The Speak Up For Blue Podcast

There has been a breakthrough in the Lobster Fisheries conflict between the Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Fishers in Nova Scotia, Canada. A conglomerate of Mi’kmaq Nations have purchased the largest seafood corporation in Atlantic Canada for a 50% stake in the company. The Mi’kmaq Nation had a partner in the deal, a company based in British Columbia called Premium Foods. The company owns a number of popular seafood brands in Canada and Internationally. The deal marks the largest investment by Indigenous communities in the seafood industry. It also marks a huge win for Indigenous people who have been locked in a violent battle with non-Indigenous fishers over the past few months. A group of Non-Indigenous fishers has been harassing Indigenous fishers who started fishing lobster legally and are not bound by seasonal closures as are their Non-Indigenous counterparts. Protests have turned from shouting matches to setting cars on fire as well as lobster storage houses in violent protests along the southern shores

Now that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are the President-Elect and Vice President-Elect, respectively, we are going to expect some change in Environmental Regulations in the US. A change in Climate Change policies including rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement will have environmental impacts around the globe. Most of the changes will happen at the Federal level, so how can you help make sure these changes go into effect and how can you change yourself.  Voting is a powerful thing. For the 5+ years I have run this podcast, I told people that voting is the biggest step in making sure you can live for a better Ocean. Voting to power officials that know and want to protect the environment is crucial in changing our ways as a planet; however, it is also the first step.  Your new job is to make sure the politicians you elected will bring about environmental change. There are a number of ways to do this. You can work in Marine Conservation or work for an organization that engages with government officials to push thr

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have won the US 2020 election as it was made official on Saturday that the electoral college will elect them as the 46th President and the First Woman Vice President in US History. And with the election comes Environmental Change...as promised. Joe Biden made it clear during his victory speech that he will make Climate Change a priority after the US officially pulled out of the Paris Climate Agreement on the day of the election. Not only will Biden re-enter the US in the Paris Accord, but he said he will make sure the US abides by the agreement. This is a staunch change from the Trump administration's strategy to ignore climate change by calling it a hoax.  Environmental Change should come in the form of rebuilding the EPA and allowing NOAA to do what it does best: protecting the environment through research, conservation, and policies.  Talk is cheap; however, and all of the election promises will have to be put into action. This is where YOU come in. We need people to ensure that

Marine Scientists, Volunteers, and the Navy were responsible for saving 120 pilot whales that were found stranded earlier in the week (on Monday). The stranding marked the largest mass stranding ever recorded in Sri Lankan history. The response was swift and successful as the Navy deployed small vessels that towed the whales out from the surf into deeper water where they could recover and swim out safely without getting stuck.  Pilot whales are notorious for mass strandings. A few months ago, there were 470 pilot whales stranded in Tasmania, Australia, where only 120 whales could be rescued. I talked about that story in episode 1061.  Dr. Asha de Vos was part of the rescue efforts where she provided first-hand accounts of what was happening on the ground. She addressed concerns from people on Twitter who thought rescuers were being too rough with the whales; however, Asha made people aware of how hard it is to move a 3000kg whale in the surf to get it to deeper water where you don't have any footing. Asha's a

Russia and China voted against approving 3 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) on the East Coast of Antarctica this past week thwarting another attempt to implement more MPAs in the region. 5 Years ago, the same 26 member committee that manages Antarctica, which includes Russia, China, the US, and others, approved the largest MPA in the Ross Sea. The vote against the 3 MPAs is disappointing, but not all hope is lost.  3 new countries swung their vote to approve the MPAs. Uruguay, Norway, and Australia all voted for approving the MPAs as they changed their votes. This change in momentum provides hope for next year's vote.  More hope is expected as it will be the 40th meeting of the 26 member committee called the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) and the 60th anniversary of the Antarctic Treaty System. Anniversaries like this can give countries a sense of pride in the work that has been conducted over the past 60 years and could lead to a vote in the right direction.  The q

