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Pew Charitable Trusts Proposes Five Steps to Strengthen Follow-Up Actions for Fishing Rule Infractions

Pew Charitable Trusts Proposes Five Steps to Strengthen Follow-Up Actions for Fishing Rule Infractions

The Pew Charitable Trusts has outlined five key steps to enhance the effectiveness of follow-up actions for fishing rule infractions. These recommendations aim to address a critical gap in the current compliance processes of Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs), which govern 90% of the global ocean's fisheries. While many RFMOs have improved their methods for identifying and categorizing non-compliance, they often lack mandatory and consistent follow-up actions. This deficiency can lead to repeated violations, undermine the credibility of RFMO decisions, create unfairness among member states, and weaken incentives for compliance. The proposed steps include agreeing to implement follow-up actions for all identified incidents, adopting a catalog of approved actions, automatically assigning actions based on non-compliance categories, setting timelines for completion, and monitoring and assessing members' follow-up efforts. These measures are designed to ensure that infractions are addressed sys...
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Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Agencies Adopt Diverse Strategies for Wildfire Management Amid Climate Change

Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Agencies Adopt Diverse Strategies for Wildfire Management Amid Climate Change

Federal land management agencies and a non-profit organization within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) are increasingly adopting a mix of management strategies—Resist, Accept, and Direct (RAD)—to address ecological transformations driven by climate change and wildfires. A study involving interviews with fire and forest managers from the National Park Service (NPS), U.S. Forest Service (USFS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the Greater Yellowstone Coalition revealed that while most current practices still prioritize 'resist' actions to maintain existing conditions, there is a growing openness to 'accept' and 'direct' changes. These changes include allowing natural regeneration post-fire in some areas and actively guiding ecosystems toward new, desired states, particularly for high-value vegetation communities like whitebark pine and Douglas-fir forests. The study highlights that agencies often share the overarching goal of fostering 'resilient landscapes,' ...
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Indigenous Communities' Rights Emphasized in Global Biodiversity Framework for Amazon Conservation

Indigenous Communities' Rights Emphasized in Global Biodiversity Framework for Amazon Conservation

Efforts to combat biodiversity loss in the Amazon and other regions are increasingly recognizing the vital role of Indigenous peoples. Their territories consistently show lower deforestation rates compared to non-Indigenous areas, often surpassing even protected zones in effectiveness. Despite these clear benefits, Indigenous communities' involvement in environmental decision-making processes remains limited and often symbolic. A recent briefing by Emil Sirén Gualinga highlights the need to transition from token gestures to the full and effective inclusion of Indigenous peoples in biodiversity policy, particularly under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). This framework, adopted in 2022, aims to halt biodiversity loss by 2030 and stresses the necessity of involving all stakeholders, including Indigenous groups, in its planning and execution. Indigenous rights, as outlined in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), affirm their entitlement to participation an...
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New York State Amends Refrigerant Regulations for Heat Pump Water Heaters, Setting Ultra-Low GWP Limits

New York State Amends Refrigerant Regulations for Heat Pump Water Heaters, Setting Ultra-Low GWP Limits

New York State has amended its Hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) Standards and Reporting (6 NYCRR Part 494), establishing new global warming potential (GWP) limits for various equipment, including factory-charged heat pump water heaters (HPWHs). Effective January 1, 2027, residential heat pump water heaters sold in New York must use refrigerants with a GWP20 of 10 or less. This regulation is the first of its kind to impose ultra-low GWP limits for HPWHs, as well as for AC, heat pumps, and commercial refrigeration. Models manufactured before January 1, 2027, can be sold and installed until January 1, 2028. The goal of these new requirements is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote the adoption of more environmentally friendly technologies. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that New Yorkers could collectively save up to $540 million in energy costs across various home and commercial products, including residential HPWHs, due to these changes.
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Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Managers Grapple with Climate Change Through Resist-Accept-Direct Framework

Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Managers Grapple with Climate Change Through Resist-Accept-Direct Framework

Land managers in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), encompassing federal, state, local, private, and Tribal lands, are increasingly utilizing the Resist-Accept-Direct (RAD) framework to address ecological transformations driven by climate change. A study involving interviews with federal agencies and a regional non-profit revealed that while a common goal of promoting a resilient landscape exists, current management actions predominantly align with 'resist' strategies, aiming to maintain existing ecological conditions. This is often due to institutional mandates and policy constraints. However, there is a growing openness to implementing a mix of 'resist,' 'accept' (allowing transformations with minimal intervention), and 'direct' (guiding ecosystems toward desired new states) actions. For instance, managers are resisting change in whitebark pine and sagebrush systems, while considering directing change in Douglas-fir forests. The study highlights significant disparities in the age of management plan...
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Inside the deadlock at the world's top climate science body

