White House

 

Europe Looks To Set New Rules In Ocean’s ‘Wild West’. According to Politico, “The European Commission and France are calling for more ambition in setting the rules for the world’s high seas — areas beyond national jurisdiction that are rich in resources that countries will need to power their green transition. ‘It is time for an alliance between us and the ocean,’ Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Friday at the One Ocean Summit, where she announced the launch of a new High Ambition Coalition for the High Seas alongside the French presidency of the EU Council. The coalition — which includes the EU27, Australia, Canada, Chile, India, Morocco, Norway, Peru, the Republic of the Congo and the U.K., among others — calls for the rapid conclusion of talks on an international binding instrument for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in the high seas. The call comes ahead of a fourth round of negotiations on the treaty scheduled to take place in New York in March. So far, the talks, delayed multiple times by the Covid pandemic, have remained on a technical level. Rena Lee, president of the intergovernmental conference leading the talks, said she hopes ‘we’ll make real progress’ in this next round. ‘We’re so close but we really have to push to finish this year,’ von der Leyen said. The high seas, which represent 60 percent of the globe’s waters, are regulated by ‘overlapping mandates,’ creating ‘complicated governance issues,’ said Peggy Kalas, director of the High Seas Alliance, a partnership of NGOs.” [Politico, 2/11/22 (=)]

 

World Leaders At France Summit Mull Ways To Protect Oceans. According to Associated Press, “World leaders met on France’s Atlantic coast Friday to discuss protecting the planet’s oceans from threats such as overfishing and plastic pollution, and finding fairer ways to manage the seas. The One Ocean Summit comes as European authorities are investigating a mass fish dump in the Bay of Biscay that environmental activists call an example of abuses by huge trawlers that disrupt undersea ecosystems. Oceans cover more than 70% of the planet’s surface. French President Emmanuel Macron initiated the three-day summit in the port city of Brest with the support of the United Nations. ‘Today, we are going to make commitments,’ Macron said in his opening speech. ‘I am convinced they are going to help strengthen helpful actions.’ Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, whose country will host the U.N.’s annual climate summit this year, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, U.S. Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry and several other African and European leaders attended the event in person. Others were to take part via video messages. Kerry said ‘the urgency of the plight within which we all find ourselves’ deserves attention. ‘There are large-scale, extraordinary operations that go on every single day at sea that are indistinguishable from major criminal enterprises on land,’ he said. ‘They use appalling practices of labor, money laundering and fraud to destroy the good efforts of fisher people around the world who are trying to live by the rules.’” [Associated Press, 2/11/22 (=)]

 

Offshore Oil & Gas

 

State Senator Calls For Offshore Drilling Ban, But Bill Would Only Apply To Three Rigs. According to Voice of OC, “State Senator Dave Min (D-Irvine) just introduced a new bill to ban offshore drilling along California’s coast, but the legislation has one major drawback – it would only affect around 10% of oil rigs off the state’s coast. While Min publicly called for an end to offshore drilling during the cleanup for the Huntington Beach oil spill that spewed 25,000 gallons of oil off the coast of Southern California, the bill is the first piece of state legislation introduced on the issue. ‘Where there is drilling, there is going to be spilling,’ Min said in a statement emailed to reporters. ‘We know that the aging infrastructure of these offshore oil rigs means that we will see more and more of these disastrous oil spills, unless we take action now.’ Min’s bill would require all oil platforms off the coast of California to cease production by the end of next year, giving operators just over a year to close up shop. The bill also requires operators to ‘properly plug, abandon, and decommission wells, pipelines, and attendant production facilities,’ before they pull out entirely as required by their current leases.” [Voice of OC, 2/10/22 (=)]

 

Offshore Mining

 

Murkowski Asks DOE To Consider Deep-Sea Mining. According to Politico, “Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) is urging the Energy Department to take a close look at deep-sea mining as an important potential source of metals to be used for clean energy technology. Murkowski wrote the Energy Department yesterday urging Secretary Jennifer Granholm to consider allowing companies to mine valuable polymetallic nodules within the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, a stretch of the Pacific Ocean that spans from the western coast of Mexico to the isles of Hawaii. Many environmentalists — and some car manufacturers — have made clear they do not want deep-sea mining to occur due to concerns about long-lasting damage to ocean ecosystems. Earlier today, French car manufacturer Renault SA announced it would be the fifth major auto company to decline future purchases of material mined from the oceans. That hasn’t stopped some politicians around the world from wanting deep-sea mineral exploration amid projections of large increases in future minerals demand thanks to green energy products, like electric vehicles, solar panels and wind turbines. In her letter, Murkowski wrote that as the nation seeks new sources of minerals for clean energy, it will not be ‘enough to rely on strategic partnerships for these minerals and while recycled materials can augment supply, they cannot meet forecasted demand.’” [Politico, 2/10/22 (=)]