We know very little of the Deep-Sea, including many of the habitat-forming species that provide a place for other species to find food and shelter. These Deep-Sea habitats are crucial for animals as we know that this area of the Ocean can be hard to find any habitat at all. This is why we need to do more exploration and mapping of the Deep-Sea.  Dr. Danial Wagner (who I interviewed for SUFB 1060) was part of a team from Conservation International on an expedition to map many important areas of the Deep-Sea in order to find important areas for protection and maybe discover a new species or two...or three!  Daniel and his team used an ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) to grab the samples from the bottom of the Ocean for analysis. The team discovered 3 new Black Coral species. Black Corals are long-lived, slow to reproduce species that could possess properties that can fight cancer. Needless to say, their protection is quite important.  Many of the survey sites where the samples were taken are part of sites that h

An underwater Seamount (Mountain) that is 1.5 times the size of the Eiffel Tower was discovered within the boundaries of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The Seamount is teeming with life in the form of vast coral reef systems that sustain a diverse population of underwater life such as gorgonians, cuttlefish, and large sharks to name a few. The discovery boosts the diversity and health of the Great Barrier Marine Park that has had a tough time over the past few years. Climate change has caused sea surface temperatures to rise in the area to a point where 93% of the corals bleached a few years ago. The increase in the number of days where the air temperature was above 40C helped increase the water temperature, which causes the corals to bleach. Corals have phytoplankton called zooxanthellae that live inside the coral skeleton and undergo photosynthesis to survive while their byproducts (O2 and Ca+ ions) help build the corals calcium skeleton. The zooxanthellae can only handle a certain amount of heat and w

The Antarctic is a very special place and boasts some of the most fascinating species on the planet. It's also special because it's a place where 24 countries manage the land and coasts together, as one nation. The US, Chile, Australia, Russia, and China are just a few of the countries that get along in the South Pole but can be bitter enemies in other locations on the planet. These countries manage the resources of the Antarctic together. It may be difficult to reach a decision, but when a decision is made, the result is powerful. The Ross Sea Marine Protected Area is a great example of the demonstration of this collaboration.  Over 5 years ago, the 24 countries voted to create the world's largest Marine Protected Area in the world, saving krill, fish, seabirds, and marine mammals. The Ross Sea MPA was voted on a number of times, but the deal was reached over a decade later after Russia and China vote in favour of the MPA.  Russia and China are known for sending their fishing fleets to catch the Antarctic to

Seal and Sea Lion culls have been added as a proposed method to the table to bring back the salmon and herring fisheries along the West Coast of Canada. The proposed method wants to cull 50,000 harbor seals and 25,000 Stellar sea lions, which is the most that have ever been proposed. The cull, as proposed, would kill have of the current population in the area.  The cull is backed by a professor emeritus from the University of British Columbia in fisheries management. He has presented material from other studies with conclusions of fisheries stocks (salmon and herring) that have been predated upon by seals and sea lions (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6__Sc_o08w). There are many other scientists who don't have the same professional opinion.  Dr. Andrew Trites, another professor (Marine Mammals) from the University of British Columbia, is concerned about how the cull would affect the predators of the pinnipeds. Transient Orcas rely on seals and sea lions as a source of food. Killing such a massive amount of i

Shark Finning still happens today and is shipped from all over the world to end up in Chinese markets. It's difficult to manage policies in a foreign country, but some countries can manage policies in their own EEZ if they know most of the shark fins are being collected in their waters.  Melissa Marquez wrote an article in Forbes magazine (link below) where a couple of researchers from Florida International University created a DNA test for shark fins to determine where the fins were collected. What the study revealed will have implications in the management of some countries in terms of their shark protection policies.  Listen to the episode to find out the details.  Link to article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/melissacristinamarquez/2020/10/21/scientific-detective-work-tracking-shark-fins-around-the-globe/#13300e8a5e2d Register for the Mindful Conservation Conference:  https://www.absolutelysmashingllc.com/mindful-conference Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speak

