Norway’s Ministry of Energy has presented a proposal for the announcement of the first licensing round for deep sea mining of seabed minerals on the Norwegian continental shelf for public consultation. The proposal sets out the areas where the companies will be able to apply for exploitation licenses, so that exploration and gathering knowledge about whether there is a basis for sustainable mineral exploitation on the Norwegian shelf can begin.

Deep sea mining is expected to cause irrevocable damage to sea life, deep below the surface.

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The quinoa craze turned what was once a cheap, nourishing staple diet for Bolivians and Peruvians into an unaffordable grain for many of the poor locally. Read here about the dirty secret of quinoa. The appetite of western culture, and fanatic vegetarianism has increased demand for quinoa stratospherically: in 2013 the price of quinoa tripled from 2006 prices.

Prices have risen to such an extent that the poorer populations of Peru and Bolivia can no longer afford it and instead substitute for cheaper imported junk food. In Lima, quinoa now costs more than chicken and outside the cities land is increasingly being turned into quinoa monocultures.

Gaga for agar-agar

A similar story is happening in Morocco, El Jadida, with “red gold” a mineral rich seaweed used to produce agar- agar a natural gelling agent popular with cooks and professional chefs, used in pharmacology and cosmetics and an alternative to animal-sourced gelatins for vegetarians and religious groups that ban pork.

Over in Japan, agar is used for sauces, soups, jellies, and desserts. In the Western world, it is used as a gelling and stabilizing agent by meat and fish canneries, and in baked goods, dairy products, and candies as well.

In 2010 over exploitation pushed the fishing ministry to place quotas restricting its harvest, and today rising demand and falling supply has resulted in increasing export prices.

Agar-agar is an important gelling agent for people who cannot consume pork products, like Jews and Muslims. But it is also a staple for vegans.

Yet fishermen and are not seeing the economic benefits from these rising prices, research has shown that fishermen often sell the produce half the price pre-established by the quota  and are forced to dive deeper, with dangerous consequences  in the hope of finding this increasingly scarce, expensive “gold” (which by the way, currently sells at 0.4 USD per Kg- so not really gold) .

Killing Morocco’s ecosystem and society

Aside from the negative social consequences, overharvesting seaweed also has obvious negative to the local marine ecosystem.  Seaweed plays a major role in marine ecosystems , in fact they are considered “keystone species” since they are one of the first organism in marine food chains.

They provide nutrients and energy for animals, either directly when fronds are eaten, or indirectly when decomposing parts break down into fine particles and are taken up by filter-feeding animals. Seaweeds also act as filters by taking up nutrients and carbon dioxide from seawater reducing local coastal eutrophication and ocean acidification.

What was once ordinary red algae, has now become “red gold” with negative consequences on the fishermen and the environment.

We have to remember that nowadays crazes have a more significant impact than in the past. Globalization, increasing communication streams, increasing population, and rising incomes and the concomitant increase in purchasing power means that the decisions we make today have a larger ripple on effect on populations and environments that are far from our sight.

Using exotic foods, supplements and medicine to fulfill health habits, or becoming fanatic about not using certain produce may not be the answer to a more sustainable, global economy.

Looking at your own country’s tradition, local crop and seed wealth and medicinal herbs is just as efficient at supporting health and has a marginal and sustainable impact on local economies.  Like always, balance is the key and the solution lies right next to you.

Image of Red gold seaweed harvest in Morocco by Fadel Senna; image of agar red seaweed from Shutterstock

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“Corals have a symbiotic relationship with algae that live within their tissue and provide them with food,” Dr John Burt, head of the marine biology laboratory at NYUAD, told The National.

There are a variety of algae that have varying levels of heat tolerance, he added. So he and other researchers involved in a study initiated in 2011 expected to find that the algae within Gulf coral would be somehow different from other algae.

Such a determination might have explained why Gulf coral is unusually resilient. But that isn’t how the story unfolds.

It turns out that the study published in Marine Pollution Bulletin reveals algae that is the same as that found in other climates where coral has a low threshold for heat.

Speaking to Vesela Todorova with The National, Dr Joerg Wiedenmann, head of the coral reef laboratory at Nocs said, “We see that the algae are indeed special in Gulf corals but in a way that we did not expect.”

