Study: Climate, Environmental Change Puts 90% of World’s Marine Food at Risk

Thai fishermen catch freshwater white tilapia fish at a fish farm in Samut Prakarn province June 6, 2012. (Reuters)
Thai fishermen catch freshwater white tilapia fish at a fish farm in Samut Prakarn province June 6, 2012. (Reuters)
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Study: Climate, Environmental Change Puts 90% of World’s Marine Food at Risk

Thai fishermen catch freshwater white tilapia fish at a fish farm in Samut Prakarn province June 6, 2012. (Reuters)
Thai fishermen catch freshwater white tilapia fish at a fish farm in Samut Prakarn province June 6, 2012. (Reuters)

More than 90% of the world's marine food supplies are at risk from environmental changes such as rising temperatures and pollution, with top producers like China, Norway and the United States facing the biggest threat, new research showed on Monday.

"Blue food" includes more than 2,190 species of fish, shellfish, plants and algae as well as more than 540 species farmed in fresh water, helping sustain 3.2 billion people worldwide.

But not enough is being done to adapt to growing environmental risks, a study published in the Nature Sustainability journal said.

"Although we have made some progress with climate change, our adaptation strategies for blue food systems facing environmental change are still underdeveloped and need urgent attention," said Rebecca Short, researcher at the Stockholm Resilience Center and co-lead author.

Overproduction in the industry, which has driven the destruction of wetland habitats, has caused significant environmental damage but other "stressors" are also impacting the quantity and quality of blue foods.

They include rising sea levels and temperatures, ocean acidification, changes in rainfall, as well as non-climate factors like algal blooms and pollution from mercury, pesticides or antibiotics.

"Vulnerability caused by human-induced environmental change ... puts blue food production under a lot of pressure," said Ling Cao, professor at China's Xiamen University, who also co-wrote the paper.

"We know aquaculture and fisheries support billions of people for their livelihoods and their nutritional security."

China, Japan, India and Vietnam account for more than 45% of global landings and 85% of aquaculture production, and the study said reducing their vulnerability should be a priority. Small island nations that depend on seafood are also especially vulnerable.

Cao said a UN treaty on sustainable development in the high seas, signed in March, could enable stakeholders to act in the common interest when it comes to protecting blue food resources but other risks are on the horizon.

Nauru in the Pacific Ocean is at the forefront of efforts to mine ocean beds for metals, which environmentalists say can cause immense damage to marine life. Norway, another major seafood producer, also came under fire last week after announcing it would open up sea areas to mining.

"Ocean floor mining will have an impact on the wild fisheries population," said Cao. "Many scientists are now calling on governments to evaluate where they do ocean mining in order to minimize the impact."



7 California Men Charged in 'Largest Jewelry Heist' in US History

One of the rings stolen in the heist (FBI handout)
One of the rings stolen in the heist (FBI handout)
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7 California Men Charged in 'Largest Jewelry Heist' in US History

One of the rings stolen in the heist (FBI handout)
One of the rings stolen in the heist (FBI handout)

Seven men from California have been charged in the "largest jewelry heist in US history,” involving the theft of $100 million worth of gold, gems, and luxury watches, according to BBC.

The heist has been a mystery in California for nearly three years after a Brinks company truck transporting the jewelry was robbed at a remote stop as one driver slept inside, and another was having a meal.

The suspects tracked the truck as it left a jewelry show near San Francisco with 73 bags, officials said.

The next morning, they stole 24 bags when the truck was at a rest stop in Lebec, California, according to court documents.

The indictment does not say how they gained access to the truck.

Announcing the charges on Tuesday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) alleged that one of the suspects scouted a jewelry show near San Francisco for several days in 2022 and then robbed the truck with his accomplices in the early hours of 11 July.

A copy of the indictment says the defendants watched as a Brinks truck was loaded with jewels and then followed the truck for approximately 300 miles (485 km) from San Mateo to Lebec, California.

While the truck was parked at a stop in Lebec, the suspects allegedly stole 24 bags containing about $100 million in jewelry, the court document says.

Officials said the robbers did not use any weapons during the heist.

The robbery was discovered when the driver returned to the vehicle and saw that the exterior padlock was missing. Authorities believe it was sawed off.

The truck was on its way to another jewelry show in Pasadena, California.

Some of the jewels were recovered during the execution of search warrants on 16 June, according to a DOJ statement.

Jerry Kroll, an attorney who represents some of the jewelers whose merchandise was stolen, told the BBC he did not know how much had been recovered.