World Ocean Defence Newswire Archive

Organise and plan actions NOW to Free the Skipper!

Captain Paul Watson was arrested yesterday in Germany for extradition to Costa Rica. The German police have said that the warrant for Captain Watson’s arrest is in response to an alleged violation of ships traffic in Costa Rica, which occurred during the filming of Sharkwater in 2002. The specific “violation of ships traffic” incident took place on the high seas in Guatemalan waters, when Sea Shepherd encountered an illegal shark finning operation, run by a Costa Rican ship called the Varadero. On order of the Guatemalan authorities, Sea Shepherd instructed the crew of the Varadero to cease their shark finning activities and head back to port to be prosecuted. While escorting the Varadero back to port, the tables were turned and a Guatemalan gunboat was dispatched to intercept the Sea Shepherd crew. The crew of the Varadero accused the Sea Shepherds of trying to kill them, while the video evidence proves this to be a fallacy. To avoid the Guatemalan gunboat, Sea Shepherd then set sail for Costa Rica, where they uncovered even more illegal shark finning activities in the form of dried shark fins by the thousands on the roofs of industrial buildings.

A night of whalepunk to raise much needed funds for Sea Shepherd -  http://www.seashepherd.org/

In a new study marine scientists have warn that the rate of ocean acidification presently occurring is unprecedented in the last 300 million years. This is due to dissolving carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, much of which human activity has contributed over the last 200 years through the use of fossil fuels. The extent and rate of acidification enhances the prospect for a mass marine extinction event this century. Research in paleoclimatology and oceanography has revealed that anthropogenic climate change is driving Ocean Acidification threatening marine ecosystems.

Ocean acidification has been called the 'evil twin' of climate change with marine scientists warning climate negotiators in Durban of the necessity for climate mitigation action in December 2011, along with a statement on the IUCN website urging action to cut carbon emissions. New research in November 2011 from Australia's Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre showed the Southern ocean is warming and freshening.

Marine scientists warn ocean acidification is already impacting marine food webs which will lead to substantial changes in commercial fish stocks, threatening protein supply and food security for millions of people. The Northwest Oyster Die-off from 2006-2008 in the USA highlights the growing impact on commercial fisheries. The United Nations Environment Program estimates that 3 billion people use fish protein in their diet, with one billion people dependent on subsistence fishing as a primary food source.

Related: International Programme on the State of the Ocean (IPSO) | The Ocean in a high CO2 world | Takver: Ocean acidification articles | UNEP report - Environmental Consequences of Ocean Acidification: a threat to Food Security (PDF)

British peace activist and nobel prize nominee Angie Zelter is amongst those who have been arrested in ongoing protests against the building of a new naval base on Jeju Island in South Korea. The military base is due to be built on the island which was named an “Island of World Peace” by the South Korean government in 2005. Local villagers and activists have raised concerns over the environmental destruction of the island, which has several UNESCO World Heritage sites, and its potential to escalate military tensions in the region.

International organisations merge to tackle issues of fish sentience and cruelty

Faslane Peace Camp are announcing 30 days of non-violent direct action against the Faslane Naval Base to mark the 30th birthday of the Peace Camp.

Sri Lankan Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal reveals that Chime Group offered favourable front page interviews in The Time and The Daily Telegraph alongside an Oxford Union speech and glory to Mahinda Rajapaksa was almost bought out in December 2010.
Liam Fox the UK defence minister who recently resigned , his assistant Adam Werritty and some hitherto unknown associates had helped raise funds to pay contacts they themselves have identified.

Ever since us Europeans were able to, we have sent our fishing vessels to go far beyond our own shores and catch fish the world over. With an increasing market demand for cheap fish and overfishing problems in our region we needed to look elsewhere. Now what would be easier than to fish in the waters of developing nations which have little option but to accept little incentives, such as extra humanitarian aid, in exchange for the over-exploitation of their waters?

The European conservation organisation The Black Fish and the Belgian organisation How To Save The Bluefin have merged as of today in an effort to build a stronger alliance in the fight against bluefin tuna overfishing. The two organisations will continue together as one under the banner of The Black Fish. Diederik Jeangout and Michael Dilissen of How To Save The Bluefin are happy with the move: "Bluefin tuna needs our attention and we are serious about achieving real change for this endangered fish. We need to build a stronger movement to create the necessary change and we feel that within The Black Fish we can make this happen".

The marine protection organisation The Black Fish is looking for people to join its direct action team and future ship's crew. "In order to be effective in our marine conservation campaigns, we need to be out at sea, opposing the most destructive fishing and hunting activities, where they happen away from the public eye." For this reason The Black Fish is working towards the purchase of an ocean going vessel and is looking for crew members.

Sunday August 7th, 6:30PM
Upstairs in The Rutland Arms, Brown Street, Sheffield. S1 2BS

An excerpt of a speech delivered in Sri Lanka by Liam Fox MP, Defence Secretary
"We face today the war of the invisible enemy.

That is why the United Kingdom is mainstreaming cyber security across all parts of Government at home, and why cyber security is regularly high on the agenda in discussions we have with partners in this region"

The people of the world must now demand that the Chernobyl Option

Is there Uranium with a half life of over 700 million years leaking into the sea around Fukushima

This morning Shell began to restart work on their highly controversial on-shore pipeline at Aughoose in Erris Co. Mayo Ireland.

Today 20 people helped set up the foundations of the 2011 Rossport Solidarity Camp

Where have NATO, Japanese, French, Chinese, Ukrainian, Canadian, US, UK, Australian, Indian, Russian nuclear waste been stored?

6 members of the Rossport Solidarity Camp attempted to stop Shell work on the proposed site for the Glengad compound today.

In the past two days members of the Rossport Solidarity Camp have stopped Shell carrying out their Survey Work. The actions were successful. There have been no arrests.