Browsing: Environmental News

Thanks to you, in the past year we have celebrated numerous victories for people and the planet. We won the lengthy fight against Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline, pressured the government to ban microbeads, and protected Canada’s national parks from commercial encroachment. As 2016 has come to a close, and 2017 is now here, our team is reflecting on the this year.

Looking back at 2016 Thanks to you, in the past year we have celebrated numerous…

The decision has been welcomed by conservationists, but has also been described by northern leaders as heavy-handed, with complaints that the opinions of local communities were excluded from the decision-making process.

The decision has been welcomed by conservationists, but has also been described by northern leaders…

How much stuff will you give and receive this holiday season? Add it to the growing pile — the 30-trillion-tonne pile. That’s how much technology and goods humans have produced, according to a study by an international team led by England’s University of Leicester. It adds up to more than all living matter on the planet, estimated at around four trillion tons.

How much stuff will you give and receive this holiday season? Add it to the…

According to the most comprehensive and up-to-date public analysis ever conducted on the state of Canada’s fish, only 24 per cent of Canada’s fish stocks are considered healthy, and the health of 45 per cent cannot be determined due to a lack of data.

Canada’s fish populations, and the health of our oceans, are at risk. According to the most…

When government biologists in Canada want to learn where caribou are, they put radio-tracking collars on some animals and monitor their movements. This gives them a rough idea of where herds are and where they travel, but it doesn’t tell them much about a caribou population’s history — travel routes before their habitat was degraded or historical feeding, breeding and calving spots.

When government biologists in Canada want to learn where caribou are, they put radio-tracking collars…

Muck diving has gathered worldwide fame in recent years, underwater photographers and scuba diving enthusiasts…

A new marine protected area in the Canadian Arctic protects species and habitats, prevents oil and gas development and safeguards economic activities for Inuvialuit.

A new marine protected area in the Canadian Arctic protects species and habitats, prevents oil…

Fishing is as emblematic to Canada as ice hockey. It’s also a way of life with a long tradition in coastal Indigenous communities. But since European contact, it’s been all but eliminated as an economic development opportunity for them.

Fishing is as emblematic to Canada as ice hockey. It’s also a way of life…

Just home from UN climate talks in Marrakech, Climate Change Minister, Paula Bennett was sent an open letter recently from businesses, health professionals, climate scientists, academics, faith groups, and prominent New Zealanders calling for action on climate change.

Just home from UN climate talks in Marrakech, Climate Change Minister, Paula Bennett was sent…

The Canadian government has announced a ban on microbeads, and this progressive move will keep this harmful plastic pollutant out of Canada’s waterways. When products containing microbeads, such as cleansers, lotions and toothpastes, are used and rinsed down the drain, these bits of plastic — typically 1.0 millimetre or smaller in diameter — are too small to be caught by wastewater treatment facilities. Instead, they are flushed directly into lakes, rivers and streams, where they wreak havoc on wildlife. Scientists have found millions of microbeads in the Great Lakes, with the highest concentrations occurring near urban areas.

The Canadian government has announced a ban on microbeads, and this progressive move will keep…

A conservation virtual running event has captured the public’s attention and turned from a solo event into a global one, with runners around the world signing up to participate.

Māui’s dolphin, a subspecies of Hector’s dolphin found off the west coast of the North Island, is the rarest marine dolphin and has approximately just 63 individuals remaining in the wild. This critically endangered dolphin needs all the help it can get to recover from fisheries bycatch.

Māui’s dolphin, a subspecies of Hector’s dolphin found off the west coast of the North…

The recent landmark announcement of the world’s newest and largest marine protected area (MPA) in the Ross Sea in Antarctica brought great personal joy to me and closure to an incredible journey that began ten-years ago.

The recent landmark announcement of the world’s newest and largest marine protected area (MPA) in…

The waters of New Zealand are home to a number of colourful moray eel species and conger eels, which can be dived with in places such as the Poor Knights marine reserve in Northland. Spending time with eels isn’t restricted to scuba diving though, as the land of the long white cloud is also home to the Longfin eel; a freshwater species only found in New Zealand and declining in numbers.

The waters of New Zealand are home to a number of colourful moray eel species…

The U.S. election was a chilling illustration of the atrocious state of public discourse. It doesn’t bode well for a country once admired for leadership in education and science.

The U.S. election was a chilling illustration of the atrocious state of public discourse. It…

Kiribati, an island nation in the central Pacific Ocean, is committed to protecting their waters from overfishing and have recently announced they have established a large shark sanctuary. The sanctuary is approximately the size of India and commercial shark fishing is banned within it

Kiribati, an island nation in the central Pacific Ocean, is committed to protecting their waters…

Now what? Many people in the United States and around the world are dismayed that a bigoted, misogynistic, climate change denier has been elected to the highest office in what is still the world’s most powerful nation. His party controls the House and Senate, meaning pro-fossil-fuel, anti-climate-action representatives who reject overwhelming and alarming scientific evidence will hold the reins. It will be a government firmly in the pocket of the fossil fuel industry. But global warming isn’t going to pause for four years. It’s going to accelerate. Do we give up?

Now what? Many people in the United States and around the world are dismayed that…

Turns out, Frogfish are even cooler than you thought! Frogfish are one of those fish…

Imagine beaches that are free from rubbish, healthy rivers that we can swim in, and people everywhere who are inspired to look after the places we love. This is the vision of non-profit group Sustainable Coastlines. The charity recently launched a crowd-funding campaign to help complete The Flagship Education Centre – a unique and ambitious re-locatable building planned for Auckland’s Wynyard Quarter, and they need your help.

Imagine beaches that are free from rubbish, healthy rivers that we can swim in, and…

Coral Restoration Foundation has been awarded $2.1 million in funding from the National Oceanic and…

Clean air, water and soil to grow food are necessities of life. So are diverse plant and animal populations. But as the human population continues to increase, animal numbers are falling. There’s a strong correlation. A comprehensive report from the World Wildlife Federation and the Zoological Society of London found that wild animal populations dropped by 58 per cent between 1970 and 2012, and will likely reach a 67 per cent drop by 2020 if nothing is done to prevent the decline.

Clean air, water and soil to grow food are necessities of life. So are diverse…

The 2016 sea turtle nesting season is coming to an end, and its’s been a…

On the 26th October 2016 at Oceana Canada’s symposium, Rebuilding Abundance: Restoring Canada’s Fisheries for Long-Term Prosperity, the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, announced that his department has released key information on the status of Canadian fish stocks, sharing the results of an annual Sustainability Survey for Fisheries, and investing additional funds to increase science capacity.

On the 26th October 2016 at Oceana Canada’s symposium, Rebuilding Abundance: Restoring Canada’s Fisheries for…

In July, a pipeline leak near Maidstone, Saskatchewan, spilled about 250,000 litres of diluted oil sands bitumen into the North Saskatchewan River, killing wildlife and compromising drinking water for nearby communities, including Prince Albert. It was one of 11 spills in the province over the previous year.

In July, a pipeline leak near Maidstone, Saskatchewan, spilled about 250,000 litres of diluted oil…

It’s unnerving to think that each year, hundreds of whales and dolphins strand on the shores of New Zealand. In fact, New Zealand has the highest stranding rate in the world. Some are sick or injured; others are perfectly healthy and need a helping hand back into the water. 300 strand in New Zealand each year and mass stranding can also be common, which can involve 100s of animals at a time. But if you were to see a beached whale how many of us actually know how to help these magnificent marine mammals get back to the water?

It’s unnerving to think that each year, hundreds of whales and dolphins strand on the…