Zebra mussels are an invasive, fingernail-sized mollusk that is native to fresh waters in Eurasia. Their name comes from the dark zig-zagged stripes on each shell. The zebra mussel [Pallas, 1771] is a shellfish named for the striped pattern of its shell. This mussel is typically found attached to objects, surfaces, or other mussels by threads extending from underneath the shells….
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First of all, I am thankful to be a member of the prestigious Maritime League and being able to attend its Maritime Forum where I have exchanged notes or opinions with some of its members, either through the Forum or private messages. I am very honored to have exchanged notes with no other than the Former Associate Chief Justice Tony…
Draft revised Guidelines for the reduction of underwater noise from commercial shipping to address adverse impacts on marine life have been agreed by the IMO Sub-Committee on Ship Design and Construction (SDC 9), which met 23-27 January. The draft guidelines recognize that commercial shipping is one of the main contributors to underwater radiated noise (URN) which has adverse effects on…
For decades, dynamite or blast fishing and cyanide fishing has been destroying our coral reefs , but up to this day it is still widespread though there are efforts to build artificial reefs in the Philippines, the root cause must still be eradicated. CORAL REEFS ANNIHILATION Cyanide fishing is harmful. “It is a deadly poison not only to people…
On May 6, the capsized dredger MV Hong Hai 189 finally sank near the historic Corregidor island which is at times visible at the entrance of Manila Bay. On April 28, in the evening, the Sierra Leone-flagged dredger MV Hong Hai 189 collided with Marshall Island-flagged chemical/oil tanker MT Petite Soeur near Corregidor. MV Hong Hai 189 was inbound coming…
Harmful algal blooms, or HABs, occur when colonies of algae—simple plants that live in the sea and freshwater—grow out of control while producing toxic or harmful effects on people, fish, shellfish, marine mammals, and birds. The human illnesses caused by HABs, though rare, can be debilitating or even fatal. While many people call these blooms ‘red tides,’ scientists prefer the…
30 shipping banks and 17 marine insurance providers and brokers announce today the Poseidon Principles will add additional trajectories to report climate alignment with a 1.5C future. This new commitment will align the Poseidon Principles with the ambition of the UN and the latest available climate science. The Poseidon Principles have committed to adopting an emissions reduction trajectory in line…
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Station Eastern Sarangani participated in the MANGROVE PLANTING & CLEAN-UP DRIVE activities in celebration of “WORLD WETLANDS DAY” at Sitio Mauswagon, Barangay Glan-Padidu, Glan, Sarangani Province, on 03-February-2023. Personnel of CGS Eastern Sarangani led by Station Commander CG ENS KENNETH JOY R ALCANTARA,kqwd and the Sub-Station personnel joined the Mangrove Planting Activity and Clean-up Drive…
We are pleased to host an exclusive interview with Mr Bjørn Kjærand Haugland, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Skift Business Climate Leaders which is a Norwegian business-led climate initiative with a mission to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy and support the government in delivering on its national climate commitments by 2030. Mr Haugland enumerates the key areas that…
Over the next decade, carbon capture will start to play a larger role in the fight against climate change. And with more industry stakeholders looking at different transportation options between capture sites and storage locations, liquid CO2 carriers will become an important link in the value chain. Released in August 2022, the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report reached some disturbing…
Moving towards a low-emission global economy will create tens of millions of new ‘green jobs’ across sectors including shipping. The renewable energy industry alone is projected to generate 38.2 million jobs by 2030. The effects of the green transition on employment are also requiring workforces across multiple sectors to reskill and upskill. This, coupled with new technologies, such as artificial…
Headquarters, Naval Forces Central (HNFC), Lapu-Lapu City, Mactan, Cebu, 16-December-2022 – The Philippine Navy through Naval Forces Central Lead the recovery and confiscation of marine species (Tridacna) locally known as “Taklobo” in Tabogon, Cebu on 15-December-2022. The said joint and inter-agency operations were composed of the operatives and elements from Naval Forces Central, Cebu Police Provincial Office (CPPO), Tabogon Municipal…
BIMCO has launched a campaign to raise awareness and help support removal of single-use plastic bottles from ships. Today, even if plastics on board ships are sorted, managed, and discharged to shore in a proper way, mismanagement of waste on land means it can still reach the ocean. With up to 1.75 billion plastic bottles a year being used on…
