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The Clyde Dam, fast-tracked as part of the Think Big policy in the 1970s but with long-lasting problems. www.shutterstock.com

Unless we improve the law, history shows rushing shovel-ready projects comes with real risk

July 2, 2020 by Sprep-Admin

If the road to hell is paved with good intentions, so too is the road to economic recovery if we don’t get it right. The COVID-19 Recovery (Fast Track Consenting) Bill, currently rushing through the parliamentary process, certainly has noble aims.

Ban for styrofoam cups and plates postponed for the second time. (Photo: Samoa Observer)

Government postpones styrofoam ban

July 2, 2020 by Sprep-Admin

The Government has deferred enforcing a nationwide ban on the use of styrofoam plates and cups due to the coronavirus [COVID-19] global pandemic. This was confirmed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment [M.N.R.E.] on Wednesday.

Reefs in the Solomon Islands were covered with abundant and diverse coral communities, but few fish. Most of the big fish were gone, and many of the nearshore reefs appeared to be overfished. Credit: Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation/Ken Marks

The state of coral reefs in the Solomon Islands

July 2, 2020 by Sprep-Admin

Scientists at the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation (KSLOF) have published a report on the status of coral reefs in the Solomon Islands.

Park Service reports $3.6 million spent in Nat'l Park of American Samoa

July 1, 2020 by Sprep-Admin

The US Secretary of Interior David L. Bernhardt announced last week the annual economic benefit of the national parks to the U.S. and local economies for the year 2019.

Initial economic impact of COVID-19 reported for Micronesia, Marshall Islands, and Palau

July 1, 2020 by Sprep-Admin

US Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary, Insular and International Affairs Douglas W.

Narriearra station in the far north-west of New South Wales was sold for an undisclosed fee in the largest single land purchase of private land for conservation in the Australian state’s history. Photograph: Joshua J Smith

NSW makes record land purchase for new national park

July 1, 2020 by Sprep-Admin

The New South Wales government’s purchase of 153,415 hectares of private land for a new national park is being heralded as a significant win for threatened species and habitats.

Mangrove forests are excellent buffers against storms. Credit - Ravini/Pixabay

Healthy ecosystems are nature’s barrier to hurricane damage

July 1, 2020 by Sprep-Admin

A new report documents how natural ecosystems can safeguard communities from supercharged hurricanes and other natural disasters...published on June 5th by the National Wildlife Federation, that documents the oft-overlooked capacity of natural ecosystems to protect communities from hurricanes and

Two vendors at a fish market in Sigatoka, Fiji. Photo by: john.trif on Flickr / CC BY-NC-ND

Opinion: Now is the time for 'big ocean states' to build back bluer

July 1, 2020 by Sprep-Admin

While the coronavirus continues its deadly progress in countries and cities around the world, some small island developing states in the Commonwealth are cautiously lifting lockdowns and relaxing their preventive measures.

Shelf and deep sea environments have generally lower micropastic flux rates than coastal environments, but high rates may occur locally where bottom currents concentrate microplastic (e.g. on drift deposits, in submarine canyons and ocean trenches; Kane et al., 2020) or beneath locations of high particulate organic carbon flux driven by primary production (Tekman et al., 2020). Credit: Peter T. Harris

Microplastic pollution accumulates heavily in coastal areas such as fjords and estuaries

July 1, 2020 by Sprep-Admin

Microplastic pollution in marine environments is concentrated most highly in coastal habitats, especially fjords and estuaries, according to a new review article published in the journal Marine Pollution Bulletin.

New research from NUI Galway and the University of Limerick has for the first time quantified the volume of plastic from European countries (EU, UK, Switzerland and Norway) that contributes to ocean littering from exported recycling. Credit: Shutterstock/NUI Galway

Study finds plastic recycling from Europe being dumped in Asian waters

July 1, 2020 by Sprep-Admin

New research from NUI Galway and the University of Limerick has for the first time quantified the volume of plastic from European countries (EU, UK, Switzerland and Norway) that contributes to ocean littering from exported recycling.

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