wildsingapore news: overfishing

Showing posts with label overfishing. Show all posts

Showing posts with label overfishing. Show all posts

Malaysia: Divers remove ghost nets, rescue bamboo shark off Malohom bay

Olivia Miwil New Straits Times 2 Sep 19;

KOTA KINABALU: The threat posed by ‘ghost nets’ — fishing nets discarded or lost in the sea — to marine life forms was evident recently when a dive and recreation team from Gayana Marine Resort discovered two bamboo sharks battling for their lives in the surrounding waters off Malohom bay here.

The team managed to rescue one shark, but could not save the other.

The resort was conducting a cleanup operation following the discovery of ghost nets in the surrounding waters of Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park (TARP).

Malaysia: 'Malaysians deserve to know why we voted against proposal to protect sharks, rays'

Olivia Miwil New Straits Times 27 Aug 19;

KOTA KINABALU: It was reported yesterday that Malaysia was among the 40 countries that opposed a proposal to protect certain species of sharks and rays from exploitation.

Tabled by Mexico at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) conference, the proposal which would require ratification this week, would see the marine species no longer being traded unless it can be proven that their fishing would not impact their survival.

102 countries voted in favour of the move.

Malaysia: Vietnamese fishermen targeting sea cucumber in Sabah waters

Norasikin Daineh New Straits Times 19 Jul 19;

KOTA KINABALU: Vietnamese fishermen are now targeting sea cucumbers apart from other seafood in Malaysian waters especially in Kudat.

State Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) deputy operations director captain Asmawati Mohd Tujeri said the agency was aware that there was a change of trend with foreign fishermen now focusing on the species.

She described the rampant catching of sea cucumbers during its recent arrests as worrying as the activity would destroy the marine ecosystem.

"We notice that the foreign vessels did not only take our fish but also aiming for the species.

"This is serious as they used metals along the seabed to take those sea cucumbers which would damage coral reefs,” she said.

Malaysia: Fish-bombing deaths - Agriculture Ministry waiting full report from cops

martin carvalho, hemananthani sivanandam, rahimy rahim, and tarrence tan The Star 8 Jul 19;

KUALA LUMPUR: The Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry is awaiting the full police report on the two Chinese tourists and their local divemaster who were believed to have been killed by fish bombs while diving in waters off Semporna in Sabah's east coast on Friday (July 5).

Its minister Datuk Salahuddin Ayub said that such cases were rare and he would wait for the full details from the police before making any comments.

"We will wait for the actual report from the police. I think the police can investigate it swiftly," he told reporters at the parliament lobby Monday (July8).

It was reported that tourism operators are blaming fish-bombing activities for the deaths, but the police have yet to officially confirm it.

Greenpeace sounds alarm over shark overfishing in North Atlantic

AFP Yahoo News 27 Jun 19;

Madrid (AFP) - Thousands of endangered sharks are killed each year in the North Atlantic due to a lack of protection against overfishing in international waters, Greenpeace said Thursday.

Fishing vessels dedicated primarily to catching swordfish in the area collectively caught four times more sharks than swordfish by weight with their long lines loaded with thousands of hooks, the environmental group said in a report based on findings from Greenpeace ship Esperanza which visited the region earlier this year.

"It is absolutely immoral to kill sharks and other wildlife with these terrible fishing practices," said Will McCallum, of Greenpeace’s Protect the Oceans campaign, in a statement.

Climate change on track to reduce ocean wildlife by 17%

Marlowe HOOD, AFP Yahoo News 13 Jun 19;

Paris (AFP) - Climate change is set to empty the ocean of nearly a fifth of all living creatures, measured by mass, by the end of the century, researchers have calculated.

In a world that heats up three to four degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels, 17 percent of marine biomass -- from minuscule plankton to 100-tonne whales -- will be wiped out, they reported in the US Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

To date, Earth's surface has warmed a full degree (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit).

Bigger fish and marine mammals already devastated by overfishing, pollution and ship strikes will see especially sharp declines due to rising temperatures.

Even in a "best-case" scenario of limiting warming to 2C -- the cornerstone target of the Paris climate treaty -- the ocean's biomass will drop off by five percent.

Malaysia wages 'war' on Vietnam trawlers

Adrian David New Straits Times 19 May 19;

KUALA LUMPUR: MALAYSIA has sent a strong message to Vietnam that it is fully committed to protecting its billions of ringgit of fish and marine resources in the South China Sea.

On April 25, Malaysia initiated a multi-agency task force to safeguard its 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) from poaching by Vietnamese trawlers.

Wisma Putra followed it up by sending a strong protest note to Hanoi, via its ambassador here on May 8, signalling its “war” against the marauding trawlers.

The task force is understood to have mobilised an assortment of maritime, naval, marine and fisheries assets and thousands of personnel, with “eye in the sky” support from the air force.

