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Saudi Ginseng Returns after 20 Years in the Northern Borders

The "abab" plant, also known as "Saudi ginseng" or "ashwagandha", has returned after a 20-year absence in the deserts of the Northern Borders Region. (SPA)
The "abab" plant, also known as "Saudi ginseng" or "ashwagandha", has returned after a 20-year absence in the deserts of the Northern Borders Region. (SPA)
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Saudi Ginseng Returns after 20 Years in the Northern Borders

The "abab" plant, also known as "Saudi ginseng" or "ashwagandha", has returned after a 20-year absence in the deserts of the Northern Borders Region. (SPA)
The "abab" plant, also known as "Saudi ginseng" or "ashwagandha", has returned after a 20-year absence in the deserts of the Northern Borders Region. (SPA)

The "abab" plant, also known as "Saudi ginseng" or "ashwagandha", has returned after a 20-year absence in the deserts of the Northern Borders Region, the Saudi Press Agency said on Sunday.
This evergreen shrub with yellow flowers has reemerged, alongside other wild plants.
In an interview with SPA, Director of the Amana Environmental Association in the region Nasser Rashid Al-Majlad, said that the area's rich green wealth presents economic opportunities. By utilizing natural plant resources, the region can enhance biodiversity, combat desertification, expand green spaces, promote tourism, and foster human development.
Al-Majlad said that these efforts align with the principles of the green economy, which aims to strike a balance between economic and environmental needs for the benefit of both humanity and the planet.
Khonaysser Al-Anazi, a plant enthusiast, said the abab plants on the outskirts of Arar city reappeared due to increased rainfall and the expansion of green areas. He highlighted the potential for cultivation and utilization of these plants for various purposes.

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South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary Plan Blocked at Int’l Meeting

A juvenile pygmy blue whale swims, following a rescue operation by members of the Department of Conservation New Zealand in Kawau Island, New Zealand, September 16, 2024. Department Of Conservation New Zealand/Handout via REUTERS
A juvenile pygmy blue whale swims, following a rescue operation by members of the Department of Conservation New Zealand in Kawau Island, New Zealand, September 16, 2024. Department Of Conservation New Zealand/Handout via REUTERS
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South Atlantic Whale Sanctuary Plan Blocked at Int’l Meeting

A juvenile pygmy blue whale swims, following a rescue operation by members of the Department of Conservation New Zealand in Kawau Island, New Zealand, September 16, 2024. Department Of Conservation New Zealand/Handout via REUTERS
A juvenile pygmy blue whale swims, following a rescue operation by members of the Department of Conservation New Zealand in Kawau Island, New Zealand, September 16, 2024. Department Of Conservation New Zealand/Handout via REUTERS

A proposal to establish a sanctuary for whales and other cetacean species in the southern Atlantic Ocean was rejected at a meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) on Thursday, disappointing animal conservationists, Reuters reported.
At the IWC's annual session in Lima, Peru, 40 countries backed a plan to create a safe haven that would ban commercial whale hunting from West Africa to the coasts of Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil, extending a protected area already in place in the Southern Ocean.
However, 14 countries opposed the plan, meaning it narrowly failed to get the 75% of votes required.
Among the opponents were Norway, one of the three countries that still engage in commercial whaling, along with Iceland and Japan. Iceland abstained, while Japan left the IWC in 2019.
Petter Meier, head of the Norwegian delegation, told the meeting that the proposal "represents all that is wrong" about the IWC, adding that a sanctuary was "completely unnecessary".
Norway, Japan and Iceland made 825 whale catches worldwide last year, according to data submitted to the IWC.
Whaling fleets "foreign to the region" have engaged in "severe exploitation" of most species of large whales in the South Atlantic, and a sanctuary would help maintain current populations, the proposal said.
The South Atlantic is home to 53 species of whales and other cetaceans, such as dolphins, with many facing extinction risks, said the proposal. It also included a plan to protect cetaceans from accidental "bycatch" by fishing fleets.
"It's a bitter disappointment that the proposal ... has yet again been narrowly defeated by nations with a vested interest in killing whales for profit," said Grettel Delgadillo, Latin America deputy director at Humane Society International, an animal conservation group.
An effort by Antigua and Barbuda to declare whaling a source of "food security" did not gain support, and the IWC instead backed a proposal to maintain a global moratorium on commercial whaling in place since 1986.
"Considering the persistent attempts by pro-whaling nations to dismantle the 40-year-old ban, the message behind this proposal is much needed," said Delgadillo.