Ocean planning and blue growth-related news and resources:
- US President Trump issues new US ocean policy deemphasizing conservation and spatial planning
- European Atlas of the Seas updates enable citizens to create their own sea maps
- European Commission releases first annual report on EU blue economy
- Handbook for developing indicators for MSP - with focus on blue growth - available
- Handbook for developing MSP visions and strategies also available
- New international forum on MSP to meet biannually
- Washington State (US) adopts spatial plan for evaluating new projects along Pacific coast
- White papers describe how ocean business clusters can promote sustainable ocean development and how to better engage the private sector in ocean governance
- Study analyses space demands for nine key EU maritime sectors and interactions between sectors
- AquaSpace publishes review of tools and methods for spatially allocating aquaculture
Climate change-related news and resources:
- Climate change will increase number of shared fish stocks, and potential for international conflict
- New research shows Antarctic ice loss has tripled in the last decade
- Commonwealth publishes 2018 report card on climate change impacts on Pacific Islands
- More than 300,000 US coastal homes at risk of chronic flooding from sea level rise by 2045
Ocean plastic-related news and resources:
- Chile becomes first country in the Americas to ban plastic bags
- European Commission proposes EU-wide rules to eliminate 10 common single use plastics and lost and abandoned fishing gear
- UN Environment publishes roadmap to sustainability for single use plastics
- Five G7 countries sign agreement to reduce plastic pollution – US and Japan bow out
- Recyclable materials piling up after China stops accepting scrap – 111 million metric tons of excess plastic waste expected by 2030
- Vox covers the rationale for and psychology of plastic straw bans
- Norway places the onus for recycling on plastic producers, and 97% of their plastic drink bottles get recycled
Fisheries and aquaculture-related news and resources:
- Global Fishing Watch expanding surveillance system to include light, increasing ability to detect illegal fishing-related activities
- US House of Representatives passes bill to make major changes to federal fisheries policy
- New study finds that many destructive high-seas fisheries only profitable because of government subsidies
- Study finds livestock farming less energy-intensive on average than most forms of aquaculture and deepsea fisheries
All sorts of other news and resources:
- UN annual report on sustainable development goal progress calls for political commitments, financial investment, and innovative technology to meet ocean goal
- WMO and UNESCO issue report card for world’s ocean observing systems
- Coral reefs prevent US$4.3 billion in flood damages annually
- New global, satellite-based coral reef monitoring system coming on-line
- Single company owns half of marine genetic patents
- Citigroup limits financing for mines dumping tailings at sea
- Public private partnerships are being used in marine conservation
- US NOAA soliciting ideas for North Atlantic ocean exploration expeditions
Also MPA News has updated MEAM’s Skimmer on ocean plastics. Read about new ocean plastics research since November 2017.
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