Malaysia: Man frees dolphin from fishing net in Sungai Kilim

Bernama New Straits Times 4 May 19;

LANGKAWI: A tourist boat skipper saved a dolphin that was entangled in a fishing net at the Sungai Kilim estuary here on Thursday (May 2).

Afiq Ali, 27, said during the 9am incident, he and a friend were heading towards the Teluk Mempelam and Gua Cherita beaches from the Sungai Kilim tourist jetty.

“About two kilometres from the jetty, I saw a wooden stick, used to fasten fishing nets, moving slowly in front of the boat.

"At the same time, I saw two or three dolphins swimming nearby.

Indonesia: Irrawaddy dolphin found dead in East Kalimantan river

N. Adri The Jakarta Post 25 Apr 19;

An Irrawaddy river dolphin, locally known as a pesut, was found dead in the Pela River in Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan, on Monday afternoon, it is believed to have drowned.

The 122-centimeter-long mammal, an endangered species, had been trapped in a fisherman’s net.

“Hopefully this is the last one,” said researcher Danielle Kreb of the Rare Aquatic Species Indonesia (RASI) foundation.

Hundreds of dead dolphins wash up on French coast

AFP Yahoo News 26 Apr 19;

Nantes (France) (AFP) - A record number of dead dolphins have washed up on France's Atlantic coast in recent months after being caught in fishing nets, the Pelagis observatory said Thursday.

"We've had around 1,200 small cetaceans along the coast" of the Bay of Biscay, of which more than 90 percent were common dolphins, biologist Olivier Van Canneyt told AFP.

The observatory he works for said the number of dead dolphins had set a record each year since 2017, and warned that the species could be wiped out in the area.

One million species risk extinction due to humans: Draft UN report

Channel NewsAsia 23 Apr 19;

PARIS: Up to one million species face extinction due to human influence, according to a draft UN report obtained by AFP that painstakingly catalogues how humanity has undermined the natural resources upon which its very survival depends.

The accelerating loss of clean air, drinkable water, CO2-absorbing forests, pollinating insects, protein-rich fish and storm-blocking mangroves - to name but a few of the dwindling services rendered by Nature - poses no less of a threat than climate change, says the report, set to be unveiled May 6.

Indeed, biodiversity loss and global warming are closely linked, according to the 44-page Summary for Policy Makers, which distills a 1,800-page UN assessment of scientific literature on the state of Nature.

Delegates from 130 nations meeting in Paris from Apr 29 will vet the executive summary line-by-line. Wording may change, but figures lifted from the underlying report cannot be altered.

"We need to recognise that climate change and loss of Nature are equally important, not just for the environment, but as development and economic issues as well," Robert Watson, chair of the UN-mandated body that compiled the report, told AFP, without divulging its findings.

"The way we produce our food and energy is undermining the regulating services that we get from Nature," he said, adding that only "transformative change" can stem the damage.

Mutilated dolphins wash up on French coast in record numbers

Activists say 1,100 dolphins found since January - but real figure may be 10 times higher
Kim Willsher The Guardian 32 Mar 19;

A record number of dolphins have washed up on France’s Atlantic coast in the last three months, many with devastating injures.

Environmental campaigners say 1,100 mutilated dolphins have been found since January, but the real figure could be 10 times higher as many bodies sink without trace. Activists warn the marine slaughter could threaten the extinction of the European dolphin population in the region.

The cause of the deaths is not known but it is thought fishing trawlers catching sea bass off the Atlantic coast may be responsible. Autopsies suggest the dolphins sustain catastrophic injuries attempting to escape nets or when trawler crew attempt to cut them free after they are caught.

Why kill these gentle giants of the oceans, nature lovers question 150kg stingray catch

stephen then The Star 22 Mar 19;

MIRI: Giant stingrays are being blatantly caught offshore northern Sarawak by local fishermen, and nature lovers are questioning whether there is a need to catch and kill these gentle giants of the ocean.

On Friday (March 22) morning, a local fishermen in Sibuti district, 60km south of Miri, publicly boasted about catching a stingray weighing 150kg in the South China Sea off the coast here.

He posted pictures of himself hauling up a huge stingray, measuring the height of an adult man.

Malaysia's plan to restrict export of fish twice next year unlikely to have significant impact: AVA

CYNTHIA CHOO Today Online 19 Dec 18;

SINGAPORE — Malaysia plans to restrict the export of five types of fish and shrimp twice next year — between Jan 1 and Feb 28, and again between May 1 and June 30 — the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) revealed on Wednesday (Dec 19).

It was previously reported on Monday (Dec 17) that Malaysia would be restricting the export of four types of fish and shrimp, and only in the first two months of the new year.

This had some fishmongers warning that prices of these seafood will likely jump by 30 to 40 per cent during the Chinese New Year period, TODAY reported on Tuesday.

However, the AVA said in response to TODAY’s queries that the export restrictions are unlikely to have a significant impact on Singapore’s overall seafood supply, as the affected species make up less than 10 per cent of Singapore’s total seafood supply.

