Deforestation will undercut effectiveness of rainforest dams

Mongabay 13 May, 2013 Deforestation may significantly decrease the hydroelectric potential of tropical rainforest regions, warns a new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. The study, led by Claudia M. Stickler at the International Program at the Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM-International), used climate, hydrological, and land use models to Read More…

Icelanders seek sustainability double

Fish News EU Iceland Sustainable Fisheries (ISF) has entered its golden redfish fishery and saithe fishery into MSC assessment. It is the first redfish fishery in the MSC programme and the assessment will be carried out by independent certifier Vottunarstofan Tún. Golden redfish (Sebastes marinus) is fished year round but especially in the late winter and early spring. The main fishing Read More…

Warming sea temperatures drive fish stocks northward

FIS Sea surface temperatures in the Northeast Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem during 2012 were the highest recorded in 150 years, according to the latest Ecosystem Advisory issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Northeast Fisheries Science Centre (NEFSC). These high sea surface temperatures (SSTs) are the latest in a trend of above average temperature seen during Read More…

Some depleted stocks still can recover, others can not

FIS A new study by Rutgers University shows that fish species that have been overfished for decades can be brought back to health more easily than originally thought, once limits are placed on fishing. Marine scientists reported that a fish stock’s ability to recover from overfishing is enhanced even if it has been moderately overexploited for decades, possibly allowing for a quick Read More…

FAO appraises tuna fisheries worldwide

World Fishing & Aquaculture Approximately 40 species of tuna roam all over the world's tropical, subtropical, and temperate waters, and they represent a very important source of food and employment in both developed and developing countries. The global yields of tuna have been continually rising, exceeding 6.6m mt in 2010, an increase on 1950 yields by a factor of 11. The 2010 value of Read More…

Yellowfin tuna being followed via tracking map

FIS The World Wildlife Fund (WWF), in collaboration with the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), launched an experiment that is now providing scientists with data from pop-up satellite tags attached to adult yellowfin tuna in the Coral Triangle. Researchers can now follow the movements of four fish -- named Amihan, Badjao, Hagibis and Buhawi -- via a species Read More…

Work begins on controversial Cambodian dam

Voice of America As work begins on Cambodia’s biggest dam, those advocating against its construction have warned that the region’s rush for hydropower will have a disastrous effect on millions of people who rely on the Mekong River to survive. Last month, workers began preparing an area in northeastern Cambodia for a huge hydropower project, the 400-megawatt Lower Se San 2 Dam. The Read More…

US to boost cooperation under Lower Mekong Initiative

Tuoi Tre News The US will give priority to promoting cooperation with the Lower Mekong basin through its continued efforts to boost the Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI), a US official said. US Acting Assistant Secretary of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Joseph Yun made the statement at a seminar that discussed measures to expand cooperation under the LMI framework in Washington DC on Read More…

Forests at risk in Southeast Asia’s Lower Mekong Region

Voice of America Southeast Asia's Lower Mekong region is set to lose a third of its natural forests in the next two decades, according to a report by the Worldwide Fund for Nature. Forestry experts blame the current pace of deforestation on governments’ undervaluing forestry resources. The Worldwide Fund for Nature report, titled "Ecosystems in the Greater Mekong," said between 1973 and Read More…

Mekong countries push sustainability

Vietnam Net A prosperous and environmentally sustainable Mekong region would build a strong and united ASEAN and contribute to maintaining peace, stability, co-operation and development in Asia and the world, Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son said at a meeting of the Lower Mekong countries held in HCM City on Thursday, April 25. "We believe in the Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI) and its Read More…