 

Europe’s Deep-Sea Mining Gamble. According to Politico, “As the EU races to meet ambitious climate targets, it’s struggling to balance two potentially contradictory goals: increasing efforts to protect biodiversity while also securing access to the rare minerals needed to build green transition technologies. The bloc has committed to protect 30 percent of its seas by 2030 — including 10 percent that would be placed under strict protection — in order to preserve biodiversity reach areas and restrict potentially damaging economic activities. But that could stand in the way of its goal to reach climate neutrality by 2050, which will rely on new technologies like batteries that are made using raw materials found on the deep seabed. The question of how to regulate deep sea exploration without damaging oceans will dominate this week’s One Ocean Summit hosted by Emmanuel Macron. The French president is a strong proponent of exploring the deep sea, arguing that it will benefit research and innovation in new green technologies. France — which has the second largest maritime space in the world, and the largest in the EU — also considers deep-sea exploration as key to the EU’s strategic economy, warning that the bloc will otherwise be reliant on other countries for the resources it needs to power its green transition. But green groups and policy experts are sounding alarm bells, warning that commercial activities in the deep sea will have a negative impact on marine habitats and carbon sinks. They are calling on Paris to back a moratorium on commercial deep-sea mining during the summit.” [Politico, 2/10/22 (=)]

 

Fisheries & Marine Life

 

AP | Maine Considers Legal Defense Fund For Lobster Industry. According to Politico, “Maine lawmakers are considering creating a legal defense fund to help the state’s lobster industry deal with new rules, laws and regulations. The lobster fishing business is navigating a host of new federal fishing restrictions designed to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales. A proposal from Republican state Rep. William Faulkingham, a lobsterman himself, would establish the fund and create a commission to administer it. Faulkingham’s proposal states it would be funded with money from license surcharges and the sale of lobster trap tags. The proposal was the subject of a public hearing Tuesday and will be subject to legislative committee votes in the future. Faulkingham testified that the industry faces ‘crippling regulations and industry collapsing lawsuits.’ However, the response to the proposal from industry was mixed. The Maine Lobstermen’s Association testified it can’t support the proposal until it gets a better understanding of how it would work. The association also testified it was concerned the proposal could undermine legal defense efforts that have already started and that the trap tag and license fees are already used for other purposes.” [Politico, 2/10/22 (=)]

 

Study Finds Northeast Canyons And Seamounts Monument Had Little To No Impact On Fisheries. According to Seafood Source, “The prohibition of fishing in the area that became the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument had little to no negative impact for squid/butterfish, mackerel, and tuna fisheries, according to a recent study published in the scientific journal Nature. The study, ‘Fishing activity before closure, during closure, and after reopening of the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument,’ was authored by John Lynham, a professor of economics at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. Lynham found that the activity of three fisheries before closure, during closure, and after reopening of the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument suffered little impact. The monument, a marine protected area (MPA) located off the east coast of the U.S. – roughly 170 kilometers southeast of Massachusetts’ Nantucket Island – is the only national monument in U.S. Atlantic waters and encompasses 12,275 square kilometers. It was created 15 September, 2016, by then-President Barack Obama, with a two-month delay before commercial fishing was banned. The monument was then reopened to legally permitted fishing operations on 5 June, 2020, by then-President Donald Trump. Then, on 8 October, 2021, U.S. President Joe Biden reversed the reopening, reinstating a ban on commercial fishing in the monument.” [Seafood Source, 2/10/22 (=)]

 

Op-Ed: How A Continuing Resolution Will Impact The Next Generation Of Commercial Fishermen. According to an op-ed by Chris Brown and Leigh Habegger in The Hill, “Sustainable commercial fishing is a significant economic driver for our coastal communities. Nationally, according to the Department of Commerce, the commercial fishing industry supported 1.2 million full- and part-time jobs and generated $165.1 billion in sales, $42.9 billion in income, and $67.1 billion in value-added economic impacts in 2018. This is not an industry we can afford to lose. Our significant economic impacts will continue, however, only if we maintain a healthy, sustainable industry on and off the water. True sustainability depends not only on healthy fish stocks, but a reliable, dependable workforce to prosecute our fisheries. Investing in workforce training for our industry is essential for food security and complements our efforts in conservation and sustainability through the Magnuson-Stevens Act. By funding the Young Fishermen’s Development Act, Congress can ensure that states have access to funding that will directly support programs to train and equip young men and women with the skills and knowledge necessary to be successful in the commercial fishing industry. The future of American seafood is at stake. Congress must act.” [The Hill, 2/10/22 (+)]