The Indigenous Fisheries conflict in Nova Scotia could have been avoided if the proper planning of the Ocean was completed when marine scientists and conservationists introduced the concept of Marine Spatial Planning. Spatial Planning is similar to urban or rural planning. It sets zones of usage or protection based on the specific needs and wants of the people managing the area (citizens in the form of representation by elected officials).  Planning on land has been happening for quite some time and the goal of the planning is to make sure users (developers, industries, residences) know where they can do their functions.  Ocean planning would guide users to where they could do their function and how they could do it. The planning would reduce the harm on sensitive Ocean habitats as well as allow for conservation. It would also reduce ocean user conflict by setting out the guidelines of where and when people can conduct their uses.  Imagine is an Ocean plan was conducted a number of years ago. It could have se

Two stories for this episode, both fisheries-related. The first story is an update about the Nova Scotia Lobster Fishery conflict that has escalated over the past week. The Non-Indigenous Commercial fishermen are trying to stop the Indigenous Mi'kmaq community from exercising their right to legally fish for lobster. Check out episode 1068 to listen to more about the conflict.  Two incidences happened last week that you need to know about. Listen to find out what happened.  The second story is a cool example of how researchers have used forensic science to identify the types of elasmobranchs (sharks, skates, and rays) that are being caught in an artisanal fishery in Costa Rica. The results could prove to protect a hammerhead shark species during a critical time in their life cycle.  Link To Article: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165783620302721 Listen to the podcast to find out why.  Register for the Mindful Conservation Conference:  https://www.absolutelysmashingllc.com/mindful-conferen

We often think of ourselves, the human species, as a separate entity when it comes to the environment, especially when it comes to Ocean Health. But today, my guest is going to make you think is a very different way, like we are part of the system (which we are!). Dr. Claire Simeone is a marine mammal veterinarian and the CEO of Sea Change Health, a non-governmental organization that works to massively shift our understanding of health, for all of those who rely on the sea.  Claire Simeone is a conservation leader, working fearlessly to heal the animals and ecosystems of our planet. A veterinarian by training, Claire specializes in working with marine mammals, studying the connections between animal health, ocean health, and our own health. Claire believes that the largest challenges of our lifetime will be solved with a return to listening to what the natural world has to share.  Check out Claire's website: https://clairesimeone.com/ Register for the Mindful Conservation Conference:  https://www.absolutelysm

The battle for lobster fishing continues in Nova Scotia, Canada as Indigenous people begin their lobster fisheries year-round as they were given the right to do so 21 years earlier with a Supreme Court Decision called the Marshall Decision. The Decision granted Indigenous people the right to fish all year round for a moderate livelihood in accordance with the 1760-61 Peace and Friendship Treaties between East Coast First Nations and the British Crown.  Non-Indigenous Commercial fishers are not thrilled that a Mik'maw nation is taking up their right to fish lobster year-round and have protested in various ways including harassment on the water, taking up lobster traps, and violence. The protesters are saying that fishing year-round will go against all conservation efforts that set specific seasons for the right time to fish. Hakai Magazine wrote a great piece on the conflict asking four experts for their professional opinions on the issue. Their conclusions? Fishing all year round will not violate conservation

Sea Turtle egg poaching is a big threat to the conservation of these endangered species. Poachers will wait until Sea Turtles lay their eggs on the beach until they grab as many as eggs they can to either sell them or consume them. There are continuous efforts to stop poaching in countries such as Costa Rica.  In an effort to expose the poaching routes, or determine if they even exist, Helen Pheasy used fake Sea Turtle eggs equipped with a GPS unit to identify where Sea Turtle egg poachers went with the eggs, called InvestEGGators.  They planted InvestEGGators into 101 Sea Turtle nests from Green and Olive Ridley Sea Turtles. Only 5 InvestEGGators came back with data that revealed local Poaching routes.  The closest route was within a mile while the furthest route was 85 miles from the nesting site. Conservation organizations do not want to prosecute the poachers; however, they would like to use the data to target education and awareness programs to the towns that end up with the eggs.  Poaching Sea Turtle eg