“Our results suggest that the algae are not solely responsible for the heat resistance of Gulf corals and that we need to look closer into other mechanisms that might render the corals more resilient,” he added.

In other words, Gulf corals are special. But nobody knows why.

Meanwhile, check out how underwater art is rejuvenating coral reefs in Qatar.

:: The National

Stock image of coral and scuttlefish, Shutterstock

The post Abu Dhabi Corals Are Tougher Than The Rest appeared first on Green Prophet.

Catching wild fish in the sea is now threatening to deplete many fish species from the world’s seas and oceans, including illegal tuna fishing in the Mediterranean Sea. With world population figures now topping 7 billion, an increasing demand is being made for fresh fish as a source of protein. This demand has resulted in an increase in fish farming, or aquaculture both in the oceans and seas themselves and in salt and fresh water ponds on dry land.

Aquaculture has grown significantly in North and South America, Europe, and in the Far East; particularly in Asian countries such as Thailand and China. Countries such as China grow carp; with China, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and India growing  shrimps and prawns. Norway and Chile are growing salmon in aquaculture projects as well. These projects were noted  recently in a news report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The report sent to Green Prophet highlights the importance of aquaculture in supplementing the world’s growing demand for protein, especially fish.

Netting high protein

The high protein content of fish, plus nutrition supplements such as Omega 3 fatty acids are vital to health and help prevent conditions of malnutrition, increased brain function, and deterrents of heart disease and cancers.

Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries like Turkey, Israel, and Egypt, especially fresh water species like Tilapia, known as “musht” in Arabic, is helping countries like Egypt feed its growing population.

An FAO report entitled World Aquaculture Growth 2010  goes into detail regarding various aquaculture projects being carried out by countries all over the world. The report adds that:

“Achieving the global aquaculture sector’s long-term goal of economic, social and environmental sustainability depends primarily on continued commitments by governments to provide and support a good governance framework for the sector.”

Even areas where land availability is at a minimum, such as population dense Gaza, are also engaged in aquaculture. In Gaza, a small aquaculture project is being carried out by a Gaza marine engineer and sea captain, Sohail Ekhail who has been trying to provide his fellow Palestinians with nourishing fish by operating a fish farm on the outskirts of Gaza City.

Ekhail’s fish farm

While growing fish in the sea may cause some damage to coral and other marine habitations, as occurred with a fish farm in the Red Sea, off Israel’s coastal city of Eilat, the ultimate solution is growing fish in ponds instead of in the sea.

Or in your own tanks inside apartment buildings, like one Israeli entrepeneur has proposed.

With this in mind, the future of aquaculture looks bright, and will help to feed and nourish an increasing world population.

::FAO

Read more on aquaculture and related issues:

Accelerating decline of world oceans: Why it matters for the Middle East

Seaside, Gaza Fish Farmers Grow Own Fish

Fish Farming Isn’t so Evil After All

Eilat Fish Cages: Out of the Frying and into Ashdod harbor

The post UN Says Aquaculture Could Solve Fish Collapse appeared first on Green Prophet.

Green Prophet speaks to Rima Jabado, a marine scientist working in the UAE on marine conservation

Following the tremendous response to our story on the UAE’s burgeoning fin shark trade (despite a ban on shark finning) we at Green Prophet have embarked on a ‘save the shark’ campaign.

Over the last month, we have interviewed leading figures involved in shark protection in the Middle East such as the Emirate Diving Association and the International Fund for Animal Welfare in the Middle East.

We explored a wide array of possible solutions to shark conservation such as empowering consumers to stop buying sharks, working with fisherman to halt the trade to changing attitudes worldwide through TV and film-making.

We caught up with Rima Jabado, a marine scientist who has worked all around the world, to find out about her research into sharks in the Arabian Gulf and the threat of habitat destruction.

Green Prophet: Can you tell us a little about yourself, why you work with sharks and your current research? Rima: I am a marine scientist and have worked in various locations around the world on various conservation projects including sharks, dolphins, corals and turtles. I have always been fascinated with sharks and wanted to work with them.

