that have banned shipments of shark fins are four airlines in China; China Eastern Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, China Cargo Airlines and China United Airlines. Each year an estimated 73-100 million sharks are caught for their fins. The only major airline in China not to ban shark fin shipments is Hainan Airlines.
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3. Costa Rican Market Open to Shark Fin Exports?
Costa Rican conservationists say that an executive decree will open their markets to shark fin (particularly hammerhead) exports. “The (conservation) groups decried the Costa Rican President’s decree that grants sole mandate to authorize exports to the Costa Rican Fisheries and Aquaculture Institute (Incopesca), saying the agency is controlled by commercial fisheries and fishermen interests.”
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4. 37 Million Pieces of Plastic Found on Remote South Pacific Island
Henderson Island, in the South Pacific, is thousands of miles away from any human communities, yet thirty-seven million pieces of plastic were found along its shores. “It’s the highest density of debris reported anywhere in the world, scientists say.” It is estimated that the plastic trash weighs seventeen tons. Plastic pollution is a major issue facing our oceans today and finding so much of it on a remote island proves it.
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5. Yellow-eyed Penguins On Verge of Extinction Due to Climate Change
New Zealand’s yellow-eyed penguins could become extinct on their mainland by 2060. This is due to many factors, including rising sea temperatures which reduce spawning in the fish they eat. They also get caught as bycatch in fishing nets, have habitat destruction due to humans, and die from unknown toxins.
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