The World’s Largest Survey of Marine Pollution
Australia’s national research organization CSIRO is conducting the world’s largest study on marine pollution. She works with countries around the world to help them assess and reduce the amount of harmful substances entering the oceans. The project will involve the largest ocean polluting countries, including China, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Vietnam and the United States, as well as Australia itself, South Korea and Taiwan.
CSIRO Senior Scientist Dr. Denise Hardesty said the project will provide concrete information on the amount of garbage entering the oceans and real data collected from coastlines and cities around the world.
“Until now, we have relied on estimates of World Bank data, so this will be the first time that someone has put together a group of countries on their own to look at exactly how much garbage is going into the oceans,” Hardesty said.
History of ballast water
Brought to you by global partnerships, governments, researchers and other stakeholders, the publication launched on June 6 in conjunction with an event at the UN Oceans Conference in New York.
It outlines the main achievements of the GloBallast Partnership Program in collaboration with the United Nations and the Global Environment Facility. The project was launched in 2007 to help developing countries that want to reduce emissions of harmful substances and pathogens in ships’ ballast water.
Ballast water is a liquid, usually seawater, that is used as additional cargo on ships. The problem is that after use, it becomes polluted, but is sent back to the oceans.
Indonesia to make its fishing fleet visible
Indonesia has become the first country to ever release Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) data, revealing the location and activity of its commercial fishing fleet. They are published in the public mapping platform Global Fishing Watch and show commercial fishing in Indonesian waters and areas of the Indian Ocean, which was previously invisible to the public and other countries. Minister of Fisheries and Maritime Policy Susi Pujiastuti urges other countries to do the same:
“Illegal fishing is an international problem and fighting it requires cooperation between countries.”
The published data is expected to discourage illegal fishing and benefit society as public demand for information about the source of seafood sold increases.
Global Ghost Gear launches how-to guide
presents practical solutions and approaches to combat ghost fishing throughout the seafood supply chain. The final document is formed by more than 40 organizations from the seafood industry.
“Practical guidance can significantly reduce the impact of ghost fishing on marine ecosystems and prevent adverse impacts on wildlife,” said World Animal Welfare Oceans and Wildlife Campaigner Lynn Cavanagh.
“Ghost” equipment used for fishing is abandoned or lost by fishermen, causing harm to ocean ecosystems. It persists for hundreds of years and pollutes marine wildlife. About 640 tons of such guns are lost every year.