When I moved to the UAE, I realized there was little information on elasmobranches [sharks, rays and skates] in general in the region and decided to pursue my PhD to gain a better understanding of their status and threats to them in the region. I am therefore looking at various aspects of sharks and their fishery along the Arabian Gulf coast of the UAE and investigating the international fin trade from the UAE through a genetic study.

What is a normal days work for you? It really depends on the day! Some days are spent interviewing fishermen at the various fisheries cooperatives or landing sites across the country; some are spent identifying, sexing, measuring and collecting genetic samples at various landing sites; some are spent in the laboratory preparing field equipment, dissecting sharks or extracting DNA; and some are spent on the boat waiting for sharks to be tagged and released.

Green Prophet: Are sharks experiencing new threats in the Middle East? What are the major threats to sharks? I think sharks in the region are experiencing similar threats as in other parts of world. Targeted fisheries are the major threat especially for the international fin trade. However, they also face threats from habitat destruction and degradation.

What kind of findings have come from your research so far? I’ve confirmed 27 species of sharks from landings across the UAE and have determined trends in their distribution and abundance. My interviews with fishermen provided me a lot of information on the characteristics of the fishery, the type of gear used, trends in shark catch and the value of the various species.

I understand that you have overseen the dissection of sharks. What uses does dissection have for research and protecting shark populations? I actually did the dissections myself. I purchase two species of commercially important sharks from markets on a monthly basis to gain a better understanding of their biology, reproduction and feeding habits while collecting samples for parasitology, toxicology and growth studies.

The information provided will allow me to gain an insight on their life-history traits and provide information to undertake a stock assessment of these species. This information is crucial to develop management plans for their conservation while ensuring their long term sustainability.

Green Prophet: Are you hopeful for the future of sharks in the Middle East region? I think that there is increasing awareness of the threats that sharks face in this region. I am hopeful that with more research and a better understanding of the situation, scientists and resource managers can work together to protect the species that are most vulnerable while ensuring the sustainable catch of the remaining species.

::Save Our Seas

For more on Sharks in the Middle East see:

How Sharks Keeps Us Breathing: An Interview with Film-maker Jonathan Ali Khan

Working with Local Fisherman to Tackle Shark Finning

UAE Divers Organisation says: “Stop Buying Sharks and Shark Fin Soup”

Despite Ban, UAE remains Market Hub for Shark Fins

The post A Day In the Life of A Marine Scientist Rima Jabado appeared first on Green Prophet.

We speak to the International Fund for Animal Welfare Middle East about the need for stronger legislation to protect sharks in the UAE and how working with fisherman can halt the decline of sharks

Following the recent revelation that the UAE remains an important market hub for the Far Eastern delicacy of shark fins, and UAE divers trying to crack down on the trade of shark fins, we spoke to the International Fund for Animal Welfare about the need to end shark finning and the important role that fisherman must play in protecting sharks- for their own sake.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare was setup in 1969 is one of the world’s largest animals and conservation charities. The Middle East branch works on various projects such as training customs officers to help prevent illegal wildlife trade and promoting high standards for animal welfare, wildlife and habitat conservation in the region. I spoke to Elsayed Mohamed, programme manager for IFAW in the Middle East to find out more about their work to end shark finning.

Aburawa: How did the practice and popularity of shark finning emerge in the Middle East?

Mohamed: There is no exact information on the emergence of shark finning in the Middle East. Catching sharks has been a part of fishing activities for centuries but shark finning is not related to any local tradition here in the Arabian Gulf. The shark finning activities is practiced only for export of fins to the Far East to be used in shark fin soup.

IFAW was recently granted $7,000 from the Ford Motor company conservation programme to help stop shark finning. What do you hope to do with the money to help stop shark finning in UAE?

We are planning to organize a workshop about conservation of sharks in Yemen in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment in Yemen. The aim of this workshop is to produce recommendations for strengthening shark catch legislation and reaching a shark conservation plan in Yemen. We are waiting for a suitable time to start or preparation for the workshop due to the current unrest in Yemen.

Although shark finning was banned in 2008 in UAE, the shark fin trade continues unabated. Do you think that more legal action is needed or useful to halt shark finning for good?