Inside the deadlock at the world's top climate science body

By Kate Abnett and Sudarshan Varadhan BRUSSELS/SINGAPORE, Oct 9 (Reuters) - The decision was expected to take minutes.
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Carbon to Sea Appoints Paolo Roberto Domondon as Vice President, Policy and Finance to Advance Ocean-Based Carbon Removal

Carbon to Sea Appoints Paolo Roberto Domondon as Vice President, Policy and Finance to Advance Ocean-Based Carbon Removal

Carbon to Sea has announced the appointment of Paolo Roberto Domondon as its new Vice President of Policy and Finance. In this role, Domondon will lead the organization's efforts to foster a responsible sector for ocean-based carbon dioxide removal, specifically focusing on ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE). Domondon brings over two decades of experience in environmental governance and social equity, having previously served as Chief Program and Policy Officer at Global Fishing Watch and Senior Director of Policy and Partnerships at Rare. His expertise includes securing international and national policy wins, building partnerships, and mobilizing financing across diverse regions. Carbon to Sea's mission is to advance rigorous and responsible research into OAE as a climate solution, recognizing its potential to help meet climate targets alongside deep emissions reductions, as highlighted by reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and UNEP.
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The fish behind America’s fish sticks is fueling a fight over trawling in Alaska

The fish behind America’s fish sticks is fueling a fight over trawling in Alaska

The nets for Alaska’s massive pollock fishery also catch salmon and other marine life
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University of Wyoming Researchers Identify Research Gap in Livestock Methane Emissions and Soil Carbon Sequestration

University of Wyoming Researchers Identify Research Gap in Livestock Methane Emissions and Soil Carbon Sequestration

University of Wyoming researchers have identified a significant gap in existing studies concerning livestock methane emissions: the simultaneous assessment of soil carbon sequestration. A new literature review, titled 'Global Review of Grazing Beef Cattle and Methane Emissions: More Simultaneous Animal and Soil Sampling Needed to Inform Appropriate Policy and Management,' led by Nicki Nimlos, UW Extension state range management specialist, and her colleagues, analyzed 82 peer-reviewed papers on methane emissions from grazing cattle globally. The review found that only two of these studies simultaneously assessed both soil carbon sequestration and cattle methane emissions. These two studies indicated that, under specific grazing management systems, soil carbon sequestration could potentially offset more methane emissions produced by cattle than previously understood. This highlights a critical oversight in current research, as most mitigation strategies proposed for methane emissions, such as feed additives...
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Japanese Food Companies Innovate Plant-Based Seafood Alternatives

Japanese Food Companies Innovate Plant-Based Seafood Alternatives

Japanese Food Companies Innovate Plant-Based Seafood Alternatives
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Mexican Gray Wolf 'Flor' Crosses U.S.-Mexico Border, Highlighting Habitat Connectivity Needs

Mexican Gray Wolf 'Flor' Crosses U.S.-Mexico Border, Highlighting Habitat Connectivity Needs

A U.S.-born Mexican gray wolf named 'Flor,' previously translocated to Chihuahua, Mexico, has crossed back into New Mexico through the state's remote Bootheel region. This movement underscores the critical need for maintaining and protecting cross-border habitat connectivity, particularly in areas without border wall construction. Flor, a former breeding male of the Hardcastle Canyon pack, returned to his home state via one of the last unwalled stretches of the international boundary. This event highlights ongoing concerns from conservation groups regarding the ecological impact of border infrastructure, with protests against border wall construction continuing in southern Arizona. Conservationists argue that such barriers devastate ecological functions, sever habitat connectivity, and deplete aquifers, impacting numerous wildlife species beyond wolves.
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Nairobi Convention Elects Mauritius as Chair, Advances Ocean Governance Agenda

Nairobi Convention Elects Mauritius as Chair, Advances Ocean Governance Agenda

The Twelfth Conference of the Parties (COP12) to the Nairobi Convention concluded with the election of Mauritius as the new Chair of the Bureau to the Nairobi Convention Secretariat. The conference, held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, marked 40 years of regional cooperation for ocean protection and focused on accelerating action for the protection, management, and sustainable development of the Western Indian Ocean region. Key outcomes included the adoption of 15 decisions aimed at strengthening regional ocean governance, advancing the 2025-2035 Integrated Work Programme, and enhancing ecosystem monitoring and science-policy engagement. Parties also endorsed steps to operationalize the Regional Ocean Governance Strategy, strengthen marine spatial planning, and promote the use of innovative digital tools for evidence-based decision-making. The meeting emphasized the importance of turning commitments into action to protect ecosystems, strengthen livelihoods, and build resilience for coastal communities.