Importers are also “well-prepared to tap on other readily available sources”, the AVA said.

Malaysia to stop exporting four species of fish and shrimp from Jan 1 to Feb 28

Today Online 17 Dec 18;

KUALA LUMPUR — A week after declaring that it may limit or stop the export of eggs, Malaysia has announced that it will prohibit the export of four species of fish and shrimp.

This is to meet the shortage in the market during the monsoon and festive seasons, Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Salahuddin Ayub said on Monday (Dec 17).

The Bernama news agency said that four species — mackerel, trevally, Indian mackerel and pomfret — will be prohibited from export from Jan 1 to Feb 28, 2019.

Malaysia: Sarawak govt allocates RM70 million for artificial reefs, structures

MUHD AMIRUL FAIZ AHMAD New Straits Times 12 Dec 18;

KUCHING: The state government has allocated RM70million to have artificial reefs placed between Tanjung Datu and Lawas, which would double as a protection against marine thefts.

Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Abang Openg said the man-made structures, which were used to improve marine ecosystem, could also serve as a buffer zone to block fishing nets cast by foreign fishermen at the Malaysian waters.

“The state government has taken such initiative to protect its marine sources from continuously being encroached by foreign fishermen.

“We have also have Beting Patinggi Ali declared as the National Marine Park.

Indonesia concerns about live reef fish trade

Antara 9 Dec 18;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesian Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Susi Pudjiastuti has expressed concern about the issue of consumed live reef fish which was very popular in the international market.

"The demand for consumed live reef fish continues to increase because of its huge economic value. It has even been demanded in a very large-scale industry. The reef fish is very vulnerable because it is easily overexploited," Minister Susi said in a press statement received by ANTARA here on Sunday.

Reef fish has long been a food commodity in great demand in various countries, especially Hong Kong and China.

However, the high interest and prices of reef fish have been creating an alarming trend of trade.

World's top fishing nations to be given millions to protect oceans

Bloomberg Philanthropies to launch major grant for coastal communities to improve the health of oceans
Hannah Summers The Guardian 29 Oct 18;

Millions of pounds’ worth of funding to tackle global overfishing and protect coral reefs will be announced at a major conference in Indonesia this week.

Politicians, marine experts and philanthropists will convene in Bali at the Our Ocean conference on Monday to agree commitments on how to address the pressures facing our oceans, including rising sea temperatures, unsustainable fishing practices, marine pollution and coral bleaching.

Bloomberg Philanthropies will announce a cash injection of $86m [£67m] to support coastal communities across 10 countries, including Australia, Fiji, Indonesia, Tanzania, Peru and the US.

The chosen countries are among the world’s top fishing nations, have coral reefs in their waters, or are highly dependent on fish for food.

Recovery of endangered whales hampered by humans long after hunting

Marlowe HOOD, AFP Yahoo News 7 Nov 18;

Paris (AFP) - When an endangered female North Atlantic right whale spends months, even years, disentangling itself from cast-off fishing nets, there's not much energy left over for mating and nursing calves.

Coping with such debris, along with ship collisions and other forms of human encroachment, have severely stymied recovery of the majestic sea mammals long after explosive harpoons and factory ships nearly wiped them out, according to a study published Wednesday.

Once numbering in the tens of thousands, the northern whale's population -- hovering around 450 today -- climbed slowly from 1990, but began to drop again around 2010.

Indonesia: Marine protected areas increasing fish stocks

Maizura Ismail The ASEAN Post 30 Oct 18;

Fish swim over healthy coral in Indonesia's Wakatobi archipelago, a thriving marine paradise, packing a bewildering abundance of life that supports 100,000 people and contributes millions of dollars to Indonesia's economy. (Rod Salm / The Nature Conservancy / AFP Photo)

Surrounded by severely damaged coral reefs, the fishers of Indonesia’s Seraya Besar, off the west coast of Flores, struggle to make ends meet. Year-on-year fish stocks have shrivelled as the damaged reef can only support limited life. If these fishers want more, they would have to fish further out, increasing their costs and lowering profits.

Armed with memories of larger catches and bigger fish within their local waters, the fishers of Seraya Besar, in partnership with a French non-profit reef conservation organisation Coral Guardian, came together to set up a locally managed marine protected area (MPA). Manned by a 15-person team, the damaged coral reefs within the 1,550-acre MPA underwent small-scale coral restoration, under which more than 26,000 corals were planted.

According to a report by the Ocean Agency, the outcome resulted in boosted fish stocks including protected species with five-fold hauls described by fishers. Over the past two years, the coral plantings have grown to form a natural-like reef, with the steel structure barely visible. Bigger fish like groupers, trigger and butterflyfish have also been seen taking occupancy.

Within the MPA where corals have been planted, the numbers of fish have grown from 200 fish per 100 square metres to roughly 1,000 fish per 100 square metres. The impact spill-over on human livelihood can also be felt in much wider areas, including on the nearby Komodo National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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