Nairobi Convention Marine and Coastal News Round-up – 28 Mar 2022

Welcome, Nairobi Convention Member States, partners, and friends, to this issue of the Weekly News Round-up!

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The Ocean Race Summit in Seychelles calls on world to unite to protect the ocean

World leaders, ministers, sailors, scientists and young ocean advocates gathered in the Seychelles to call for greater global action and collaboration to protect the ocean. The President of Seychelles expressed his concern for the ocean, its vital role in sustaining life and the need to take urgent action to protect it.

Mercury is still a threat to human and planetary health

Seafood is the main source of protein for over three billion people around the world. Because mercury “bio-accumulates” in the food chain, larger fish such as shark, swordfish, tuna and marlin tend to be especially high in mercury. People who consume very high amounts of seafood can be exposed to high levels of mercury.

High-level ocean talks in the Seychelles

In a meeting addressed by UN Special Envoy for the Ocean, Seychelles revealed that it has plans to improve ocean literacy- the understanding of the influence of the ocean on people and vice versa-, and also revealed its plan to continue protecting its EEZ of 1.4 million square kilometres. The meeting also discussed how to use the ocean as a living laboratory, and future developments in the Blue Economy in the Seychelles.

Effects of COVID-19 lockdowns on shorebird populations

This study illustrates the effects of government lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic using shorebirds in an urban South African sandy beach ecosystem. In 2020, human exclusion resulted in a six-fold increase in shorebird abundance relative to 2019, and following ease of lockdowns, their abundance declined by 79.6% with increase in human density.

7th Workshop of the African Marine Waste Network’s International Conference

The second International Conference of the African Marine Waste Network, planned for 23-27 May 2022, will focus on the actions and interventions that need to take place at every step of the value chain, to move Africa towards the vision of no plastics entering the environment and, ultimately, the seas.

Sea turtles in Seychelles have recovered from the brink

Sea turtles are a well-loved icon for conservation, their image used worldwide to remind us why we need to clean up and protect our oceans. The Seychelles archipelago had long been a popular turtle hunting ground with 12,000 turtles hunted yearly. However, the Aldabra atoll being made a nature reserve fueled the restoration of turtle populations in the island.

How do river flows influence the larger ecosystem?

How do river flows influence the entire estuary ecosystem? Dinis Juizo, a water resources management expert talks about his research in the Incomati Delta in southern Mozambique. As part of an interdisciplinary team, he identifies the flows needed to preserve Indian Ocean deltas which are nurseries for fish and a source of income for the local community.

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