Waves can be a detrimental thing for our shores. Wave action through storms along beaches can erode the coastline, especially beaches due to their small sediment particle size, over a short period of time. Coastal habitats such as Coral Reefs, Mangroves, and Seagrass Meadows have been playing an important role for the coastline to ensure it stays secure from erosion.  In today's episode, I discuss why Seagrass Meadow habitats are so important to reducing Climate Change, securing to the coastline, and protecting biodiversity as they face destruction from human disturbance, invasive species, and water quality.  Link To Article: https://www.nioz.nl/en/news/caribbean-islands-face-loss-of-protection-and-biodiversity-as-seagrass-loses-terrain Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group. Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/ Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue Check out the Shows on the Speak Up For Blu

As a young kid, I dreamt of working on the Ocean with sharks, or dolphins, or even Sea Turtles. I wanted to work with ocean animals so badly that I would dream about it most nights and daydream in Biology Class (maybe a little too much at times. Regardless, working for an NGO such as OCEARCH would have fulfilled a dream of mine to work in the field most days breathing in the Ocean air while working with animals. I never knew what I was going to do with those animals mind you. All I knew is that I wanted to work on any Ocean. OCEARCH is a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) that works to help researchers understand where large fish, reptiles, and marine mammals go in the Ocean. They have a great website (https://www.ocearch.org/tracker/?details=361) where you can see all of the animals that are currently tagged and where they go.  The organization collaborates with researchers and conservationists by collecting the data that can turn into policy to better manage these populations over the next year(s). Nukumi,

Great News! A new Orca calf was spotted taking its first breaths off the coast of Victoria, B.C. The calf was spotted being propped up by it's other, J41. The naturalists who spotted the calf observed that it was rambunctious at the surface.  This is the second Orca calf spotted in September of 2020. It is too early to tell the health or the sex of this calf. The first was spotted on September 4th and was later identified as a male and healthy. The mother of that calf was J35. J35 was the Orca from 2018 that carried her dead calf at the surface for 17 days in a row with the help from her pod. The last healthy calf was spotted in May 2019. The Southern Resident Orca Population is listed as Endangered as their numbers are just above 70. The population has been affected by capture for marine theme parks, such as Sea World, lack of food as their one food source, salmon, which are also listed as endangered is not readily available.  Listen to the episode for full details.  Link To Article: https://www.cbc.ca/news

The Pandemic in 2020 has caused an "Anthropause," a halting of major human activities that may affect wildlife either directly or indirectly. Researchers want to know how the Anthropause will affect wildlife and if it will benefit the Ocean.  Link To Article: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/08/pandemic-stilled-human-activity-what-did-anthropause-mean-wildlife?fbclid=IwAR2TCYBXV_UDpsOoQ8H0v377p9eqZs2u6_-fn3RML21yf6dKkv63JJnpIY0 Check out some of the projects by listening to the episode. Shout out goes to @harpseal111 (aka Kendra) who did a great summary of our previous episode with Dr. Nathan Robinson.  Give her a follow for more of her great content: https://www.instagram.com/harpseal111/ https://vm.tiktok.com/ZSucJUwK/ To discuss more Ocean topics, join the Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group. Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/ Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue Check out the Shows on the Speak Up For Blue Network: Marine Co

Dr. Nathan Robinson joins me on the podcast today to discuss a new study he published with colleagues where they asked the question: "Do Sea Turtles Survive After Being Released After Rehabilitation?" Sea Turtles were brought to a rehabilitation centre for various reasons, including being cold-stunned. Once ready for release, 31 Sea Turtles were equipped with a Satelite tag to observe if they exhibited normal migration patterns.  Listen to Nathan as he describes what the Sea Turtles did after they were released.  To discuss more Ocean topics, join the Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group. Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/ Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue Check out the Shows on the Speak Up For Blue Network: Marine Conservation Happy Hour Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2k4ZB3x Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2kkEElk Madame CuriosityApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2xUlSax Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2V38QQ1 ConCiencia Azul: Apple Podca