 

Sea-Level Rise

 

Calif. Claims Right To Save Beach If Tide Hits Homes. According to Politico, “A California agency this week used the application for a new Malibu mansion to assert its right to remove oceanfront homes if public beaches lose ground as sea levels rise. The California Coastal Commission on Wednesday approved a family’s plan to build a 6,120-square-foot home on the sand in Malibu, a movie star-studded community west of Los Angeles. But the agency included a condition that said if the tide line moves inland with sea-level rise, the house could be removed. The public beach boundary ‘may migrate landward over the life of the development in response to rising sea levels. And it is important to ensure that the development remains on private land over time,’ Denise Gonzalez, commission coastal program analyst, said during the meeting. ‘If any portion of the approved development encroaches’ onto public lands, based on a tide line survey, the family would need to submit a permit application ‘to seek authorization to retain, relocate and/or remove the development.’ The Golden State owns beach areas below the ‘mean high tide’ line — generally thought of as the portion of sand that is wet. That’s moving inland in several locations and is projected to advance farther as ocean levels rise. That could eliminate public beaches if the high tide line moves onto private property. A 2017 U.S. Geological Survey analysis said Southern California could lose as much as 67 percent of its iconic beaches by the turn of the century, unless there’s human intervention to stop it.” [Politico, 2/11/22 (=)]

 

Dems Urge Updated Army Corps Guidelines To Elevate EJ, Climate. According to Politico, “House Transportation and Infrastructure Democrats say the Army Corps of Engineers is late in updating 30-year-old guidelines for federal projects, something that could hamstring the agency’s ability to tackle climate change and environmental justice and deploy infrastructure dollars. Chair Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee Chair Grace Napolitano (D-Calif.), and Rep. Jesús ‘Chuy’ García (D-Ill.) yesterday called on Michael Connor, who oversees the corps, and Brenda Mallory, the Council on Environmental Quality’s chair, to get the job done. Democrats say the corps has yet to update the so-called principles, requirements and guidelines, which would elevate environmental concerns as the agency weighs costs and benefits of water resource projects, from building dams and levees to protecting and restoring coastlines. A House committee aide said the agency was supposed to have updated the guidelines by last summer under the 2020 water resources bill. The corps didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. DeFazio and other lawmakers hoped that by pushing the corps to finalize the guidelines, the agency would also expand what it considers project benefits beyond economic factors to things like climate change, loss of life and helping disadvantaged communities, said the aide.” [Politico, 2/11/22 (=)]

 

Ocean Health & Management

 

Earth Could Surpass Its Ability To Recover From Warming. According to Politico, “Some parts of the planet are approaching the limits of their ability to adapt to climate change, scientists warned yesterday ahead of a major U.N. report being released later this month. Extreme drought and heat could prevent trees from absorbing carbon dioxide, thrusting some ecosystems past the point from which they can recover, the researchers said. Some systems, like tropical coral reefs, have already surpassed those limits and are headed toward decline. That grim assessment comes about two weeks before the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the world’s foremost scientific body on global warming, releases a report that focuses on the limits of Earth’s ability to respond to damaging temperature increases, and what can be done about it. … As the physical climate is experiencing unprecedented impacts — heat waves, droughts and rising seas — poor development choices are making societies more vulnerable, Roberts said. For the first time, the report will emphasize potential solutions for addressing climate challenges and assess which ones are most feasible given social and political conditions. It will also highlight how tightly human systems are intertwined with nature.” [Politico, 2/11/22 (=)]

 

Hurricanes Can Cause Ocean Acidity To Spike Near The Seafloor. According to Yale Climate Connections, “Hurricanes are powerful. They can tear the roofs off houses and cause dangerous floods. Their impacts are even felt at the bottom of the ocean. Scott Noakes of the University of Georgia has been monitoring water quality at Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary for 15 years. His group has seen carbon dioxide levels steadily rise over time, which is no surprise because the ocean absorbs carbon pollution. But they’ve also observed unexpected spikes. ‘We didn’t see these peaks on the surface,’ Noakes says. ‘We only saw them on the sea floor.’ He realized they coincided with extreme storms. He explains that ocean sediment contains carbon from decaying plants and animals that have settled on the ocean floor. When a hurricane hits, the turbulence and pressure changes draw carbon out of pockets in the sediment. That makes the water near the sea floor very acidic. He says the sponges, sea squirts, and corals down there can tolerate some fluctuations in acidity. But as the climate warms and hurricanes get stronger, the spikes will get bigger. ‘The question is: At what point can they no longer handle that?’ he says. So Noakes says more research is needed to understand the impact on marine life.” [Yale Climate Connections, 2/11/22 (=)]

 

 

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