ABOLISH SEISMIC BLASTING SPECIAL PROSPECTING AUTHORITY PERMITS (SPA)
A Special Prospecting Authority (SPA) is a specific type of permit that allows #companies to buy access to large areas of our #oceans to use #SeismicBlasting to search for #oil and #gas, and Carbon Capture and Storage locations below the ocean floor.
Seismic blasts are how the oil and gas industry surveys the ocean floor. Seismic vessels tow an array of airguns and audio receivers (hydrophones) behind them in the water.
• Tasmanian research found seismic blasting also triggers extensive death in #plankton, including #krill, which are crucial foundations of #MarineFoodWebs, from more than a kilometre away.
There is a proposal for seismic blasting over 45,000 sq km of ocean between #Victoria and #Tasmania by joint venture #TGS/#SLB-Schlumberger , which would see seismic blasting over commonwealth #MarineParks and #endangered#BlueWhale feeding areas. 🐋
More than 200 scientists from 19 countries want to tell us the Southern Ocean is in trouble
"We hope this “sea change” summary sets a new benchmark for translating marine research into policy responses."
"The Southern Ocean is a crucial life-support system, not just for Antarctica but for the entire planet. So many other bodies will need the information we produced for decision-making in this critical decade for action on climate, including the IPCC itself."
"The assessment stresses climate change is the most significant driver of species and ecosystem change in the Southern Ocean and coastal Antarctica. It calls for urgent action to curb global heating and ocean acidification."
A leading marine biologist the industry once relied on to burnish its environmental credentials has since denounced krill fishing.
Helena Herr, who studies whales at the University of Hamburg, was invited in 2021 by Arata's group to serve on an advisory panel. She accepted with the hope that she could help mitigate the effects of krill fishing on the Antarctic ecosystem.
She resigned after a year, disgusted by what she viewed as the industry’s narrow focus on the buffer zones.
“The more I learned about the voluntary commitment and its review process, the more I perceived the voluntary commitment as a ‘green-washing’ initiative,” she said in a resignation letter to her fellow panel members, a copy of which she provided the AP, using a term that refers to businesses making inaccurate claims that its actions are friendly to the environment.
Today, she believes that krill fishing should be banned.
Icebergs drift by, whale blows dot the horizon, and penguins dip and dive amongst the waves. All of sudden, a giant #supertrawler rumbles past, catching the foundational #species that supports all this incredible life – #krill.
This is happening every year. Antarctic krill are being hoovered out of the ocean to be turned into supposed health #supplements or used as feed for #FarmedSalmon.
These products then end up on the shelves of big retailers who are happy to profit off #Antarctica 's #destruction.
Off the back of our journey to the frigid waters of the #SouthernOcean in January, we've just launched a damning report that shows how Antarctic #krill is ending up on shelves all around #Australia and #NewZealand.
And we have a plan to take on the #companies that are selling it.
45 Minuten Interview mit einem Meeresbiologen, der zu den Besten bei der Erforschung der Effekte mariner Hitzewellen auf Ökosysteme zählt, und jetzt muss ich erstmal eine Runde spazierengehen. Ging unter die Haut.
@christianschwaegerl
Wer auch nur kurze Zeit darüber nachdenkt was es eigentlich bedeutet dass die Oberflächentemperatur ganzer Ozeane😱 signifikant höher ist, ganz zu schweigen vom Mittelmeer(!), und mal mitbekommen hat das z.B. Korallen und andere Lebewesen #Krill#Nahrungsketten empfindlich auch auf geringe Temperaturunterschiede reagieren braucht keinen Experten. Da braucht es nur etwas Vorstellungsvermögen um sich bewusst zu machen das "der Klimawandel" mehr bedeutet als "nur" Extremwetter und (demokratische) Gesellschaftssysteme genauso schnell zerbröseln können wie Korallenriffe wenn Nahrung und Wasser knapp werden. #Lieferketten#Ernten#Fischsterben
While krill have been spotted thousands of feet deep on the #seafloor, they also come up to the surface of the water to feed on #algae that absorb #CarbonDioxide.
While #krill are abundant, researchers have seen a downward trend in population size, says Bernard, and their distribution is shifting. #ClimateChange is one culprit.
#SeaIce is important for krill lifecycles, especially in the juvenile stage, but warming temperatures are decreasing sea ice in the region.
A 2019 study in Nature Climate Change found that krill had shifted the center of their distribution south by 275 miles in the past 40 years.
“People can reach out to government officials to let them know how important Antarctic conservation is, and reduce their individual #CarbonEmissions,” says Bransome. They can also look for ways to spread the word to their #communities about the importance of the #Antarctic and #krill. A good time to start is World Krill Day on Aug. 11.
We also need more awareness about the importance of Antarctica and the #SouthernOcean in general, she says.