SCUBA JUL/AUG 2024 issue 147 | Page 51

El Niño stokes ocean heat

Using data from the EU ’ s Copernicus Climate Service , the BBC has reported that the world ’ s oceans have broken temperature records every single day over the past year . For decades , the world ’ s oceans have been the Earth ’ s ‘ get-outof-jail card ’ when it comes to climate change . Not only do they absorb around a quarter of the carbon dioxide that humans produce , they also soak up around 90 % of the excess heat . But over the past year , the oceans have displayed the most concerning evidence yet that they are struggling to cope . Planet-warming gases are mostly to blame , but the natural weather event El Niño has also helped warm the seas . The super-heated oceans have hit marine life hard and driven a new wave of coral bleaching and melted ice at the poles . One important factor that ’ s made the last year more impactful in seas all over the world has been the El Niño weather phenomenon , adding to human-driven emissions of warming gases . El Niño sees warmer waters come to the surface of the Pacific . As a result , it tends to push up the global average .

Turning up the heat for white tips

Shark Trust MD Paul Cox explains the complexities of ensuring protection for one of the most iconic shark species

The oceanic whitetip , known for its incredibly long dorsal and pectoral fins , was once the most abundant oceanic species of shark on the planet .

As divers know , these beautiful sharks can be quite inquisitive . This makes them easy prey for fisheries and their large fins are highly valued within the shark fin trade . Intense fishing pressure over the years has decimated populations . Declines of up to 99 % have been reported in certain sea areas and they ’ re listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Redlist .

Efforts to protect oceanic whitetips over the last decade or so include listing on CITES and the Convention on Migratory Species – both multinational agreements that commit nations to conservation action and trade restrictions . And they ’ re the only species of shark whose ‘ take ’ is prohibited by all five of the world ’ s Tuna RFMOs ( Regional Fisheries Management Organisations ) - collectively managing fisheries across 91 % of the world ’ s ocean . Despite all these measures , they ’ re still being caught . Whether released or retained , these fisheries are still causing real issues for oceanic whitetip populations , which continue to decline .

On paper oceanic whitetip sharks are heavily protected , but the level of unreported bycatch currently makes a mockery of this protection . Much more effort is needed to ensure that the management measures across all ocean basins is implemented effectively .

It ’ s time , again , to dig into the details . As part of our ongoing Oceanics Programme – supported by the Big Shark Pledge – we ’ re now focussing in on the issues that are preventing this iconic shark from having a decent chance of recovery .

It ’ s a lesson , once again , in how conservation on paper is only as good as the will to see the agreements through . And the devil is in the detail . There are numerous technicalities and discussions around fisheries equipment , practices and monitoring . And it ’ s vitally important that there ’ s a consistent approach across the five RFMOs . So , we ’ re stepping up our action , supported by donations and support for our Big Shark Pledge campaign . Whether Indian Ocean , Atlantic or Pacific , the world ’ s one ocean needs its oceanic sharks . And we have to keep up the pressure , striving for effective solutions .

Conservation is never simple . There are many levers and sometimes it can appear that , with the pull of one lever , all is now well . But the truth is that there will always be complexities and there will always be challenges to be overcome . It ’ s a long game . But it ’ s worth it because those sharks are too damn precious to lose . www . sharktrust . org was unclear exactly what the mystery items were , as they were buried in river mud ; there are no plans to remove them . The ship , which grounded on a sandbank near Sheerness , is decaying . There is a remote but serious risk that if the cargo explodes a tidal wave could surge towards the Kent and Essex shorelines and onwards to the Thames Barrier . A Department for Transport ( DfT ) spokesperson said : “ Our priority will always be to ensure the safety of the public and reduce any risk posed by the SS Richard Montgomery .”

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