Yes I think there is need for more legal action to implement this legislation and more legislation is needed to protect more species of shark from being over fished in general. But the important point here is UAE is used for re-exporting activities of the shark fin trade to the Far East. many countries in the region are practicing shark finning intensively either due to lack of legislation or lack of implementation of their legislation and exporting the shark fin to UAE to be re-exported to the far east.

Finally, what can ordinary people do to help stop the shark finning trade?

It is not the matter of ordinary people here in UAE or Arabia, it is the fishermen and motorboats owner who need to realise that they are depleting their own resource of sharks. Also it is not reasonable to prevent shark finning altogether, as the fins are a part of the fish and should be utilized like any other part of the fish.

The solution to this problem should be based on establishing shark catch quota for each species. Catch quotas should be based on an appropriate regional conservation strategy and monitoring regime for the species concerned and are not detrimental to the survival of the species in the wild.

Read more on sharks in the Middle East:

UAE Divers Organisation Says: “Stop Sharks and Shark Fin Soup”

Sharks Under Attack in Middle East

Despite Ban, UAE remains Market Hub for Shark Fins

The post Shark finning in the UAE appeared first on Green Prophet.

Although the UAE passed a decree banning shark fining in 2008, the Gulf state is still a major hub for the sale of sharks and shark fins.  It provides around 10% of the global supplies of shark fins.

Credit: Julia Spaet-  PhD student at KAUST researching shark populations in the Red Sea.

A fish market in Iran. Oman along with Iran are another two countries who are contributing to the decline of the shark population by taking part in the lucrative shark fin trade.

Credit:  Wojciech Kulik via picasa.

An Omani fish market where shark fining is still legal. In Oman, shark fining is not permitted at sea but allowed on land- conservationists have questioned whether this distinction makes any difference for the survival of the species.

Credit:  Keith Wilson via Picasa.

A single shark fin can fetch more than $1,300- in the UAE the price of shark fins are rising as the numbers of sharks dwindle and the demand continues to grow. A bowl of shark fin soup can cost $100.

Credit: Lookslikeamy via flickr.

Sharks play important roles in maintaining healthy marine ecosystems. As predators they help control the numbers of their prey so that they don’t grow to levels unsustainable for the ecosystem.

Credit: istolethetv via flickr.

A female hammerhead shark was recently killed along with its 45 pups in Dubai.  Experts believe that sharks are disappeared around the globe at an alarming rate with some species down by 90 percent. The hammerhead shark- like the female and pups pictured here- is one of the worst affected species.

Credit: PhD student at KAUST researching shark populations in the Red Sea.

For more on sharks in the MidEast see:

Dubai Marine Life At Risk After Devastating Shark Catch

Kuwaiti Sharks, Ecosystems and Exxon

25 Shark Species In Persian Gulf Need Urgent Protection

The post Sharks Under Attack In Middle East appeared first on Green Prophet.

Shark attacks increased a whopping 25% worldwide, including recent attacks in Egypt. In the 2010 report released by the University of Florida International Shark File, file director and shark expert George Burgess said that “the most unusual shark incident of my career” occurred in Egypt.

Related: Man killed by shark in Israel

The December 2010 Red Sea attacks, responsible for one of the year’s six fatalities, also led to 5 injuries.

Burgess gave several possible reasons for the attacks:

• Very high water temperatures due to an unusually hot summer;
• Sheep dumped into the water by a cargo ship after they died in transit;
• Divers feeding reef fishes and even sharks.

Overfishing may also have led to sharks searching for new sources of food.

Usually the sharks are not found so close to the shore. The Egyptian authorities killed two of the sharks thought responsible for injuring 3 tourists, but they turned out to be the wrong sharks. The most vicious of the sharks struck a second time, killing a woman.

Florida, where most incidents occur, saw shark attacks drop to 12, half its annual average. The US still led with 36 attacks. Sharks also attacked humans in Australia, South Africa, and Vietnam.

Burgess emphasized that fishing kills 50-70,000 sharks a year, to be eaten as a delicacy in soup. Humans are a much greater danger to sharks than sharks are to humans. Sharks kill an average of 5 humans annually.

More posts on animals and the environment:

8 Exquisite and Endangered Animals of the Middle East

Governor Bans Recreational Sports Fishing in Southern Sinai

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