Oceana urges President Biden to expediently approve the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration’s (NOAA) proposed vessel speed rule to protect critically endangered North Atlantic Right Whales. Oceana delivered about 20,000 petition signatures and a letter calling for the government to enact new safeguards for these whales. With the extinction of the species on the line, concerned citizens from all 50 states, Washington D.C.,…
The 27th Conference of Parties (COP27) on Climate Change took place on November 6-20 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. The theme of the conference was “Delivering for People and the Planet.” COP27 President, Egypt Foreign Affairs Minister Sameh Shoukry, presided over the conference administered by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Executive Secretary Simon Steill. The 193 member-countries and…
The conclusion of a successful 5-year initiative to protect the marine environment in South-East Asia from the negative effects of ships and shipping has been marked at a high-level meeting (25-27 October 2022) in Viet Nam with the adoption of a MEPSEAS-Halong Statement by the participating countries. The Marine Environment Protection of the South-East Asian Seas (MEPSEAS) project has seen…
The maritime industry can help combat climate change by reducing Methane emissions to keep our global temperature at 1.5°C. Industrial Methane emissions are increasing sharply. The UN announced a new satellite-based system to detect Methane emissions and enable the public and private sectors to act on the findings. The Methane Alert and Response System (MARS) is the first public global…
A joint study released by Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), Lloyd’s Register (LR), and Ricardo PLC examines the potential marine environmental impacts of Ammonia spills during its use as a shipping fuel. Ammonia generated from renewable energy is considered a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels as the shipping industry decarbonizes. The study, which used extensive modelling due to the scarcity of…
Coral reef fish are a significant food source for over a billion people worldwide. Many coastal and island communities depend on coral reef fisheries for their economic, social, and cultural benefits. But too much of a good thing can be bad for coral reefs. Coral reef ecosystems support important commercial, recreational, and subsistence fishery resources in the U.S and its…
As the Marine Environment Protection of the Southeast Asian Seas (MEPSEAS) Project will mark its end in December 2022, the Philippines, as one of the Lead Partnering Countries (LPCs), shared its accomplishments from the said project during the Third High-Level Regional Meeting on MEPSEAS held on 25 to 27 October 2022 at Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam. The Philippine delegation…
The City of Pula, Croatia has become the first on the global stage to receive the Friend of the Sea Sustainable City Award. This special recognition was delivered on 17-June-2022 by the Founder and Director of the international certification program, Paolo Bray. The award praises the city’s efforts to preserve the environment and improve its citizens’ quality of life by embracing sustainable solutions. The Croatian city…
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) joined the RIVER CLEAN-UP PROJECT in the vicinity waters off Barangays Cembo and West Rembo, Makati City on 31-July-2022. Participating units and organizations extracted approximately 50 sacks or 2.5 metric tons of silt and solid waste emanating from the Pasig River. According to the PCG Station Malacañang, the project aims to alleviate flooding in residential…
LOS BAÑOS, Laguna, 3-June-2022. 50,000 pieces of Bighead Carp seedlings were dropped into Laguna Lake under the Balik Sigla River and Lake program or BASIL. The seedlings were released in Laguna Lake which covers the towns of Pangil, Siniloan, Paete, Pakil and Kalayan, Laguna. 10,000 pieces of Bighead Carp seedlings were allocated for each town. The launch was successful under…
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-National Capital Region (DENR-NCR) has recognized the Estero de San Miguel in Manila as Metro Manila’s “most improved estero” during the 2nd Gawad Taga-Ilog awarding ceremony on March 22. The Gawad Taga-Ilog recognizes the efforts of local governments in Metro Manila—barangays in particular—in keeping their waterways clean and trash-free, as well as their active…
More than 800 tons of trash coming from the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas and Rizal were kept from finally draining to Manila Bay through the trash traps installed along the waterways and the regular cleanup activities of the river rangers on the first quarter of 2022, per report of the Manila Bay Site Coordinating and Management Office (MBSCMO)-4. About…