Forest & Bird’s Post

Mining company South32 has started geotechnical drilling on the banks of the culturally significant Hotham River, even though their jarrah forest strip-mining plans have not yet been approved by state or federal environmental ministers. Locals have described this move as "a kick in the teeth," as the community has not been properlty consulted, nor the Traditional Owners given consent. 🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/g-Ee-y52 The jarrah forest is irreplaceable, home to species found nowhere else on Earth. South32’s expansion include the deforestation of more than 1,500 football fields of threatened habitat, including areas vital to critically endangered species like the Woylie / bettong, Noombat / numbat, and endangered Ngolyenok / Carnaby’s Cockatoo. South32’s massive strip-mining expansion has only been conditionally recommended for approval by the WA EPA, contingent on rehabilitation and commitments to biodiversity offsets. However, the final decision won’t be made by either state or federal environment ministers until next year. Despite this, South32 is pushing ahead, disregarding proper process and the rights of Traditional Owners. ⚠️ The Wilderness Society, alongside the WA Forest Alliance, Locals for Environmental Action & Protection (LEAP), and First Nations cultural knowledge holders are standing together to secure a stop work order. This reckless activity, which blatantly disregards due process, must be stopped to protect these invaluable forests. 👉 Will you stand with us to protect WA’s jarrah forests before it’s too late? https://lnkd.in/gJ4mrHBr #deforestation #bauxite #jarrahforests #westernaustralia #environment #auspol

🌊 This month's ISA Council and Assembly meetings marked a significant step forward in our efforts to protect the ocean. We've made notable progress towards a moratorium on #DeepSeaMining, driven by new scientific evidence that emphasizes the need for caution. The Assembly proved to be a turning point, with a global coalition of countries, scientists, Indigenous leaders, and youth coming together to prioritize environmental preservation over mining interests. The election of Leticia Carvalho as the new Secretary-General heralds a fresh chapter for the ISA, aiming to enhance deep-sea protection and management. Additionally, support for a precautionary pause on deep-sea mining has grown, with five new countries joining, bringing the total to 32. This reflects a major shift towards global environmental defense.🌍 While discussions on a comprehensive marine protection policy continue, and the independent review of the ISA has been postponed to next year, no new mining authorizations were granted. These steps underscore the need for thorough deliberation and caution. As someone deeply committed to ocean conservation, I believe it's crucial that we continue to advocate for transparency, accountability, and thoughtful decision-making to safeguard our ocean for future generations. Together, we can make a lasting impact on the future of our planet. IUCN Deep Sea Conservation Coalition (DSCC) #DefendTheDeep #KeepInTheDeep #Ocean #MarineLife #MarineConservation #Conservation #OceaConservation #Nature #DeepSea #DeepSeaMining #DSM

 “86% of EU waters covered by MPAs showed light, minimal, or no protection from the most harmful human activities, such as dredging, mining, or the most damaging fishing gears.”   Bottom trawling is amongst the most harmful activities damaging our seas - seriously affecting a wide variety of marine life and releasing CO2.   We're aiming to ensure Marine Protected Areas are effective, and are taking a series of legal cases targeting bottom-trawling in these zones in Europe.    From May this year, we have been partnering with BLOOM Association to take legal action to ensure France complies with EU law: https://lnkd.in/esjY_cdM

International Seabed Authority: Working for the benefit of the ocean, marine wildlife, and humanity. The ocean is a vastly important resource with an unfathomably large biodiversity. As humans look to take the minerals we need, it is up to organisations like ISA to ensure no harm comes to the marine environment. The seabed holds various materials that are becoming increasingly important for the green transition, such as copper, gold, manganese, cobalt, and more. As demand for such materials increases, it is not unreasonable to expect ventures to look to mining these marine environments. The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is a UN-established international organisation dedicated to the monitoring and protection of global marine environments in mineral-resource-related activities. Innovation News Network Assistant Editor Matthew Brundrett sat down with Jaimie Abbott, MBA, GAICD, Communications Specialist at ISA to find out more about their work. Innovation News Network https://lnkd.in/e6KUhzAd #marine #oceans #wildlife #environment

A recent study highlights the alarming fact that only 0.2% of EU waters are under strong protection, far from the EU's 2030 goal to safeguard 30% of its marine areas. Weak regulations and widespread non-compliance are leaving our marine ecosystems vulnerable to harmful activities like bottom trawling and mining. The Mediterranean is among the regions most at risk. Urgent action is needed to ensure the protection of our seas! 🐟🌍 Read more: https://lnkd.in/dG3HY47Y #MarineProtection #EU #MedSeaAlliance

