Maldives pressured to stop longline fishing due to threats to marine biodiversity

The South Asian archipelagic country of Maldives has been considering whether to grant new licenses for longline fishing off the nation’s biodiverse shores, drawing criticism from NGOs and other organizations that say the practice harms vulnerable shark populations. Read more here.

Under US pressure, Mexico probes loggerhead sea turtle deaths

The Latin American nation has been criticized by US authorities for failing to do enough to protect the turtles, which have been affected by illegal fishing. Read more here.

Baby corals offer hope in ‘dark time’ for Florida reefs

Ocean waters this year have been slightly cooler than they were in 2023, which scientists say could mean less late-summer bleaching. Notable too is that a few hardy coral strains successfully reproduced at the end of August — despite all the stress of the past year. Read more here.

Suspected sea turtle poacher charged in Malindi

Appearing before Malindi Resident Magistrate Grace Mutemi, Kazungu Mwavuo Ngala, denied the charge, claiming he was a bodaboda operator who had been hired to carry the sea creature to a destination he did not disclose. Read more here.

Marine fish species facing increased extinction risk

According to a study published in the open-access journal PLOS Biology, scientists from the MARBEC Unit in Montpellier, France, report that 12.7% of these species are now at risk of extinction. This marks a fivefold increase from the previous estimate of 2.5% by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Read more here.