For sale: a stretch of land about the size of Manhattan on the Svalbard archipelago. Asking price: €300 million. On offer is the last privately owned land on Svalbard, according to a report by Thomas Nilsen for The Barents Observer. The land, named “Søre Fagerfjord” in the 1920 Svalbard Treaty, has “significant environmental, scientific and economic importance,” according to an online ad placed by the owner, AS Kulspids. The 60 sq. km property is uninhabited except for the polar bears, Arctic foxes and other animals that populate the area. There is, however, a disused cabin that was built by Kulspids in 1918. Environmental laws are likely to hinder mining activity at the property, Nilsen writes. However, a satellite station might be built. As Kulspids notes on its portal: “The very northern position of Svalbard creates unique conditions for satellite communication.” You can read the story in full by clicking on this link: https://lnkd.in/gWF95j43 #arctic #arcticregion #arctictoday #svalbard #norway #realestate #forsale #propertysales

Hatfield is looking forward to presenting at BC’s 47th Annual Mine Reclamation Symposium, organized by the BC Technical and Research Committee on Reclamation (TRCR), held at the Delta Hotels Burnaby Conference Centre on September 23-26, 2024. Hatfield is a proud bronze sponsor and exhibitor, and we hope to see you there! This year’s theme is Mine Reclamation and Biodiversity, focusing on the intersection of ecological restoration and biodiversity conservation in post-mining landscapes. Hatfield’s Benjamin Beall, Associate Partner & Manager, Aquatic and Mark Whelly, MSc, RPBio, Manager of Ecotoxicology & Risk Assessment are set to co-present with their presentation titled “Validation of Selenium Bioaccumulation Models using Fish Feeding Studies with Se-Spiked Invertebrates”. This presentation will take place on September 26, at 3:00pm (PDT). Benjamin and Mark will go into depth on selenium bioaccumulation in native fish from Northeastern BC, and implications for understanding the potential effects of changing selenium conditions in freshwater ecosystems. Hatfield’s Michael Choi, Associate Partner and Senior Manager, Mine Permitting and Jennifer Choyce M.Res, R.P.Bio, Marine Biologist and Senior Environmental Specialist will also attend the event. The Symposium provides the opportunity for environmental scientists and biologists, engineers, geoscientists, government officials and Indigenous community representatives to come together in support of sustainable mine reclamation. Hatfield has decades of experience working on metal and coal mining operations throughout Canada to minimize regulatory, environmental, and social risks through the entire mining lifecycle. We look forward to collaborating alongside fellow industry professionals at this event! #BCTRCR #TRCR47 #Reclamation #Restoration #Mining #Sustainability

If the company behind an enormous proposed new opencast gold in central Otago wants there to be ‘no net loss’ to the environment, they need to avoid the Fast-track Approvals Bill. This new bill proposed by the coalition Government allows companies to avoid existing environmental regulations, robust scientific evidence, and community input. Instead, this anti-democratic law overrides environmental bottom lines to allow development, no matter how environmentally damaging it is. The dry landscapes of Central Otago may look barren, but these rock tors are full of rare plants, and lots of lizards and invertebrates. The site Santana Minerals wants to mine is under a post-Tenure Review conservation covenant to protect landscape, biodiversity & historic values. The company’s drilling is already adversely affecting landscape values, and full-scale mining would also involve a massive tailings dam, with the risk of arsenic contamination to waterways. If companies can override environmental protections through the Fast-track Approvals Bill, we’ll see worse outcomes for nature. Let’s bin the bill, protect the quirky little plants that live among the rock tors, and bring back a flourishing natural environment to Aotearoa New Zealand. If you'd like to find out more about how you can fight the #WarOnNature, come along to a special webinar at 7pm this Wednesday 25 September, where Forest & Bird will be discussing the latest on the Fast-track Approvals Bill and ways you can make sure your voice is heard, including how to lobby your local MP: Register here: https://lnkd.in/g3UAciDT 📷: Central Otago roundhead galaxias / On Lee Lau CC BY 4.0; Myosotis cheesemanii / Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa CC BY 4.0.

Canada’s Federal Court of Appeal dismissed this case on “technical grounds”, ruling that recent changes made by Ottawa to the Impact Assessment Act do not allow reconsideration of prior appeals. More #offshoreoilandgas drilling in #AtlanticCanada is a one-way ticket to #strandedassets and environmental despoliation - channel that #capex into #offshorewind #power! #nonewoil #timesupforfossils #decarbonization #netzero #offshoreenergy #oceanindustries Canadian Renewable Energy Association (CanREA) Canada's Ocean Supercluster Oceantic Network WORLD FORUM OFFSHORE WIND (WFO) Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) Sierra Club Canada Foundation World Wildlife Fund Ecology Action Centre Ecojustice Canada

🛎️Offshore wind South Korea To add to my post from Monday about the adoption of the "Marine Use Impact Assessment Act—Law No. 19910" on January 2, 2024, I made a blog post which provides a comprehensive analysis of this law's potential to address fishing community issues. Curious to hear your opinions in the comments! #southkorea #coexistence #marineenvironment #permitting